After hundreds of hours of R&D and thousands of miles of real world on and off-road testing, ICON engineers have developed products that provide a true performance upgrade over the factory components found on the 2017-2020 Ford F150 Raptor. The Gen. 2 Raptor is faster, lighter, and smarter than its older brother - suspension mounting locations have changed, a significant amount of weight was trimmed off of the truck, and new technology has been introduced both on the side of safety and performance. In typical ICON fashion, the new Raptor was pushed to its limits in stock trim to build a list of performance “needs and wants”. After this process, the ICON engineering team began to go over the truck front to rear to identify any opportunities to overcome the limits of the OE suspension and achieve the gains laid out in the previous phases of R&D.

The front end geometry of the Gen. 2 Raptor was found to be fairly similar to the previous model truck, however the shock mounting points had been moved higher up on the chassis. Seeing this as an opportunity, the team was able to design a 3.0 Series coilover that has more shaft travel while utilizing a barreled coil spring for more efficient packaging. The vehicle-specific valving featured in these shocks and the all new ICON-engineered spring work together to provide exceptional on-road ride quality with excellent off-road characteristics. ICON’s multi-stage hydraulic “Bump Zone” adds to the performance capability by providing an exponential increase in damping ability during the last 40% of compression travel for superior bottom-out resistance. In the ride zone, these 3.0 Series coilovers see a 50% increase in damping ability with the use of a significantly larger piston than what is found in the factory shocks. New 10” finned aluminum reservoirs provide a generous amount of shock oil while also providing an increase in surface area (over 200%) for enhanced cooling and consistent damping. The addition of ICON’s CDC Valve technology provides 10 settings of damping adjustment allowing the end-user to adjust the “feel” of the shocks for different terrains and vehicle cargo configurations.

The rear of the updated Ford Raptor was a highlight for ICON engineers, as new changes proved to be for the better. One significant change was that the shock mounting layout went from a parallel style setup to an offset design. While this is great for controlling axle wrap, it required a thorough reevaluation of the way ICON shocks would need to function to make the most of the refreshed rear end. In the R&D process it was found that Gen. 2 had more available wheel travel than the original Raptor, and by way of an offset upper eyelet ICON engineers laid out a 3.0 Series bypass shock that maximized travel while utilizing the factory shock mounts. To control the rear end in specific ranges of travel, these shocks feature 3 unique bypass zones – 2 on the compression stroke and one rebound. Unlike other shocks that have a loud bypass “click” when functioning, ICON bypass valves feature damped valve stops for quiet and precise operation. Easy-to-adjust knobs allow for quick changes to shock tuning without the need for tools, enabling the user to dial in their ride with minimal down time. When in use on and off-road, ICON’s patented Anti-Wobble Link stabilizes the shocks to prevent rotation and possible collision. Additionally, urethane shin guards protect the shock shafts and rod ends under grueling off-road conditions.

Holistic Engineering - the ICON Difference: When developing suspension components for a new vehicle, ICON takes a different approach than many others. Rather than focusing in on one particular part, ICON engineers look at the vehicle as a whole, identify inherent strengths and weaknesses, and set a target for performance. With a focus on maximizing wheel travel and improving ride quality, ICON will develop components that address (and often times replace) OE limiting factors. This "holistic engineering" philosophy often results in the development of several parts designed to work together as a system to provide a balanced on and off-road performance upgrade. Because ICON is designing and manufacturing all of the components necessary to improve the performance of a vehicle from front to back, end-users can rest easy knowing they are dealing with ONE manufacturer, ONE standard of quality, and ONE awesome warranty to back it all up.

ICON Vehicle Dynamics products are proudly designed, manufactured, and assembled in Riverside, California by a team of passionate off-road enthusiasts. With a reputation for quality, performance, and service it's clear that ICON Vehicle Dynamics is the top choice for performance suspension systems and shock absorbers for the 2017-2020 Ford F150 Raptor.