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2012 Ford F-250 Raptor Super Duty - 4-Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

Fred Williams Brand Manager, Petersen’s 4Wheel & Off Road

People like to compare the Ford Raptor to the Ram Power Wagon, but these are two very different trucks. The Raptor is a low-slung, go-fast, off-road, 1⁄2-ton, sports car of a truck. The Power Wagon is a big, brutish, 3⁄4-ton beast built for ”off the beaten path” work. However, what if Ford offered the Super Duty 3⁄4- and 1-ton trucks in a package more akin to the Power Wagon? The folks from Offroad Power Products asked just that question. After conferring with the team from Hazzard FabWorx they decided to build this super duper Super Duty to be both Power Wagon and Raptor in one. Most importantly, the Raptor Super Duty (RSD) would have a diesel, the biggest missing link in the Power Wagon offering.

2012 Ford Raptor Super Duty front Three Quarter In Snow Photo 45825332

They decided to build this super duper Super Duty to be both Power Wagon and Raptor in one

The plan was simple: Get their hands on some performance components to allow the big truck to sit taller and clear big tires, but still drive hard and work with a winch at one end and a trailer hitch at the other. The truck had to be as bolt-together as possible, with little to no fabrication so that it could be assembled quickly.

2012 Ford Raptor Super Duty rear Three Quarter In Snow Photo 45825338

The end result is impressive. A big truck that can bomb through snow, desert, or rutted wilderness one day, and can tow a camper, car hauler, or equipment trailer the next. We’re crossing our fingers that the team at Ford SVT, the home base of the Raptor, sees this project and maybe starts thinking about a factory-offered Raptor Super Duty. But if you have to have one now, OPP and Hazzard will be offering all these parts as a complete package to transform your Super Duty.

PhotosView Slideshow We started with a ’12 Ford F-250 Lariat. It’s a great truck with a 6.7L diesel engine, selectable locking rear differential, four doors, and towhooks. It has everything you need and nothing extra, but that was all about to change as the truck was pulled into the Hazzard FabWorx shop for a complete makeover.

We started with a ’12 Ford F-250 Lariat. It’s a great truck with a 6.7L diesel engine, selectable locking rear differential, four doors, and towhooks. It has everything you need and nothing extra, but that was all about to change as the truck was pulled into the Hazzard FabWorx shop for a complete makeover.

Nothing in this pile is inexpensive, but when you’re starting with a fifty-some-thousand-dollar truck, why would you cut corners? The new truck is designed to be more capable off-road both on trails and at speed while still being able to do normal truck work.

Lift and ride quality added to the RSD; the rear springs were replaced with a set of Carli/Deaver rear full race leaf springs. The bed was removed for easy access and sent to the body shop for special modifications. The Carli suspension will offer 41⁄2 inches of lift but also a more supple and controlled ride.

To increase rear wheel travel yet still support heavy bed and trailer loads, the rear suspension received a set of Carli long-travel airbags. Rear shocks are 12-inch-travel with remote reservoirs.

The front suspension needs to be on par or better than the rear, so a front set of 12-inch-travel, 21⁄2-inch coilovers and bypass shocks from Carli combined with an Icon Vehicle Dynamics four-link setup will improve the suspension geometry and offer the ability to fine-tune the damping as we see fit. But first, the old coil and shock mounts need to be removed by knocking out the frame rivets.

While the suspension was getting dialed in, the crew from Nitro Gear & Axle arrived to stuff some cogs in the front Dana 60. One oversight we flubbed on was rounding up a locker to make this Ford a Power Wagon fighter, but with 4.30 gears it will spin the big rubber without drama.

The rear full-floater also got new Nitro gears and retains the factory selectable locker. Adding a front locker is already on the to-do list.

While axles were getting built the front four-link brackets were installed. The four-link design allows the lift we desired without the drastic caster angle change resulting from lift with the factory radius arms. The bracketry also offers longer links than the factory radius arms.

The front Carli shock mounts are bolted onto the frame (no welding was required at all on the build), and the new shocks bolted in place. The addition of the bypass shocks to the coilovers allows multiple stages of shock valving so it can ride smooth at ride height and then get more firm as the suspension goes to full compression.

The RSD was fitted with a set of 40-inch Toyo Open Country MT tires from the local Les Schwab dealership on 17-inch ATX Slab beadlock wheels. The wheels were powdercoated in a vibrant blue by Lake City Powdercoat.

Adding a winch is a must for a big truck that is going to see backcountry use. A Warn 16.5ti with a hidden winch mount bolted right up and should be more than enough grunt to drag the big Ford free of unplanned debacles. The factory bumpers will bolt back on in front of the hidden winch mount.

When the bed returned from Perfection Auto where it had gone for the installation of Fiberwerx fiberglass bedsides and for matching paint, it was a perfect match. The inside was sprayed with Turbo Liner at Dave Smith Motors, and the bulging sides and enlarged wheel openings cover the 40-inch rubber with a factory look. Check out the Raptor taillights that were grafted into the fiberglass bedsides.

The front Fiberwerx fenders were also painted to match and have a serious bulge to clear the big Toyos. With the body coming together the truck will have full clearance for the suspension to move and a way more aggressive look.

The front and rear bumpers had to change, but rather than swapping in aftermarket bumpers the factory units were sent to Evergreen Powdercoating for a coat of black paint. This keeps the factory-made look without the truck being confused with other F-250s on the road.

The powerdercoated front bumper was slid in place over the Warn hidden winch mount and then received a Randy Ellis Design Sleekster light bar. The light bar was upgraded with a Rigid 30-inch LED light bar.

Above the windshield a Rigid 50-inch light bar was mounted. The mounting system comes from SoCal Super Trucks and uses inserts in the cab and button head cap screws.

Under the bed of the truck a massive 50-gallon Titan fuel tank was installed to nearly double the capacity from the factory 26-gallon tank. The Titan tank is compatible with the factory urea tank.

To help the big truck breath, an H&S Performance Mini Maxx tuner and cold air intake were added under the hood. In the back of the truck a Flo Pro 4-inch exhaust helps expel the smell of the Power Stroke smoke.

The Ford is going to be spinning big 40-inch tires, but steering them is even more important. A PSC ram-assist steering gear and ram will help push the big rubber around when aired down off-road.

As the final mechanical components of the build were getting installed it was time for the graphics to get the RSD looking like its little F-150 cousin. Designer Decal came through with an awesome wrap that mimics the factory Raptor styling while giving the Raptor Super Duty a distinctive look.

Body Chassis Transmission Drivetrain Electrical Engine Suspension Brakes Wheels Tires Tech QA

2012 Ford F-250 Raptor Super Duty - 4-Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

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