Our New Ford Bronco Raptor - First Impressions! - By Lite Brite

[TurboS]

This is going to be Fun watching what Kevin & Britney do with the Bronco Raptor, including all the mods. In this video Kevin already provides us some pointers on step and bumper ends removal.

"We sold our Ford Bronco Badlands, equipped with the Sasquatch package, because we hated it. The quality control issues from the factory were something we ultimately couldn't overlook, and the weaker steering and suspension weren't something we were willing to risk (especially with the number of breaks popping up online & in forums). However, we had really high hopes for the all new Ford Bronco, and we aren't willing to give up on it yet. So we've turned those hopes over to the new Bronco Raptor!"

"In order to get one as soon as possible, we bit the bullet and paid some guy $35K over MSRP for the one he just picked up from a dealer. With any luck, the Raptor will live up to what we always hoped the Ford Bronco could be!"

"Hope you all enjoy the video!"

 

[Apache 8]

This is going to be Fun watching what Kevin & Britney do with the Bronco Raptor, including all the mods. In this video Kevin already provides us some pointers on step and bumper ends removal.

"We sold our Ford Bronco Badlands, equipped with the Sasquatch package, because we hated it. The quality control issues from the factory were something we ultimately couldn't overlook, and the weaker steering and suspension weren't something we were willing to risk (especially with the number of breaks popping up online & in forums). However, we had really high hopes for the all new Ford Bronco, and we aren't willing to give up on it yet. So we've turned those hopes over to the new Bronco Raptor!"

"In order to get one as soon as possible, we bit the bullet and paid some guy $35K over MSRP for the one he just picked up from a dealer. With any luck, the Raptor will live up to what we always hoped the Ford Bronco could be!"

"Hope you all enjoy the video!"

Apparently Kevin did not do his homework or he is not being exactly honest. He stated several times that all the reviews thus far are orchestrated by Ford to maximize the strengths of the Raptor. In fact by this time I have seen several videos that are in no way connected to Ford, and in every other video, the rater has made several negative observations such as mediocre mpg, inferior rear window visibility, some don"t like the exhaust note, others think it needs some additional power, it is too heavy or too wide for trails, etc, etc, etc. It will be interesting to see their final assessment. Hopefully they will be a bit more objective than they were with their BL.

 

[TurboS]

Apparently Kevin did not do his homework or he is not being exactly honest. He stated several times that all the reviews thus far are orchestrated by Ford to maximize the strengths of the Raptor. In fact by this time I have seen several videos that are in no way connected to Ford, and in every other video, the rater has made several negative observations such as mediocre mpg, inferior rear window visibility, some don"t like the exhaust note, others think it needs some additional power, it is too heavy or too wide for trails, etc, etc, etc. It will be interesting to see their final assessment. Hopefully they will be a bit more objective than they were with their BL.

Agreed, we only have so much time, coming off a busy. gone from home, for 3 months summer, it's apparent Kevin hasn't keep current with the BR reviews. I also didn't agree with all the technology comments on the BL where I understood both the JL & Bronco, but when it comes to the off-roading Kevin & Britney is light years ahead of myself. I've been watching Lite Bright since getting their new JL which is now StepChild, and they sure didn't hold back on Jeep and I believe the Jeep Brand manager communicated back to them from comments in their video's, explained Jeeps position, and I think Jeep improved from those constructive criticisms.

I also have noticed at 80+ on the highway a slight tire balance issue, mine do have the wheel weights, but they need ride matched and rebalanced. Then my BR will be perfect.

 

[Apache 8]

Agreed, we only have so much time, coming off a busy. gone from home, for 3 months summer, it's apparent Kevin hasn't keep current with the BR reviews. I also didn't agree with all the technology comments on the BL where I understood both the JL & Bronco, but when it comes to the off-roading Kevin & Britney is light years ahead of myself. I've been watching Lite Bright since getting their new JL which is now StepChild, and they sure didn't hold back on Jeep and I believe the Jeep Brand manager communicated back to them from comments in their video's, explained Jeeps position, and I think Jeep improved from those constructive criticisms.

I also have noticed at 80+ on the highway a slight tire balance issue, mine do have the wheel weights, but they need ride matched and rebalanced. Then my BR will be perfect.

It is good to hear about the things that might need fine-tuning such as the wheel balance issue so every one of us that takes delivery can be up to speed on what to check out and focus on as we progressively take delivery .

 

[Ironmike]

These people are influencers first and foremost. I would never give them anywhere as much credence as someone who is a professional off-roader (e.g. Gitten, Healy). They are about getting views, hits, subscriptions, likes, etc., not about being definitive in the off-road industry.

 

[ChiliPepper]

Curious that Kevin states the Nitto Recon Grappler is a true 37" tire; whereas, the stock KO2 tires are less. It is well known that advertised DIA is slightly different than actual DIA; however, I fail to see the bragging rights for the Recon Grappler with only a 0.04" diameter gain. The video shows a noticeable unmounted and mounted diameter difference between the BFG and Nitto (but that could be camera angle. Put the BFG in the back and Nitto in the forefront, then the BFG would look bigger for the same angle). I would be bragging more about the extra 2 plies and trail toughness. You could step up the BFG toughness to a D rating for an extra 7.25-lbs/tire at which point the BFG is the better tire judging by weight and tread depth (IMHO). I'm sure the spray for Nitto is due to sponsorship.

[Sidebar: kind of lame and unprofessional that the OEM tires were not balanced. Ford QC should have caught that and the Ford dealer should have caught that on pre-delivery inspection and test drive. Hmmm, what's causing this wobble? Maybe they didn't run it up to 80 mph like Kevin. However, I would expect better dealer service if I was paying $35k over MSRP for a truck. Curious Kevin didn’t turn-around and say something to the dealer when he first noticed it driving home instead of waiting to get on camera and badmouth Ford. I guess you don't care about those little things if you're in a hurry to be the first to drive a BRaptor off-road and spray about it. But I digress].

Stock: BFG KO2 37x12.5R17LT, 116S C BSW => 36.5", 63 Lbs, 6-ply, 15/32"

Upgrade 1: BFG KO2 37x12.5R17LT, 124R D BSW => 36.5", 71.3 Lbs, 8-ply, 15/32"
Upgrade 2: Nitto Recon Grappler 37x12.5R17LT, 124R D BSW => 36.54", 75.6 Lbs, 8-ply, 12.5/32"

Personally, I think the Nitto Ridge Grappler tires are a better off-road choice if you were sold on Nitto tires; they are slightly bigger and have more tread depth for the same toughness, but are heavier (as expected).
Upgrade 3: Nitto Ridge Grappler 37x12.5R17LT, 124Q D BSW => 36.77", 81.5 Lbs, 8-ply, 18.3/32"

Bigger and tougher always means more weight. Rotational weight is more worrisome for suspension and steering component wear and tear than unsprung or dead weight. This should be a real concern for regular Broncos, but maybe not so much for the BRaptor. If you really wanted a bigger Nitto tire, then the 38" DIA Ridge Grappler tires might be the way to go; however, that would be almost a 19-lb/tire increase in weight for a 1.25" DIA gain. Kind of spendy IMO for no extra toughness (compared to stock), but it is another 5/8" increase in ground clearance. There might be a cost trade study in there somewhere. I can't see putting 39", 40" or 42" tires on my BRaptor.
Upgrade 4: Nitto Ridge Grappler 38x12.5R17LT, 118Q C BSW => 37.76", 81.9 Lbs, 6-ply, 18.3/32"

I've used BFG and Falken tires with good success off-road. I certainly like the Wildpeak A/T3W for the winter travel; however, they are heavier, but on the plus side they have a lot more tread. Compare to upgrade 1.
Upgrade 5: Falken Wildpeak A/T3W 37x12.5R17LT, 124R D BSW => 36.5", 82.5 Lbs, 8-ply, 19/32"

I'm not a big fan of the M/T tires strictly for the road noise, winter driving and rapid wear. Besides, I don’t drive a lot of mud in the desert West. Folks in the Southeast USA might have a different story.

What do people hear about the KO3 tires? A lot of spray about GMC, but no actual substance from BFG. I know they like to spray about their KM3 tires.

Bottom Line: I'll wear out the stock tires before investing $2500 in another set of shoes (unless I get sponsored in some way ). By that time, they will probably cost $3000 for a set of 5 with inflation. Who ever said off-roading was cheap?

 

[ChiliPepper]

KO3 update

Judging from the tread pattern, it looks like the KO2 tires would clean out better than the KO3 tires.

 

[ChiliPepper]

KO3 update (JUL 2023)

View attachment 9067 View attachment 9068

Judging from the tread pattern, it looks like the KO2 tires would clean out better than the KO3 tires?

... which is why BFG changed the KO3 for public consumption after tons of feedback. Old news, ca SEP 2024.

This Idaho guy, Nathan Mueller, is THE tire guy

mud, snow, rain, pavement
Things to look for when the KO3 C-6 ply load rating comes out in May 2026. The KO3 tires are currently only available in an F-12 ply load rating. I'd buy an D-8 ply load rating if they would just make them.

Tire nerds only . . . sidewall testing . . . “zero walkout failure” rating https://youtu.be/0vmJYKnykm0?si=QcBFcJxaYipRGCCd

 

[RennWagen]

I had the 37” F rated KO3s installed on my truck last week, in anticipation of heading to Baja this week. Prior to these I’d been running 39” KM3s for about 9 months.

I wanted 37s for Baja because as everyone knows by now, a hardish landing and larger than stock tires and you might lose a fender flare. I have popped the front right flare off twice. I had the front right Fox shock replaced under warranty, so it’s possible that losing the flares on that corner was due to the shock performing differently than the other three corners. Either way, I didn’t want to leave my flares in Baja, so I was going back to 37s. After a ton of research, good advice from my tire guy, and some feedback from folks who’d gone to the 39 KO3 I decided to gamble on the F load rating. My truck is heavy (gobi rack, power tank, rear drawers and fridge and fridge slide, and an ARB dual compressor hidden in the floor and an Ecoflow Delta 3+ battery, HF Badlands 3 ton jack). I got them mounted Friday and took off on Monday for Baja, driving down i5 from Tacoma to Calexico, about 1300 miles over two days. So far, just seat-o-my-pants impression, the highway ride is quiet, obviously much quieter than the larger KM3s. The tires do not feel unduly firm, though the real test will be how much the sidewall yields at 18psi. I didn’t buy the MT Baja Boss tires though I got lots of good reviews from many people and they were also recommended by my tire guy. I carry all this weight and sometimes a RTT, mostly on FSR and BDR trails, so I calculated this would likely be marginally better than the MT given my truck’s a fatty.

Pic shows 39” KM3 on the back, and 37” KO3s on the front

 

[ChiliPepper]

I had the 37” F rated KO3s installed on my truck last week, in anticipation of heading to Baja this week. Prior to these I’d been running 39” KM3s for about 9 months.

I wanted 37s for Baja because as everyone knows by now, a hardish landing and larger than stock tires and you might lose a fender flare. I have popped the front right flare off twice. I had the front right Fox shock replaced under warranty, so it’s possible that losing the flares on that corner was due to the shock performing differently than the other three corners. Either way, I didn’t want to leave my flares in Baja, so I was going back to 37s. After a ton of research, good advice from my tire guy, and some feedback from folks who’d gone to the 39 KO3 I decided to gamble on the F load rating. My truck is heavy (gobi rack, power tank, rear drawers and fridge and fridge slide, and an ARB dual compressor hidden in the floor and an Ecoflow Delta 3+ battery, HF Badlands 3 ton jack). I got them mounted Friday and took off on Monday for Baja, driving down i5 from Tacoma to Calexico, about 1300 miles over two days. So far, just seat-o-my-pants impression, the highway ride is quiet, obviously much quieter than the larger KM3s. The tires do not feel unduly firm, though the real test will be how much the sidewall yields at 18psi. I didn’t buy the MT Baja Boss tires though I got lots of good reviews from many people and they were also recommended by my tire guy. I carry all this weight and sometimes a RTT, mostly on FSR and BDR trails, so I calculated this would likely be marginally better than the MT given my truck’s a fatty.

Pic shows 39” KM3 on the back, and 37” KO3s on the front

Excellent! Waiting to hear the rest of the story. Assuming you have a lift kit for the 39". How much? My rig squats a bit, looking at a 1.5" rear lift.