Working in the service side of the business I read through 30 some pages of the thread on raptorforumz.com and after watching that video, they must be running at least 60-70 mph off road...hitting a bump at these speeds is devastating for sure...you see how the truck pointed down as the back end flew up from the axle hitting the bump stops so bad...that's not a design flaw, that's abuse, plain and simple. I sided with the owners at first but when this idiot actually posted a vid of him going 70+ MPH and hitting a 1-2 foot "kicker" as they call it, I started understanding ford's decision.
You have to draw the line somewhere...at 30-40 mph the truck would have most likely survived the jump but you have to ask yourself, when is it considered abuse? If that's not abuse, how fast do you have to hit a 2 foot bump before it becomes abuse? 90 mph? 110 mph?
These guys went too far, didn't prerun the track and did have cb radios to communicate if something like this was encountered.
Most of them had aftermarket softer offroad springs too! I must admit that Ford's denial based on a few scratches under the truck is stupid, these skid plates are there for a reason, to skid on dirt and rocks...and I bet the guy would have had a chance in court based solely on the pictures and each party's verdict. But show that video, going 70 some mph to any judge claiming it's not abuse and I really hope they would laugh in your face.
