Upgrading to a group of ford raptor bedsides is the quickest way to turn a standard-looking pickup into an absolute desert-eating beast. If you've actually seen a Raptor ripping through the particular dunes or also just sitting within a parking lot, you know specifically what I'm speaking about. It's that will wide, aggressive stance that makes the truck look such as it's been hitting the gym twice a day. But for a lot of guys, it's not just in regards to the "cool factor. " There's a whole planet of functionality and technical necessity behind swapping out your stock bedsides intended for something wider plus more robust.
Why Many people are Addicted With the Wide-Body Look
It's no secret that the Raptor is the king of the particular factory off-roaders, and a huge part of that identity originates from its hips. The stock ford raptor bedsides are usually significantly wider than patients on a regular F-150. This isn't just because Ford needed it to appear mean; it's due to the fact the truck has a much wider monitor width. When you start messing along with long-travel suspension or even wider axles, all those stock fenders simply won't cut it anymore. Your tires will end upward protruding past the particular bodywork, which not really only looks a little goofy but also throws rocks and mud all over your paint.
Most people who else go down this particular road are searching for that "Pre-runner" aesthetic. It's a vibe that states you're ready in order to hit a jump at sixty miles each hour, even when you're just headed to the grocery store. There's something incredibly satisfying about looking in your side-view mirror and seeing those massive flares bulging out. This changes the whole silhouette of the vehicle.
The Functional Side of Going Wide
If you're actually having your truck all-terrain, ford raptor bedsides are nearly a requirement as soon as you start upgrading your own suspension. If a person install a long-travel kit, your wheels are going to move up and down very much further than they will did from the factory. Without wider bedsides, your tires are going to slam into the wheel wells the first time you hit a decent-sized bump.
By installing flared bedsides, you're developing more "up-travel" space. This enables the suspension to do its work without the tire nibbling through your metal bodywork. Plus, if you're running 37-inch tires—which is pretty much the particular gold standard regarding a built Raptor or a transformation truck—you need that extra clearance so you can actually turn the steering wheel without a horrible rubbing sound.
Fiber glass vs. OEM Metallic
When you start buying for ford raptor bedsides , you'll notice two main pathways: buying OEM parts from a store or going along with aftermarket fiberglass. To be honest, most guys in the off-road scene move the fiberglass route. Why? Because fiber-glass is lighter, plus more importantly, it's easier to repair if you happen to clip the tree or a rock for the path.
Fiberglass bedsides from companies such as FiberwerX or McNeil Racing are designed to imitate the Raptor look but often include even more "bulge" or "rise" than the stock parts. This gives you even even more room for huge tires. The downside to fiberglass will be that it demands a lot more prep function. It doesn't just bolt on perfectly like a factory steel part would. You're going to spend a few time sanding, fitting, and cursing just before it's ready with regard to paint.
The particular Scary Part: Reducing Your Truck
Here's the deal: installing ford raptor bedsides isn't like swapping out a set of floor mats. It's dedication. On many modern trucks, the particular bedside is really a massive piece of sheet metal that's spot-welded to the internal structure of the bed. To put on brand-new ones, you have got to cut the ones off.
I remember the first time I saw someone take the plasma cutter to a perfectly good truck bed. It's heart-wrenching. You're fundamentally stripping the vehicle down to its skeleton. But as soon as those old, skinny sides are long gone and you mock up the fresh, wide Raptor-style sections, it all starts in order to make sense. You simply have to get past that "point of no return" feeling. If you're doing a conversion on a standard F-150, this is definitely the stage in which the truck stops being a work vehicle plus starts being the project.
Making an F-150 Appear Like a Raptor
A massive segment of the market for ford raptor bedsides comes from F-150 owners who want the Raptor appearance with no $80, 500 asking price. It's the popular move. You take a foundation model or a good XLT, throw on some Raptor-style top fenders, a complementing hood, and a set of bedsides, and suddenly most people can't tell the difference.
However, you can't just the actual back and depart front side stock. In case you put massive bedsides within the rear but maintain the skinny factory fenders up front, the truck is going in order to look completely unbalanced. It'll look like it skipped leg time. You really have to perform the entire package to make it function. And don't neglect the wheel spacers or wider tires; if your auto tires are tucked heavy inside those fresh wide bedsides, this looks pretty silly. You want those tires sitting flush along with the edge of the flare.
The Evolution of the Raptor Hips
The style of ford raptor bedsides has changed quite a bit over the years. The Style 1 (2010-2014) acquired a very curved, muscular look. It was classic and simple. When the particular Gen 2 arrived out in 2017, things got a lot more slanted and "techy. " The lines grew to become sharper, and the particular wheel arches obtained more defined.
Now, using the Style 3 and the Raptor R, Ford offers refined it even further. The bedsides on the latest models are incorporated so cleanly that will you almost forget about how much broader they are compared to a standard truck until you discover them side-by-side. When you're buying automotive aftermarket parts, you usually need to choose which "generation" of look you would like. Most men go through the generation that will matches their truck's cab, but I've seen some pretty cool "franken-trucks" that mix and match styles.
Paint and Finish off: Don't Cheap Out there
One error I see all the time is men getting their ford raptor bedsides installed and after that just leaving all of them in the black or white gel coat they came within. I get it—paint is expensive. Yet an unpainted fiber-glass bedside makes the pickup truck look like it's forever "under design. "
Getting a good color complement on a vehicle that's a few years old is definitely tricky. Sunlight ends paint, so even if you use the stock color code, it might not fit perfectly. A great body shop will blend the paint through the new bedsides into the back doors (on the Crew Cab) therefore the transition is definitely invisible. It's an extra expense, but if you're already spending thousands on the particular bodywork and suspension system, you may as properly finish the task best.
Is It Practical for Daily Driving?
Let's become real for a 2nd. Adding ford raptor bedsides can make your truck broader. Like, significantly wider. If you live in a city with tight parking garages or narrow streets, you're going in order to feel every bit of that extra width. You'll find yourself parking at the back of the lot just therefore you don't have in order to squeeze between 2 cars.
Drive-thrus may also become the bit of a nightmare. Those yellowish poles they place at the entry of bank lane? They become your worst enemy. However for most people who want the trend, that's a small price to pay. You're trading a bit of convenience for any truck that seems like it belongs within the Baja 1000. To me, that's a fair trade any time of the week.
Wrapping Everything Up
All in all, picking out ford raptor bedsides is about more compared to just a part number. It's about deciding what type of presence you want your truck to get on the road. Whether you're doing a full-blown wasteland race build or you just want your own driver to look a bit more intimidating, the particular bedsides are the particular key to the whole puzzle.
It's a large task, sure. There's slicing involved, there's artwork, and there's the particular inevitable struggle associated with getting everything arranged just right. Yet the first-time you walk out to your driveway and see that wide-body back end catching the light, you'll know it was worth the time and effort. There's just not more than that that will quite captures that will Raptor spirit like a set associated with massive, flared-out sides. Make absolutely certain you've got the tires and the stance in order to back it up, or you're just a guy along with a very wide, very empty vehicle.