Ford has been trying to get the Bronco Raptor on the road for quite a while now. To say that it has been a rough and rocky road for the coveted SUV would be an understatement. In fact, the automaker scrapped the model back in 2020. Then, last year, they announced that it would be available this year. However, there may not be as many of them on the road as we’d all like.
Many automakers are having serious supply chain issues. Ford is not exempt from that. On top of the general supply chain issues, a chip shortage has impacted several companies. As a result, many automakers won’t see as many units rolling off the assembly line as in previous years. If those were the only problems facing the 2022 Bronco Raptor, it wouldn’t be that much of an issue. However, that is only one of the latest bumps on the road for this vehicle.
The 2022 Bronco Raptor is Too Tall
Another major issue that might keep numbers low and prices high for Bronco Raptor is the SUV’s size. As it stands, the new Bronco is too tall for Ford’s assembly line.
According to Motor Authority, the Bronco Raptor’s original design brief called for 13 inches of suspension travel in both the front and rear. However, the engineers decided that wasn’t enough. They added another inch of suspension travel to the design. This made the SUV 78 inches, that’s six and a half feet, tall. Now, it’s too tall for the assembly line in Wayne, Michigan. Seeing this, engineers told people on the production end to figure it out instead of giving up the extra inch of suspension travel.
Raptor Advanced Systems came up with a solution. They applied a two-position lower shock mount bracket that keeps the rear axle an inch higher than normal. This allows the Bronco Raptor to fit on the assembly line.
After they come off the assembly line, the Bronco Raptors go to the “Mod Center.” There, workers install factory accessories. With these SUVs, it is also where workers remove set screws and bolts to allow the Bronco to stand at its full height.
New Broncos Are Too Wide
The 2022 Ford Bronco Raptors aren’t just too tall. They’re also too wide. According to Jalopnik, the SUVs’ huge fender flares make it too wide for Ford’s paint shop. According to the site, “the maximum the paint shop could cover is where the painted parts of the body end.” That means that the fender flares, which make Raptors 10 inches wider than the base model, can’t be painted.
All of these things combine to create a vehicle that takes extra time and work to assemble in a time when automakers are already struggling. As a result, the Bronco Raptor might be in short supply.
