How the Ram 1500 TRX Dominates the Ford Raptor
If you’re still having trouble deciding which truck is the best between the RAM 1500 TRX and Ford Raptor, we have a few things to suggest that the RAM 1500 TRX is superior. We don’t mean the fact that it has 702 horsepower. We’re sure you’ve seen that a few times already. Instead, we have a few new things about the RAM 1500 TRX to consider.
The RAM 1500 TRX has a better air intake system
When you’re off-roading and racing through desert sand, your truck needs to breathe. This is especially true if you have a beastly 702-hp engine that could get clogged with dirt and other debris.
Instead of using a snorkel to create a high air intake system, the RAM 1500 TRX placed a giant 29-liter airbox that pulls air from the top of the grille and the functional hood scoop. It has a dual-path intake design to settle out dirt, water, and debris.
The system has four times the dust trapping abilities compared to rivals with 194.8 square inches of filtering surface area. The filters are in a position that’s easy to reach for cleaning. Also, the RAM 1500 TRX has a water fording depth of 32 inches.
The RAM 1500 TRX has a better suspension
The RAM 1500 TRX has a long-travel short-arm (SLA) independent front suspension with forged aluminum for both arms. Also, for maxim articulation, RAM uses a sliding ball-spline design, which Ford plans on using with the 2021 Raptor.
RAM uses a more traditional coil-link suspension design in the rear that Ford will also be moving toward. The RAM TRX has beefed up steel arms with a unique design that has created the tallest coil springs ever mounted on a consumer truck.
Plus, the RAM 1500 TRX has new four-corner semi-active Blackhawk e2 dampers that create superior dampening. The aluminum body shocks use three pistons and are infinitely adjustable for compression and rebound circuits based on feedback provided by truck sensors on the body.
They adjust for highway cruising, towing, braking, rough terrain, and speeds over 100 mph. The front shocks also include a hydraulic three-stage jounce cut-off (JCO) inside the body for packaging efficiency.
RAM 1500 TRX extra margins
The RAM 1500 TRX can haul a payload of up to 1,310 lb, while the Ford Raptor can carry a payload of up to 1,200 lb. An extra 110 lb doesn’t sound like much, but in reality, that’s 17 extra gallons of gas or 13 extra gallons of water you can carry.
Also, the 2021 RAM 1500 TRX has a ground clearance of 11.8 inches while the Ford Raptor sits at 11.5 inches tall. This added height makes a difference for crawling over obstacles in the dirt. This also gives the RAM TRX the best in class ground clearance.
With specially designed Goodyear Territory tires that are slightly larger (34.6 inches tall and 12.8 inches wide), the TRX is taller and looks more aggressive. The tires also have a ‘T’ speed rating, allowing them to operate at a sustained speed of 118 mph while being tough enough to tackle off-roading conditions.
