Mopar to Sell Raptor Fighting Suspension Kits for Ram 1500

Photo Courtesy of Four Wheeler Magazine (see more pics!)

Chrysler's Mopar parts division plans to sell bolt-on long-travel suspension kits to Ram 1500 off-road enthusiasts later this year, according to company representatives attending the annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah.

A prototype of the aggressive dampening kit is making its debut in Moab on Mopar's . It transforms the half-ton Ram into a competitor with the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor and even uses shocks from the same manufacturer (Fox) that the Raptor uses.

The Ram 1500 may have an advantage or two over the Raptor. It's unique four-link coil-spring rear suspension, instead of leaf springs, should help give the truck extra stability off-road.

The Ram Runner project uses 3.0 Fox shocks at all four corners of the truck. Billet aluminum upper A-arms and chromoly steel lower control arms support a massive 14-inches of wheel travel.

Mopar tapped veteran off-road racer Kent Kroeker to help develop the setup. Kroeker is a Baja legend. In 2004, he built and raced a 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 4×4 in the SCORE "Stock Full" class to a top three finish in the Baja 1000 and drove the same truck home the next day. Since then, Kroeker has built his company, KORE, into a well-known provider of aftermarket lift kits and suspensions for Dodge trucks. If anyone knows the ins and outs of building a race-ready Ram for the desert, it’s Kroeker.

Pricing and a firm sales date for the suspension kit have not been announced.