What $100,000 Buys You on a Ford Raptor Build

A customer walked into Battle Born Offroad with a brand-new Gen 3 Raptor — zero miles on the mods, zero compromises in mind. The brief was simple: build the best version of this truck that exists. American-made parts where possible. No skipping steps. No cutting corners on labor.

The final tally: $70,000 in parts, $30,000 in labor. Here's exactly what went into it and why each decision was made.

The Baseline: What a Stock Gen 3 Raptor Actually Is

Before talking about what changed, it helps to understand what Battle Born started with. The Gen 3 Ford Raptor leaves the factory as a genuinely capable truck:

• Engine: 3.5L twin-turbo EcoBoost V6
• Stock power: 450 hp / 510 lb-ft of torque
• Stock suspension: Fox 3.1 internal bypass shocks (Live Valve)
• Stock tires: 37-inch BFGoodrich KO2s
• Stock brakes: Brembo 4-piston front setup

It's a strong platform. The goal wasn't to fix a bad truck — it was to take a great one and push it to its actual ceiling.

Las Vegas, NV

Battle Born Offroad

Alignment Services

4301 S Valley View Blvd #19, Las Vegas, NV 89103

702-333-0868

Call Now

Engine & Performance: Keeping Up With the Build

Running 38-inch tires in triple-digit Nevada heat puts real demands on an engine. Supporting the engine and turbos is important out here.

Roush Cold Air Intake Replaces the restrictive factory airbox with a larger, smoother intake path. More airflow means better combustion efficiency and sharper throttle response — especially noticeable at higher RPMs.

AF 80D Intercooler Heat soak is the enemy of turbocharged performance. On a hard desert run, intake air temperatures can climb enough to cost significant power. The 80D is a direct-fit upgrade that dramatically increases intercooler volume, keeping air temps down and power consistent from the first mile to the last.

Goose Tune via COBB Accessport

• The COBB Accessport plugs directly into the OBD-II port and allows full ECU reflashing
• Goose Tune is one of the most respected Ford EcoBoost tuners available
• The tune adjusts fuel maps, boost targets, torque limiters, and transmission shift logic
• Result: more usable power across the RPM range, smarter shifts, and a truck that's equally manageable in traffic and aggressive on dirt

Front End: Approach Angle, Lighting, and Fit

The front of the truck sets the tone for everything — capability, lighting range, and tire clearance all start here.

Addictive Desert Designs (ADD) Pro Front Bumper The stock Raptor bumper limits approach angle and doesn't leave much room for serious lighting. The ADD Pro is a high-clearance steel replacement with integrated light mounts and a geometry that dramatically improves the truck's ability to climb steep terrain without nose contact.

Baja Designs Lighting Package Three-light setup inside the ADD bumper, each serving a specific purpose:

• Combo beams (outer) — Wide spread for medium-range visibility; essential when navigating terrain at moderate speeds
• Racer (center) — Long-throw pencil beam for high-speed desert running; designed to see far enough ahead when you're moving fast
• Together, they cover both the "fast and open" and "technical and close" scenarios

ADV Fiberglass Widebody Fenders (Front & Rear) The big tire package requires more than just a spacer. The ADV glass fenders add real width, custom fender liners keep rock debris contained under the truck instead of against fresh paint, and the additional clearance makes the 38s a non-issue for fitment.

Morimoto XB LED Headlights A plug-and-play LED projector upgrade over the OEM units. Better output, tighter beam pattern, and a significantly cleaner look than stock.

Suspension: The Most Important $20,000 on the Build

This is where the real gap between a "lifted Raptor" and a desert performer opens up. Battle Born didn't go with a bolt-on shock upgrade — they rebuilt the geometry from the ground up.

Front: SVC Mid-Travel System + Fox 2.5 Coilover & 3" Bypass

SVC Offroad Mid-Travel Kit — Gen 3 Raptor

• Widens the front track by ~2.5 inches for improved high-speed stability
• Corrects control arm geometry for more suspension travel
• Opens up enough room for a significantly larger shock package
• Total front wheel travel: ~18 inches (vs. ~14.5 inches stock)

Fox 2.5" Coilover + 3" Bypass Shock The coilover handles spring rate and low-speed damping. The bypass shock is what makes this setup crush:

• Bypass shocks have external valving zones that control damping at specific points in the stroke
• Small bumps and chatter are absorbed without upsetting body control
• Large hits — rocks, whoops, drops — are handled independently by a different valving zone
• The result is a suspension that can be tuned precisely for terrain, not averaged out for the masses

Rear: Fox 3.0 Bypasses + SVC Components

The customer's constraint: no shocks through the bed. That narrowed the rear options but didn't compromise the outcome.

• Fox 3.0 bypass shocks — significant upgrade over factory, tunable for terrain
• SVC bump stop kit — prevents harsh bottom-outs at speed
• SVC shackles — add lift and geometry correction to the leaf spring mounting point
• Deaver leaf springs — progressive-rate springs made in California; softer under light load, stiffen progressively under compression

Future upgrade path: If the customer wants to push the rear end further, an SVC rear bed rack system is a direct add-on — no re-engineering required.

Wheels & Tires: The Contact Patch That Makes Everything Else Matter

Innovate G600 — 17" Billet Machined, Made in the USA

• All-black with a black ring — clean match for the truck's black-and-gray colorway
• Billet machined (not cast) — meaningfully stronger and more precise
• 17" diameter keeps the sidewall height for off-road flex and impact absorption

Nitto Ridge Grappler 38x13.50R17 The jump from 37" to 38" sounds incremental. In person, it's substantial — more ground clearance, more trail presence, and a larger contact patch for traction. The Ridge Grappler's hybrid tread pattern keeps road noise at a manageable level so the daily driver experience isn't compromised.

Brakes: Sized for the Speed

Bigger tires and more power into the desert means the factory brake setup is no longer appropriate. Battle Born went with a full Wilwood 6-piston brake system with 14" rotors.

On the road, the Wilwoods behave like a stock brake — quiet, low-dust, progressive feel. On a fast desert run, they actually have the thermal capacity to keep working hard without fade.

Livability: The Daily Driver Details

A $100K build that's miserable to live with isn't a success. A few additions make this truck as functional on a Tuesday commute as it is on a Saturday desert run.

AMP Research PowerStep

• Extends automatically when the door opens, retracts when it closes
• No trail clearance issues, no awkward step-up from the curb
• Required on a truck this tall — not optional

PCI/Kenwood Trail Radio The customer runs trail rides with a group, which means communication matters. Setup includes:

• Kenwood radio mounted in-cab with a speaker under the seat
• Coax cable routed up to the third brake light antenna mount
• Antenna integrated into a custom Baja HQ third brake light housing

Baja HQ Third Brake Light with Baja Designs S2 Lights The custom housing does triple duty:

• Dust light — rear-facing illumination when following a pack off-road
• Cargo light — lights up the bed when doors are open at night
• Street-legal brake light — small red LEDs keep it compliant in town

ADD Rear Bumper with Baja Designs Squadron Lights Matches the front ADD bumper, includes a factory tow hitch, and houses two Baja Designs Squadron lights that can be configured as dust lights or reverse lights.

The Full Build at a Glance

Total: $70,000 in parts. $30,000 in labor. Everything done in-house at Battle Born Offroad — suspension setup, engine tuning, alignment, and bodywork.

Why It Costs What It Costs

The labor number surprises people. A few things to understand:

• The widebody conversion is time-intensive to fit and finish correctly — a rushed fender job shows immediately
• Engine tuning, suspension setup, and alignment are all done in-house; nothing gets shipped out and handed off
• Battle Born runs the best technicians in Las Vegas, and that expertise isn't priced like a quick-lube

The parts number reflects a simple philosophy: American-made, best-available, no compromises. When you're building a truck to actually perform at 100 mph in the Mojave, the cheap version of every part is just a slower way to spend the same money.

Have a truck you want built? Start at battlebornoffroad.com or give the shop a call. When it comes to 4x4 builds in Las Vegas, Battle Born Offroad is the go-to.

Las Vegas, NV

Battle Born Offroad

Alignment Services

4301 S Valley View Blvd #19, Las Vegas, NV 89103

702-333-0868

Call Now