Your Ranger Raptor is loaded with features and technology that make off-roading easier and more enjoyable. And it’s not just the Fox live valve suspension and BF Goodrich K02 all-terrain tyres that help you explore off-road.

Ranger Raptor is built to get you anywhere you need to go. Of course, it comes standard with selectable four-wheel drive in both high and low range - but it’s also brimming with tech and features that are designed to get you up, over and around anything that’s in your way.

Driving off-road isn’t as simple as just pointing your truck at the nearest mountain trail or dune. It can be challenging and a little intimidating for first timers even when you’re behind the wheel of a capable 4WD like the Ranger Raptor.

But it doesn’t need to be. Here we’ve listed out our top tips for tackling challenging terrains and how Ranger Raptor can help keep you safe and comfortable when driving off-road.

Know Your Ranger Raptor Vehicle Inside And Out

Start on the outside of your vehicle and take a good look both around and underneath your Raptor – you want to get familiar with the approach and departure angles and check the ground clearance to make sure your vehicle won’t get caught on rocks or other obstacles.

Fortunately, your Raptor has robust underbody protection to keep vulnerable components safe. It also has two recovery points integrated into the front bumper to allow balancing of the load for off-road recovery and provide more flexible recovery options.

The Ranger Raptor shares the same 3270mm wheelbase as the standard Ranger, but has a 90mm increase in track width (distance between the centres of the front tyres) for improved vehicle stability on- and off-road, and has allowed improved approach and departure angles of up to 32-degrees and 27-degrees respectively.

Further to the track increase which helped the team widen Ranger’s tray for a more versatile load space, the rear springs and dampers were moved outboard of the chassis which makes for a more controlled ride whether the vehicle is laden or not.

On the inside, Ranger Raptor has lots of little cubby holes for storage. They’re designed to help you keep the interior organised, especially when you’re driving over bumpy terrain.

Sitting comfortably is always key when off-roading, and you will want to ensure you have good vision all around your vehicle. Take a little time to learn how to engage specific features and technologies that are designed to aid you in off-road environments.

Tyre Pressures Matter

Airing down your vehicle’s tyres is one of the simplest tricks to improve its off-road performance and your comfort in the cabin. Reducing the air in your tyres means that more of the tyre is touching the ground (creating a longer, larger footprint) so that the weight of the vehicle is more evenly distributed.

This improves traction (more of the tyre touching the ground) and helps you to stay on top of softer surfaces like sand or mud, but remember you need to keep your speed down when driving with reduced tyre pressures.

Your Ranger comes with a tyre pressure monitoring system accessed via the Vehicle Maintenance screen in the digital instrument cluster. Airing down will trigger a warning that one or more of the tyres are significantly underinflated – and you can monitor your pressures on the instrument cluster at any time.

Remember to check your tyres and tyre pressures before you get back on the road. Using under-inflated tyres for regular road driving will reduce vehicle safety, the lifespan of your tyres and fuel efficiency.

The Ranger Raptor Off-Road Button

Next Gen Raptor’s Off-Road Sync Screen is a dedicated screen on the 12-inch centre display that gives you access to all of Raptor’s off-road features.

There are camera views with predictive overlays - perfect for picking your way through tough and tight terrain.

To open the screen, press the dedicated shortcut button on the centre console or the vehicle icon at the top of the SYNC screen.

Understanding Ranger Raptor’s Trail Control

Ranger Raptor is well known for its ability to conquer tough mountain tracks or fast desert trails, but it’s just as good when the going gets slow. And it’s loaded with tech to make off-roading less stressful.

Indeed, driving on tight and technical tracks is much easier with Ranger Raptor’s Trail Controlⁱ. This feature allows you to focus on steering while your vehicle handles braking and acceleration.

Trail Controlⁱ acts as a low-speed, off-road cruise control allowing you to set a speed which your vehicle will maintain going up or down hill or over rugged terrain.

How To Engage Trail Control

Engaging Trail Controlⁱ is very simple:

● Press the off-road button on the centre console which will activate the SYNC Off-Road screen and then press the Trail Control button which is in between the front and rear electronic locking differential buttons.

● Drive to your preferred speed, by using the SET+ and SET- buttons on the steering wheel (the same buttons used for regular cruise control) to adjust your vehicle’s speed up or down.

Note: You can adjust the set speed in small or large increments. Press the toggle button upward or downward once to adjust the set speed in small increments. Press and hold the toggle button upward or downward to adjust the set speed in large increments. You can also adjust the set speed by braking.

Using Trail Controlⁱ

Trail Controlⁱ will not engage if the vehicle detects one of your passengers is not wearing a seatbelt, or if any of the doors are not properly closed. The electric parking brake must be released, and your vehicle’s transmission must not be in park (P). It works in reverse (R) which can be helpful when you’ve got to reverse out of trouble, but you need to keep your speed below 8 km/h, and it won’t activate if regular cruise control is activated.

If you’re using Trail Controlⁱ in four-wheel drive low (4L) then the maximum selectable vehicle speed range is between 2 – 15 km/h. If you’re using it in two-wheel drive high (2H), four-wheel drive auto (4A) or four-wheel drive high (4H) then the speed range is 2 – 32 km/h.

Trail Controlⁱ can even work out if you’re stuck in sand. If you’re in Sand mode and your Ranger Raptor think you’re stuck, it’ll recommend activating Trail Controlⁱ and setting it to the lowest speed which is 2 km/h.

This is just another way Ranger Raptor can help when you’re off-road.

Notes:

ⁱThe system is designed to be an aid and does not relieve you of your responsibility to drive with due care and attention. Failure to follow this instruction could result in personal injury.

Electronic Locking Differentials

The Ranger Raptor might be inspired by desert racing, but it’s just as capable when the going gets slow and gnarly off-road¹. To that end, it’s been fitted with two electronic locking differentials, one at the front and one at the rear.

What Is An Electronic Locking Differential?

Ranger Raptor’s electronic locking differential is a device housed in the front or rear axle and, when activated (locked) allows both wheels on that axle to turn at the same speed. They should only be used when driving off-road¹.

On Ranger Raptor, the rear electronic locking differential can engage automatically via the selected drive mode (Sand, Mud/Ruts or Rock Crawl) or manually on the fly within the operating speed range (see table below) when in four-wheel drive high (4H) and four-wheel drive low (4L).

The rear electronic differential automatically disengages when the vehicle speed exceeds a set value, and it automatically reengages when the vehicle speed goes below a set value (see table below).

Ranger Raptor’s front electronic locking differential can only be engaged in four-wheel drive low (4L) at up to 32 km/h. It will automatically disengage above that speed (see table below).

When Should I Use An Electronic Locking Differential?

Never lock Ranger Raptor’s front or rear locking differentials when driving on high traction surfaces, such as bitumen or when negotiating a tight turn. This is because when the differentials are locked, they prevent the ‘inside’ wheel from turning at a different speed than the outside wheel as they would when the differentials are unlocked.

Driving with a locked differential on high traction surfaces will cause the inside wheel to lose traction, cause uneven tyre wear and potentially damage your Ranger Raptor’s driveline.

This means, you should only be using your locking differentials (rear and front) as needed when driving off-road¹ and make sure it’s engaged before you get stuck.

So, if you’re driving in lumpy terrain, across rocks, in mud or sand and you think one of the front or rear wheels will lose traction (because it might be in the air) then engage the rear (and front) locking differentials.

This will mean you can guarantee that both wheels on either the rear or front axles will receive equal drive no matter how much traction they do or don’t have.

The beauty of Ranger Raptor’s front and rear electronic locking differential is that they ensure that all four wheels are receiving maximum drive whether they’re on or off the ground. This enhanced traction will allow you to drive off-road more gently reducing driveline stresses.

How To Activate Ranger Raptor’s Electronic Locking Differential(S)?

The front or rear electronic locking differential can be activated either by pressing the buttons on the centre console or via SYNC’s dedicated Off-Road¹ screen.

Access the dedicated SYNC Off-Road¹ screen by pressing either the shortcut button down on the centre console that looks like a vehicle driving off-road, or via the SYNC screen by pressing the ‘vehicle drawer’ button which looks like three lines.

Press Controls and then Off-Road¹. Once you’re in the Off-Road¹ screen, the differential lock buttons are down in the bottom left of the screen (see reference images on this page)¹.

Always consult the owner’s manual before off-road driving, know your terrain and trail difficulty and use appropriate safety gear.

Front Electronic Locking Differential Engagement Speed And Availability

Rear Electronic Locking Differential Engagement Speed And Availability

¹Automatically engages when you select these drive modes. You have the ability to manually override the automatic engagement by pressing the electronic locking differential switch.

Ranger Raptor really is equipped to take you everywhere you need to go, with drive modes and equipment that enable you to take on a comfortable road trip, high-speed desert run, or tricky mountain or wadi rock crawl. Enjoy adventuring with your Ranger Raptor.