The Gen 3 rear is a five link. Four trailing arms and a panhard bar all bolt to brackets welded onto the axle housing, and every bit of load between the axle and the chassis passes through those welds.

What we see in the shop

Cracks in the welds at the upper link mounts first. It starts as a hairline you would only find if you were looking, and it spreads. Left alone the mount eventually tears off the housing — which means the axle stops being located, at speed, in the dirt.

Why the upper mounts go first

They sit highest and take the most leverage. Every time the rear end takes a hard hit, the upper mount is the point resisting the axle trying to rotate. The factory weld is adequate for a stock truck driven like a truck; it is marginal for one driven like a Raptor.

What the gussets change

Each mount ends up supported on its faces rather than relying on the original weld bead alone. The load spreads into the housing instead of concentrating at the edge of a weld. Nothing about the geometry changes — the mounts stay exactly where Ford put them.

Every one laser cut from 3/16" steel:

• 2 upper mount — front gusset
• 2 upper mount — inside gusset
• 1 panhard bar mount gusset — top side
• 1 panhard bar mount gusset — bottom side
• 1 lower mount — inside gusset
• 1 lower mount — inside gusset, bent mirror
• 1 lower mount — outside gusset
• 1 lower mount — outside gusset, bent mirror

That covers all four link mounts and the panhard bar mount — every bracket on the housing, not just the ones that crack first.

Fits the Gen 3 and Gen 3.5 Ford F-150 Raptor, model years 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026, including the Raptor R.

Designed around the factory rear axle housing and the stock mount positions. Works with factory rear arms and with ours, and it does not interfere with a long travel build.

Requires welding to the axle and must be installed by a qualified fabricator. There is a walkthrough video below showing how the gussets sit before they are welded.

The job is best done with the axle accessible and the links off, which makes it the natural time to fit the frame mount gusset kit at the same time.

We do this work in-house in Mesa, Arizona. Install guides are at Install Instructions.

Does this fit a 2025 or 2026 Raptor?

Yes. It fits 2021 through 2026 Gen 3 and Gen 3.5 trucks, Raptor R included.

Do Gen 3 rear axle mounts really crack?

We have had several through the shop with cracked welds at the upper link mounts. It is not universal — it shows up on trucks that get used hard, which is most of the ones we see.

How do I check my own truck?

Clean the area around the upper link mounts where they meet the axle housing and look closely at the weld beads. Cracks start as hairlines at the ends of the welds. Worth a look any time the truck is on a lift.

Do I have to weld it?

Yes, to the axle housing, by someone who knows what they are doing. This is not a bolt-on part and we would not sell it as one.

How is this different from the frame mount gusset kit?

Opposite end of the same links. This kit reinforces where the arms bolt to the axle. The rear link frame mount gusset kit reinforces where they bolt to the frame. A truck that gets landed hard wants both.

Does it work with the bump stop kit?

Yes, and the two belong together — the rear bump stop kit reduces how hard the mounts get hit in the first place, and the gussets handle what still gets through.

Where is it made?

Laser cut and finished in-house at our facility in Mesa, Arizona, USA.

• Rear link frame mount gusset kit — the other end of the same links
• Rear bump stop kit and rear limit strap kit — the cheapest real gain on the truck
• Billet rear trailing arms and panhard bar — 15" of rear wheel travel with the factory shock
• Long travel rear kit — 19" of rear wheel travel

The full catalog is on Gen 3 Raptor Rear Suspension.