Engineering Solutions by Design News Talks Ford RaptorEngineering Solutions by Design News Talks Ford Raptor

It doesn't matter how clever your engineering work is if they can't actually build the final product.

Dan Carney, Senior Editor

March 24, 2021

1 Min Read
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Ford Motor Co.

You never want to hear the phrase, "We gotta go back to the drawing board." But Ford suspension engineer Sean Conway reports that's exactly what happened when his team went to Ford's Dearborn Truck Plant to oversee assembly plans for the 2021 Ford Raptor. This super truck substitutes and advanced off-road racing-worthy coil spring rear suspension for the traditional leaf spring setup employed by regular F-150 pickups, and Ford's assembly line wasn't prepared for this big change when Raptor models come down the line.

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A Dearborn Truck Plant worker attaches components to the rear of an F-150's frame, with the rear leaf spring suspension visible.

About the Author

Dan Carney

Senior Editor, Design News

Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.

A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.

Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.

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He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.

He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.

He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.

He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.

Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.

He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers

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