Lessons learned from the Mexican 1000 could be Ford Bronco Wildtrak Hoss 3.0

The first question I asked Jamie Groves, the Ford Bronco Vehicle Engineering Manager, was “What’s the brakes?”

“Nothing,” Groves said.

The Ford Mexican 1000 runs a stock 2022 Bronco Wildtrak with Hoss 3.0 suspension upgrade to test the SUV in extreme conditions. The terrain ranged from the highway transit section to the blind silt, sand, and desert that could engulf vehicles. The idea was to learn what extreme Bronco owners could tolerate and make Bronco better for it. Last year, Ford ran a stock 2021 Bronco Badlands that faced its limitations. What has education learned? To provide some extra protection for buyers who need the accessories section of Ford Performance who want to race their stock Broncos on the road and off-road.

The Hoss 3.0 suspension package was big news for the 2022 Bronco Wildtrak. It replaces Hoss 2.0’s bilstein shocks with fox shocks that have larger remote reservoirs and an aluminum body that dissipates heat more efficiently. Ford has revised the spring rate, added a new rear stabilizer bar and inner and outer tie rods that are 32% stronger. Additionally, the Hoss 3.0 package has a steering rack used in the Bronco Raptor, which offers a 40% gain in maximum load compared to the standard Bronco Rack.

For Bronco owners, Production Wildtrack now has a higher performance threshold due to better shock thermal and body motion control while opting with the Hoss 3.0 package.

For Ford, according to Groves, last year it was much easier for the team to run Wildtrack through the terrifying Nora Mexican 1000 than to run the 2021 Badlands. The reason was the 1.2-inch extended ground clearance, the increased heat capacity of the Fox Shock so they don’t fade and lose performance, and a 1.9-inch wide track for extra stability. Where last year the Bronco Badlands had to be driven around obstacles due to occasional suspension limitations, this year he had nothing. The new shocks never faded, Groves said, and the Hoss 3.0 suspension system was much more capable of jumping than last year’s Badland setup.

Ford has added safety upgrades such as a race seat, a roll cage, shoes and an extra tire with a trolley jack. This is equivalent to the excess (and unwanted) weight that has put the Bronco at a disadvantage.

The Bronco Evolution Pre-Runner truck raced against race-built pre-runners in class who weighed less and had more energy.

“We brought a knife for a gun battle,” Groves said.

Groves noted that the five-day Mexican 1000 differs from the Baja 1000 because it is a staged and time-bound event. Baja 1000 has just arrived and run until you finish. A day with different distances at each stage with the Mexican 1000. Time is running out, but the clock ticks off at night. During the day the clock hands only stop for fuel. The Bronco stopped a lot, with an average of about 100 miles per tank due to not having a fuel cell. The on-stage setup allows the team to go through the Bronco every night and dissect its condition.

A torque audit was performed on the joints around the broncho every night to ensure that the bolts were not removed during the day (a paint pen was used to mark the placement before the race). The undercarriage was inspected for damage due to ground contact and the tires were inspected.

Although nothing broke, there were three items that needed to be fixed: tires, brakes and a shock.

Three tire springs leaked during the event, but the team monitors the pressure with a stock built-in tire pressure monitoring system and continues to drive until a driver change or refueling stop is required.

The front brake pads need to be changed every night due to extreme wear due to aggressive on- and off-road use. The rear pads were changed only once during the event. Groves noted that the brake system is great for on- and off-road, but they are not only optimized for racing.
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“Customers don’t want a squealing break,” Groves said. Anyone planning to race their Bronco would want to upgrade the brake pads, Groves suggested.

Ford spokesman Sam Shembury noted that if Ford Performance Parts made performance brake pads, they would be able to prioritize stopping performance, fade resistance and wear while prioritizing noise and dust.

Underbody protection was also a sore point. For anyone planning a race, Wildtrack’s skid plates may not be enough. Specifically, the front bash plate could use an upgrade. Groves noted that aftermarket is currently resolving this, but there is an opportunity here for Ford Performance accessories.

But above all, it was a reversal that ended up as a weak spot in the SUV. The rear bolts are mounted on the front of the axle. The distant reservoirs of the damper sit in front of the damper, and at an off-road stage the team learned how risky these reservoirs are for damage, especially to passengers.

“It’s always the passenger (side), the driver always protects the side of their truck,” Groves said with a laugh. The team had to bring it back to replace it, and didn’t realize exactly what had happened to the shock reservoir, whether it was a rolling rock or something being pulled.

Groves noted that aftermarket protection for the Bilsteins has already reached the market, but Ford Performance needs to look at how to secure the new Hoss 3.0 Fox setup.

In a class with built-in trophy trucks and 40-inch tire-powered pre-runners, the Stock Bronco Wildtrack finished third out of nine competitors and reached the podium. Nothing broke, and the Broncos performed much better than last year’s Badland, which suffered much more damage to the lower body. It looks like Ford Performance accessories will probably offer some added off-road protection bits for Bronco owners in the near future.