Raptor rougher this year?

Having ridden dozens (maybe hundreds) of times this year, I can say that the back is much smoother than the front.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think the older the coaster gets the more broke in the wheels will get.

Unless they replace The wheels, which I think they do.

So I think if you ride a coaster later in the year, it will Be smoother than when it opend.

Wheels get replaced on coasters more than you realize.

CP must go through a lot of wheels.

The wheels get reused, but the poly compound on the wheels gets resurfaced.

You replace the tires on your car every 40-60 thousand miles, right? Coaster wheels are no different.

Quick question Michael,
Do you know if the polyurethane(or whatever it is) on the wheels on MF, Dragster, WT, etc, etc, have that grove in the middle of them or are those groves from wear?
I would assume that those grooves would allow for a better snug fit to the track, which would mean that they're there for that reason......right?

Coaster Krazy said:
Back is significantly rougher than front or middle. Because your being pulled faster through the elements than the front or middle.

But I love the very back row, very right side. I love the whipping effect as you leave the first drop.

Rider is right...after riding the Raptor numerous times in the very front and the very back, I can assure you the back shuffles less than the front. The front may have better visuals, but the cobra roll and the first corkscrew are much more rougher in the front than in the back.

Here's a tip that works great for me for both Raptor's final turn and Mantis' hard stop on tyhe main brake. Right before it, go totally limp and let your head fall forward a bit. This way, you are not fighting the ride and just letting it do it's thing. It makes the final element of both of those rides less rough and more thrilling since you are just hanging on your harness.

No, the back does not shuffle any more than any other car. The difference is that the back is pulled through the end of elements faster. Conversely, the front of the train enters elements quicker. The middle of the train is the happy medium.

July 10th

Went to the park today and headed for Raptor around 6 or so (not sure if that was the correct time) and headed for the front row. Waited and waited and finally got close to getting ready to board when all of a sudden...BANG...the wheel fell off. I guess this was the same wheel that feel off before, because the ride ops were talking about it. When it fell there were 3 pieces that came off-- the wheel, a metal like rod, and then a small piece of something. It took a lil bit for the mechanics to get there, and they looked at the ride and sent 3 test cars out, but when the 3rd got back they "strongly suggessted" that we visit other attractions at the park.

Have a good one guys

i got a question about raptor. My family is big on you gotta ride in the very front row or it isn't a good ride because all you see is someones back and we like it that there was a short queve that was about the length of the station but now you only get half of the space. I'm guessing people where complaining but why is that?

huh?

MrScott said:
huh?

I second that!

Translation:

My family is big on only riding in the front row because any other row sucks. There used to be a long queue area for the front row, but now that's not the case. What's up with that? Were people complaining?

I rode Raptor this past June and it didn't seem rough out of its usual. Maybe you are focusing more on how smooth it is instead of the ride itself. But the sound and feel is still the same for me, especially after it has warmed up and has a full train which isn't to hard for the train to come by.