99 Ranger PVH/Manual hub swap to live axle

[papasmurfor9]

My 99 ranger had the PVH hubs when I got it. they did not work. I switch to the manual hubs from rugged ridge. I had nothing but problems with them. for one they would not stay on. they kept falling off. they did not engage the axle spline very well either so sometimes they would not lock in. recently I said screw that and I ordered hubs and axles for 1995 explorer. I got them installed and bam no more hub issues. this is a live axle setup. the axles are bolted to the hubs permanently. the conversion was as easy removing the old parts and installing the new ones. PVH is the worst thing ford engineers every came up with. whole swap cost me $620. parts were $500 form CARQUEST and labor was $120. parts are cheaper online but I've found they don't hold up. carquest has 3 year warranty. I should also note the front end feels a lot tighter now. I believe the old setup let the axles move around in the hubs causing vibration and rattle. piss poor design by ford...

 

[Craig0320]

Keep us informed on fuel mileage change please. I have rugged ridge manuals on mine and wrapped a zip tie around the inside and they never came off again. I remove them periodically and lube them with triflow lubricant because grease binds them up.

 

[papasmurfor9]

My mileage won't change because I never unlocked the manual hubs. I found if I tried they would not unlock or lock back properly...one reason I did away with them.

To help keep them on used a big pipe clamp. That helped a lot unless I hit a hole really hard.

 

[papasmurfor9]

they say don't use grease just some motor oil....

 

[Craig0320]

I didn't think they could be left locked in. I accidentally left one locked in for a few thousand miles and thought I had a wheel bearing going out. Decided to take a look and unlocked it. Now if I drive more than 5 miles with it locked it squeaks really bad. The reason I was asking about fuel mileage is because I was thinking about converting mine to live axle. When you swap to manuals and kept them locked did you see any changes then?

 

[Ranger 204]

When you swapped to the rugged ridge manual hub, did you keep the silver hub cover on or off?

 

[Craig0320]

When you swapped to the rugged ridge manual hub, did you keep the silver hub cover on or off?

I left mine off.

 

[Wireman20]

I tried the Rugged Ridge on my '99 and found them HORRIBLE!!!! Do not ever buy these!!
Then I got a set of AVM and I love them. They just work.
What is the last year you can install manual hubs on, and can that be stretched if you use earlier year outer axles assembly?

 

[fastpakr]

What did you not like about the Rugged Ridge hubs? They should be identical to the AVM's.

 

[Wireman20]

I experienced pretty much the same problems as "Papasmurf".
One would lock and unlock, one would not lock ever. Just did not function. I read a lot of posts at the time and found AVM were better quality. Funny though, they look identical. It seems the quality control is better. I believe R/R is china made and AVM is like Brazil?

 

[fastpakr]

It's possible that manufacturing changed at some point. Originally, AVM was producing them in Brazil and shipping them to the US to be sold under the Rugged Ridge brand.

 

[Craig0320]

I never had a problem with them until I left them locked in for several thousands miles. Key to them functioning well is do not use grease on the internals. I use triflow and have great success with it.

 

[Wireman20]

What is the last year that the earlier outer axle shaft and hub can be installed to allow hubs to be installed as the 1999?

 

[19Walt93]

When the pulse vacuum system came out for 98 we had a speaker from Ranger engineering at our parts and service managers' meeting telling us what a great idea it was. I asked him why they had designed that Rube Goldberg set up instead of just using the trouble free front drive system that Explorers had adopted in 95. He gave me a blank stare and said he didn't know about Explorers. Instead of looking on the parts shelf they started with a new sheet of paper, and apparently an engineer who'd never driven a 4x4. Most Ford models share genes with the rest of the family and that saves money, time, and new product head aches. For example, the first Mustang not derived from another model was the 2006. Can you tell the pulse vacuum system wasn't my favorite?

 

[Craig0320]

When the pulse vacuum system came out for 98 we had a speaker from Ranger engineering at our parts and service managers' meeting telling us what a great idea it was. I asked him why they had designed that Rube Goldberg set up instead of just using the trouble free front drive system that Explorers had adopted in 95. He gave me a blank stare and said he didn't know about Explorers. Instead of looking on the parts shelf they started with a new sheet of paper, and apparently an engineer who'd never driven a 4x4. Most Ford models share genes with the rest of the family and that saves money, time, and new product head aches. For example, the first Mustang not derived from another model was the 2006. Can you tell the pulse vacuum system wasn't my favorite?

I completely agree the whole system is junk.