Rugged Ridge Manual Hubs

[Beef52751]

Has anyone even heard of them??? are they any good??? for a 99 Ranger 3.0 thats sees light off road use.
Thanks
Beef

 

[BeaterMan]

i believe they are the same thing as AVM. i got a set on my 99' and they are great, hold up to alot of abuse and are soundly constructed. well worth buying in my opinion.

 

[green_duck42]

they are the same as the AVM. AVM is who really markets them but they are manaufactured by rugged ridge. I found i had the same promlems as the manual hubs. the base is plastic and slips on just the same. Mine got full of crap and allowed dirt to get into whats supposed to be sealed. They wouldnt dissengage and you end up with unneccisary cv wear. its a nice attempt but i personally just went back to the stock pulse vacuum

 

[Beef52751]

one more question, what did everyone do with their center caps??? i think im gonna use a hole saw and cut out the centers of mine. sound like a good idea???
Thanks
Beef
(pics would help!!!!)

 

[brendank]

one more question, what did everyone do with their center caps??? i think im gonna use a hole saw and cut out the centers of mine. sound like a good idea???
Thanks
Beef
(pics would help!!!!)

I did a set a few months ago, and cut the centers out with a hole saw. After you clean the edges with a file, it looks good.

 

[4x4RangerGuy]

they are the same as the AVM. AVM is who really markets them but they are manaufactured by rugged ridge. I found i had the same promlems as the manual hubs. the base is plastic and slips on just the same. Mine got full of crap and allowed dirt to get into whats supposed to be sealed. They wouldnt dissengage and you end up with unneccisary cv wear. its a nice attempt but i personally just went back to the stock pulse vacuum

It's actually the other way around. AVM manufactures them in Brazil, and then they are shipped up to the U.S. and are often rebranded (in this case they are rebranded Rugged Ridge).

 

[cr_the_machinist]

I use them and like them. I like to know that my 4x4 works 100% of the time. I don't use the center caps on my front hubs at all now. I just got some chrome acorn lugs for the front.

 

[ozziemo27]

I have a set of Rugged Ridge / AVMS, they work great, and I know I can rely on them, i just left the little caps off, looks fine to me. but my standards arent the highest

 

[wahlstrom1]

I've seen guys either cut holes out to get to the hub's, or knock the back clips off the center cap and run really short screws into the hub and use the center cap as the hub 'handle'.

-andrew

 

[zeroburn]

I have gone through 2 sets of these hubs! the first set (AVM branded) was my fault as i had bad inner wheel seals so dirt and crap got in and chewed one up. So i purchased a new set as AVM does not make a rebuild kit for these. I replaced my wheel seals, wheel bearings and ball joints last fall and then put on a new set of the hubs. Well this second set (Rugged Ridge branded) are just plain garbage! They keep falling off and there is no reason for it! then one decided to break in 2! so luckly i had one from the first set i had and put that on, hmm it dosent fall off! so i dont know i give them an ok rating but im gonna go to the live axel setup cause when you need 4x4 a set of crapy hubs will piss you off to no end! Now i know they are both the same hub but the new set i got was just junk, and i will never buy another set ever! Ford did right by going to the live axle setup IMO! If i could find an older ranger like a 97' with my same options id be all over that cause it has the older dependable style!

 

[4x4RangerGuy]

I have gone through 2 sets of these hubs! the first set (AVM branded) was my fault as i had bad inner wheel seals so dirt and crap got in and chewed one up. So i purchased a new set as AVM does not make a rebuild kit for these. I replaced my wheel seals, wheel bearings and ball joints last fall and then put on a new set of the hubs. Well this second set (Rugged Ridge branded) are just plain garbage! They keep falling off and there is no reason for it! then one decided to break in 2! so luckly i had one from the first set i had and put that on, hmm it dosent fall off! so i dont know i give them an ok rating but im gonna go to the live axel setup cause when you need 4x4 a set of crapy hubs will piss you off to no end! Now i know they are both the same hub but the new set i got was just junk, and i will never buy another set ever! Ford did right by going to the live axle setup IMO! If i could find an older ranger like a 97' with my same options id be all over that cause it has the older dependable style!

Bad manufacturing issue. Most of us haven't had problems with the hubs and they work just fine. Every now and then they will let a bad set of hubs slip by the QA dept.

 

[Beef52751]

I just got them in the mail today!!!!!!!!!

 

[Beef52751]

Got them installed tonight!!!!!!! I was just wondering, what did you guys do with the vaccuum lines???? i left mine alone becuase i didnt know what to do with them.
Thanks
Beef

 

[Beef52751]

anybody???

 

[4x4RangerGuy]

I just ripped them off all the way up to the solenoid behind the pass. side fenderwell.