so long story short i bought our shop truck from my work. it needs some work nothing major but they did not want to drop anymore money in it so i dropped a low ball offer and they took it.

shes a '99 xlt sport 4.0 auto 4x4 147k miles.

its a good little truck just needs some TLC, she runs awesome!

list of fix's ...

fix the 4x4 hubs
replace all the brakes and bleed them
new windshield
new tires
new battery
new shocks
repaint the front bumper

then it will take alot of detailing and hours to get the lettering off the truck but she should clean up very nice!

i'll get some detailed pics of the condition shes currently in and my progress as i get her whipped back into shape! really looking foreword to this project.

 

Nice score Russ! That's exactly the type of project I'm looking for to work on for my son who just got his permit. Trying to find a decent Ranger 4x4 SC to get into shape for when he gets his license in a year!

 

Keep in mind that the '99 Ranger utilizes a "Pulse Vacuum Hublock" 4x4 engagement system that is somewhat prone to failure.

If reliable 4WD is important to you - and I assume it is living in Anchorage - then IMO your best bet is to replace the PVH hubs with a set of AVM manual lockers.

See: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...hub-issue.html

 

yes the 4x4 has to be fixed first thing, i was going to put lock outs on it till i found this..

Permanently Lock Your 1998-2000 Ford Ranger PVH Pulse Vacuum Hubs


i'm going to give it a try tomorrow, i love free fixes

i plan on buying the brake parts this week and messing with the hubs and brakes in the evenings after work.

 

the link i posted above i followed to the T and it works PERFECT!!! she now has 4x4 that works.

later this week is brakes!




the little clip you remove

 

stopped off at car quest tonight and got most of what i need.

2 new front rotors
front brake pads
rear shoes
rear brake spring kit(install kit)
5QT's of oil and oil filter
new air filter
new 19" wipers


its been a busy night! front brakes are done also greased the caliper slide pins...man they were SHOT! starting on the rear brakes after dinner. already replaced the air filter and cleaned the MAF. man both were dirty as heck.

 

Looking good Russ! I am really envious of your heated garage/shop big enough to work on your rigs!

 

Free is good. That is the big benefit to modifying the Ford hubs - no out of pocket expense and no more worries about the front hubs ever failing to engage again. This is in fact the "live axle" setup that the 2000+ Rangers utilize.

The drawback to permanently locking the hubs, of course, is that the front driveline is now rotating 100% of the time when the truck is in motion. That additional "rotational mass" is noticeable in the way the truck steers and handles. For example, when driving on the highway it is apparant to me that my Ranger has a bit more "drag" when the front hubs are locked in. The truck just doesn't roll as free, nor as far, when I put the tranny in nuetral and allow momentum to do its thing. With this in mind, I have to also think that gas mileage suffers accordingly.

I may have been a little spoiled with a PVH engagement system that worked well for so many years on my '98 (I installed the AVM hubs only last winter). I'm used to driving my Ranger with the front hubs disengaged when not in 4WD - which for me is 99% of the time. I like the "lighter" feel, and if I get 1-2 more miles per tankful, that's all the better.

So for someone like me, the AVM hubs are worth the money. (I actually purchased a set of AVM hubs several years ago when they first came out. They sat on a shelf in my garage for a quite a while before I needed them. I paid $100 for the set of hubs back then, and shipping was free. I see now they are up closer to $150.)

Keep up the good work on your Ranger!

 

I need to get my 4x4 working....just been lazy and dont really ever need to use it (the front drive shaft has been sitting on a shelf for over a year now).

2 questions, Is the hub tab modification reversible? As in can you make it back to a PV setup?

Next, last I heard the locker hubs were hard to get, has that changed? Any links to where they can be purchased?

 

i think you can find the hubs pretty easily if you google them i found them on amazon ..ect

about the hubs being locked, i'm used to my explorers which always had the hubs turning 100% of the time so its no different then that and i've never noticed any extra wear or anything. living in a place where your in 4x4 6 months out of the year its important that it works. i think this was the best and easiest solution for this truck.

thanks guys i'm excited to get this thing in tip top shape again.

 

The PVH hub tab modification is not reversible.

I've seen the AVM (a/k/a "Rugged Ridge") hubs on ebay and Amazon.



No one can argue with that logic. A lot depends on the situation and personal preference.

It's funny, it used to be popular (before AVM hubs were available) for '98-'00 Ranger owners to dump their prickly PVH system by swapping in Explorer parts and making it a live axle.

Then, after the AVM hubs became available, it was several Explorer guys who decided to dump their constant engagement systems by swapping in Ranger parts and going with AVM manual lockers.

 

How do the lockers work with the stock lug nut cover/centers? Do they fit under or do you have to dump them? And does the 4x4 engagement system know (IE, the dash light come on?)

 

My wheel covers fit over the AVM hubs. But I leave them off in the winter so I don't have to pop them off every time a snowstorm comes along to gain access to the hubs. I don't have pics, but with the type of rims I have on my '98, the front wheels still look pretty good with the AVM hubs installed minus the caps.

I've read about people who have used a "hole saw" drill bit to cut out the center portion of the caps so that the AVM hubs can be accessed with the caps installed. I've thought about doing it, but haven't really felt the need up to this point.

The 4WD indicator light on the dash has nothing to do with the success or failure of hub engagment. It will tell you (in most cases) whether or not the transfer case has engaged properly. And that's it. Just like if the Ranger were a '00+ with a constant engagment-type system direct from the factory.

 

i was looking at that and it looks like a direct swap to the explorer. i have no need or want to do so but its cool to know!


so tonight i tackled the rear drums, my first set EVER mind you. with the help of my dad it took about 2 hours. i think the first 1 1/2 hours were on the first side then the second only took about 30mins haha! but man were they worn, plus the adjusters were totally seized up. pulled them apart lubed them up made sure they were working correctly. put it all back together and it works! the rear end actually does some braking now. plus the brake pedal feels SO MUCH better! before it was almost going to the floor(brakes were shot all around)





so then i took her out on a test drive, very hard to find any road dry enough(not snow/ice covered since we do NOT salt here) to really test the brakes out but what i did test was great...it'll put you through the windshield now if you stand on them. then i filled her up and went on a cruise..drives perfect at highway speed no vibrations nothing..i like!



going to shop around for tires tomorrow, might start removing the decals and detailing it..we'll see how i'm feeling. all in all i'm very happy with a weeks worth of progress!

 

Looks good Russ! What are your plans for it? Gonna sell it or keep it?