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RCV or this?

Darky

Darky

NAXJA Forum User
Location
29 Palms, CA
Any reason not to get this instead of RCV shafts? Source isn't set in stone on this, but I found the deal through Pirate and thought Alloys with manual hubs could be a worthwhile choice over just RCV shafts. I'm planning on RCV shafts right now, but I've wanted manual hubs and this setup still gives alloy shafts.


  • AlloyUSA inner and outer shafts
  • Rugged Ridge manual lockout hubs
  • new rotors
  • Bearings
  • Etc
Pros:

  • Better mpg, even if by just a little
  • less wear
  • new rotors (I need a new passenger rotor anyways)
Cons

  • Still uses u-joints as opposed to CVs
  • Not as strong shafts
  • Rugger Ridge is somewhat of an unknown entity to me outside of steering
RobertK is runnin a great deal on RCVs which is my plan, but if these hubs would be any good (or even better if the hubs are good, compatible with RCVs and available separately from the kit), that might be worthwhile.
 
I don't know what size tires you run or how you wheel but we busted a bunch of those hubs on 33's and mild wheeling. Warn wouldn't warranty the hubs because they said only up to 31's were covered.
Rugged Ridge is famous for buying stuff and rebadging it. This looks just like the Warn kit.
 
Rugged ridge claims up to 33s. I run 33s and run mostly rock crawling, mild pre-running, and rutted loose trails. If you had trouble on 33s and mild wheeling, these may not be such a good idea....I'm no hardcore wheeler, but I like to try climbing over stuff that I may not make, just to try.
 
RCV's (Longfields), I have them and trust me they are awesome. One thing you left out of the equation is that the Longfields are as strong turned full lock as they are pointed straight, no U-joint style shaft can do that. Also the hubs will be fuse that you will constantly be repairing.

I went through the same thought process that you are right now and decided to go with Bobby's reputation and I have never looked back.

I have a very early set of Longfields if not the first set produced, no issues at all.
 
You could find a built 44 for that price, or almost build one for that price, and youll have hubs. If you are only on 33s, and plan on staying them, just run regular alloys.
 
cjsxj87 said:
You could find a built 44 for that price, or almost build one for that price, and youll have hubs. If you are only on 33s, and plan on staying them, just run regular alloys.
Click to expand...

No you can't. I wish people would stop bringing up this argument. First he doesn't need a D44 on 33's. Second, rebuilding axles will nickel and dime you to death. A few of my friends recently swapped in D60/14b axles and they said they spent more on those than the entire new GenRight suspension setup. All those little bearings, seals, clips, and whatever else are not cheap when they all add up. Then add narrowing, upgrading knuckles/shafts/gears/locker and you've got $4-5k in your "$1000 D44" before you know it.
 
Ive seen built 44s go for 1500. But if you read more I said he will be fine with stock shafts or alloys. I wouldnt put hubs on a d30.
 
sunburned said:
No you can't. I wish people would stop bringing up this argument. First he doesn't need a D44 on 33's. Second, rebuilding axles will nickel and dime you to death. A few of my friends recently swapped in D60/14b axles and they said they spent more on those than the entire new GenRight suspension setup. All those little bearings, seals, clips, and whatever else are not cheap when they all add up. Then add narrowing, upgrading knuckles/shafts/gears/locker and you've got $4-5k in your "$1000 D44" before you know it.
Click to expand...


who the eff puts 4-5 grand in a 44?

mines pretty built and ran me about $2400 a few years ago
 
in the end... your r&p is still the weak link....
 
Reasons not to:

Rugged Ridge & Alloy USA parts, all of which are now owned by a "cheap" mined company (Omix Ada), and are prodominatly comprised of inferiour low cost and lower quality items. Alloy USA shafts I wouldnt even put in the same boat as Ten Factory, Superior or Yukon.

Cost.

The Hubs are small bearing and rated very low with the 5x4.5" kit since the bearings have to be kept small and close together to allow wheel hole to fit over the hub.

HUBS, Ugg who whats to worry about a 1/4x1/4"x2"diameter splined cast (or even forged) piece of steel breaking? AND IT WILL, if you use them as hard as you can a unit bearing.

Cost.

Propietary outer axles, you are stuck with thier outers, no more universal, and since they are not all that strong (not the same as going say a 30 spline inner for strength increase) you might just have to buy one (or two) some day, then what? Currently Warn conversion kits from years ago, are hard to source outer stubs for. But warn at least used USA made very strong outers. Given some do just use a ford ranger outer stub, but those are hard to get in a Strong production piece.

Rotors are not common replacements, or so I am pretty sure they are not. Warns kit you had to have your rotors machined.

Cost.

Reasons to:
You get to free wheel your front carrier when driving. But how many miles do you Really drive on the road?

When you break a Hub Fuse, or if you didnt have them and you broke a axle you cant, just unlock the Hubs and try the rest in 2wd.



I dont know if you can make all that good of a arguement here, as to Value of this product when staying with the smaller 5x4.5" pattern, and by this company.

Just my opinion...

Now I can get you for the same price, a much nicer kit that uses Yukon Hard Core, USA made, Outer shafts that are proven to be the strongest axles out there in chromoly, and you get the larger wheel bearings and spacing, dual drilled for 5x 5.5 or 4.5, but you have to machine your wheels some in the center hole. But even at a lower cost then that kit you linked, and the much much better products that it comes with, I still wouldnt take that kit over a RCV kit....

IMO...
 
ROBERTK said:
Reasons not to:

Rugged Ridge & Alloy USA parts, all of which are now owned by a "cheap" mined company (Omix Ada), and are prodominatly comprised of inferiour low cost and lower quality items. Alloy USA shafts I wouldnt even put in the same boat as Ten Factory, Superior or Yukon.

Cost.

The Hubs are small bearing and rated very low with the 5x4.5" kit since the bearings have to be kept small and close together to allow wheel hole to fit over the hub.

HUBS, Ugg who whats to worry about a 1/4x1/4"x2"diameter splined cast (or even forged) piece of steel breaking? AND IT WILL, if you use them as hard as you can a unit bearing.

Cost.

Propietary outer axles, you are stuck with thier outers, no more universal, and since they are not all that strong (not the same as going say a 30 spline inner for strength increase) you might just have to buy one (or two) some day, then what? Currently Warn conversion kits from years ago, are hard to source outer stubs for. But warn at least used USA made very strong outers. Given some do just use a ford ranger outer stub, but those are hard to get in a Strong production piece.

Rotors are not common replacements, or so I am pretty sure they are not. Warns kit you had to have your rotors machined.

Cost.

Reasons to:
You get to free wheel your front carrier when driving. But how many miles do you Really drive on the road?

When you break a Hub Fuse, or if you didnt have them and you broke a axle you cant, just unlock the Hubs and try the rest in 2wd.



I dont know if you can make all that good of a arguement here, as to Value of this product when staying with the smaller 5x4.5" pattern, and by this company.

Just my opinion...

Now I can get you for the same price, a much nicer kit that uses Yukon Hard Core, USA made, Outer shafts that are proven to be the strongest axles out there in chromoly, and you get the larger wheel bearings and spacing, dual drilled for 5x 5.5 or 4.5, but you have to machine your wheels some in the center hole. But even at a lower cost then that kit you linked, and the much much better products that it comes with, I still wouldnt take that kit over a RCV kit....

IMO...
Click to expand...
Yeah, sounds like I'm still going RCVs from you. :D

I jut saw that kit and it started them rusty old gears in my head turning...
cjsxj87 said:
You could find a built 44 for that price, or almost build one for that price, and youll have hubs. If you are only on 33s, and plan on staying them, just run regular alloys.
Click to expand...
Actually, no I can't, not in the timeframe I need/want this done. I looked into the idea of building a D44, and for the cost of getting everything welded on, new gears, locker, shafts, etc, I'd be around $2500-3000, with alloys and not RCVs. So, theoretically, in situations where I need to give it some gas with the wheels turned, I could actually end up weaker. And that's with a free housing. I'll probably still pickup tat free housing and build it slowly over time to be bulletproof on 35s with an end game of 37s at the biggest.

256offroad said:
in the end... your r&p is still the weak link....
Click to expand...
I'm also trussing it with the Ballistic truss and am currently running a Ruff Stuff cover. I'll be adding Ballistic coil buckets and LCA mounts as well since mine could use some beefing.
 
Darky said:
Yeah, sounds like I'm still going RCVs from you. :D

I jut saw that kit and it started them rusty old gears in my head turning...

.
Click to expand...

Well if you were a RV'er and towed it Alot, its a valid idea I think. Or if you were going new shafts in the back and redrilled drums for 5x5.5" pattern and could do the larger pattern, Then I might change that opinion some. But reason for those kits never really taking off, are pretty close to the reasons I mentioned I bet. Those conversion kits have been out since like 1999 or so, and I can tell you I have yet to actually know someone personally that had one or did one. And I have had a few request for parts for the Warn kits, and only one out of a hand full was I able to even find them parts for it. The spindles are no longer avail to start and those go south if you do break a ujoint pertty hard..
 
I'm already running AlloyUSA shafts in the rear (from before the sale, I'm pretty sure) drilled 5x5.5 and 5x4.5. I've thought about getting te front redrilled for 5x5.5 when I get new shafts, or even just going double drilled like the rears so I have options.
 
Instead of the hub kit, you can always do like I did and pull the entire axle apart at your campsite and take out the broken ring gear so you can drive home. It's a tad more complicated than just turning two hubs, but much cheaper :laugh:
 
Another option would be hubs and rcv's. Reid racing has knuckles to use 44 outers on a 30, and rcv will gladly make the shafts with 30 inner and 44 outers.

Best of both worlds.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk
 
Yes they will, but at hundreds more $$.. and add that to the RCV's and hub kit and new knuckles, and calipers and your right about the same as a D44HP with ARB and Very strong Ujoints and shafts with brackets installed.
 
The specs on my 30 are;

RCV shafts
Aussie and stock carrier(soon to be full Detroit)
Yukon 4.88's
RuffStuff cover
Home made truss out of 3"x4"x3/16" box

I haven't had any issues yet on 35's
 
xjtrailrider said:
The specs on my 30 are;

RCV shafts
Aussie and stock carrier(soon to be full Detroit)
Yukon 4.88's
RuffStuff cover
Home made truss out of 3"x4"x3/16" box

I haven't had any issues yet on 35's
Click to expand...
I was thinking of putting a locker in it, but I think I'll hold off for now. Other than that, that's exactly what my plan is. I might consider an Aussie though.
 
Darky said:
I was thinking of putting a locker in it, but I think I'll hold off for now. Other than that, that's exactly what my plan is. I might consider an Aussie though.
Click to expand...

The Aussie is a great locker but the problem is that the stock D-30 carrier is weak and will split. That's why Santa is bringing me a full case Detroit. That will only leave the R&P as the weakest link.

I'll still be running the Aussie in my 29 spline 8.25 w/Yukon shafts, RuffStuff cover and RuffStuff truss
 
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