About RuffStuff Specialties
RuffStuff Specialties builds heavy-duty off-road parts for builders who actually use their rigs. We’re based in Loomis, California, and we design and manufacture fabrication components and vehicle-specific upgrades that hold up to real trail abuse, not parking lot bragging rights.
Our lineup is focused on the parts that make or break a build: steering systems, axle swap components, differential protection, rod ends/heim joints, and builder essentials like tabs, brackets, and mounts. The goal is simple: parts that fit right, weld clean, install without drama, and keep doing their job when the terrain gets ugly.
Built for real builders (DIY and shop installs)
Whether you’re doing a driveway refresh or a full custom build, RuffStuff parts are meant to work as a system so you spend less time redoing work and more time driving.
What we’re known for
- Steering Kits engineered as complete systems using proven components like chromoly heim joints and GM 1-ton tie rod ends (where applicable).
- Axle Swap Kits with the core parts you need for common conversions (perches, U-bolts, shock tabs, hardware).
- Diff Covers & Pinion Guards and other drivetrain protection built to take hits.
- Rod Ends / Heim Joints & related hardware for suspension links, track bars, and steering builds.
- Axle Housings and axle-related components for higher-load builds.
Need help choosing parts?
Call us. We’re builders too, and we’d rather get you the right setup the first time than sell you something “close enough.” If you’re unsure on fitment, measurements, or what parts work together, reach out and we’ll help you sort it out.
Call Sales: (916) 600-1945
Shop quick links:
- Steering Kits: https://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/collections/steering-kits
- Axle Swap Kits: https://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/collections/axle-swap-kits
- Diff Covers & Pinion Guards: https://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/collections/diff-covers-pinion-guards
- Rod Ends: https://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/collections/rod-ends
- Axle Housings: https://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/collections/axle-housings
- Contact: https://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/pages/contact-us
The History of RuffStuff Specialties
It All Started With A Bike...
People often ask me how I got into the business of making 4x4 parts... My answer is pretty easy; I bought a '73 landcruiser and tried to find some parts for the modifications I wanted. The problem was they simply were not made to the standards that I desired and the Customer Service was pitiful. It felt as if they were doing me a favor by overcharging me for products I knew I could make better, so I resurrected RuffStuff Specialties.
I know... resurrected RuffStuff, but from what? Well, In 1980 I had just gotten out of the army and was going to college at NAU in Flagstaff Arizona and in a small way mountain biking was just starting up. I had some experience with a torch and started Ruffstuff Specialties building Mountain Bike Framesets. I wasn't Tom Ritchey but Ruffstuff was in the first wave. We built 17 framesets over 2 years but I was still a student so I was essentially starving. I closed Ruffstuff after 2 years and then 2 years later the Stumpjumper came out and that was all she wrote! I was already a River Guide in the Grand Canyon and wasn't about to walk away from that so I didn't go back to building bike frames and didn't go back to starving.
When RuffStuff started building 4X4 Fabrication parts we were a wholesale only shop serving about 40 4X4 shops within 100 miles. I developed our product line directly from the input of those shops so we didn't start with hit or miss stuff. It was tried and tested long before RuffStuff ever opened for direct retail. Infact, I was fairly satisfied with a part time wholesale only business but things progressed so we took the next step. The 2 pivotal moments pushing change were that many of my wholesale companies I supplied had asked me to go retail for name recognition so they could better sell our parts. The other was my current job was moving to Chicago and I didn't much like the cold! This all happening at once tied it all together and it just made sense to open RuffStuff to the public.
As we grew we have taken great pains to stay true to our origins, we have never settled for "strong enough" and do not intend to ever take that route. We have never been afraid to try new ideas and we're always working to push to envelope. Lastly, we're always open to suggestions and input. If you don't see a product you'd be interested in buying, shoot us over an email. We're always happy to help!
-Dan Fredrickson
We Love Working at RuffStuff