'93 Birf repack this weekend. Couple final questions. (1 Viewer)

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Hayes

Hayes

Joined
May 7, 2005
Threads
302
Messages
2,352
Location
South Jordan, UT
First.
Thanks everyone for pointing me towards a plethora of useful links. I expect my first venture into my LC axles to go smoothly.

I've got a couple questions before I go at it this weekend.


I'm plan on doing the following:

1. Replace the "evil breather" on my axle housing via a hose up to the firewall.

2. Repack the birfield and wheel bearings.

3. Replace the inner axle oil seal and wheel bearing grease seal.

I have have all the stuff for the breather fix, and I am unconcerned about that part.

Here's what I've got for the birf/wheel bearing job:

2 x inner axle oil seal
2 x wheel bearing grease seal
2 x tabbed lock washer

socket drivers up to 0.5 inch
general purpose socket sizes
hammers, screw drivers, etc.

grease, solvent, towels, etc.

Do I need any more parts / tools to complete the job right?

Gaskets?
Whassup with the snap-ring? Do I need to replace these?
Do I need 54mm hub socket?

Hayes
 
You re-use the snap rings, you'll need pliers to take them off. You will need a hub socket, you're welcome to borrow mine if you want. I'd also look at replacing the bearings and races while you're in there.
 
Just getting ready to do it myself, so I may be wrong here.

I got parts from CDan, and all I got all the wipers, trunnion bearings, wheel bearings, new rotors (might as well do it all at once), 100 series pads, and misc seals.

AFAIK, you do need the 54mm socket.

Tools how about:
FSM and forum FAQ printouts
a brass hammer
brass drifts
seal puller
fish scale
wife's rubber kitchen spatula :)

Moly grease and regular high temp wheel bearing grease. 80-W90 gear oil for diff.

Lots of guys use gloves, rubber or nitrile...

Maybe we should exchange phone numbers so we can call if we get stuck.

Charlie
 
CharlieS said:
Just getting ready to do it myself, so I may be wrong here.

I got parts from CDan, and all I got all the wipers, trunnion bearings, wheel bearings, new rotors (might as well do it all at once), 100 series pads, and misc seals.

AFAIK, you do need the 54mm socket.

Tools how about:
FSM and forum FAQ printouts
a brass hammer
brass drifts
seal puller
fish scale
wife's rubber kitchen spatula :)

Moly grease and regular high temp wheel bearing grease. 80-W90 gear oil for diff.

Lots of guys use gloves, rubber or nitrile...


Charlie
Click to expand...

+ Torque wrench, unless you are comfortable manually setting the bearing pre-load based on feel.
 
It's also helpful to have a spare oil seal. If you pooch it, you'll have to wait for a new one with the truck torn apart. It's relatively cheap and therefore worth having an extra one standing by.
 
Yes, of course. I guess I just assume people will torque things properly with any vehicle work.

Nice catch Ryan!!

Charlie
 
Cory,
Thanks for the offer. I'll poke around to find out what a 54mm socket runs, and probably buy one.
Bearings and races for the wheel bearing, right? Exstimated cost (I'll certainly look it up myself).
I have been too lazy to connect up with you folks at Wasatch Cruisers--with my truck on my mind lately, maybe I'll finally get around to joining.

I decided I could get away without the brass hammers, drifts, and seal-specific tools.
Anyone disagree?

Yeah, I've also got a torque wrench, pliers, gear lube.

Gloves?
I thought all you guys did your birfs naked and smeared in synthetic moly grease?

Hayes
 
Hayes said:
Here's what I've got for the birf/wheel bearing job:
2 x inner axle oil seal
2 x wheel bearing grease seal
2 x tabbed lock washer
Hayes
Click to expand...

You will also need:

1. Rear knuckle oil seal set (felt pad/wiper, rubber seal, steel ring and plates that go on back of each knuckle housing). No sense going that far and not doing it right.
2. Knuckle to spindle paper gasket.
3. Hub to spindle seal and paper gasket (different than hub seal).
4. Outer flange gasket.

P.S. You really need at least one brass bar/drift to drive in the new races.
 
Last edited:
Hayes said:
Cory,
Thanks for the offer. I'll poke around to find out what a 54mm socket runs, and probably buy one.
Hayes
Click to expand...

I bought the Bluepoint one that Slee sells, but I've heard that the 2 1/8" socket from Sears works almost perfectly.

It's around $25, but you'll also probably need an adapter since it's 3/4" drive.
 
Oh boy.
What's the deal with the rear knuckle oil seal set? Didn't see that as part of the "birf repack" walkthroughs I checked out.

Same with the hub to spindle seal. Didn't see that one mentioned either.

Thanks for pointing out the gaskets.

Hayes
 
I think some people call them the "wipers". they keep the grease from shoooting out the back of the assembly. Came with the parts I ordered from CDan. It's in the FSM too.

Mental note - next time buy all your parts from Cruiser Dan and get everything you need. He knows everything you'll need unlike my local parts dealer.

Plus his prices are nice, he's a good guy and his dogs get fed.

Charlie

PS, CDan stocks the 54mm SST and it is in a proper drive size.
 
Hayes said:
I decided I could get away without the brass hammers, drifts, and seal-specific tools.
Anyone disagree?
Click to expand...

If you're leaving the races in, you won't need the drift. If you're replacing them, you will. Set of 3 different sized brass drifts was like $15 at Harbor Freight.

A seal puller is like $5 at Autozone or Harbor Freight, makes it real easy to yoink them without risking a dent/burr in the axle housing.
 
shocker said:
I bought the Bluepoint one that Slee sells, but I've heard that the 2 1/8" socket from Sears works almost perfectly.

It's around $25, but you'll also probably need an adapter since it's 3/4" drive.
Click to expand...


OTC makes one with a 1/2" drive (54mm) most places sell them for about $20.00 the part number is OTC-6612.

Or better yet....order one from C-Dan and help keep his used dogs fat and happy.
 
Won't a drift or a brass hammer help with loosening the cone washers. The FSM shows using a drift IIRC.

I've seen pictures of guys doing it with a steel hand sledge here, but that seems like a good way to mar steel parts.

Charlie
 
CharlieS said:
Won't a drift or a brass hammer help with loosening the cone washers. The FSM shows using a drift IIRC.

I've seen pictures of guys doing it with a steel hand sledge here, but that seems like a good way to mar steel parts.

Charlie
Click to expand...

I always just use a metal hammer at a nice 90° angle to the hub, like in this picture taken from George's site:

conenuts.jpg


Just loosen the nuts a little bit, but keep them on the hub bolts for two reasons:
1. Keeps the cone washers from flying off when they loosen up.
2. Keeps you from marring the bolt threads if you should slip with the hammer.
 
Anyone got a link to a definitive description of what I'll need to do this job?
I pretty much based my plan around this link and my Haynes LC service manual:

http://george4wd.taskled.com/birfield.html

Sounds like I should have talked to Cruiser Dan. Too late for this weekend.
I can easily pick up a seal-puller and some brass drifts, looks like they're cheap too. I can get the additional parts from the local dealer, but like you said, the parts desk gives me a variety of answers every time I ask them a question.

I'm still confused about the rear knuckle oil seal set and the hub-spindle seal.

My main goal is to keep grease out of my diff, oil out of my birf, and to get things back to perfectly lubed.
Now I'm not sure what the heck I'm doing.

Anyone got any definitive info?

Sorry for the whiny tone in this post.

Hayes
 
Hayes,

I think what George has on that site might be called a birf repack. It falls short of a full front end service, as he doesn't "go all the way" and replace the wiper seals and the trunnion bearings.

Folks have recommended to me that I go all the way since I am already that far into it. Replacing the trunnion bearings may tighten up the steering. Besides that the extra parts are marginal and you've already done most of the labor involved if you've gotten that far.

Someone knowledgable please correct me if I am wrong. We've got the blind leading the blind here...

Charlie
 
Hayes said:
Anyone got a link to a definitive description of what I'll need to do this job?
I pretty much based my plan around this link and my Haynes LC service manual:
Click to expand...

I think you're taking a bit of a gamble of getting everything right buy not having the FSM on hand. JMHO.

In case you haven't run across it, you need to go to this link:

http://www.ih8mud/tech/birf-repack.html

and you might also read:

https://forum.ih8mud.com/index.php?board=2;action=printpage;threadid=11875

I fashioned a seal driving tool using the tucker74 method described in this link ... 2" heavy washer, long bolt and two nuts to samich the worsher (southern term)

and also:

https://forum.ih8mud.com/index.php?board=2;action=printpage;threadid=10926

In case it's not in there somewhere, you can fashion a good race driving tool for the hub races, by cut a slit through one side of one of the old races. The only thing that I used that may not be mentioned is a hardened steel drift to bang some of the races out. Mine we were so tightly seated that it was making kibbles out of the brass drift. One other thing, tossing the new races in the freezer for a little while shrinks them up a bit and helps when trying to drive them in the hub and axle (for the trunions). That should cover everything you need tool wise, and alot of the procedure, but these threads should be used as a supplement to the FSM, not a replacement.

:beer:
Rookie2
 
CharlieS said:
Someone knowledgable please correct me if I am wrong. We've got the blind leading the blind here...

Charlie
Click to expand...

Go all the way. There's no sense in getting that far in and not replacing everything.
 
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