I wasn't suggesting earlier to tap thru the upper trunion. What I said was to go thru the knuckle behind the upper trunion--circled here in yellow. I think that's much easier than drilling out the axle.
adding/inspecting birf grease through abs sensor hole? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter semlin
- Start date
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Scamper said:
right on, exactly where I meant too! The hole would have to be tiny to avoid strength issues though.
Of course, the greasing would not alleviate the issue of the axle seal going bad etc... so it may not really help that much to reduce birf jobs frequency?
E
I don't think the real problem is getting grease into the birf cavity, whether it's behind the birf or infront of it. In both cases the grease is not IN the birf. Grease stuck to the outer birf and spinning with the axle does no good. Grease piled up in there does no good. The only grease that means anything is the grease actually inside the birfield where the balls are. The only use for the extra grease in the cavity I see is so the grease inside the birf is less likely to squirt out, since the whole thing is kinda running in grease.
Drilling through the axle would be cool. You could even take off the wipers, and run solvent through that hole while turning the birf, it'd wash it out nicely, then start pumping the grease in. Still there is a problem of not being able to really pressurize the grease into where you want it, which by hand you can do.
Ofcourse the fact that you only have to get in there every 60K-100K miles anyway, means 99% of Cruiser owners this isn't really an issue.
I have thought of putting a flexible rubber boot around the birfield, making it like a sealed CV-joint, I think there is almost enough room in there to do it. If it were filled with good grease, then sealed, the grease would be in the joint no matter what, like a CV joint on any IFS suspension, which take no maint for atleast 200K miles typically.
Drilling through the axle would be cool. You could even take off the wipers, and run solvent through that hole while turning the birf, it'd wash it out nicely, then start pumping the grease in. Still there is a problem of not being able to really pressurize the grease into where you want it, which by hand you can do.
Ofcourse the fact that you only have to get in there every 60K-100K miles anyway, means 99% of Cruiser owners this isn't really an issue.
I have thought of putting a flexible rubber boot around the birfield, making it like a sealed CV-joint, I think there is almost enough room in there to do it. If it were filled with good grease, then sealed, the grease would be in the joint no matter what, like a CV joint on any IFS suspension, which take no maint for atleast 200K miles typically.
e9999 said:
Yeah, but I'd bet a six pack that those are exposed to the elements. I think Mark is talking about a rubber boot within the knuckle.
Bunch of rover guys I wheel with take out the inner axle seal and run diff oil throughout the steering knuxkle and wheel bearings using a sealed flange to keep the fluids in.
ryanjl
SILVER Star
reffug said:
Uhhhhh..... I'm at work. Nothing but free time.
Haha....
sleeoffroad
Supporting Vendor
OK, either you have good grease in there or not. If it is good, then the greasing is a moot point. If you don't then the seal is busted and need replacing. Also if you are considering Bobby's birfield, it means you are wheeling. If you break more birfields on the trail, then you can just do the service there
We can swap a birfield in 45 minutes on the trail. So if your only issue is to get more grease in there and you are not servicing the axle, then open it up, put grease in and close it up. It would have the net effect of pumping grease in via a hole. Except that you can make sure you are nut pumping a lot of grease into the axle housing.
Just my 0.02c
PS, cool diagram. Wanted to do a real world section of a front axle when time permits.
We can swap a birfield in 45 minutes on the trail. So if your only issue is to get more grease in there and you are not servicing the axle, then open it up, put grease in and close it up. It would have the net effect of pumping grease in via a hole. Except that you can make sure you are nut pumping a lot of grease into the axle housing.
Just my 0.02c
PS, cool diagram. Wanted to do a real world section of a front axle when time permits.
ryanjl
SILVER Star
True. The real big PITA when re-packing birfields is cleaning out all the old shiat.
If you need new grease you've got a problem (aka axle seals). Just shoving new grease in isn't solving the problem.
If you need new grease you've got a problem (aka axle seals). Just shoving new grease in isn't solving the problem.
semlin
curmudgeon
- Thread starter
- #30
diff oil contamination is one problem but another is that the grease breaks down or oozes out of the birf over time just as it does with IFS cvs once the boot fails. if you could pump a few shots of grease into the birf bell housing every 12,000 miles I can't see that it would do any harm and it might do some good. Query why the mine trucks are bothering?
ryanjl
SILVER Star
The point is, when the grease breaks down, you've got to get it out of there and replace it with new grease. That is why the 60K mile interval is recommended.
I would guess that mine trucks do it more often because of the extreme heat and pressure associated with their duty pushes the outer limits of the grease's capabilities.
I would guess that mine trucks do it more often because of the extreme heat and pressure associated with their duty pushes the outer limits of the grease's capabilities.
semlin
curmudgeon
- Thread starter
- #32
Shocker/Ryan how is that different for the mine trucks? the grease in mine trucks is also breaking down, but with those hollowed out birfields they are just pumping fresh grease in without removing the old grease. If it works for them why wouldn't it work for us?
I think if you regularly add new grease from inside the birf the old grease will blend with the new and won't break down as fast.
I think if you regularly add new grease from inside the birf the old grease will blend with the new and won't break down as fast.
ryanjl
SILVER Star
I guess I don't really know enough about the mining trucks to do anything more but guess.
I've never heard of grease 'breaking down' in a Land Cruiser. The big problem is the axle seal failing causing the diff fluid to leak into the knuckle. That is the only way I've ever heard of grease going bad, and that is the only way I've ever heard of the grease level getting low in the kuckle.
At that point, the only way to remedy the problem is to break it all down and replace the seal.
I've never heard of grease 'breaking down' in a Land Cruiser. The big problem is the axle seal failing causing the diff fluid to leak into the knuckle. That is the only way I've ever heard of grease going bad, and that is the only way I've ever heard of the grease level getting low in the kuckle.
At that point, the only way to remedy the problem is to break it all down and replace the seal.
