axle won't slide in

[Cpt. Kirk]

Hello first off I'd like to thank the administrators for setting up this great site it has allowed my to almost completely redo my birfs. Now here is my problem I've finished the right side and everything went great and now I'm trying to push the axle shaft back in the left side and it won't go in I manage to get the Birf housing about a 1/2'" past the nuckle housing entrance and it won't go any further, in addition the birf housing doesn't seem centered in the nuckle housing even when I move it aroung as much as I can , it seems the shaft won't go into the unsplined guide for the splined portion of the diff. any ideas are greatly appreciated.
thanks

 

[4x4CPOSEADOG]

Hey Captain Kirk,

First of all, please put in year of vehicle, mileage, and if you have lockers or not.

Did you try to push it with the flat spot on the birf in vertical position? Try to rotate the shaft once it past the knuckle housing to align the spline inside the differential's spider gear.

Do you have a locking differential?

 

[Cpt. Kirk]

Thanks for the reply, I have a 93 cruiser with full floaters up front and the flat spots are in the vertical position and I've turned it every possible way and wiggled it for about an hour with still no luck. The vehicle has 70 00miles and it has auto hubs.
thanks

 

[Scamper]

There's a steel ring/guide just past the inner seal on the axle. Some folks have inadvertently broken this loose while attempting to replace the axle--so be gentle when guiding the axle back in.

It sounds like you're having difficulty in getting the axle back thru that ring. You have to press down on the birf end while sliding the axle in (in order to lift the splined end up a little). It's less of a problem with the short side as a result of the shorter axle. Don't get over-agressive with it since that ring is only spot-welded in. If you knock it out, you'll have lots of fun retrieving it and getting it back into place.

 

[elmariachi]

There's a steel ring/guide just past the inner seal on the axle. Some folks have inadvertently broken this loose while attempting to replace the axle--so be gentle when guiding the axle back in.

And if you work at this too hard, you'll grenade that brand new axle seal, making the whole project a bust. I always run that axle all the way in with my primary focus to stay off of the seal. Then as I am ready to stab the shaft into the diff, I push down on the outer shaft and joint a bit (thus bringing the shaft at the diff UP as previously posted) and it should go in.

Jim

 

[landtank]

Do you have lockers and did you lock them before pulling the axle?

 

[e9999]

doesn't he describe the thing as going far enough in that it shouldn't be the ring if in the normal position?

 

[elmariachi]

doesn't he describe the thing as going far enough in that it shouldn't be the ring if in the normal position?

Yes, you are right. I think he is just not getting the end of the inner axle shaft up and in the right spot. And I have never needed to lock mine to get them to go back in.

Jim

 

[Heffenoche]

And if you work at this too hard, you'll grenade that brand new axle seal, making the whole project a bust. I always run that axle all the way in with my primary focus to stay off of the seal. Then as I am ready to stab the shaft into the diff, I push down on the outer shaft and joint a bit (thus bringing the shaft at the diff UP as previously posted) and it should go in.

Jim

This is how I finally got mine in even after it got past the ring. The front is not like the rear and don't believe it matters if you lock the diff or not (if the capt has lockers). I locked mine to start but had to unlock it later to rotate the axle
for a reason I don't remember right now.

Getting the long axle can be difficult just play around with it as other have described and be careful not to mess up the axle seal.

 

[Cpt. Kirk]

thanks for the info guys I'll give it another try this morning now that my head is a little clearer.

 

[semlin]

I am one of those guys who found the ring gear loose. I don't think I knocked it loose.

Shine a flashlight into the axle housing. Make sure the guide ring is where it should be and not knocked down or out of alignment. You will never get the axle to thread unless the guide ring is where it should be and you will ruin the seal trying. Take a gander at this thread if it is your guide ring.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=7689&highlight=axle+ring

 

[fzj80kidpen]

Well said Scamper,
That is exactly the way I had to do my passenger side (long side)
It was much more difficult than the drivers side but not that bad.
Push down, push in, little twist and there it is.
I have a 96 and did not have my locker engaged

 

[Cpt. Kirk]

I feel stupid, all it took was turning the steering wheel a couple of degrees and it slid right in. My next question is I repacked the birfs but didn't replace them and the slight noise around corners has gotten louder and more frequent is this common until the new grease has a chance to work itself further into the birf, I didn't take them apart to repack them.
thanks everyone for the timely repsonse I'm definately hooked.

 

[Scamper]

If I understand what you're saying...you pulled the birfs, cleaned all the old grease out of them, repacked them, then replaced them. But you didn't swap the birfs from DS to PS.

You also didn't say why you were doing the axle service in the first place--one might assume it was PM, but from your last post, it sounds like it was becuase of the clicking/popping noise you were hearing.

A full axle service will sometimes eliminate the popping/clicking, but not always. It depends on how far gone the birfs are (how much wear has been incurred). If you still have the clicking, then your birfs are probably shot. You can try to swap them left to right and visa versa, but that may not work, but it's worth a shot. Otherwise, it's time to feed the dogs... ;p

 

[IdahoDoug]

This might be the topic of a completely new thread, but I think there's every possibility that a birf will click louder once it's repacked. Conversely, repacking the birfs will not likely stop clicking - all you're doing is packing new grease in there, not tightening tolerances after all.

My birfs clicked louder after I packed them. Then they quieted down. Now they click every blue moon or so with no apparent variables coming to bear on it.

So. You've opened them and not found metal bits and damage. Then you packed them in nice fresh grease. Don't sweat the clicking - they're better off than they were and you can swap sides on the next repack.

DougM

 

[semlin]

i will ditto doug's comment. long story short, repacking made my one rebuilt clicking birf worse and it eventually drove me crazy enough to replace it. now it's a trail spare.

 

[Cpt. Kirk]

Thanks again guys I'll think I'll replace them in the next few months, I'm a bit fanatical when it comes to noises and squeeks on my vehicles, if I know there's something wrong I just have to fix it.

 

[zipastro]

I am "clicken" right there with you after my axle service 2 weeks ago. The real finatic is Mr. Toyota who wants $1300+ for a new set of oem birfs. I think they would cost less if made out of 10K gold?
The cheap ones are back on EBAY for $175 buy it now, any takers?????