Birf job done...click click click (1 Viewer)

[zipastro]

As I expected I completed the job and still have the dreaded clicking. I noticed it around the first corner on the side that had the most wear. Inside all in all everything looked good.
No oil mixed in the grease
Plenty of good grease in the knuckle and birfs
No outside leaking
I wish I would have just kept driving it.

How many others still have the "clicks" after rebuild?

So Now I can either buy new at $600 each(not reasonable), look for a good after market or send them in for a rebuild.

Someone on board mentioned this company who does each side for $159. When I talked to him I think he said the rebuild had a lifetime warranty?

http://cvaxleexpress.com/products.html

 

[Tooth Fairy]

You just put all the work in, right?

Pick up some spares and drive it 'til it busts.

$.02

 

[treerootCO]

where is that post with the info on installing the cage backwards?

edit:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=24092&highlight=birfield+backwards

 

[Gauge]

This is what I don't understand.......If your Birf was packed with grease, why would it have worn, and why would it be clicking? The only way a birf should wear is if it doesn't have the proper lubrication.

I just did the Birf repack and I am beginning to think that my birfs were better protected in the soupy oil/grease mixture that was in there than the straight grease that I replaced it with.

Just my .02

 

[zipastro]

Only guess I have is that it was run dry or contaminated by the PO???? I have ownwd for the last 50K miles, wife says it has clicked every once and awhile for a year(20K miles?) I did notice quite a bit of slop in birf (push in pull out) once the grease was removed.

Any one else using rebuilt OEM? seems like the best option

I had Cristo's pic so I am sure I put it in correct

 

[landtank]

Birfs wear even when properly greased, just the nature of the beast. Clicking doesn't mean you have to replace the joint, just means you have to replace it to shut the damn thing up.

 

[Tooth Fairy]

Ditto what Rick said.

My OEM's clicked for about 50K before I replaced them with Newfields. (Gosh! Idiot!)

Now they only click with the CDL locked. Whatever.

 

[IdahoDoug]

I've watched posts like this come up, and I think something needs to be set straight regarding birfs. When you repack them with fresh grease, it is unlikely to change the clicking. It may even click more as mine did (though that's tapered off over the last 30,000 miles since). The clicking is the ball popping loose as it unloads, and fresh grease simply means it slips loose slightly easier.

But with fresh grease, you're limiting further wear as best you can, and also ensuring that the birfield can handle large loads better, such as offroad use or big tires.

There seems to be no particular pattern in the clicking I've had from time to time. Mine only happens under heavy acceleration from rest with the wheels turned, and only for about a wheel revolution. This happens about twice a month. I would not sweat it at all - just drive it. For road use, the birfs never see the kind of strain they were built to handle and the slight clicking is just a sign of wear rather than impending failure.

DougM

 

[Lars]

I just did the Birf repack and I am beginning to think that my birfs were better protected in the soupy oil/grease mixture that was in there than the straight grease that I replaced it with.

Just my .02

I agree.

I did mine over xmas break and found them riding in a nice oil bath... no solid grease could be seen when I tore them apart.

125k miles and there was no clicking or no significant wear.

 

[IdahoDoug]

They were definitely not better protected than the proper grease can. Yes, they were lubed, but the proper grease has properties specifically designed for slow moving high pressure metal contact that the oil does not.

Grease is simply lubricating oil with a thickener to keep the oil where it is needed. But grease can also have specific properties for pressure, etc. Gear oil likely has more of the correct properties for a birfield than motor oil, but the birfield lubrication was spec'd for grease.

DougM

 

[Digger276]

And remember the grease that is used in birfs has an ability to stick to metal, which means it has an ability to stick to meatla when any foreign substance is added. Which also means that when you first move the grease is lubricating instead of oil where it has to be "moved" to the area it needs to protect, like a oil pump my .02

 

[dclee]

Swap `em side to side and you'll get new wear points on the cage. No more clicking (at least for me). But since you've got it all back together, might as well wait until the next job in 60K or so miles. As others have said, clicking is nothing more than annoying, it won't come apart on the freeway...

 

[IdahoDoug]

I'm looking forward to swapping mine on the next repack. Wish they made those balls available a few thousandths over.....

DougM

 

[landtank]

Doug, it would seem wierd that you have a clicking birf. I've somewhat neglected mine and at a higher mileage have no issue with either of them. What happened?

 

[zipastro]

So no one is running reman oem birfs????????????????

 

[IdahoDoug]

Rick,

I've often wondered about the variability. My truck's been offroad a bit, towed a fair amount, and has the harsher shifting 440. But it's also never had big tires or been beat on offroad, and has had very good maintenance by me since new. Dunno. That's one of the data points that is the back of my mind that clicking is relatively harmless. You're sure yours has never been repacked/replaced? Some dealers used to flat replace the clicking birf if the original owner had an issue ($$$).

I do have a theory I'm working on that will be supported/denied when I open mine up again for a repack - coming soon.

DougM

 

[landtank]

DOug, when I said somewhat neglected I mean the first service was at 95k and the second at 150k. I'd bet the farm your's has had better maitenance.