Birfield/Axle Removal (1 Viewer)

[cruiserhound]

So I easily removed the driver side axle from the birfield using the pipe trick method. But I am having no luck on the short/passenger side axle. I beat on it for some time, almost sprained my thumb in the process. Does anyone one have any ideas to remove the passenger side axle? I'm replacing the axle but saving the birfield. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[danthman114]

couldn't say. mine came apart pretty easily. more inertia?

 

[mdawg]

I just did this yesterday... the weight of passenger-side axle is significantly less than the driver-side axle, so you have to rely more on the push/force downward than before. It should pop out in 5 strong drops or less, IMO.

 

[Gabriel 71]

Easy take a weight. I used my son's 20lb from his weight set the hole is me than large enough to fit over the axle I had him hold the axle shaft and I dropped the weight forcefully down inertia and 20lb flat plate weight some towels or what have you to catch the birf.birfs didn't know what em they were of so fast. Ymmv

 

[Warpigg]

I use a vice to hold the shaft at an angle so the birf is pointed twoard the floor and smack the star inside the birf with a brass drift and a 4-5lb dead blow hammer. Has worked for me Everytime and usually only takes one hit with the dead blow. Last time I did it, it didn't even hit the floor.

 

[mudgudgeon]

I use a vice to hold the shaft at an angle so the birf is pointed twoard the floor and smack the star inside the birf with a brass drift and a 4-5lb dead blow hammer. Has worked for me Everytime and usually only takes one hit with the dead blow. Last time I did it, it didn't even hit the floor.

I've done similar with a really stubborn clip, but flogged the s*** out of it with a 4lb lump hammer and drift and had the cage inside the birf explode into shards (scary!!), and also gouged the axle quite a bit from it slipping in the vice.

 

[Golgo13]

I found it helpful to poke a hole in a large ziploc bag and putt it up over the cv joint like a diaper. The first time I whacked one of these to get it apart, it crapped moly grease all over the ground. The bag kept it contained.

 

[Warpigg]

I've done similar with a really stubborn clip, but flogged the s*** out of it with a 4lb lump hammer and drift and had the cage inside the birf explode into shards (scary!!), and also gouged the axle quite a bit from it slipping in the vice.

I'm supprised you broke the cage and gouged the axle. I usually try to have the inner axle shaft as vertical as possible so the inside of the birf has less stress from the blow of the hammer. I'd say I keep it at like 20-30 degrees from vertical, just enough to get the drift in there.

 

[mudgudgeon]

I'm supprised you broke the cage and gouged the axle. I usually try to have the inner axle shaft as vertical as possible so the inside of the birf has less stress from the blow of the hammer. I'd say I keep it at like 20-30 degrees from vertical, just enough to get the drift in there.

I usually do more or less as you describe, or use the pipe method. Just had one that was ridiculously stubborn. Not sure if I made a bad blow to cause the cage to shatter, but it went off with a bang, shards of hardened steel everywhere.

If you're striking birfs to separate them, safety glasses are probably a good idea

 

[cruiserhound]

Should I keep beating on it? Bent my brass drift!

 

[Warpigg]

Should I keep beating on it? Bent my brass drift!View attachment 1695926

That's an awfully not brass looking brass drift? If it's not coming out from hitting it in one spot turn the axle and hit it on the other side or all around.

 

[cruiserhound]

That's an awfully not brass looking brass drift? If it's not coming out from hitting it in one spot turn the axle and hit it on the other side or all around.

More of a lighting/camera issue.

 

[cruiserhound]

Apparently it's not uncommon they get stuck.

 

[Ed Camenzind]

I’m dealing with the same problem myself. I’m scared I’ll break the birf. Good luck, wish I had some good advise for you.

 

[cruiserhound]

First off, thank you all for your $0.02. I ended up bringing mine to a local "Toyota specialist" and he took the largest ball peen hammer he had and preceded to beat the living snot out of it. After the first whack I could just tell nothing good was going to come from it. I think the fourth blow was when the cage shattered and pieces fell to the floor like shards of glass. He swears, looks at me, and then tells me to come back at 5 p.m. and he'll have it apart like it was all normal! I turned around, laughing to myself (knowing I was going to have to source another one anyway) and walked to my car wondering what he would say at 5pm. @Ed Camenzind, if your birf is fine and your axle shaft is fine then don't attempt to force it. You will break it. My axle shaft was chewed up and you could see where the c-clip was jammed between the axle spline and the "star". When I took the other axle out the spline end, that spline was also chewed up and the c-clip was broken. What I surmise happened is the PO of my rig had work done on the axles (considering it had 240k miles) and they didn't use the OEM clips causing my issues now.

 

[Ed Camenzind]

I got it apart last night. The splines on the shaft were a little chewed up. The birf seems to be fine. I ended up just suspending it vertically in the vise and beat the star. At this point I was either gonna break the star or the clip. Glad the clip broke. Thanks for the insight.

 

[cruiserhound]

I got it apart last night. The splines on the shaft were a little chewed up. The birf seems to be fine. I ended up just suspending it vertically in the vise and beat the star. At this point I was either gonna break the star or the clip. Glad the clip broke. Thanks for the insight.

Good work! I ordered two new axles and one new birfield. Completely going through my front axle, new calipers, rotors, pads, brake lines, tie-rod ends. It's been a pain since I've had to order parts as I go. Not to mention Toyota Parts Deal took two weeks to send me a loose box with two heavy axles in it which punched a hole in the box losing some necessary parts. I'll probably have to wait another week to get those parts back. Bastahds!