Folks; seen a birfield looking like this before? right side axle seal been making a mess, just dismantled to replace. what's thoughts on returning to service?
Birfield Blueing (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter lambruiser
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Yes, completely normal. That is surface hardening done at the factory. It is NOT overheating or damage.
Show the interior where the balls and cage are to show if there are any chips, cracks, or shattered balls.
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thx, been a bit since i've serviced a knuckle - thot i'd waited a month too long before servicing!
Those are the heat marks from induction hardening of the steel. It is a localized hardening done by rapid electromagnetic heating of a spot followed by quenching and tempering. The steel outside of the spot remains softer and ductile.
100% normal
good to go.
Breathing life into an old thread. Mine too shows this blueing. The balls and the cage does not show any chips, scratches, or corrosion.
HOWEVER, it sort-of sticks every now and then when I rotate it and will hold (not drop) every now and then. I cleaned all the grease out of it and brakleen is coming out clean(ish). Should I just grease it and send it?
How much wiggle / movement in the birfield is normal?
HOWEVER, it sort-of sticks every now and then when I rotate it and will hold (not drop) every now and then. I cleaned all the grease out of it and brakleen is coming out clean(ish). Should I just grease it and send it?
How much wiggle / movement in the birfield is normal?
If it's tight enough to hold position, you're good as long as you see no chips or nicks on the balls, cages, or pockets.
Send it
As above, tight is good, it's likely sticking just because everything is dry, lubrication is needed. If concerned take the CV joint apart and inspect.
IME you're better off taking the axle shaft out of the CV joints (Birfs); that will allow you to fully clean and inspect the guts of the CV joint and completely repack the CV joints before stuffing the axle shafts back in.
But also with the CV joints separated you can then swap the birfs to the opposite side axle shafts. When you do that the CV joints will then be running in what used to be their reverse direction. IME that can help get more mileage out of a set of birfs particularly because the left side CV joint tends to wear a bit quicker than the right side.
Use the highest % Moly fortified grease you can find, 5% is ideal, 3% is minimum, IMHO. Valvoline Palladium comes in both 3% and 5% but the 5% is harder to find (try Summit Racing or NAPA stores in the US for either).
There are other greases of course (Mobil, Shell, Chevron, Pennrite in Oz, ---) depending on where you live.
IME you're better off taking the axle shaft out of the CV joints (Birfs); that will allow you to fully clean and inspect the guts of the CV joint and completely repack the CV joints before stuffing the axle shafts back in.
But also with the CV joints separated you can then swap the birfs to the opposite side axle shafts. When you do that the CV joints will then be running in what used to be their reverse direction. IME that can help get more mileage out of a set of birfs particularly because the left side CV joint tends to wear a bit quicker than the right side.
Use the highest % Moly fortified grease you can find, 5% is ideal, 3% is minimum, IMHO. Valvoline Palladium comes in both 3% and 5% but the 5% is harder to find (try Summit Racing or NAPA stores in the US for either).
There are other greases of course (Mobil, Shell, Chevron, Pennrite in Oz, ---) depending on where you live.
All I could find locally was MasterPro Moly from OReilly. Doesnt say what percentage Molybdenum. Anybody know?
Many of us use Valvoline Palladium.
I buy it by the case from Hamazon. I think that's 3%. 5% is what is asked for.
Here's a pic of the wear on one side of the cups. Like you said, swapping will help to get more mileage. @GerhardUngerer needs to dissassemble birfs to see and do this, IMHO, and also accurately evaluate situation.
Malleus
Far west of Siegen
All I could find locally was MasterPro Moly from OReilly. Doesnt say what percentage Molybdenum. Anybody know?
This is all the wisdom Toyota saw fit to share"
This is all the wisdom Toyota saw fit to share"
Malleus
Far west of Siegen
The first pic is for the knuckle bearings right? Not wheel bearings? Those use red bearing grease?
Personally I use Amsoil moly for everything on the truck. I stopped stocking different greases years ago.
Malleus
Far west of Siegen
Both greases are "chassis" grease, as specified in the FSM.
Moly grease is designed for low speed applications, such as the propeller shaft bearings (yes, the shaft turns quickly, but the individual needle rollers in the cups do not) and the trunnion bearings in the front wheel assemblies.
Lithium based greases are designed for higher heat produced by faster spinning bearings, such as the wheel spindle bearings front and rear.
You can use moly everywhere, it just breaks down quicker and looses its ability to protect the moving parts. You can use lithium everywhere, it tends to get solid if it doesn't get moved around.
You should not mix lithium and moly greases, unless you know that the additives (other than the lithium and moly) are compatible. EP grease is OK to use, it's just more expensive and doesn't help in these applications. Full synthetic anything is also more expensive.
That's about all I now about grease. For bearings.
I wonder if the synthetic is less likely to drop the oil out of the grease?
Ib threw out a partly used tube of moly grease that had been sitting for a long time.
All the oil had run out of it, and it was very dry and solid
Ib threw out a partly used tube of moly grease that had been sitting for a long time.
All the oil had run out of it, and it was very dry and solid
