Birfield help!

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EricG

EricG

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Jul 12, 2006
Threads
171
Messages
2,584
Location
Colorado Springs, CO
I would put that qeustion in the minitruck section. Honestly, there are a lot less know it all oil filter changers in the minitruck forum. Lots of knowledge in there. I've personally never taken my birfs apart, i just stick them in the parts washer and regrease them.

If you have a bad cage, i have a birfield with a broken bell, but good cage and balls. You're more than welcome to it if you need it. Good luck
 
Thanks - I have the coarse spline birfs from the 74 axle that I might try to take the innards out of as well. Just have no idea why this one is being a PITA.
 
When I did the knuckles on my 80 I took them apart and put them back together with no problem. Well, they're a little like a jigsaw puzzle - but no problem like this where you can't move em.
 
I got them back together yesterday - just much tighter then I expected. Had to use a hammer & drift to get things moved around to put the balls back in. I guess an 80 series with full time 4WD and 150K on the clock puts alot more wear on them then a part time 4WD truck - these had no discernible wear.

Then I pissed myself off for the better part of the afternoon trying to get the axle shaft back into the birf. Finally took the new clip out again to have another look and found a chip from the old clip wedged in there enough to keep the new clip from seating all the way. Got that out, put the new clip on, zip-tied it and it popped right in!

But now I had to take the knuckle off the short side again because apparently I didn't grind the housing out enough to clear the larger minitruck birfields. They fit in without the axle shaft on, but apparently I was angleing it somehow when it fit in. When the axle seal is in and the axle shaft is on you can't get that same angle and it won't fit:bang:
 
Ok, any tips for getting the damn axle shafts back in? It seems like the end is right there, but the splines aren't lined up. I think there is sort of an unsplined bit prior to the splines, and it's in there. But being an open diff, turning the pinion just turns the opposite side and turning the axle shaft just turns the part it's trying to slide in to as well.

Damn good I don't do this for a living, or I'd starve :censor:

edit - got it, just lots of fiddling
 
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Now I broke off one of the spindle bolts ... with a torque wrench.
**** me.
broken_bolt.webp
 
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black95 said:
Damn man, i hope it starts getting easier =)
Click to expand...

Well, the broken bolt came out easy at least - cut a slot in it with the dremel and it turned right out with a screw driver. The manual says 38 ft-lbs, but I turned my wrench down to 30 and it still felt like to much ... felt like it was yielding before I ever got a click??

So I torqued to "that feels about right". Maybe my wrench is screwed up.
 
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