Can't
Me gas pedal's wrong :whoops:
Me gas pedal's wrong :whoops:
Canadians gone bad-on birflieds
- Thread starter tltaylor22
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
B
Smurfields - welded steel ring around the "cup" of the birfield. Heat treated & CO2 treatment of Birfield, balls, star / collar.
Longfields - same as above but by a different individual. Bobby Long is now selling super birfields with same / similar treatment & no need for welded ring at the cup to strengthen the outer edge.
For most applications, these aftermarket birfields are awesome - very, very, very, very resistant to breakage and moving the breaking point to the inner axle spline neck.
The question is will the treated birfields [softer then stock in ductility yet more tensil strength] last in a full time cruiser? Due to the softer wear surfaces the jury is still out. I doubt that the AWD concerns will ever effect the superior strength / performance characteristics.
I think Christo was having Bobby Long make a pair up for him for the Short Bus to test.
Good product / additional piece of mind while wheeling.
I friend is using them in his AWD UZJ55 & so far no problems [less then a 1K miles] onroad / offroad.
Joe
I have 3 smurfs sitting on the shop shelf filled with synthetic greased just waiting in reserve.
Smurfields - welded steel ring around the "cup" of the birfield. Heat treated & CO2 treatment of Birfield, balls, star / collar.
Longfields - same as above but by a different individual. Bobby Long is now selling super birfields with same / similar treatment & no need for welded ring at the cup to strengthen the outer edge.
For most applications, these aftermarket birfields are awesome - very, very, very, very resistant to breakage and moving the breaking point to the inner axle spline neck.
The question is will the treated birfields [softer then stock in ductility yet more tensil strength] last in a full time cruiser? Due to the softer wear surfaces the jury is still out. I doubt that the AWD concerns will ever effect the superior strength / performance characteristics.
I think Christo was having Bobby Long make a pair up for him for the Short Bus to test.
Good product / additional piece of mind while wheeling.
I friend is using them in his AWD UZJ55 & so far no problems [less then a 1K miles] onroad / offroad.
Joe
I have 3 smurfs sitting on the shop shelf filled with synthetic greased just waiting in reserve.
semlin
curmudgeon
B-Wulf
Based on what Trent says, if I were you I'd call up Mevotech tech support, and offer them a loan of one of your spare birfs in return for a free sample of the new birfield and then you can smurfield that one. What do you have to lose?
The maker of Smurfields is on this board and has a thread posted in the manufacturer's board linking to his website. He is based in Nanaimo, BC, just across the pond from me. He is newer and cheaper than Bobby Long's Longfield operation in Washington state. Apparently both give a similar heat treatment/steel ring and deal mostly in mini truck birfs which they build using your exchange birf or aftermarket brifs (I think from Taiwan). Both have a very high reliability record with mini trucks. Last I heard Smurfields still had not had a breakage on a mini truck. I don't know if it's hype or suitable for 80's but the treatment is inexpensive and I would try it on a cheap aftermarket 80s birf if I could find one. The OEMs last over 200k so I believe the hardened aftermarket birf would still last at least 60k of road use so you would catch it at the next repack inspection if it was wearing unduly from constant use. I would not buy a new OEM to smurf, nor take my cruiser off the road for a week to get my existing birfs done.
Based on what Trent says, if I were you I'd call up Mevotech tech support, and offer them a loan of one of your spare birfs in return for a free sample of the new birfield and then you can smurfield that one. What do you have to lose?
The maker of Smurfields is on this board and has a thread posted in the manufacturer's board linking to his website. He is based in Nanaimo, BC, just across the pond from me. He is newer and cheaper than Bobby Long's Longfield operation in Washington state. Apparently both give a similar heat treatment/steel ring and deal mostly in mini truck birfs which they build using your exchange birf or aftermarket brifs (I think from Taiwan). Both have a very high reliability record with mini trucks. Last I heard Smurfields still had not had a breakage on a mini truck. I don't know if it's hype or suitable for 80's but the treatment is inexpensive and I would try it on a cheap aftermarket 80s birf if I could find one. The OEMs last over 200k so I believe the hardened aftermarket birf would still last at least 60k of road use so you would catch it at the next repack inspection if it was wearing unduly from constant use. I would not buy a new OEM to smurf, nor take my cruiser off the road for a week to get my existing birfs done.
Simon - Way to go sticking up for free markets, captialism and most of all Canada.
semlin
curmudgeon
I am also in favour of moms, apple pie, and all chevrolets built before 1965 (and select models thereafter).
- Thread starter
- #26
MevoTech's # is 877-638-6832 and I talked to technical support at 866-883-7075. I talked to Armond. This fellow Tried to cross reference the "CV" # with any other vehicle. I had mentioned the fact that Canada didn't get the 80 and that maybe these were for another vehicle. No such luck, his system said they were for the 80 and the lx450. They also came with or without the abs ring. When he tried to pull up the schematics for the units they came up blank and he commented that that had never happened before. He then wondered why his company whose largest market is the USA wasn't making both sides and the correct spec birfs for our 80's. Agian these units would work fine if you only needed the drivers side. I have never broken a birfield in the 10 years I've wheeled my 40 with 35" muds, sm20... but i have helped changed too many on the trial on other rigs. I carry a fine spline unit as a spare . I can't see using two different birfs in the 80 as spares. plus the fact that if the inner axle broke I would have a very hard time getting a replacement since the stock units wont fit
[quote author=Warthog link=board=2;threadid=7479;start=msg63219#msg63219 date=1068848118]
B
.
I friend is using them in his AWD UZJ55 & so far no problems [less then a 1K miles] onroad / offroad.
[/quote]
OK, I got to hear more about this AWD UZJ55.......damn thats sounds cool!
John H
B
.
I friend is using them in his AWD UZJ55 & so far no problems [less then a 1K miles] onroad / offroad.
[/quote]
OK, I got to hear more about this AWD UZJ55.......damn thats sounds cool!
John H
Pimp
It is an awesome sounding / running truck. A 2001 LX470 drivetrain into a 1974 FJ55. He installed the V8, tranny & transfer case with all factory components, except the computer. He used an appropriate "Tundra" computer, since the truck computer only completes the basic functions vs the more complex cruiser unit.
The 55 has a full floating, disc brake FJ7x series rear axle, front & rear axles have Toyota electric lockers with OEM long splined axle shafts. Installed the lockers to factory wiring specifications with 80's diff lock switch & CDL.
Also, the front bucket seats are leather GX470 powered units......its sprung over on 35 MT/RS.
Next step besides painting / small rust repairs is an adapter to convert the A343F tranny to adapt a standard cruiser split case for better gear ratios.
Joe
It is an awesome sounding / running truck. A 2001 LX470 drivetrain into a 1974 FJ55. He installed the V8, tranny & transfer case with all factory components, except the computer. He used an appropriate "Tundra" computer, since the truck computer only completes the basic functions vs the more complex cruiser unit.
The 55 has a full floating, disc brake FJ7x series rear axle, front & rear axles have Toyota electric lockers with OEM long splined axle shafts. Installed the lockers to factory wiring specifications with 80's diff lock switch & CDL.
Also, the front bucket seats are leather GX470 powered units......its sprung over on 35 MT/RS.
Next step besides painting / small rust repairs is an adapter to convert the A343F tranny to adapt a standard cruiser split case for better gear ratios.
Joe
