Clickety Click.... (yes the bad one) (12 Viewers)

[CruisinGA]

Got some new BFG K/M's on my truck, was doin a little wheelin right afterwards at my buddies rock quarry, and was excercising the lockers. (didn't really need them 90% of the time) but wanted to loosen em up a little (first time the rear one has worked).
Anyway, I noticed after an hour of wheeling, that when turning a hard corner with the front locked (on very soft sandish gravel) i could hear a "click....click......click" coming from what seemed the DS front.
I thought oh s*** and turned off the front locker, the clicking went away, and has yet to return. (no clicking when driving straight line and front locked).

the click is similar in volume and tone to that of the relay when you flip the locker dial.

I know the birfs tend to click when they are weakened or about to break, is this always the case?

Basically, should I be concerned for daily driving? I have a front axle rebuild kit on my workbench, but I will not have time to tear into it for awhile. (was going to wait until spring-winter is time to work on the 40).

Could anyone thats had a birf click and then break describe the associated clicking?

Thanks, sorry for the longwindedness, but this has got me somewhat concerned.

 

[cruiserdan]

It's time for a knuckle job my friend. You are likely still OK but it is trying to tell you something. You best listen.

 

[Tooth Fairy]

If it didn't click at all before... worry about it.

If it didn't then be easy on it and get in there as soon as you can to check things out.

My fricken newfields click whenever the CDL is locked and I hope one of those breaks so I can replace it.

 

[CruisinGA]

I've only had the truck since July, and have only wheeled it 3 times. (Right now its primarily a DD).

I seem to recall it clicking when i first lightly wheeled it in July, when F was locked, but then i just contributed it to being locked.

Now I'm a little more concerned.

So no amount of clicking is to be expected whatsoever?

I may try to DD the 40 for awhile and tear into this soon and if need be drive the 40 while waiting on some new birfs.

This is one case where part time 4wd is nice. Unlock the hubs and forget about it until you have time.

 

[Tooth Fairy]

When you get to it if you replace them, please, avoid the newfields ( I know, dead horse).

If I had to do it over again I'd get some stockers from Dan and keep the old buggers as spares. See, I sent mine in for the core charge too.

Maybe to OEMs you have in there aren't too bad and you could send them off to Bobby Long.

Then again with some fresh moly grease they'll probably be fine... for the road.

 

[CruisinGA]

I know nothing about Newfields for 80's, just with regards to 40's/60's, that there is no reason to use them instead of a Long.

I will probably just replace the one that has issues, this truck will not be wheeled hard for a few years, the 40 is to thrash.

Don't long's wear faster in a Full Time truck due to the softening? if not I would consider having them long'ed for the future.

 

[cruiserdan]

If you don't jack around now and get after it, the one you have will probably be OK.

 

[CruisinGA]

I'm gonna get on it soon, I would rather not buy another birf.

Thanks for the quick replys.

 

[semlin]

bailey, for future reference I would not be locking up the front when turning unless I really had to...

to see how bad it is, try sharp turns up hill with plenty of gas in 4 hi and 4 lo.

 

[CruisinGA]

oh i know not to lock the front unless necessary when "really" wheeling.

This was just to loosen them up a little, (I didn't drive more than 300 ft with front locked). They've been rarely used and are slow to engage.

I'll try that.

 

[reffug]

These sort's of threads scare the living bejesus'us out of me. So why not just have another cause there ain't no way your gonna be able to "forget about it". Your just gonna have to deal with it and quick, at least if you wanna sleep.

 

[GXO]

If you can catch me when I am in town I can help Bailey.

 

[sleeoffroad]

Man, you guys are all gun shy. They do not break that easily. If you inspect where the clicking comes from, it is small grooves in the star and tulips of the birfield. Yes, if you take a clicker and put it in a truck with 36's and wheel the snot out of it, it is going to break eventually.

In a stock truck or even with 33's with normal use, it is fine. Also in terms of lockers and turning. Yes not a good thing, but these things can take more abuse than what you thing. Yes I have broken quite a few, but then it was with 40's tires, mostly with the truck bound up and stuck pretty good and then powering up a rock. Sometimes with only 1 wheel turning.

There is another reason why Cdan suggests a axle service when they click. Mostly for the associated parts. Spindle and/or spindle bushing wear, inner axle wear that might be down to the spring and then chew up the sealing surface on the inner axles, loose wheel bearings, grease inside the diff and trashing bearings in the thirdmember. Any combination of these can easily run more $'s than a birfield.

So clicking is good, but it is also not death sentence. 90% of the people on the board will not break them.

As for Longs, not recommended for daily driving. I have them in the ShortBus and they started as brand new Toyota oems. 1 Season of wheeling (probably 300 miles if that) and they are clicking already, however they have not broken inspite of breaking a front inner axle and breaking the rear axle and twisting the splines on the other rear axle shaft.

 

[treerootCO]

I was getting a fairly loud clicking noise from the front end the other day. Nothing more than a rock stuck in the lugs

 

[e9999]

Man, you guys are all gun shy. They do not break that easily.
snip

whoah! would this be a voice of reason in an ocean of paranoia that I just heard...?

You gotta admit that the Birf compulsion is becoming a main feature of this forum.
Which worries me, cuz I'll fall for it and spend 2 weeks doing mine...

E

 

[sleeoffroad]

I am not saying that service is not needed. All I am saying is clicking birfields are not the worst thing to have on a 80.

 

[semlin]

Christo I agree with you about the clicking not being fatal but do you not agree that it's a bad idea to lock up the front if you are going to be turning? My own belief is that the clicking of my rebuilt birf after 6 months was partly attributable to driving fully locked in stuff where I was turning & didn't really need to. Now I never lock the front until I am stuck or unless I know I won't be steering much.

 

[sleeoffroad]

Christo I agree with you about the clicking not being fatal but do you not agree that it's a bad idea to lock up the front if you are going to be turning? My own belief is that the clicking of my rebuilt birf after 6 months was partly attributable to driving fully locked in stuff where I was turning & didn't really need to. Now I never lock the front until I am stuck or unless I know I won't be steering much.

Off-course you should not use the front locker if you don't need it. However I also have people tell me that they have never broken a front since the unlock the front when turned. Well, mostly if we need the front, we need it turned or not.

I was just pointing out that most people in moderate wheeling the birfield is not just going to shatter when you have the front locker and turned. Hell 3 years ago a broken 80 series birfield was a urban legend.

This is also coming from a guy that broke the front ring and pinion when backing up, turned with lockers and and the winch pulling trying to get a minivan out of a snowed in ditch

 

[Klunky Chris]

boy this is scary.... but I respectfully dissagree with part of what Christo is saying...

<---- if you look to the left here you can see my busted birf. 33" tires... unlocked....4hi... center unlocked.... in the gravel.....
I was backing up in a driveway!

Honestly I think it was because I spent the prior evening thrashing about in the Hog Lot. Underwater most of the time. From the rustyness of the birf, I feel there was no grease in there, and the seals were way bad. BUT!!!! it never clicked on me unless I had the front locked and turned hard!!!!

That said... I bought a new OEM birf, and repacked the other old one. Both were clicking before, and I've wheeled much harder since the repack and no clicking or problems so far.

I would not even lock the center (4Lo) until you get it rebuilt. You'll probably be fine afterward. Like I said... mine is

 

[semlin]

Christo and Chris,

thanks, what I take from this is that if you are confident of the grease in your birfs then don't be too shy about using the front lockers. If you are in the mystery zone where you have not serviced them youself, it may be a bad idea.