CV joint food or bad?! (1 Viewer)

[dazerb]

I got the axles apart.
Im no expert, but methinks this groove in both race and housing is the death knell for the CV or Birfield joint.
Any thoughts on replacing? 83 Fj60 parts going on a 74 fj40.
No hard wheeling but it will be off-road plenty.

Is this normal wear?
Thought these were catching on grit as they came out of the u pull, but may be notching in those grooves...

 

[John in Utah]

Was it clicking before you pulled it apart?

I would run it

 

[dazerb]

I don't know how bad these felt on the 83 fj60... could be part of the reason it was there. I can see that they put nice koyo bearings in "recently", but the knuckle and bird looked like original grease. Black hard shiny with thin black goo in the birf.

 

[dazerb]

I wonder if the outer axle i need is same in all these years? It seems that they changed the inner axle length and housing, but not outer...

 

[peesalot]

Run them, that is just more wear in the straight , most run time position, never heard a birf click, seen them break, then click,.

 

[fjc-man]

You could swap the whole CV, side to side and the balls will run on the unworn side of the joint.

 

[77mustard40]

You could swap the whole CV, side to side and the balls will run on the unworn side of the joint.

Did that on my 80, it clicked pretty bad in turns so I swapped the birfs left to right and vis versa and viola. Its a bigger deal with the 80's since they are fulltime four wheel drive. I wouldn't worry so much on a 40.

 

[dazerb]

Thank you. I like the swap idea.
My understanding is that i can NOT run my old 74 40 outer axles since i am installing 83 60 knuckles.
I wonder, is that due to diameter?

 

[pb4ugo]

Thank you. I like the swap idea.
My understanding is that i can NOT run my old 74 40 outer axles since i am installing 83 60 knuckles.
I wonder, is that due to diameter?

Your 74 should have had drum brakes. The drum brakes birfields are course spline and disc brake birfs are fine spline.

 

[dazerb]

Thank you!
I haven't got the 40 torn down yet... and i had no idea.

If i wanted to upgrade to 30 spline, i would then have to replace my inner axle correct? And the Birfields race would have to match...???
I would need a40 30 spline inner axle to match any new birfield...

A few guys say run the worn birfs... i just don't want to hate it and have to come back

 

[peesalot]

OK, hold up, the difference in the birf's ? The old 74 birf has the same spline count on the star inside birf, it's the hub end that changes. The 30 spline is the inner diff end and depending on year the hub side of birf, obviously they use 30 spline hubs. The inner stars are all 27 spline unless you get aftermarket birfs. So if you want true 30 spline call Marlin and ask about the improved inner stars. This also requires 30/30 inners. The older Bells on the axle end will accept the newer birfs with a little grinding.
The length of birfield also changes. There is a nice comparison chart on a site called RoundForge.

 

[dazerb]

Okay! I think i have s handle on it now.
I am replacing my birfs with Japanese factory replacement. It will have the fine spline for discs.
No fancy upgrade at this time.
Cruiseroutfitters

The races and housing are deeply grooved and this scoring is fairly epic