Disintegrated My Birf!!! (1 Viewer)

[VCCruzr]

Went wheeling yesterday and about 90% of the way down a double black diamond trail, I arrived at an obstable that I could not get through without totally destroying my body. I had already committed to the steep drop that led to this obstacle and had to lock front and rear and reverse my way out. This took about a half an hour and during this I heard the birf let go. But my problems had just begun. I had to turn around and climb back up out of this trail with a broken birf and no power to my front PS wheel.. I was able to make it having to winch on one of the tougher spots but I know this just added damage. Here are some pictures. besides the birf being totally disintegrated, the knuckle is pretty gouged and burred up. Also, at the inside of the knuckle at the opening to the axle housing, the metal has been marred enough that it actually is covering about 40% of the oil seal.

My main worry is whether or not I can delicately die grind all the burrs and salvage this axle housing.

 

[VCCruzr]

What's inside the axle housing?

If you look in the last picture of my first post you can what looks like the axle seal without the rubber seal, just the metal ring. But the axle seal is still in place. Is it from the gear side?
here are a couple of more ****py cell phone pics.

 

[js93cruiser]

Yea, you should be fine, any pics of the trail??

 

[VTrocker]

Grenade!!!!! That's not what's left of the seal on the inside of the axle? Good luck on the RnR. Upgrade to chroms' or longs?

 

[nuclearlemon]

that's probably the axle shaft locating ring. you'll have to pull the diff and knock it out.

 

[Josie'sLandCruiser]

Hi All:

The inside of the axle knuckle doesn't look too bad to me - or let me say "I've seen worse!"

Good luck!

Alan

 

[Ebag333]

I'd be pulling apart the front diff to make sure you didn't damage that as well, or have metal floating around that would eventually destroy it.

 

[VCCruzr]

I'd be pulling apart the front diff to make sure you didn't damage that as well, or have metal floating around that would eventually destroy it.

I definitely plan on doing that because all the little pieces I collected do not add up to an entire birfield. Also, recently installed 5.29s and don't wanna ruin my new gears.

 

[sdnative]

I'm guessing Bronco Peak connector?

Hope your truck is ok.

 

[VCCruzr]

I'm guessing Bronco Peak connector?

Hope your truck is ok.

Yup, you guessed it.

 

[Sanchez]

I had this happen to me a while back and couldn't get the ring back in place. you have to remove the diff and knock it back into place from the inside with some homebrew tool. What i did was I knocked the ring back into place from the outside with a homebrew tool or you can try and use a puller of some sort. This worked enough for me to put in the shaft back in to place. I did this back in July and so far so good no oil leaks either.

 

[VCCruzr]

Yea, you should be fine, any pics of the trail??

Finally found a picture of the trail as I was entering. Really, pictures never do justice. It's steeper than it looks.

 

[bpenn1980]

It looks like a cliff, not sure how much steeper it can get! Hopefully you find the 3rd in good shape and can slap it all back together before too long.

B

 

[93yotasr5]

Wow man. At least you were using it the way it was sposed to be used!!! Clean er' up and put it back together

 

[skintunes]

with that type of approach everything was on your right front- I would 've bet a 1000bucks that birf would go there backing up- seen em do it in far less extreme sits-

certain body dammage on that pass with any vehicle save a tubed buggy

 

[IBCRUSN]

cages disintegrating are pretty common and the weakest part of the birfs. Remove the seal and file the hole round and remove the sharp edges on the ball and put it back together. Make a couple tools shaped like an "L" and use them to pull the axle install support back into position (outboard). There's no reason to remove the diff the cage acted as the fuse.

 

[VCCruzr]

Make a couple tools shaped like an "L" and use them to pull the axle install support back into position (outboard).

Thanks for the idea! I am going to try that.

 

[VCCruzr]

with that type of approach everything was on your right front- I would 've bet a 1000bucks that birf would go there backing up- seen em do it in far less extreme sits-

certain body dammage on that pass with any vehicle save a tubed buggy

I did kiss the rock on the PS a couple of times during my futile attempts to descend that section. I tried to stay left(DS) going down and then turning hard right to approach the squeeze at an angle but you just can't turn a bus around in an alley no matter how hard you try .

 

[VCCruzr]

Finally worked a little on this tonight. Ground down the burrs and ground the metal that had the inner oil seal trapped and removed the seal. I was able to get the axel locator ring pulled back in place but it won't stay seated. I can tap it out of place with my finger.

Any ideas on how to keep it in there?

 

[80BajaBound]

Finally found a picture of the trail as I was entering. Really, pictures never do justice. It's steeper than it looks.

Jesus man, I'm glad I went to Calico.
If you need an extra set of hands... Don't hesitate to ask.