Front axle and brake concern (1 Viewer)

[80seriesnut]

One other thing. My head is spinning from all the different things I have read about setting the preload for the wheel bearings. I thought it was pretty straight forward on the FSM, but when I started searching on here I got so many different answers. Any ideas?

 

[Proven]

One other thing. My head is spinning from all the different things I have read about setting the preload for the wheel bearings. I thought it was pretty straight forward on the FSM, but when I started searching on here I got so many different answers. Any ideas?

I am curious about this too. I read the FAQ about using a fish scale.

 

[hawaiicruz]

One other thing. My head is spinning from all the different things I have read about setting the preload for the wheel bearings. I thought it was pretty straight forward on the FSM, but when I started searching on here I got so many different answers. Any ideas?

I use land tanks method, but set the preload to15 ft lbs on the torque wrench. Are you sure the spindle is ok? No sense putting new bearings on a worn spindle

 

[80seriesnut]

So I got my rebuild kit today. Before I went to work I took the birfs off the axle shafts to switch sides. The PS birf I got completely taken apart. But the DS would not come apart. I mean I got the cage and star out of the birf but could not get the star to come out of the cage. It barely moves in the cage. Should I replace the whole birf? Comments. Keep in mind that the DS hub is the side that got really hot.

 

[ppc]

Based upon your description of this and a combination of all your other posts it sounds like the previous owner did a number on the entire axle. I believe its possible to reassemble the components of the birfield backwards/inside-out but it binds and does not give the proper range of motion. If this was done I imagine that could have done the damage to the wheel bearings and races as well.

If you can't disassemble everything then you really don't have a choice other than to replace. Please post some more pictures of everything so we can give you more sound advice. I still recommend that you get another MUD member that has some experience to look at all your parts and help to decide what parts to replace. Like someone else stated, if the spindle or bushings are damaged, all your new parts may not last long. Normally one would compare right and left sides, one being the "good" side. In your case if the previous owner jacked up one side the other can't be much better.

 

[80seriesnut]

I went ahead and got a new birf. The one that would not come apart was the one from the drivers side. Which is the side that got really hot. I think the DS spindle is fine. It looks no different from the PS and I had no issues with the PS. I went ahead and got all new rotors, calipers, pads, wheel bearings. I got the axle rebuild kit from beno. I got the DS put all back together and am waiting for the birf so I can do the PS. It should be here on Saturday.

 

[Epic Ed]

Any more input on how this turned out? I'm assuming since there are no more posts that you didn't have any additional complications.