Halfway through the birf job.....going well so far, knock on wood.....

[Arya Ebrahimi]

Well, I spent about 4.5 hours today working on the front axle service. I'm replacing the trunion bearings, wheel bearings, and all the associated seals. I'm also replacing all of the TRE's.

I experienced the wonderful "birfield soup" on both sides, but moreso on the right side(USDS). I got the driver's side completely stripped down, cleaned up and ready to go back together. I then installed the new trunion bearing races and inner axle seal. I'm doing the work on a lift at a friend's shop and his parts washer has been a god send. I started to tear down the passenger side and got that birf apart and cleaned up. I still have to take the knuckle off the passenger side and clean it up, but otherwise the front end is ready to go back together. I wasted about 45 minutes trying to figure out how to put the balls back in the birf once I had repacked it with grease and felt like a COMPLETE MORON once I figured out you can put them in from the outside of the cage(as opposed to aligning the inner race and cage and birf just right so they drop in). So I've got 3.5 hours of actual work in place and I think I have another 2-3 to go. I'm very pleased as this is my first time touching birfs, and the mechanic's book for estimating times says 8.1 hours for the job.

I'm using Mobil 1 Synthetic grease. I looked at every store in town and no one carried "Molybdenum Disulphide Lithium Base Grease" so I did a search on here and read that a couple people are using the Mobil 1 grease. Hopefully this will be ok. I'm planning to run Mobil 1 75w90 in the diff, is there anything I need to do in preparation for this?

Thanks

Ary

 

[landtank]

make sure the birf grease is moly fortified. Synthetic wheel bearing grease won't be up to the job. I've used Valvoline Synthtech I beleive it is called. Sythetic, molyfortified grease in the large tubes, 2 for each side.

 

[OGBeno]

Arya:

Congratulations so far the time intensive and messy front end job. I did my first one about two months ago and--two months later now--I feel confident that I did things correctly (well, at least my wheel hasn' fallen off!!! ).

Be very sure that you use the wheel bearing grease only on the wheel bearings and outer seal areas. Try to find--if you can--the Moly fortifide stuff--I used three tubs of Valvo. Synth. It was dark gray stuff and is about $8 a tub. This stuff should go in your birfields and in your knuckle housing. The red stuff (Mobil) should be used for the bearings and the outer stuff.

I have some pictures posted of my job a few pages back in the threads (about the first week of October). There are some good pics. there. Eric's write-up is real good too. If you want pictures or any suggestions. Feel free to PM me.

Others on the board are real good in helping as well. Best of luck buddy.


-onur
Akron, OH

 

[cruiserman]

Mobil-1 grease tends to liquify and make a mess. I used it once. Regular on moly-fortified grease can be had at any parts store. I used Exxon brand last time.

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

Crap, so the red stuff is no good? That's what the Mobil stuff is. I went to every auto parts store around here and NONE of them had anything that said anything about being moly-fortified or anything moly related. I even went to the Toyota dealership here and talked to their Parts desk, they said they don't have that, but to ask the service manager. So I went and asked him, and he sent me to the lead mechanic and said he just uses wheel bearing grease(perhaps why there are so many problems with dealers services in this area?).

Does anyone have any suggestions on where I could find the stuff in a hurry on a Sunday? I have to drive back from Virginia Beach to Washington D.C. tomorrow.

Thanks

Ary

 

[landtank]

autozone, napa any auto store that I've ever walked in. Look where the keep the large grease gun tubes, if they have it it will be there and as I said 2 tubes per side.

now that I think of it I used ValSythn

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

Does the NLGI No. 2 grading have anything to do with the grease being moly-fortified? The mobil 1 stuff is No. 2 grade, as is the valvoline synthetic. I think I saw the valvoline syntethic stuff at autozone, but thought it would say "moly-fortified" on the front or something. I guess not.

Ary

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Does the NLGI No. 2 grading have anything to do with the grease being moly-fortified? The mobil 1 stuff is No. 2 grade, as is the valvoline synthetic. I think I saw the valvoline syntethic stuff at autozone, but thought it would say "moly-fortified" on the front or something. I guess not.

Ary

Ary, Valvoline Durablend SEMI synthetic is what you want also available at AutoZone and it does say, "moly fortified" on it but not on the front.

 

[cruiserdan]

The valvoline stuff I use is #985. It comes in 14 ounce grease-gun tubes.

 

[cruiserman]

Mobil-1 grease is fine, but it will liquify. You'll see goo at the bottom of the knuckle. Use whatever you have on hand if you're in a pinch.

 

[reffug]

Congrats Ary, sounds like for your first time its going very well. Guess when I tear down my front axle I'll pm you so it won't take me the 8 hours according to the manual which=24 to 36 hours for me . Anyway dude have a cold one upon completion and like Beno said hope your wheel doesn't fall off.

 

[TLCgrappler]

Having done one of each birf both ways, my opinion is that it is easier to coat the inside of the birf and races lightly with the grease, reassemble at that point (I made the same mistake.....yes the balls will fit through the cage from the OUTSIDE!!) and THEN pack the thing with grease and a spatula or some similar tool after you've reassembled it. I firmly believe I got just as much grease into the birf after assembly as I did the one that I assembled after I had the grease in it, and it was a lot easier to work with. Just have to make sure to get that first light coating of everything before you assemble it to get the best adhesion between the grease and the metal.

I got my moly grease at autozone. It was an Exxon brand Lidok CG moly, I think.

 

[landtank]

As far as packing the joint itself, I start by placing a good dollop of grease in the base of the housing, enough so you need to push the cage and inner race into it. Then after inserting all the balls I pack the hole for the inner axle full so when I insert tha axle it pushes more grease into the housing and hopefully up around the balls forcing all (or as much) air out of the housing and then finish it off with a spatula around the outside. I do this in an attempt to eliminate any cavities of air for the grease to work itself out of the joint and possibly create a vacuum with in the housing to help hold the grease in there.

Might be all BS but I'll tell you that joint is lubed.

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

All very good info. I went and picked up some moly-fortified Valvoline Synpower just now(had to go 5 parts stores to come up w/ enough. I got 2 tubes and 2 1lbs tubs.) and will clean and repack the first birf with this lube. I'm just glad I didn't get everything all back together before I found out about the grease.

Thanks for all your help guys.

Ary

 

[e9999]

NLGI 2 is a viscosity index IIRC
E

 

[landtank]

Synpower that might be it's name.

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

Well I got it all done. I ran out of time and ended up not repacking the one birf I had packed with the Mobil 1 Synthetic. I have to do the brakes soon, so I guess I'll redo it then. I spent a total of 9 hours on the job, including replacing all 4 trunion bearings and all 4 wheel bearings. I replaced both tie-rod ends and am headed out to the driveway now to do the drag-link ends. Then I'll do a tape measure alignment until I can get it into the dealer for their $59 alignment special they have going right now.

I missed the thrust washers upon dissassembly and had put one side completely back together and the other side mostly back together before I caught them in the FSM. They had stuck to the old wheel bearings when I pulled them out, so I hadn't noticed them. That wasted a good 45 mins.

The one concern I had was that the old lock washers had their little tabs broken off(the tab that locks the washer on the spindle, not the ones you fold over) and when I put the new ones on one of them broke as well. What's the deal? Are they really that fragile? I didn't torque the locknut down any tighter than the FSM said to.

Anyway, I feel much better about the whole thing now that it's finished. Of course on the way home the oil light came on reminding me to top off the oil and that I have a leak that I need to investigate. I have a feeling it's not the valve cover, but rather the pan or the rear main. Oh well, guess I can't complain for a truck that was damn near free.

Arya "exhausted, but satisfied" Ebrahimi

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

Oh yeah, all 8 of the steering arm studs were only finger tight. I'm glad that the subject was brought up recently because otherwise I probably would have missed it.

 

[landtank]

I'd like to hear what that side with the mobil1 grease looks like when you tear it down again. second time is no where near as daunting.

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

I'd like to hear what that side with the mobil1 grease looks like when you tear it down again. second time is no where near as daunting.

I'll be sure to post when I tear it open. I did pack the knuckle itself w/ the moly-fortified stuff, so I'm kinda hoping it will act as a bowl and hold the mobil 1 in place even if it liquifies. I guess we'll see.

Ary