Hi fellas, please pardon this real time question, I'm in the middle of an axle job, I have successfully separated the axle shaft from the birfield joint but I'm having a hard time getting the balls out of the cage. Any tricks to this? Do I just need to put more force on the cage to twist the thing enough to remove the balls? Or, is it not a matter of force but of position? I can see that the FSM refers to the larger openings on the cage but I've also heard and read that the FSM is competely backwards in regards to the balls and cage positions? Thanks.
Yes, I've tried this, I still cant pop the thing out though. IOW, I'm not trying to take them all out at the same time!!! Sheesh, I'm stupid but I'm not thaaaat stupid!
Is there any chance that something's twisted and not allowing even a single ball out? Is it necessary to somehow twist the cage's range of motion more than the axle shaft does when it is folded flat against the indentations of the bell? IOW, I twisted the thing as far as I could with the shaft in, do I need to twist it more or put any force on it while twisting and while pushing the first ball out? Thanks.
Ohh, even better than looking closely, I'm gonna take a pic!
Okay, gottit out!!! It was necessary to take the star and cage further than where they were at on full crank with the axle in. I happened to have a ratchet that the head of fit perfectly within the star's splines, the taper of the ratchet head to the ratchet handle gave me enough extra range of motion to get the balls out one at a time. The whole thing was tighter than I expected but I see no signs of warpage or anything. The birf bell itself as well as the bearings, cage and star all look like new! Thanks for the help.
A little after the fact, but I found it useful to use the plastic handle of a screwdriver to tap the spider down into the birf on one side to be able to remove/replace the balls.
A little after the fact, but I found it useful to use the plastic handle of a screwdriver to tap the spider down into the birf on one side to be able to remove/replace the balls.
Cool, thanks, that would prolly work real well; I think you simply have to shift the star and cage past the point the axle can typically take them. I think what threw me is the friggin FSM (hate to say it) cause it really illustrates the orientation of our cages in the opposite orientation from what they should be. I was aware about this and anticipated it on reassembly but I think that I let the look of the manual influence the way I would take it apart! In this case it almost would be better to leave it vague because by simply looking at the star you can see that the bottom of it (the part in the birf bell) has the groove for the snap ring. Its real simple to see it when you look at it that way instead of how the FSM says so. Anyways, a little after the fact, but still that helps, thanks.
I have taken my birfields apart and just bought new c-clips that hold the birfield to the inner axel. I dropped the whole axel into a pipe to separate the two halves. Do you have to use a special tool to compress the c clip to put the two halves back together? If no special tool, do you just use a rubber mallet to hit the birfield back on the axel? Thanks for your help.
I have taken my birfields apart and just bought new c-clips that hold the birfield to the inner axel. I dropped the whole axel into a pipe to separate the two halves. Do you have to use a special tool to compress the c clip to put the two halves back together? If no special tool, do you just use a rubber mallet to hit the birfield back on the axel? Thanks for your help.
I have taken my birfields apart and just bought new c-clips that hold the birfield to the inner axel. I dropped the whole axel into a pipe to separate the two halves. Do you have to use a special tool to compress the c clip to put the two halves back together? If no special tool, do you just use a rubber mallet to hit the birfield back on the axel? Thanks for your help.
Typical method is with screwdrivers as Turbocruiser states.
I have also heard of another way (although not yet tried myself) where you tighten a hose clamp around the snapring and slide into the birf. Sort of like using a ring compressor when replacing pistons.
