Tocking from birfs help (1 Viewer)

[snowwolfwarrior]

Hi guys.... I have done a full repack/all seals change/ on my left hand side birf, due to the lower sreering arm studs shearing, was not a problem and got all now parts and change the lot.
I have only had the 1996 FZ1 for two weeks and a week of that has been with me under or in the hood doing all the usual fulid changes ect.
now that I have done the left hand side birf overhaul and I have been able to drive it a bit, I did notice a slight ticking/tocking noise tonight on a sharp near full lock right handed turn up a steep hill under hard acceleration, while I was under the car doing the birf, I undid the plug on the right had knuckle and stuck a thin screw driver in to see what sort of lube was in there if any.
It seemed to be a graphite dark grey type paste, but there was only a minimal amount on the end of the screw driver, I know I have to do a repack on that side, but I need to order the parts on Monday and I just needed to drive my new car for a bit, as you lads can understand, it's my new toy and I want to play.
The birf in the side that I have just finished looked good, do you think the noise will go when I do a full service/repack on the right hand side, cure the clicking? the noise is not loud at all and not really noticable.

 

[landtank]

might, might not. From the axles I've done the right side knuckle takes the brunt of the wear. I had thought it was do to the fact that we drive on that side of the road. Since you lads are on the other side then maybe it's just the nature of the truck's design. Anyway I'd get in there and repack it ASAP.

 

[snowwolfwarrior]

Yer I will do. Land tank, I will get the seals ordered om Monday and wil do repack on wed, the second one will be a lot quicker I hope, " been there, done it, and got the tee shirt" type comment

 

[landtank]

Your planning on changing out the old studs aren't you.

 

[TLCgrappler]

Mine clicked for 20,000 miles in that same situation, uphill turns. (from 80,0000 to 110,000 when I got to it.) There was wear on the outer bell of the birf and the inner race where the ball bearings normally are in the straight ahead driving position, forming a very slight depression. (You can't see this unless you take the birf apart.) My "theory" on what the clicking noise is is that during hard turns, the balls in the birf move from one end of the "channel" to the other, and back, once during every 360 degree rotation of the tires, and that the clicking is the noise from the balls crossing the worn "depression" where they are when the wheels are straight ahead. If you swap the birf from left to right, the worn part is now wearing only during braking, and the part that used to be braking is now applying the driving force....so the bearings are crossing a smaller depression during those uphill turns.

In addition, the better grease packing may lower the acoustical transmission of the noise. In any case, mine don't click now. The real test would be to know if a "dry" birf would click if it were new, when there were no depressions worn into it. It would also be interesting to know if those depressionss wear in there at all if you "repack" the birfs every 50-60K or so. I haven't seen anyone say so one way or another.

 

[snowwolfwarrior]

I have a funny feeling that the birf has never been repacked since new! if the rest of the car is anything to go by, the guy that owned it from new was a millionair and I dont think he worried about having the services done, he had a few done but and I have the docs for it, but none of them mention birf service, the left hand birf looked good, but it may have been helped by the oil from the axle getting into it, the right hand side seems a bit dry, but only stuck a screwdriver test stick in the birf to find what was in there, the dip test does tell me the seal is ok in the axle, as there is no birf soup in the knuckle, did toyota ever pack the birfs with a graphite type grease? cos thats what it looks like.

 

[landtank]

when the seal doesn't fail the grease gets dry any that is probably worse than the seal failure because the joint doesn't get lubed.

 

[snowwolfwarrior]

think I may get some mobilube EP004 in through the plug hole, till I get it done next week

 

[snowwolfwarrior]

004 is an EP grease which has the consistancy of thick custard, so will get itself into the birf

 

[landtank]

This will make most cringe but if I had to drive the truck in this condition I'd squeeze in a 1/2 quart of gear lube and then immediately drive the truck to maybe CREATE some diff soup and try to get some to flow into the joint .

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

I dont think you could get any grease into the birf by pumping in the plug hole. When grease is pumped in the plug hole it all goes in front of the birf.

 

[snowwolfwarrior]

The EP grease that I will put in the knuckle will find its own level when stationary, so it should get into the birf, I think anythink is better than nothing, it will only be in there a week, so will help.