Aftermarket Birfield Comparison

[blackdiamond]

The purpose of this thread is simply to compare the different aftermarket birfields that are available and see how they compare in strength and cost.

(1) Longfield 30-spline Chromoly - $635 including inner axles.
(2) Longfield 27-spline Chromoly - $205 ea or $550 including inner axles
http://www.toyotasuperaxles.com/

(3) Marfield UM-06 Chromoly - $205 ea
(4) Bellfields - $159 ea
(5) Marfield UM-05 - $80
Marlin Cromoly Inner Axles - $249
http://marlincrawler.com/axles.html

I'm sure that there are more options, but these are the ones that I know about.  The question is what has your experience been and/or which ones would you buy?

My truck is an 85 currently running 33', (trutrac front) and I don't ever plan to go larger than 35's (full locker).  My goal is to make sure that my birfields and axles are not the weak link on the trail.  I would rather fix a hub and carry a spare square tube driveshaft than tear into the front end.  What should I buy?

Hopefully this thread will become a great source of information for the board.

[WHITE_TRASH]

Marlin gets axles from www.polyperformance.com  They do not have them made specially for them. 

Im running long 27 spline CroMo birfs with poly inners that I bought from Marlin.  IMO its the best bang for thebuck if you dont have the cash to get the 30 set at one time.  I had first gen ringless longs so I bought the inners to suport them.  Then I grenaded one of them so I bought CroMo birfs.  If I'd have known Id have bought the 30's and been done.

[Tice]

I have broke every thing from stock's to ringed longs to pro-fields with only 36's!!!!!.........in about 8 days I'll be buying the 30 splines.     I'd say if you have the money buy the 30's.  I have only heard of one guy breaking them.

[blackdiamond]

With my current setup, I have been to Moab three times and last trip I ran Pritchett Canyon without any breakage.  I was most impressed that I was able to go up Rocker Knocker Hill by starting far right and "crabbing" across to the left (wheel turned to the lock and bouncing) without losing a stock birfield.  I was being as careful as possible I will admit.  The Trutrac front seems to save a ton of trail repairs.

[BirdDog]

I installed my 30 spline superaxles last week so I dont know yet, but that is what I chose.  I'm running 36's

[blackdiamond]

I have broke every thing from stock's to ringed longs to pro-fields with only 36's!!!!!.........in about 8 days I'll be buying the 30 splines. I'd say if you have the money buy the 30's. I have only heard of one guy breaking them.

What do you have for gears, lockers and hubs?  At some point I thought the hub should become the weak link.  What were you doing with they broke?

[gotrocks]

well i ran Moab to with my 35's and didn't break anything.  I hammered my rig really hard on stumpbump and didn't break anything on stock shafts.  Thats not really saying anything though because I broke my front pass. birf at home going up a ditch (not any ditch it had lots of cement hunks 2 to 3 feet tall in it) and broke my front pretty bad.  Now I'm running All-Pro cromo inners (went all pro due to lack of funds) and their profields.  I know this is not the strongest setup but I went down to Colorado a couple months ago and crawled some pretty tuff trails without any problems.  I complete spare front end set with me though.  So for $450 or something like that I replaced the whole front end, they give you a discount for buying all of it.

[Ramrod]

I got the longfield 27spl super set and have not broken anything.  I have 37mtrs.  I ran fordyce with a friend recently and he had 37" a detroit in front and stock birfs. some how he didn't break one.  I guess he had profields but they broke trying to flex out on a dirt mound in his yard.

[bluetoy84]

Me and one of my friends are both running Bellfields and stock inner shafts. I run 37's and he's got 36's. Both trucks have been severely abused with no breakage.

I have been on 2 runs at tellico and numerous trips around home with the bellfields. The last time I was at tellico I bounced the front end for a while on guardrail , I was sure something would break but it didn't.

I have heard nothing but good things about the new longfields and very bad things about the poo-fields.

[derek]

http://www.cvunlimited.com/NEWFIELD/ordering.htm
newfields from cv unlimited.

derek

[Tice]

What do you have for gears, lockers and hubs? At some point I thought the hub should become the weak link. What were you doing with they broke?

I'm runnin 5.29's, spools, 4.7's and stock Toy hubs. I have broke one hub, i think it was due in part to a stub shaft breaking on a Pro-field.   The pro-field I was wedged on a crack and trying to back out, the stock birf was to much throttle   The ringed long was the last one I broke, it went in Los Cruces on the first obstacle of Pascaro's Revenge(sp), that one was hthe oddest break cuz in the video I was just slowly climbing with a little wheel spin and bamm it broke!!

[blackdiamond]

Just to be fair:

Profields - $99 ea
Chromoly Axles - $200 pair
http://www.allprooffroad.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=29

[reklund5]

I'm still on my STOCK 1984 birf's and inners.  I run 37's, dual 2.28 cases, 5.29's, and a detroit ez locker in my HP front diff.  I turned the steering stops in to limit my steering and try to not drive like an idiot.  I've wheeled the trails in Las Cruces 2x, Blanca Peak/Como Lake Rd, Tank Trap (in NM), Jaws of Death (in NM), and the new Gordy's Hill off highway vehicle park in NM numerous times without a single failure.  That said, I'll break one tomorrow backing out of the driveway. 

I do have a set of Poo-Fields (the early ones that were supposedly really weak) that I never installed because I got spooked.  When funds permit, I'll install a set of 30 spline Longs just for the peace-of-mind. 

Ryan

[gotrocks]

Just to be fair:

Profields - $99 ea
Chromoly Axles - $200 pair
http://www.allprooffroad.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=29

i'll double check my receipt because I got a discount because i bought the full set.  Yeah that was a misstype on my part.  I'll get back to you tomorrow.  Oh and my rig has stock 2.28 duals, 5.29's and 37's. 

[mr4x42u]

I don't see how you guys get stockers to hold up..I got a few trips out of stockers and a year if that out of the 1st gen longs..
now my 30's just laugh and ask for more..

[gotrocks]

now my 30's just laugh and ask for more..

well I didn't want to spend $650 for my axles.  I got my 60/14 for $1100.  Not to say that the longs aren't worth it though.  I'd totally buy a set if I break my current toy axles.

[CTENG in KS]

Once again, in case you missed them in the 6 other threads we have done about this...

[CTENG in KS]

Smurfields:  http://www.trdv.ca/   $145 for thick bell/$50 for heat treated core...excellent reviews up to 38 inch tires.

[gotrocks]

hey don't take me wrong the 30's are great but the money wasn't here when I went to buy some.

[shad]

I hear ya I am just running treated long's right now.
I have a spare set of stock birfs I will probably send in to have them treated as well.
They are supposedly guarrentied not to break with a tire under a 33x12.50 but I run 35x12.50's with them and I have a aussie locker in the front.
My friend Dan runs them on his FJ40 no issues either he's locked too in the front with a detroit on 34x9.50 TSL's.
I won't start wasting money on expensive chromo axles unless I have already broke a set of treated birfs.

At $65 ea to get them cryo treated it seems like a better deal to me.

I've yet to break anything but I let off the throttle when the front starts to bounce that's ususally how you break your axles.

[gotrocks]

does anyone know what the cheapest birf is out there, doesn't have to be treated or nothing just a plain birfield

[Ramrod]

I hear ya I am just running treated long's right now.
I have a spare set of stock birfs I will probably send in to have them treated as well.
They are supposedly guarrentied not to break with a tire under a 33x12.50 but I run 35x12.50's with them and I have a aussie locker in the front.
My friend Dan runs them on his FJ40 no issues either he's locked too in the front with a detroit on 34x9.50 TSL's.
I won't start wasting money on expensive chromo axles unless I have already broke a set of treated birfs.

At $65 ea to get them cryo treated it seems like a better deal to me.

I've yet to break anything but I let off the throttle when the front starts to bounce that's ususally how you break your axles.

see for you the treated birfs and stock inners are alright.  but for me I daily drive my truck and drive it 4 hours to the con.  Also I have a heavy right foot and 37.  I want to figure out how to post up the video of me power shifting into second and low low in the soup can? this weekend it was crazy till my driveshaft pulled apart.

[CTENG in KS]

does anyone know what the cheapest birf is out there, doesn't have to be treated or nothing just a plain birfield

UM05 Marfield is probably your best bet for low cost, unless you already have good birfs you can send out for cores.

[Hyena]

I broke a stock short side inner axle July forth which took out my detriot.  I have the ringless Longfields.  I replaed the stock inner with another stock inner and then put a welded carrier in the front.  The longfields were inspected by me and they looked and felt fine so i put the mback in.  I then grenaded the passenger side longfields last weekend.  It was on the way to Spider lake.  Wasn't doing anything hard and it just started popping.  I didn't fee llike changing out the birflields so i just unlocked the hub and it stopped popping.  Got home and took it apart and the longfield was in about 12 pieces.  I plan to replace everything with 30 spline Longfields in the next couple weeks.  Thats just my exprience with the the treated longs.  But i am also running 37 inch MTRs.

[blackdiamond]

It sounds like I am correct to assume that it is possible to turn the hubs out and drive in 2wd with a broken birfield?  What are the minimum tools required for a repair?

[Tice]

It sounds like I am correct to assume that it is possible to turn the hubs out and drive in 2wd with a broken birfield? What are the minimum tools required for a repair?

If you unlock both hubs and take it out of 4 wheel drive it'll/ should be o.k. Thouhg you might get some binding while turning!!

As far as tools, 10mm, 12mm, 17mm, 19mm, hammer, small flat tip screwdriver, ratchet.  Am I forgeting any thing???

[mr4x42u]

It sounds like I am correct to assume that it is possible to turn the hubs out and drive in 2wd with a broken birfield?  What are the minimum tools required for a repair?

that depends where the failed birf is busted..the birfs don't always bust at the bell..they also fail at the stub its self,,and that takes out the hub when that happens..so if that happens you just have to take the hub off to get it free..

[mr4x42u]

well I didn't want to spend $650 for my axles.  I got my 60/14 for $1100.  Not to say that the longs aren't worth it though.  I'd totally buy a set if I break my current toy axles.

1100 is a smoken deal for a 60/14 combo,,as long as its the good kind of 60..there are some better then others..in wich case if its not a decnt 60 a toy axle will be better off..if its a good 60 with a 35/30 spline combo they thats a sweet deal..
but the toy axle holds up really well and for its size makes a great rock axle for lighter rigs with its awesome ground clearance,,

but its all how a person drives and uses the throttle too..you can get alot more carless with the lines you take and the skinny pedal with a 60 for sure..there also a bit mor money to set up too..

[WHITE_TRASH]

Why you gotta toss up a pic of Kurts schlongo mang?  Thats rather inappropriate dint ya think? 


Ringless suck, they are better than stock but not by much.  I broke one the same day that theone mrs4x3 posted a pic of.  Luckily I didn't grenade the hub and dial assembly a the same time though.

[mr4x42u]

its just a pic of his broken stub