Good bye Birfs

[CruzrDave]

I got the call today, Randys Birfield elminator kit went up for sell. We've had 3 sets on order for a few months but they were not ready tell today. They have been "Real world testing" them for a few weeks, with great luck. I don't know all the details about the kit but what I do know is it comes with CM inner and outer shafts, new spindles, new seal/bushing assmbly , and 760 joints. The axles are machined for a full circle clip and have a 5 year warrenty on the shaft but not the ears. I've been undecided on Elminator or Longs since I heard about the kit. Marlin thinks we're wasteing are time and money. I don't know if its stronger then longs but I know guys who beat the crap out of there 44's with no failures and only a few failures under competition torcher. Oh well they will be here on tuesday. I won't get to use them for a month or two while I put togather a new front end for my truck.Andy won't be installing them in his rock buggy for awhile since his already got the longs with CM shafts. Rocky won't have them installed for a few month to but I will let you guys know how they handle our 37''-39'' tires.

[gferris5]

Sweet, that sounds like just about the right timing for when I'll be ready to throw away my birfs. Keep us posted

[4xdrywall]

Sweet, that sounds like just about the right timing for when I'll be ready to throw away my birfs. Keep us posted

Hey, just looking at your post. I wonder if you had used anything other than stock and now these? I am looking at getting a little more strength out of my front end. A new v-8 has me a little concerned. I see that these Birfields can be welded up by MarlinCrawler to add strenght and I also see the mention of these long shafts. Have you tried any of these to say wether or not I should go to these joints your going to?

[gferris5]

Actually, I'm still running stock stuff with my 35's.  I've yet to have any real trouble, but I'm still a poser w/o a front driveshaft (it's a long story, don't ask)-so no wonder they haven't broken!!! Anyway, Longfields have a good rep for withstanding anything but competition abuse, I'm actually not the best guy to talk to about this, I think there's a post about birf-alternatives on this site with more first hand knowledge.  BTW, what kind of V8 are you running? If so, two words: Dana 60. hehe. good luck

[mr4x42u]

I don't know..the news is longs new birf is busting chro-mo axles!
Kind of makes a swap pointles with that kind of strength..I don;t think a 44 is any stronger then a toy front end..

[CruzrDave]

I've heard both sides about Toy birfs VS. Dana44. What I can tell is the Yukon kits inner and out are larger OD then a stock dana44. The inner shafts are the same size as the OD of the splines. Our Marshafts are the same way(they also have no inner C-clip for the birf to bottum out on, the shaft has a shoulder so its not any smaller at the weakest point). A stock Toy inner shaft is small then the spline OD. The Yukon outer is also larger( shaft and spline ) then a dana44. The outer is the same size as a Toy birf. I know once I install the Kit (still unsure of what 3rd member combo I want) I can always change it back. I just need to carry a birf,inner and outer shaft, and a stock spindle ( same stuff I always carry ) for trail spares. Most importantly is my front end will never have to make "Birfield Soup" again. That not to say it won't leak, the long side will always leak but the bronzs bushing will slow the flow and support the shaft from bounceing on the seal, and there will only be the grease on the lower Knuckle bearing to make soup with. I hope to have a new years day run test.

[VueDoo]

Be aware. If they are anything like the Warn kit, The inner yoke is machined down to allow the inner axle to slide far enough in the stock toyota housing(against the axle seal). I broke 4 warn inners with that setup using stock 5-297x ujoints. The same basic shafts are in my comp rig (waggy D44) but obviously not machined down at the yokes, and I've broken a CTM without hourting the shaft.
I hope the new kit addresses the u-joint to trunion alignment issue withput compromising the axle shaft strength.
just my 0.02   Phil

[CruzrDave]

Those are the kinds of Q's I wanted to ask R&P before I order it. Thanks for the info. I knew absolutely nothing about the Warn or Redline kit( as far as what broke or wasn;t right). Did you have some problems with u-joint to trunion alignment with the warn Kit? Brain@R&P told me they worked all the previous problems out the other kits had. The axles carry a 5 year warrenty on the shafts but not the yokes. I will call this week and find out if the shaft breaks and at the yoke where the seal rides( I beleave this where your talking about),if thats under the warrenty. I got a set of bobbylongs u-joints but I don't think the grease fitting will clear the housing. I haven't tried but it will for sure not fit when installing the shaft. Thanks agian for the heads up.

[VueDoo]

"I will call this week and find out if the shaft breaks and at the yoke where the seal rides( I beleave this where your talking about),"
Yes, that's the spot.  
The u-joint/trunion alignment was fine on the Warn kit, because the inner shaft was machined down

[CruzrDave]

I did check and the inner shaft is covered if it fails there. I'm going to install the kit this saturday. Tonight I got my new gears setup for the v6 housing and detroit. I also I got the short side axle put togather. I compared the Spice joint that came in the kit to a LongField joint. The snap ring grove to grove distants is smaller with the Longs then the 760's. If I used the LongJoint the caps would be pull out and the cross could float. They both came in the same box, same numbers but there different . So I robbed the full circle C-clips and installed the 760's. I plan on asking Bobby about this. I can't finish it up tell Friday, Chris wanted me to come down to the Hammers tomorro but I was to tired to finish and install the kit into my truck tonight I settle for a snow run on Sunday

[wood]

I did check and the inner shaft is covered if it fails there. I'm going to install the kit this saturday. Tonight I got my new gears setup for the v6 housing and detroit. I also I got the short side axle put togather. I compared the Spice joint that came in the kit to a LongField joint. The snap ring grove to grove distants is smaller with the Longs then the 760's. If I used the LongJoint the caps would be pull out and the cross could float. They both came in the same box, same numbers but there different . So I robbed the full circle C-clips and installed the 760's. I plan on asking Bobby about this. I can't finish it up tell Friday, Chris wanted me to come down to the Hammers tomorro but I was to tired to finish and install the kit into my truck tonight I settle for a snow run on Sunday

Any news to report on the Birfield Eliminator Kit you installed? You did also say that the Birfield Eliminator Kit comes with cromoly inner and outer shafts, right?

[SpaceGhost]

Here is my brif eliminator! RockCrushers!

[brainlessfool]

awwww   you not planning on turning ....right?

[84runner]

Good lookin crusher love those meats

[RCKSQRL]

The redline kit machined down the spindle to make clearance as opposed to machining down more than needed. The axle itself is not machined down. I happen to have the kit in my garage and will not be using it but it is a nice kit.

[VueDoo]

It was the housing side, not the spindle side, that caused the misalignment problem. That's why the inner shaft was machined down and broke (4). The way to correct this is to machine down the housing where the axle seal goes to allow a full sized axle yoke to fit far enough in to the knuckle to give proper u-joint/trunion alignment.  
This is with Warn shafts, I have no experience with the Randys/redline kit, but I would expect the same issuse would have to be delt with.
  Phil

[CruzrDave]

Any news to report on the Birfield Eliminator Kit you installed? You did also say that the Birfield Eliminator Kit comes with cromoly inner and outer shafts, right?

I ran it this past weekend and I'll be running again this up comeing weekend. I works great so far. I've had no problems once it was installed. I did have to change my front axles housing to install it becuse it was tweak alittle.