James (CRZRJames on ih8mud) was kind enough to lend me his birf centering tool for my front rebuild after doing my SOA. I bent and tossed most of the old shims I had before so I can't reuse them. Problem now is that I dont have a clue how to use the tool and my Hanes manual doesnt mention this tool at all.

Does anyone here have experience with this thing and can lend some instructions?

Its basically a very nice machined stainless steel bolt with two round pieces at each end that look like they fit in where the kingpins would go, another two round pieces, and a pin that fits into one of the round pieces. I hope thats specific enough. :D

thanks!
Dustin

never heard of that dustin................gotts a pic?

As the last post on this thread (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=223186&highlight=knuckle+tool) implores, do you have a chassis FSM?

Rockthedog, the same thread has source and pic links for the factory FSM.

On this other knuckle alignment thread (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=151630&highlight=knuckle+tool), morgan posted some Birfield.com links to an old TT article that show how to make one's own SST.


The search feature works so well. :D

um... I did search on both mud and here. That other mud post is mine. On Chefs post, none of the links work for me. Search nazi! :flipoff2:
Morgans link to make my own doesnt do me any good since I am not making my own, I already have the tool, and its different...

I think LCHamma is sending me mics of the manual...

carry on..
Dustin

um... I did search on both mud and here. That other mud post is mine. On Chefs post, none of the links work for me. Search nazi! :flipoff2:
Morgans link to make my own doesnt do me any good since I am not making my own, I already have the tool, and its different...

I think LCHamma is sending me mics of the manual...

carry on..
Dustin

http://internet.cybermesa.com/~chscully/front_discs.html

This article talks about how to use it with pics.

Choirboy...

I just do it by hand. begin by using a thick and thin shim on top and bottom, tighten both arm and lower cap and test by pushing (turning) the knuckle by the arm.

It should be like 4 to 8 lbs of push, the first time I used the wife's kitchen scale. If its too loose, remove the thin shim and test again. If its too tight, change thin shim to a slightly thicker one. You'll kinda know... if it flops left or right by itself, its way too loose. If it takes all your weight to turn it, its way too tight. :p

Note, when I take knuckles apart for cleaning or whatever, I always leave the shims on a stud and one bolt so they don't wander, just to avoid this part (can get time consuming by starting from scratch and confirming preload.

I think folks start out real concerned about this... but after they take them apart a few times, change a birf on the trail, reassemble a trashed pinion bearing that comes out in pieces during a trail repair, replace a broken stud, etc, they get to the point where they just reassemble it and look for a bit on tension or resistance in the preload, and go with it. At least that is what has happened to me. As long as I feel some resistance when turning the knuckle (not too much of course), I go with it and call it good.

Now wheel bearing, then it becomes very important to me, and I have had my best results by doing by hand again. I tightened them to spec One time and was not comfortable at all with how it felt, or how warm it was when driving, tore them apart and did by hand again.

I think folks start out real concerned about this... but after they take them apart a few times, change a birf on the trail, reassemble a trashed pinion bearing that comes out in pieces during a trail repair, replace a broken stud, etc, they get to the point where they just reassemble it and look for a bit on tension or resistance in the preload, and go with it. At least that is what has happened to me. As long as I feel some resistance when turning the knuckle (not too much of course), I go with it and call it good.

I'm the other way around, have been reading that incorrect shimming (not so much the amount of force needed, but the spacing, etc..) can wear out the brass bushing in the spindle, and cause inner axle seals to fail rapidly.

I user to just do the fish scale pull test, but I'm gonna make sure to shim mine more evenly.

Nolen, thanks for the link. I was checking that one out last night too.
Heres some pics of the tool I have. Its pretty different looking to me.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=187441&stc=1
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=187442&stc=1

It looks like LCHamma sent Woody the pics from the FSM. Heres a link to them:
http://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=44970
Thanks Hamma and Woody for posting!

I guess I should have picked up the FSM, but I was thinking the Hanes manual would have it covered or I could figure it out myself. My Cruisers only has Cruiser axles, tub, wipers, tcase and frame now though, and this is the first time I have had to do something the Hanes manual didnt cover. Oh well...

Tony, I hear ya on the accurate guestimation thing. This will be the third time I have done this, and figured I would do it right this time since I had the chance to geek out with this tool. Never had problems before though, so atleast there is a plan B if I cant figure this thing out well enough.

thanks!
Dustin

Haynes sucks

ps you got mail. The pics are too big for posting

Scott, thanks a ton. It looks like I have homework tonight. :D

Cheers-
Dustin

toploader has done litterally dozens of these. he told me his formula a while ago and it works perfect every time. maybe you could pm him for his way of doing it.

toploader has done litterally dozens of these. he told me his formula a while ago and it works perfect every time. maybe you could pm him for his way of doing it.

is his forumla?: "take knuckle and shims in left hand. turn upsidedown. walk over to trash can, and store them there permanently. Install 2.5 ton rockwell axle included in birf rebuild kit"?

The FSM lays out the use of the tool exactly. although you will still need 8" cailpers to measure. the easy to find 6" version = too short.