Front knuckle / Birfield rebuild

Symptoms

The fix, step by step

1. Remove the wheel, hang the caliper on wire, then pull the dust cap, snap ring, flange nuts and cone washers (a brass drift loosens the cone washers).
2. Remove the lock nuts with a 54 mm hub socket and pull the hub and rotor.
3. Unbolt the spindle, unplug the ABS sensor gently, then with the wheel straight ahead and the Birfield flats vertical, slide the axle out.
4. Replace the inner axle seal, knuckle bearings and wiper seals, clean the Birfield and repack it and the knuckle with moly grease, then reassemble with new gaskets.
5. IH8MUD's guide sets bearing preload by torquing the inner nut to 43 ft-lb, backing off, then 48 in-lb, with the lock nut at 47 ft-lb, and suggests checking the result with a spring scale.
6. IH8MUD's guide torques the flange nuts to 26 ft-lb and the caliper bolts to 90 ft-lb on reassembly.

Tools & part numbers

• 54 mm (2-1/8") hub socket
• torque wrench to 100 ft-lb
• brass drift
• seal puller and driver
• snap-ring pliers
• 6–12 lb spring scale
• Cruiser Outfitters FA9097 kit (Koyo knuckle bearings, NOK inner axle and hub seals, gaskets, wiper seals)
• moly and high-temp grease. Note: drive flanges got thicker after April 1994 (43421-60040 vs. early 43421-60022), so check before you mix parts.

Where to buy the parts

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