Yeah, that's all we really have around here is Advanced Auto, i just called and they had them, they just said to bring them in to make sure i match them up, should i just replace the felt pad or should i replace the oil seal and the retainer??? 

Yeah, that's all we really have around here is Advanced Auto, i just called and they had them, they just said to bring them in to make sure i match them up, should i just replace the felt pad or should i replace the oil seal and the retainer??? 

The metal retainers can usually be cleaned up and reused (auto parts store won't have them anyway). 
The felt pads probably need to be replaced, but you will have to order them from a vendor or suzuki.  Or if you can find some heavy weight felt, you could cut your own.  The felt I have found isn't as thick as the factory stuff, but it has worked ok for me.

I'm so excited i ordered a locker from TT, it was $209 plus shipping, cheaper than anywhere else.

I also have to inspect my driver side axle houseing something is loose near the hub, could be a bearing, because of the seal being bad i believe it may have cause some damage from water mixing into grease.

Quote from: FinishTheGame on October 04, 2011, 07:08:12 AM

Yeah, that's all we really have around here is Advanced Auto, i just called and they had them, they just said to bring them in to make sure i match them up, should i just replace the felt pad or should i replace the oil seal and the retainer??? 

The metal retainers can usually be cleaned up and reused (auto parts store won't have them anyway). 
The felt pads probably need to be replaced, but you will have to order them from a vendor or suzuki.  Or if you can find some heavy weight felt, you could cut your own.  The felt I have found isn't as thick as the factory stuff, but it has worked ok for me.

Yeah, i think the oil seal is the only thing that i can get from the auto parts store.

Ok, i took the both axles out of the axle housing and the passenger side (short) seemed fine, the driver side (long) seemed like it had a little more play in it than the other one, it is where the axle gets bigger and has ball bearings, not sure what that's called, im able to twist it a little more than the passenger side and it moved in and out a little more..... should i be worried about it?  It doesn't seem like alot more.

Also can i use mineral spirits to clean parts that are dirty?  And what kind of grease should i use to put back in and on parts once i clean them up???

The birfields normally have a little in and out play in them.  As long as you don't see any broken pieces, or they make noises, or bind up when you rotate them around, then they are more than likely fine.
You can use whatever will cut through the grease to clean them up.  I use wheel bearing grease to repack them and put in the inner knuckle areas. 
You need to work the grease into the inside of the birfields (where all the balls are).  What I do is flex the birfields to one side and use my hand and fingers to pack grease into the inside of the birfield.  Then flex the birfield in another direction and work it into another area.  I do this in 4 different areas or so.

Cool, will be working on that soon.

My locker should be here tuesday, im hoping i can have evything ready so installing the locker and reasembling everthing will be all thats left.  I have to get new seals for knuckle and clean up all dirty parts and repack grease.

Update:

I spent most of the afternoon up until midnight working yesterday.

Got the locker from TT in the mail, installed it (this was my first time) it was not difficult, you just have to read directions carefully.

Put the diff back in, put the passenger side axle and housing, hub back in, ran into some trouble with the disc brake calipers, for some reason they are binding the wheel, they bind for about 6 inches and then free up and then bind again.......?  I noticed that the spring/ wire that holds the pad in place is missing and i can't remember if it was there when i disasembled it, but i ordered another one from dealer.  One other thing i noticed is that even when i was turning the wheel the top of the caliper moved up and down alittle and i don't think that's supposed to happen.  Im confused why it would move and i believe that mite be the cause of the binding......? 

Any idea

The birfields normally have a little in and out play in them.  As long as you don't see any broken pieces, or they make noises, or bind up when you rotate them around, then they are more than likely fine.
You can use whatever will cut through the grease to clean them up.  I use wheel bearing grease to repack them and put in the inner knuckle areas. 
You need to work the grease into the inside of the birfields (where all the balls are).  What I do is flex the birfields to one side and use my hand and fingers to pack grease into the inside of the birfield.  Then flex the birfield in another direction and work it into another area.  I do this in 4 different areas or so.

Curiosity question - a birfield is basically a CV joint enclosed in the axle - CV Joints require a molybdenum based grease, shouldn't the same grease be used in a birfield?

Not sure but i used "Green grease" its waterproof.

Update:

Front differential is all done, everything has been re-installed and WOW what a difference the locker makes in traction, its awesome. 

I have had a bad leak in the knuckle rite above the lower king pin since i took everything apart.  I ordered the oil seal (which wasn't installed before or was removed, not by me) and i put that in and it still leaks, so i ordered the felt pad from suzuki and am planning on installing that soon too,  my question is can an old felt pad cause a leak? 

Update; after installing a new felt pad and oil seal on the driver side knuckle it still leaks, after doing much research and questioning i figured out that the kingpin bearings were bad and it was allowing the knuckle to move back and forth (which it is not supposed to do) and it was allowing the oil from the differential and axle to flow into the knuckle housing and then out on my garage floor, lol, i was told that the oil seals and retainers and such are designed to keep water and debris OUT but not to keep oil in which should not be in the knuckle in the first place.

So i order a complete rebuild kit for both sides from TT, it was a little pricey but once im done they will be like new again and no more leaking (fingers crossed).

The rebuild kit arrived today and i will be posting with questions if necessary or with the completion update of the install.

Does anyone know of any special tools i will need to do this job?  I know the kingpin bearings just come rite out but will i need a bearing puller for the wheel bearings?

It should be a pretty simple affair.  The only issue you might run into is replacing the race for your wheel bearings, it's a lot easier if you have access to a press.  But I have used a hammer and chisel without a problem in the past to get the race out.

yeah, i had fun getting the race out where the lower kingpin goes, but at least what everything was solid in place, its gonna be fun doing that to the knuckle housing while it is out of the truck.  Is it possible that i could installed it back in the truck and then work on it (the hub and knuckle housing)?