John's rig "desertoy"

If you have done any extreme 4wheeling in a solid axle Toyota 4x4, then you probably have broken a birfield joint. Often you have your front locker engaged, your dual transfer cases shifted into the lowest range, your front tire crawls over a big rock and when it goes down the other side you get hung up on your rocker panel. To get out of your predicament you shift into reverse, turn the wheel, begin backing up and SNAP, you now have a broken birfield. If continue down the trail the front axle grinds and pops and soon the wheel locks up and you can’t steer. If you are smart enough to carry a spare, it takes anywhere from a half-hour (if you’ve had practice), to around a full-hour to replace it. It’s a greasy, nasty, time-consuming job. Wouldn’t it be nice not to break birfields any longer?

Over the last few years there have been a handful of aftermarket birfield solutions that have been created. Some of the solutions have been factory birfields with alloy rings welded to them, all-new birfields, all-new larger birfields, and also kits that replace the birfield with a u-joint. The most exotic solutions have involved modifying Toyota axles to use Dana 44 or Dana 60 knuckles. These hybrid axles seem to be working better than any other solution, but their cost is very high, putting them out of range for many 4wheelers. For most people the solution to birfield breakage is going to be to find a low cost, birfield replacement.

Complete Kit	Spicer 297x U-joint

Redline Off Road believes they have the low cost solution to birfield breakage. Similar to the Warn kit (which Warn stopped producing some time ago), Redline’s solution involves replacing the birfield with a u-joint. However, Redline has recognized some of the shortfalls of the Warn kit and has addressed those in their product. You won’t find any custom hubs, machined rotors, or new locking hubs in the Redline kit. They’ve designed the kit to work with all of the existing hardware in the Toyota axle, and as a result they’ve kept the cost of the kit very low (Around $600). For around $800 you can upgrade from the hardend axles to high strength alloy axles.

New axle in place	Machined Spindle

The Redline kit includes two new Spicer 297x u-joints, new inner and outer axle shafts, machined factory spindles, new axle seals, and new brass washers. The kit can be installed in about 4-6 hours by the average do-it-yourselfer.

John's truck in Johnson Valley

I have only one wheeling trip on my rig since I installed the Redline kit. We went to Johnson Valley, CA, and ran 3 of the Hammer trails. The kits has been over Big Johnson, Wrecking Ball, and SledgeHammer, and so far so good! Keep in mind, this kit is not the end-all for axle breakage, it is simply an upgrade for the stock birfield. The axle kit is designed for 38" tires, 180 to 1 gearing and a 200 hp. Motor. Any more than that will push them past the warranty coverage. For more information contact Redline Off Road.

• Redline Off Road
  Email
  Dept ORN
  11710 Airport Road Suite#A-200
  Everett WA 98204
  Phone 1-(866) 744-2953 toll free