AustinTaco

My truck has early generation longfields from the previous owner. These were the type that you sent in, Bobby treated, and then sent back to you. I had a problem making turns to the right for some time. I thought I had it fixed, but after replacing TRE and checking all of the geometry of the crossover steering, I still had issues, sometimes.
I broke down the passenger side for a rebuild and had difficulty removing the birf. When it came out, the inner and birf separated on their own, pulled out in two pieces without having to hammer one out to break the c clip.

After cleaning up parts, I noticed that my Longfield/birfield is frozen and can only rotate a few degrees. It won't rotate enough to clean the races or rollers. I started to hammer it in a vice with a brass drift but then I found a video saying that first generation longfields could not be serviced because the ring on the end prevented it.

Has anyone read or had experience with this? If that is the case, how much rotation does my longfield to make it operational?

I am at a decision to try and reuse it or just buy new chromo 30 splines.

I wish I had pics to post, but my phone is kaput too. Life is grand.

AustinTaco

passenger side is no bueno. Now I am deciding between RCV or LOngfields 30 spline.

85toy4runner

the new longfield by trail-gear are made in china , they are not even close to the quality of the original longfield 30 spline, so I would go RCV

I pasted this from RCV website

RCV Performance manufactured the original 30-spline
Toyota birfield joint and axle sets sold by Bobby Long
and Longfield until the Longfield brand was acquired by
Trail Gear, Inc. These original authentic 30-spline Toyota
birfield sets continue to be made by RCV Performance in
the USA in Loves Park, IL, and are now only available factory
direct through RCV Performance or our dealers. RCV
Performance now calls them the "Ultimate 30-Spline CV Axle
Set." These have 300M internal components and gun-drilled
CVs joints to separate us from the competition. These shafts
are backed by RCV Performance's "No Questions Asked
Limited Lifetime Warranty!" RCV is also your source for
CV joint reconditioning which will bring your worn CV's back
to factory specs, as well as custom axles made to order!

http://www.rcvperformance.com/suppor...archby=Vehicle

AustinTaco

Thanks for the advice. I originally ordered the Longfields, but after reading some more, I switched the order around and got the RCV's. For anyone looking at pricing right now, the price for gun drilled 30 splines birfields are about the same between the two. RCV has free shipping and free chromo hub gears. Longs has free inner and outer hub gears and flanges. However, and this is just me thinking out loud, I would rather have the weak link in the front in a hub gear or flange. I can get a spare, works on both sides, doesn't take up much room or weigh much.
I'm going down to 34"s, and I am pretty easy on the skinny pedal so these should be the last birfields this truck sees with me as the owner.

85toy4runner

good choice , hope it works out well