3rd Gen 4Runner click clack

[JL Rockies]

After a long drive to an ExPo event in GA, I noticed a clicking sound under the truck. At first, I dismissed it as a bad CV axle I replaced with a Vato Zone cheapy back in Oct. After walking along side the truck with someone else driving, I'm not so sure. It sounded like the noise was coming from the back doors back, but still hard to tell.

Symptoms:

Clicking is only under power, no noise while coasting.

No difference forward or reverse

No difference 2wd or 4wd

No difference going straight or turning

Seems to only happen at slow speeds, but that could just be me hearing it easier

What I've done:

Bothered Kurt a lot on Facebook

Greased all the zerks, all accepted grease

Grabbed the drive shaft checked for play, seemed solid

Checked the front CVs, no boot damage


Most off road forums are weak sauce which is why I'm bothering yous with this. That and I don't want to get kicked off Kurt's Xmas card list.

What do yous think?



Utah Bureau of Awesomeness Department.

 

[JL Rockies]

After watching many YouTube vids, I'm thinking it's my u joint, if it's the double cardan joint up front, I'm more screwed.


Utah Bureau of Awesomeness Department.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Pull One shaft at a time and drive... No noise, you've found the culprit.

 

[Kevin B.]

Sounds like a u joint to me too, and I agree with Kurt. Pull the rear shaft and see if it goes away.

 

[JL Rockies]

Well, today I got under the truck, hoisted the front pass wheel off the ground and spun it. No noise, but I could see the split in the Vato Zone cv I put in 3 months ago. I do carry a spare, but if it's only going to last 3 months, I figure I would just buy a Toyota one. The DS is still the NAPA one I installed years ago. Maybe I should consider a diff drop too.

The rear u joint may be a problem, but I'm going after the obvious first.


Utah Bureau of Awesomeness Department.

 

[SLC97SR5]

Automatic transmission?

Is the noise only apparent when the drivetrain is moving or can you induce it in neutral or park with the engine running?

Hopefully it is a joint and not the flexplate.

 

[JL Rockies]

Only under power, no noise coasting that I can hear.


Utah Bureau of Awesomeness Department.

 

[JL Rockies]

I removed the VatoZone CV axle on the pass side and replaced with the Toyota part. The axle was only being held together by the boot. It super-suct getting it out of the front diff.



Unfortunately, the noise that alerted me there was a problem, still persists. So I fixed A problem, but not THE problem. Hecka lame.

Next weekend, I'll remove the rear driveshaft as recommended.


Utah Bureau of Awesomeness Department.

 

[JL Rockies]

I also noticed some play in the upper ball joint. How hard is that to replace?


Utah Bureau of Awesomeness Department.

 

[Kevin B.]

Upper ball joint is a press fit in the arm.

 

[JL Rockies]

https://vimeo.com/154634063

I lifted one side of the truck and turned the driveshaft by hand. Clicking seems to be coming from the tcase. There's also play at the connection but I'm not sure what's normal.


Utah Bureau of Awesomeness Department.

 

[JL Rockies]

I put the rear wheels on stands today and put the Trans in drive. The sound I'm hearing is definitely coming from the t-case / drive shaft area. It sounds just like when I had the double cardan joint rebuilt back in 2011.

Click to see video.

https://vimeo.com/155438463


Utah Bureau of Awesomeness Department.

 

[I Lean]

I put the rear wheels on stands today and put the Trans in drive. The sound I'm hearing is definitely coming from the t-case / drive shaft area. It sounds just like when I had the double cardan joint rebuilt back in 2011.

Have you done this yet?

Pull One shaft at a time and drive... No noise, you've found the culprit.

Pull that rear driveshaft and drive around in front-wheel-drive. Or, if you pull the rear shaft and the CV feels rough/bindy or loose/sloppy, you know you've found what you're looking for.

 

[sixstringsteve]

did you grease ALL the zerks? There are a couple hidden ones in there. I had a similar issue on my tacoma, and I had missed a zerk.

 

[JL Rockies]

There's that one in the middle that's impossible to get to. The issue could've been there for a year or more. When I moved to FL? The muffler rusted out and I'd never hear it. New muffler was put on last month.


Utah Bureau of Awesomeness Department.

 

[sixstringsteve]

get to it. Think back on the golden days, building cars for fast n furious, and how you had to get your bloody little fingers behind those dashboards for the underglow kit. Summon your inner chuck norris.

 

[JL Rockies]

Ok, after Triple S shamed me into it, I jammed my grease gun onto that impossible zerk and pumped away. Noise is gone.

Please go about your offroad business.


Utah Bureau of Awesomeness Department.

 

[sixstringsteve]

attaboy. Glad it was a simple, cheap fix.

 

[I Lean]

That is good, but it's also very likely not "fixed", just quieted down for now. That much noise means stuff is worn, and you've filled the gaps with grease...for now. If you don't have a spare CV, start looking for another one now so it can be replaced later.

 

[JL Rockies]

The noise came back.

Lame


Utah Bureau of Awesomeness Department.