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Any ideas on this clunking/popping noise?

Wasatch Rebel

Wasatch Rebel

Man of the mountains
Location
Middle of Nowhere
I'm really a novice at off-road vehicle repairs. Trying to get better though! Last Friday and Saturday I had to drive in to the Uintas on a really rocky road. When I came back out and got on the main road, I heard this popping/clunking type noise from underneath my 4runner. I took it to my mechanic yesterday and he said it was broken sway bar connectors, or something like that, so they replaced those. The thing is, as I drove it home, I heard the same sounds I was hearing before they fixed it. So, though the sway bar connectors may have been broken, something else is causing the noise I'm hearing. Any ideas on what it might be?
 
iamsparticus

iamsparticus

Take your Rig to the Edge
Location
Ogden,Ut
it could be a broken drive shaft u-joint or a CV joint thats cracked and poping, its hard to say id post up a recording of it
 
bryson

bryson

RME Resident Ninja
Supporting Member
Location
West Jordan
I'd check the rear trackbar... bad bushing or loose bolts could certainly cause annoying clunks. Even if the bolts look tight, put a wrench on them and make sure they are damn tight.
 
SLC97SR5

SLC97SR5

IDIesel
Location
Davis County
X2 for the rear panhard bar. The upper bolt came loose on my '97 several times. If you get under the runner and grab the bar while rocking it up and down it will become apparent. 17 or 19mm I believe. If the front struts came loose you need to address those ASAP as they are supporting the coilover and thus the front end of your Toyota. The broken swaybar endlinks are common and will break again unless upgraded.
There was also a TSB issued regarding greasing the rear driveline slipyoke to eliminate binding. That can be felt as a clunk when starting from a hard stop.
 
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sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
Here are a few questions to ask yourself when diagnosing vehicle problems:

- what behavior makes the symptoms worse?
- what behavior makes the symptoms go away?
- is the noise coming from the front or the back of the vehicle? Left or right side?
- does it happen when you're turning, or going straight?
- does it happen in neutral?
- does it happen when you're coasting, braking, or accelerating?
- does it happen on bumps only, or does it happen on smooth pavement as well?
- does it happen when the engine is running but the vehicle is in park?
- does it happen when the vehicle is rolling but the engine is off?


It's great to see you wanting to learn to fix your rig. The more time you spend under your rig, and the rigs of others, the more you'll learn what to look for. You'll know what looks normal and what doesn't look normal. We all had to start somewhere. Post up your results here.
 
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Wasatch Rebel

Wasatch Rebel

Man of the mountains
Location
Middle of Nowhere
sixstringsteve said:
Here are a few questions to ask yourself when diagnosing vehicle problems:
Click to expand...

- what behavior makes the symptoms worse? bumps in the road or rough surfaces
- what behavior makes the symptoms go away? smooth roads or stopping motion
- is the noise coming from the front or the back of the vehicle? Left or right side? Hard to tell while driving. I think it's coming from the front right side, but sometimes I think I hear it in the rear.
- does it happen when you're turning, or going straight? both
- does it happen in neutral? I'll have to check when I drive home from work
- does it happen when you're coasting, braking, or accelerating? same as previous question
- does it happen on bumps only, or does it happen on smooth pavement as well? I've only noticed in when my wheels hit a rough patch
- does it happen when the engine is running but the vehicle is in park? I have a manual trans
- does it happen when the vehicle is rolling but the engine is off? I'll have to see
 
sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
If it only happens on bumps or rough surfaces, it's most likely part of your suspension.


Definitely check the ball joints on your runner (part of the front suspension). I can't tell if these are the problem or not, but they're definitely the weak link in the 4runners and tacomas from '96-'04. My ball joints went out on my tacoma and I lost a wheel while driving and caused $7k in damage (I wish they would have totaled it instead of trying to fix it).
 
Justin Lake

Justin Lake

Member
Location
South Weber, UT
Get under your rig and look at things. Wiggle every moveable part up and down, left and right. Could be something as simple as a broken or loose exhaust hanger. If you cant find it that way, have someone push up and down on the bumpers while you look at shocks, track bar, bushings etc. The best way to learn is to get your hands dirty.
 
Wasatch Rebel

Wasatch Rebel

Man of the mountains
Location
Middle of Nowhere
Hey thanks everyone for all the fine tips. Just some additional info: the noise happens whether turning or going straight, when coasting, when accelerating, when braking, when engine is off. All of these when hitting rough spots in the road.
 
gorillaxj

gorillaxj

Always building hardly wheeling
Location
SLC
the advice above is good. those sway links are a very common failure. I have also seen the jam bolts come loose on the lower caster/camber adjusters from not being tightened enough after an alignment allowing the arm/bolt to pop into the frame over bumps, also is the skid plate tight? the bolts like to break and people don't mention it or secure the skid plate fully so it will bang around. Just a few things to check...

the rear track bar looks like this pic below, its the bar that is bolted to the axle on the left and goes right to the frame. From what I have seen the bolt on the frame side gets loose. but both can cause a noise. its the bar that looks kinda shiny black in the pics lol (pic was to big for page so its linked...) http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bLMQ-hqcxNI/S4NB5aBHviI/AAAAAAAAAWE/WYCe6mHFdgc/s1024/IMG_0480.JPG


I am pretty busy at night but if you can't locate it feel free to swing by my work and ill gladly give it a go(at no charge). I work at a Toyota dealer in sandy. pm if your interested, but don't run away from a good learning opertunity first! These 4runners are pretty simple once you get the hang of things. Good luck!
 
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Wasatch Rebel

Wasatch Rebel

Man of the mountains
Location
Middle of Nowhere
Thanks, gorilla. I appreciate the advice and the pic. I have some spare time tonight, so I'm going to check it out underneath and see if I can figure it our myself. If not, I may take you up on your offer.
 
sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
I'd say you'll be an accomplished mechanic in no-time, but those toyotas don't break enough for you to get enough experience fixing them. :D
 
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