DupermanDave

Boulder is bad luck for toyotas i guess. I broke down there a few weeks ago when my alternator suddenly died. Went to go to the mall to find me a food import shop, and I got stranded at the gas station.

94svt50

Im thinking U-joint. It just sounds like is from oneside or the other because your hearing the noise through an open window. Its got to be the number one thing that goes klunk under off and on load. Hop under there and give it a wiggle, easy check.

tc

x2 - the more I read, the more that's what I was thinking (probably the rear one at the diff). You really need to PRY on it and see if it moves AT ALL. The easier test would be to drop the rear driveshaft, lock the front hubs, put it in 4HI and drive in front wheel drive. If the sound goes away, then it's definitely the ujoint, if the noise is still there, it's gotta be something in the axle.

You could drive home in front wheel drive, just be warned that the truck drives differently this way!

terrybo3

Wow...I wanted to offer some help, Clint, but all these guys on Yotatech have beat me to it! What a great website with a great bunch of guys (and gals)!! I had a similar issue with my '95 4Runner...it ended up being the u-joints in the driveshaft. Try what TC said, at least try to move the rear driveshaft. If there's any movement or slack in the u-joint, it's pretty easy to see and a fairly easy job if you have a big vise or some sort of press. Good luck to you!!!

Lysmachia

Yeah but does a bad u-joint make the truck nearly undriveable?

Lumpy

I have not had a U-joint go on a rear shaft, it went on the front, 80 Bronco. Made one hell of a racket and undriveable in 4wd...So I suppose the same would go for the rear.

94svt50

Maybe, depends on what "undrivable" really means. I have had the u-joint closest to rear go and it can make things nearly undrivable. Really bad vibes underload that get worse as the u-joint further degrades.

iamsuperbleeder

soooooo, what's the prognosis?

eastwood440

okay folks here is the prog nog. I changed the axel/wheel bearing assembly from jim yota yard in denver. MAN do they have a a TTOONN of stuff, but i just bought the axel and such. changed it and..... NO CHANGE!!! tomorrow morning I will changed the one I had on the driver rear (which is good) to the passenger rear) ALSO when I pulled the magnetic drain plug from the rear it has about a dime sized ball of shavings and that is a ton. There were filing all throughout the rear fluid. I am starting the think I stripped a ring/pinion. looks like i need a new basket :-( All the yards are closed tomorrow and I'm supposed to be back in lawrence on monday... Anyone know if anyone here local might have a complete rear end for a decent price? The guy jim gave me a quote of 250 for a complete rear. I didn't get it because I didnt wanna spend the $ if I didn't have to, but now im kickin my own butt... any ideas folks?

jjrgr21

i had a u-joint pop on me on a trip to the in-laws, sounded just like this, and yes it's nearly undrivable.

check the u-joint, if the core is still there you'll be able to drive but only just and it will eventually go, and take other stuff with it.

tc

That amount of stuff on the magnet is pretty normal actually.

Sounds like you need to check the u-joint before spending any more money chasing after a mystery rear axle problem.

iamsuperbleeder

X's 2

personally, that would have been the FIRST thing I checked... I just suggested swapping axel assymbelies if you diagnos the bearing as the problem...

eastwood440

they don't seem to have much play, but I will replace the u joints and bolts tomorrow since those are cheap an I can get them soon, I really appreciate all the help. I will be back on around 11a.m. hopefully with some more info. thanks
-Clint

iamsuperbleeder

once you get the u-joint removed, try to turn the flange on the diff while the tires are on the ground

see how much play it has in it

if you've got close to or more a quarter of a turn of free play before the gears grab, then you MAY be looking a gear issues


good luck, and let us know what you find

jdshiver

OK now you got us all woried about if you got it going or not. This reads like a soap opra. THE FOLKS ON THIS FORUM ARE THE BEST. Don't leave us hanging. We all are wishing we could run up their and help you.

eastwood440

haha well as light hearted as you all are the situation has taken a dump on me. Today I had my older brother drive the truck very slowly so I could look underneath while it was moving. arg... the drive shaft makes about a 3/4 turn then SLAMS the next 1/4 turn. I don't know if it is the ring or pinion, but reagardless I am obviously missing teeth. I found a local guy here who has a center section for $175. The wheel bearings are good. Ujoints replaced. problem/noise is coming form the rear diff, so hopefully I'll change that and it'll all be better. thanks for all the help. any write ups on how to change the center section?

iamsuperbleeder

well, the beauty of the Toy and their 3rd members, is that it takes no special tools to swap the whole gear set

just unbolt the U-joint flange from the diff, drain the fluid, slide the axels out a bit (this is the important part; you HAVE to pull the axels out about 4 or 5 inches to the shafts slide out of the spider gears so that the gearing can pull out), remove the housing bolts, and slide the old one out!

then slide the replacement in with a new gasket and/or some RTV between them, put all the bolts back, put the axels back in, bolt the U-joint flange back to the diff, fill er back up with fluid, and you're golden


if you need any more help on the situation, just post any questions; as you can see, the YT community here is pretty quick to respond with helpful info


let us know how it goes!


oh, and we need some pictures already

eastwood440

okay slight change of plans. Guy i talked to has a whole rear for 200. its out of a 1987 4 runner 4x4. will that fit a 1991 pickup 4x4? thanks guys

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

it should just drop right in. Make sure that the donor third member gear ratio matches your stock ratio (count ring gear teeth and divide by pinion teeth count). It would suck to put it in 4x4 and find it doesn't match.

Grenading a third sucks..I think I drove from Fairbanks to Anchorage with out a rear driveshaft just to get home a long time ago...

Good luck! Good thing you got internet access and Jim's was open on a holiday weekend..hope and pray the rest of the trip home goes good

tc

If you can get to our place in Longmont tomorrow, we will be here ...

You don't need the whole axle, just the third. If you have to buy the whole thing so be it, but no reason to swap the whole axle, just the thirds.