GV27

Hi all,

As some of you know I'm working on buying a 2nd gen. 4Runner in the near future. I've test-driven a couple and have a question.

On both of them, in a dirt lot, in 4wd (hi or lo) when I cranked the wheel all the way over to drive in a tight circle I got quite a bit of clanking from the inside front area. I'm totally new to 4Runners but every 4x4 I've ever driven has had a tendancy to fight itself and make a bit of noise in that situation. So I'm thinking it's probably normal. Is it?

If not, what's probably the problem? CV joint? Auto-lock hub?

Thanks,

Chris

Victor

CV's are typically noisier at full lock in reverse. If the boots are good then you don't have anything to worry about. 2nd gens have steering stops on the lower a-arms. There are corresponding bolts that rub on these on the spindle. A dab of grease on the heads of those bolts fixes the problem right up.

supascout

Yup, I hate that noise! It makes people look at you funny!

_t

GV27

Yeah, I drove a couple more and they both did it. So far all 4 I've driven did the exact same thing. Must be normal - my luck's not THAT bad.

It's been a while since I drove a real 4x4 (some people think my AWD Subaru counts. Flatlanders....... ) and had forgotten - though the 4Runner seems noisier than most. I took the first one I drove back to the dealership and told them it was broken! Well, I guess that's what they get for advertising a 4-cylinder base model as a V6 SR5! Dealership Gomers.....

They do it sometimes in 2wd as well, it seems. Though the one I drove this afternoon took driving 2 full circles w/ the wheel hard to port! Is that "normal"?

C

Victor

The CV's are still turning if the truck has ADD. I think that adds a few vibrations up front which causes that bolt to rub up and down on its stop more. just a guess tho.

Mine are a lot quieter since going to manual hubs.

midiwall

Mine's done it since it was new...

I've always been told that it's just the nature of the CV's. You're trying to spin the wheels in a plane parallel to the drive train, but the wheels themselves are turned at quite an angle away from parallel. It's a lot of force.

If you have a socket set with a "knuckle" (a universal joint, like this), get it out and look at it, the CV's are basically the same mechanism. Hold the knuckle so the whole thing is straight, and spin it around it's centerline. Now "bend" the knuckle at the joints and keep trying to turn it around it's centerline. It gets harder to do as you bend the knuckle more.

Victor

That knuckle comparison is good for regular U-joints but CV-s are 2 rings with ball bearings between them. Allows for a lot more movement without vibrations.

GV27

Ahh....that sounds like another good reason to go to manual hubs. Less wear on the CVs even if you don't lift the truck at all, right?

And thanks Mark - I know how they work but that is an excellent example for everyone else. Nothing like being able to see and play with a similar part.

Chris

midiwall

Oh crap... you're right of course...

never mind.

GV27

But the principle is still the same even though the mechanism isn't identical. It still gives you an idea of how the joint fights itself at high angles. For most the exact details aren't important right away but rather getting their head around the concept.

C

Bundubasher

Yep - these are the stop locks. Normally they have a plastic cap (STOP LOCK CAP: two each side) but they tend to wear through and that's when the "cranking" noise occurs. Either buy new ones or use the ol' dab'o'grease solution.