yotasinthefamily

Hey everybody, I'm a noob here, so please go easy on me!

Tech question here:
I just bought my 99 4Runner as a daily driver until I can afford a newer Taco. Got a good deal knowing that it would need some front end work (I think).

Planning on doing tie rod ends and ball joints soon, including a full suspension overhaul (maybe). Struts on it are blue, does this mean they were changed out at some point?

Anyways, as the title suggests, since I bought it, it has made a funny clunk thing randomly right at the end of coming to a complete stop, basically I stop and then feel a clunk. Then, more often than not after being at a complete stop, right when I take my foot off the brake I can feel that same clunk. I feel it in the brake pedal, and on the shifting nob (V-6 Auto 4x4). Also when I put the car in park, the runner will slide back a bit, which is normal but then I can feel the car click and see the shifting nob click in to place.

Took it to my local auto shop who thought the rear brakes needed to be turned and they think that the clunk is from the parking brake not functioning (the pivots on both sides are seized up), and so the rear brakes aren't self adjusting like they should.

I think it is something else, but wanted to get your opinions.

As a side question, have any of you done the parking brake yourself? I am going to try hitting the pivots with PB Blaster to see if I can free them up, if not the dealership only wants 108 bucks for the whole cable and pivot assembly.

Thanks for your help in advance.

4Voigt's

try greasing the slip yoke in the rear drive shaft.

Texas_Ace

Yep, that should fix it. There are quite a few zerks on the driveshaft, make sure you get them all and they are full. Fixed the same issue on mine.

yotasinthefamily

So, what is the slip yoke and how do I grease it?

I haven't picked up a Haynes manual yet

Texas_Ace

Get the manual, it explains it in there.

It is on the driveshaft, Look at the universal joints on it and grease all the zerks, there are a few of them.

It took me quite a bit of grease to refill everything the first time as I don't think it had ever been done before. Do the front driveshaft as well.

yotasinthefamily

Awesome, thanks.

4runsport

Do you guys use a specific type of grease or recommend one over the other? About to tackle this myself because im pretty sure the stealership has never done it.

Texas_Ace

I got the red synthetic grease and it has worked fine since I have had the truck. I think it lists the specs of the grease to use in the BGB.

blake.nemitz

sound like loose ujoints to me, put it in neutral and see if you can feel any play

yotasinthefamily

I will crawl underneath tonight and check out the U-joints.

As a side note, I called the dealer where this truck was born and they have no service records, even though it was bought there and traded in there (one owner vehicle). Will carfax show me what has been done on it? Is there another way to find out what has been done to it?

Texas_Ace

Nope, don't worry about it either. Anytime I get a new to me car I just assume nothing has been done to it and do a complete tune up when I get it.

Go over the truck and check everything. Complete tuneup, do it ALL.

Also just grease it up, not gonna hurt anything.

yotasinthefamily

Going to pick up the grease gun and grease tomorrow. Will also pick up some replacement zerks just in case considering I am in the midwest and there is a fair amount of rust lovin going on down there.

As for the u joints, I blocked the wheels (My Ebrake pivots are rusted and seized) and felt for play. There was no side to side movement, I was able to turn the drive shaft a half turn each way. The front drive shaft turned free.
The U Joints look old but seem to otherwise be functioning. Is this normal?

Thanks

yotasinthefamily

UPDATE

So I got the grease gun and got underneath hitting 8 Zerks total with red synthetic grease. All the Zerks functioned like they should.

When I pumped the gun, I could hear air escaping from the cap on the Ujoints and only needed 2 to 3 pumps before I started to see just a touch of grease come out of the cap edges.

The Slip Yokes were a different story. The front slip yoke took 20 pumps or more before the yoke started to push out, the rear was the same, though the rear only took 15 to 20 pumps. I ended up stopping for fear that I was over filling the slip yoke zerks.

Now, the clunk has gone down in severity, it isn't nearly as pronounced, but now it seems like it is higher in frequency of occurrence. It is happening more when I initially brake, and just a little more when I take my foot off the brake from a stop.

So 2 questions: How do I know when the slip yoke is full or over full? Should I top them off tonight?

and

If this does not make it go away, Is it the E-Brake? Thanks

Texas_Ace

Yes, give the slip yokes some more. Took me over half a tube of grease to fill them up in my trucks case. I just kept pumping until the slip yoke stopped moving. When you drive any extra grease will get pushed out.

You need to push all of the air out of the system if it is that dry so overfilling it slightly may be needed. While not ideal it should not hurt it doing it once. Then just top it off on a yearly basis.

Might also hit the rest of the zerks again real quick while there now that they have broken in.

yotasinthefamily

Thanks so much for your help, I will hit them again tonight and send an update. Also as an FYI, I had no idea how many other threads there were on this same subject. Is there an admin we can ask to find a good one and do a sticky on it? Once I started searching the right terms, like slip yoke, Zerk, Clunk, Driveshaft I found multiple threads on multiple websites. I will take some pictures tonight to add to a possible sticky.

yotasinthefamily

Also, If this is such a common issue, shouldn't Toyota do something?

Texas_Ace

It is not an issue per se. It is a maintenance item that most people overlook. Just like transmission fluid, people hardly ever change it.

You are supposed to hit them with grease according to toyota every so many miles but no one ever does. So after 100k+ miles with no service, they will obviously dry out (well the grease will get pushed out).

locked fj80

try getting a friend to get in the car and put in drive while pressing the brake and while still holding the brake go between drive and reverse. while he,s doing this watch the driveshaft for alot of movement it should spin only about an 8th of a rotation.

BigBallsMcFalls

yeah Toyota did something awesome and put zerks everywhere so you can lube the hell out of the drivetrain.

the only problem is owners or service professionals not performing maintenance steps outlined in the
owners guides.

Texas_Ace

I wish they put more zerks actually, I hate not being able to grease the ball joints ect. Just the way they make cars now, they would rather you replace the part then extend the life.