Firefyter-Emt

What the heck is it with technicians these days?? I have had my 4Runner at a local shop for the last week.. Last Wed. I suddenly had a "vibration" develop suddenly. It was just like changing pavement surfaces. It felt almost like I was in 4WD. Heck, it was enough to rattle my change in the console. So I thought that my bad wheel bearing had given up the ghost, so I pulled over broke out the hi-lift and checked it out. It felt as good as it can be given it's condition.. So on the way home from my run, I leave it with the repair shop (I was 40 miles away) But on the way there, it went away just as quick as it started. But I decide to leave it anyway. Then yester day,a week later, he said it is done, so I go to pick it up. When I get there he said "all he found was some moisture in the dist. cap". Well due to rain expected today, I take my 4Runner for work instead of the Jeep.. Well dangit if it is not still there! So I get home and looked at it, well when I went to back it up I hear a "squeak, squeak, squeak... Hmmm, I think, that sounds like a U-joint.. Sure enough, you could tell it was shot by LOOKING at it!!! There is a metal seal that looks very much like a axle seal, and it is just burnt and twisted around the u-joint ! On top of that it was loose as all hell!! Now they seemed just fine 1700 miles ago when I greased them??

Gee.. good diagnostics buddy!!! Who would thought to look at the drive shaft for a sudden vibration!!!

So long story short, I got a new $75 Toyota u-joint at my "good buddy" discount, for $35 and I have a new favorite axle shop that pressed it for $10. (I could not get it to budge with a vice)

Am I just plauged by freaking morons or what?? PS, none of my "repair woes" have been done by the same people..

4x4CPOSEADOG

Lee,

You need to get to the chat to vent this thing out. There's a lot of professionals in there right now.

Noel

jimrockford

I've been through the same crap with mechanics over the past year. It seems like they've been trained to replace parts, but not to diagnose which parts need to be replaced. For $65-$75 an hour, I would expect a little better.

Firefyter-Emt

Hell, if they replaced something that would be one thing.. but after a week all they did was blow some condensation out of the cap??!!! The joint was so bad it had already worn a grove into the cross yoke itself!! That is the problem with mud tires.. Hard to tell if stuff like that is on it's way out.. But seriously, When you look at the drive shaft at the u-joint, and the whole area has a fine black powder on if from all the needle bearings being chewed up.. I mean, come awn!!