93 sr5 4runner auto locking hubs making noise need help
 

Hello everyone I just bought my first 4runner its a 93 and it has the auto locking hubs my problem is that while driving in 2wd the left front hub makes a noise that sounds like the splines in the cv shaft is trying to inguage it sounds like the tire tread is rubbing aginst something but its not.Now when it dose this it dose it at all speeds some times i can roll down the window and here it at around 5mph then it goes away. I have put it in 4high when its making the noise and it seems to go away. The hub is the style that dosent have springs i was told it locks by vacume. This is all new to me. please help. Thanks

I don`t know anything about your style of front axle, but it sounds like it needs to be torn down and inspected, check the wheel bearings and all related parts.

Your year of 4runner should not have automatic hubs but rather flange drive hubs. Basically if you pull the plastic dust cover off and the wheel off there is 6 bolts on a flange that lock your drive axle to your wheel. Under the bronze looking cap there is a bolt and that bolt is threaded into your cv axle. If you remove the flange and look, there is no springs ect to engage it is strictly a plate of steel that makes it work.

If you want to elimiate constant turning of the tire from the cv you can replace the flanges with factory manuel hubs or some other manufacture like Warn or Mile Marker.

I would check the cv's for any rips or tears. Check your ball joints boots for tear. If you pull the center bolt out of the upper ball joint and put a zerk fitting in there you can add some grease.

I would also follow myyota's advise and say check your wheel bearing ect while your torn apart.

Try lifting the front end up with a jack and place on jack stands. Try rotating the tire by hand and look for anything that is making the noise your talking about. Maybe a rock stuck in your caliper ect.

Hope this gives you some direction

hello all thanks for the replys and yes I have already jacked up the front end and spun the tires and it felt fine the cv axles are only a few months old and the boots are in perfect condition when i took off the front left front tire and hu7b cap i noticed that the grease cap was missing so i thought it was the wheel bearings but nope cause i had them replaced and it still makes the noise it sounds like a tire rubbing aginst a fender but a metalic sound.i do not no why but when i am driving and it starts doing this i can put it in 4 hi and it goes away. And 85toyman u are correct it dose not have the auto hubs but what you said with the flange im guessing it locks from the diff?? im not sure. I am not familiar with this style of locking axle. Thanks for the tips and advise it is greatly appreciated.

Yes the front diff splines into the flange and then the flange applies torque to the wheel.

Do you have after market wheels on there that may be rubbing on the brake caliper? Just throwing stuff out there, sorry if you all ready looked at that. Maybe bushings on the control arms squeaking. Have you looked at those to see if they are still in good shape or need replacing.

I am at a loss as to why it goes away when shifted into 4hi. Most people have problems with the noises when they go into 4wd not have the problem go away.

Have you tried to rotate the cv's by hand to see if you may have gotten a bad remaned unit?

I will do some more thinking about it.

Did the noise start about the time you put in the new cv's? When I changed out mine, I didn't put any grease on the shaft where it goes through the hubs and I got what sounds like a similar noise. There's a bronze(I think) bushing in there the shaft rides on, and somehow, for some reason I don't know, the noise was reduced in 4wd. Could be that, if so search on here for "ifs spindle nut lubricator" or something like that for ideas how to grease it again.

ya it has after market rims but i checked that already too and thats not it either

I bought this 4runner with the new cv axles already in it but they turn freeley and dont make any noise at all when spining by hand. And ya throw out anything yall think it could be everything helps. So if i take the flanges off i can put manual locking hubs on it?? Its definently not a squeaking noise. Thanks everyone

Yes you can.

Is the steering at full-lock and is the suspension oscillating over a bump at the time?

no it dose it driving strait down the road and while turning and at all different speeds up to 75mph down to about 5 mph it is intermintent and seems to go away some times when i go over bumps.

Might be worn spindle bushings/bearings. That is the bushing inside the inner end of the front axle spindle that the CV axle passes through before attaching to the drive flange.

Hay everyone thanks for all of the info im ordering the bushing for the spindle hopefuly that is it I talked with a friend of a friend who is a mechanic for toyota and told him the story and he said it sounds like the bushing has worn out and that if the noise goes away when going from 2 to 4hi than its that bushing so im goin to replace it and i will let yall no how it goes thanks again

o ya what do i need to do and what do i need to get to change the front flange to manual locking hubs and does any one have any used hubs for sale. Thanks

I'm having the same noise. It all started when I replaced a broke cv. It makes the noise all the time in 2wd, In 4 high it only starts when coasting and rarely does it in 4 low. Iv replaced both wheel bearings breakes. If had the hub apart 15 different times. I'm completely stumped

Hello everyone. I’m experiencing exactly the same symptoms as the original poster and wondering if anyone can point me to the described part number (spindle bushings).

FWIW, I replaced the axle/cv joint after a hard impact destroyed the flanges on the wheel end about two years ago. My grinding noise came on rather suddenly after a few recent days mostly in 4wd with moderately deep snow conditions. I’m also finding tight turns in 4wd feel like a bad cv with stiffness and a little noise.

Any advice and input welcome, I’m about to step out and get it up on jack stands, hoping to be able to drive around town until I have a confirmed diagnosis and replacement parts. Thanks!

Lift the front tires off the ground and give them a spin and see if you can isolate where the noise is coming from. Maybe a CV boot tore, check those out as you spin the wheel around.

Thanks. I’ve finally been able to get it up onto Jack stands today.

I’ve found a torn cv boot on the side opposite of where the noise appears to be coming from, but no noise on either side when spinning the wheels in either direction.

I’ve also found what seems to be significant play in the steering linkage.

You might re-check spinning the front wheels but with the steering turned to the full lock in both directions. That'll put the CV joints at a greater angle. If you have manual hubs, make sure they're locked. If you have the ADD front axle disconnect, I think those have drive flanges in the hubs, so would spin the CV joints with the wheels.
On the steering linkage, try having someone slowly turn the steering wheel back and forth, with the front tires on the ground, just to the point before the tires move. Then follow down the steering linkage and find out where the motion stops. That will be the component where the majority of the play is.