CollinDaniel25

So here's the deal guys, Im in college Ive always been a jeep guy so Im new to the ifs and a few other things. I bought a 95 4runner a few weeks back after i flipped my xj and totaled it. Now to the issues, when im stopped such as in park or in drive (so long as Im not moving) theres a crunching sound when I turn and almost feels like steering is slipping however if the vehicle is in motion i do not hear the griding sound and the steering feels tight. My 4runner is due for the recall of the steering relay rod which I am getting done thursday not sure if it could have to do with that or not. The next issue Im experiencing is when ever Im going over 55 mph it feels like im driving over the rumble strips on the highway. Anything below 55 and its smooth as can be. I can barely feel it when im going 55 but the higher the speed the more progressive it gets. It does go away slightly if im giving it extra gas between 60 and 63 mph but anything over that it doesnt matter if im giving it gas or let off the gas it vibrates in the steering wheel heavily and shakes the vehicle and sounds like im driving over the rumble strips. This has been an ongoing issue since i first bought the vehicle the previous owner said that it was wheel bearings on the rear so I had both rear axle seals and wheel bearings done as both of the rear axle seals were leaking and the bearings were shot. Any help would be greatly appreciated! It is the v6 and is 4wd as well if that helps you guys any.

L5wolvesf

The rumble strip things kinda sounds like a wheel/tire out of balance.

CollinDaniel25

Well I was thinking the same thing so I got all my tires and wheels balanced and getting the rear axle seals as well as the wheel bearings done did make a little bit of a difference but it didn't solve it that's for sure. I have read on here through the forums about how toyota's have to be wheel balanced a certain way and Im not sure if my local shop did that but wouldn't I feel the out of balance at all speeds instead of only when I'm going over 55?

CollinDaniel25

Could it possibly be related to the steering relay rod thats under recall any of you guys think?

Nervo19

For the crunching when turning google "4Runner steering stops." There are nine million threads about them and I was going to link one for you but the photos were dead. My first 4Runner did this but current ones do not. You can grease the steering stops and Toyota sells a plastic "groan stopper" cap.

How old are your tires? The rumble sounds like a bad tire.

CollinDaniel25

steering stops...awesome thank you! as for the tires I got 2 used bfgs on the front (basically new had about 90 percent tread life left) from a shop that I went to for all my jeep stuff the rear tires were in good shape and matching bfgs (the po had been running 3 different brands of tires on it in total and i wanted them to all be matching so I got the ones for the front) and the shop said they were in good shape so I didn't mess with them since Im in college and on a budget. From everything Ive read through the forums it could be anything from ujoints to a torque converter going out to it being the whole rear differential being toast. I just dont understand why it drives so smooth around town but when I hit the highway the steering wheels shaking and theres the loud rumble strip sound. The rotors are warped I believe as well since it does shake when im getting off the interstate and applying the brakes. Not sure if that information helps at all.

CollinDaniel25

Update! I went and took a look underneath her and saw the rear u joint has rust on it. there was however no play in it which I find strange but definitely rust and corrosion. would anybody think I would be right in assuming this would be my issue at highway speeds?

CollinDaniel25

RJR

You can check the u-joints by blocking the front wheels, jacking up one rear wheel, putting the transmission in gear or in park, and then grabbing the lifted wheel and trying to rotate it. Watch and listen to the u-joints carefully as you do that. Bad joints will often show up with clicking and visible slop in the joint. Helps to have a buddy rotate the wheel while you watch. Also, don't be gentle with the wheel, put some muscle into it. You want to stress the drive shaft joints as much as possible.

At 65 mph, your drive shaft spins about 50 times/second, creating a low-pitched hum if it's out of balance or a joint is failing.(similar to a power-line hum in an audio system). Wheels, on the other hand, spin about 12 times/second, creating more of a rumble strip type of vibration.

As for as your steering noise goes, steering stops may be your problem (and they're certainly worth inspecting), but they create noise when you're moving over an uneven surface with your front wheels cranked to full lock. Your problem sounds different to me, more likely in the steering apparatus itself.

CollinDaniel25

RJR with the crunching noise it occurs before full lock even. but only when im stopped like say im backing out of a parking spot and trying to turn my wheels to get the right angle before I back out. Im hoping thats the steering relay rod thats under recall since it says they can crack common sense would say a cracked relay rod would make a crunching noise right? and what youre talking about with the wheels at 65 mph would you relate that more to a wheel being cracked or not running true or more of a tire issue like a belt having gone?

RJR

I don't know what the symptoms of a failed relay rod are. I had mine replaced about 8 years ago under the recall, but it wasn't causing any trouble at the time.

The vibration, if it's wheel-speed related, could be any of the things you mention. You might swap the wheels front to back to see if anything changes. A warped rotor could also cause some vibration if it's bad enough to cause the caliper to shift back and forth, even with the brakes released.

CollinDaniel25

I cant seem to find the symptoms of a failed relay rod no matter how much I google. guess well find out about that thursday Ill keep you guys updated on that. however from the pictures I posted and from feeling around on the rear u-joint it looks like the po never greased it and its covered in rust. sadly im at work until 11 tonight so i wont be able to jack it up and spin the tires. I was really wanting to knock this out myself but it looks like I may just have to wind up taking it to the shop.

CollinDaniel25

"NOTICE: An attentive driver might identify a bad universal joint in the propshaft by the vibration it creates in the car when driving at highway speed. It may vibrate more under light throttle, and vibrate less (maybe) when you take your foot off the go pedal."
Found this online basically describes exactly my issue so Im going to go with replacing it tommorow and let you guys know if that fixed it or not.

CollinDaniel25

Update! dropped it off at the shop and I feel like an idiot. the back right rear shock was busted in half split in two they said. I dont know how i mised it. Dodged a quick bullet though because apparently 3 bolts had fallen out of my front driveshaft as well and my powersteering belt was coming loose. 280 bucks later for new schocks, bolts and some labor.

CollinDaniel25

RJR you were on the money with it being tire related it was bouncing thanks to that busted shock thanks for the help all and not giving me too much crap for being new to all this! gotta love yota tech!

RJR

I'm glad you found the problem, and especially glad they noticed the missing drive shaft bolts. Have you been following this other thread? Seems to be an epidemic. Good idea to check those drive shaft bolts whenever you are under there doing an oil change or greasing the u-joints.
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...advice-300169/

CollinDaniel25

ya i saw that one and ive actually had it happen to me before. i had a 3rd gen and the whole drivetrain fell out after the u joint busted and some bolts came out all at once on the interstate. A little terrifying for a 16 year old. Thats actually why I went jeep instead of toyota for a few years. luckily they greased all the u joints and everythings looking good! now i need find a good solid offroad rear bumper for it and let the build begin!