deadduckky

Allright now my 4runner (1990 v6 4x4 Auto) is vibrating really bad when I reach speeds approximately 20 mph and faster. It doesn't pull left or right just vibrates when I excellerate at that speed and even when I let off sometimes if gets worse!! When it's in park and I rev it, it does not shake/vibrate. My guess is a engine mount or tranny mount may be bad after looking at some other posts on there. Or possibly the drive shaft is sloppy??? I don't know but it usually only does this when I get over 20mph or at least noticably. What does everyone else think? How do I go about checking the mounts and drive shaft? I appreciate all the help!!

mattscout

Check ujoints by grabbing the shaft near the joint and seeing if it has any radial deflection. Jack up the truck and spin all 4wheels by hand to see if there is any drag or abnormal movement. When is the last time you serviced front wheel bearings? Could also be a bad/unbalanced tire. See if you can isolate front or rear and start there.

904_runner

Check the u-joints, when was the last time they were greased?

deadduckky

Not sure, i've had the truck less than a year. How much play is allowable if any?? I'll grab the grease gun and grease em tomarrow and take a look...
thanks

deadduckky

Well it looks like the rear is definately shot. I greased it and it seems better (only drove home from work then to NAPA to get a new one) and I plan on repacing it this afternoon. Looked at Popular Mechanics and they have a nice article on how to do it..... http://www.popularmechanics.com/how_...e/1272541.html

I'll let everyone know how it turns out!!

deadduckky

Well....not so easy as I thought it would be. I removed the 4 bolts holding it to the rear differential and got a vice with a smaller socket and a larger one and tried to force it out but it (U joint) won't budge...I spray wd-40 on it and also have a torch I could try heating it and trying again... Any other ideas? There does not appear to be any c-clips on it...correct?

V8_Aristo

There should be clips there. Clean up the grease and look where the joint meets the flange and drive shaft on the inside. I also just replaced mine and it's not as easy as how it sounds, but doable.

deadduckky

You are right, they were on there. I managed to remove the one connected to the drive shaft but can't get the other one off. I might have to take it in to get pressed out but before I do that I may try taking a hack saw to it in two spots then try pounding it out so i'm only fighting one side at a time

Matt16

After you remove one, you've got to smack the cross (the cross shaped bit in the centre of th u joint over to the side that you just took the snap ring off. RIght now it is pinched in between the yoke and the cross, and its not going to come out easy. The snap ring should rotate fairly freely once this is done. Take two small screw-drivers (or punched etc) and pop the snap ring off.

Look in the Factory Service Manual link at the top of the board. It shows how you can pound the cross through the yoke, then grab the bearing cup (actual name???) with a vice, then smack the whole joint away from the vice, and the cap just pops off. On one side of the U joint, there is a hole were you removed the zerk (grease fitting). You can stick an old drill bit, or thick nail through there and pound out one of the caps that way.

Plumbrbob

I was changing out my u-joint recently and I had the drive line locked in my vice wrestling the bugger U-joint with a C-clamp and socket.
On my work bench a tie rod puller that I recently bought looked like a perfect match and it was! It pressed the u-joint in perfectly with ease to remove the c-clips, It was so easy I wish I would of known about this a long time ago.

OH I did still needed to use the socket as a spacer. Otherwise the tool would bottom out.

deadduckky

Thanks for the ideas everyone!! I did manage to get it out but had to cut the u-joint in half with an angle grinder. Then I was able to pop it all out and put the new one in.

thanks!