Hi, there my 88 4runner v6 wich i have owned for about 4 years constantly breaks down. I have fixed just about everything that could possibly go wrong, although i guess it is 20 years old. So about 2 months ago i had just replaced all 4 ball joints (with the expensive ones), All new calipers, pads, disks, I had repacked the wheel bearings when i did the disks. I had put spacers on and needed to cut out alingment cams so all that is new as well. This is not to mention all the other work i had done at the same time. Now last weekend i took her out to the mountains camping and after driving the gravel loging roads for a full day, not even wheeling, I have a loud clunk when driving over even the littlest of bumps? Sounds kinda like the ball joints but i am unsure. I had jacked up the front end, tried to find play in the ball joints but im not really sure how to proporly do this, last time they were bad, it was easy to see the play by grabbing the wheel top and bottom and moving by hand. Oh and i tightened the lug nuts to rule this out. What the heck could this be? Im going on a long road trip in 2 weeks and need to figure this out. Thanks

 

wheel bearing might need repacking or a cv axle!!!
can you feel play if you grab wheel and shake when its jacked up?

 

No, no play but maybe im not doing it right? How can i test the cv axel, my boots have been torn for about 6 months. I didnt think a cv axel would make this sound? I thought they would only click when going round in a sharp turn?

 

yeah but also grinding too!!

when was the last time you packed your wheel bearings?

 

wheel bearings were packed 2 months ago, i have the proper socket from toyota and i torqued proporly as well.

 

check idler arm and sway bar.

 

Hey, just wanted to update, I found the noise, it is just the strut bushings. I guess on the dirt road the bushing had cracked and fallen completly off? There is nothing left. The struts were brand new in dec. I dont see how this could happen, but am relieved this is all it was as im a little stressed with all the vehicle repairs i am doing at the moment. Thanks to everyone who had replied.

 

By spacers, did you mean ball joint spacers?
If the bushings were gone that quick, check to make sure the struts are of the proper length and travel to work with your lift/spacer addon. It sounds like they may have been beaten to death.

 

yeah ball joint spacers, the struts are kyb and are new, when i got them they said they were good for up to 2" of lift? So anyways i was wondering if they sell aftermarket strut bushings for these? i was thinking maybe energy suspension poly?