i have an 84 4runner. on the rear axle there is a bar that goes from the frame to the axle. looks like a track bar. only it's about a quarter inch in diameter. what is that for? and do i need it on there?

 

I would say if it's not the chunk vent, it's the parking brake cables. That is if it is 1/4th an inch. it could also be a hydraulic brake line. If you ment 1 1/4 inches, then it may be a track bar.

 

if your talking about the thing with the arrows in the pic

then its your brake load sensing valve thing, the more weight thats in your truck it pushes the back of your truck down, that bar senses that and makes your rear brakes brake better, im sure someone can explain it better.

 

Yeah, what he said

It is designed so that when you don't have a load in your truck, the rear brakes won't lock up under heavy braking (or so it is suppossed to work). When you do have a lot of weight, it allows more braking force to the rear wheels.

 

thanks a lot guys. i think i'll leave that on there, although it prolly doesn't work oh well

 

yeah, they aren't the greatest design. you can replace them with an adjustable proportioning valve, but you lose your effectiveness with a heavy load. however, all i've ever noticed when hauling stuff is that my brake pedal is mushier