This is getting pretty frustrating, I just posted about the alarming pinging and now I've got another new sound that is also alarming.

So when I'm driving now, I can feel these tiny almost like bumps or stutters and the brake and gas pedals. Wasn't sure if I was hearing it, maybe, hard to tell. So today I jacked up the front to give the wheels a spin by hand and both front wheels are making what I can only describe as some kind of a metallic tapping/ratcheting, or maybe like a metal chain sound jingling sound.

Both wheels make the same sound; did the bearings both give out at the same time? I don't see anything loose at a glance but I can't get on the creeper with my messes up neck hardly anymore.

VID_20230324_105230.mp4 - Google Drive

I feel you, it's NEVER one thing that goes wrong with my 4Runner - it's almost always 2 or 3 completely unrelated things happening at once.
I'm not very convinced it's coming from your wheel bearings, to me it sounds like two parts faintly contacting. I would suspect something around the brakes or CVs personally, a couple years ago I heard this very dull groaning out of nowhere that ended up being some piece of bark that got picked up in my wheel and wedged perfectly between the caliper and rotor. As far as faulty parts go I would highly suspect CVs first and foremost, I've never heard bearings clink with such little input unless they completely toast to begin with. But CVs love to clink and ratchet when they start going out. If you really want to you could take off the hub and spin it just to rule it out, its not horribly difficult to dismantle. All just my two cents.
I'm assuming the noise increases with speed? Does it get louder when turning/cornering?

Check your dust shields and your spring hardware.

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Man it's frustrating as hell, nothing for months and then bam two alarming items... Well, I still love her so it's alright.

Okay well I hope it isn't the bearings as I've read that the process for those is not fun... You know, thinking more about it I wonder if it is something related to the TBU. I've had very long pedal travel since the upgrade but it always stops. And I REALLY hope it isn't the CV's because those damn things are not even 2 years old... Though seeing as how new OEM ones are from China maybe they do suck...

Anyway, so you mean take off the tire and give her a spin? I think based on brillo's message it might be good for me to get down to the calipers and see if anything is astray.

So the noise doesn't seem to react to speed from what I can tell. I "feel" it in the pedals when moving slow and braking but barely when driving. Maybe a little bit?

The springs that push the calipers out? I guess I need to check out the brakes in general. Maybe something came loose.

I feel better knowing it might not be bearings

Could be the springs. A backing plate on a brake shoe. The clips shifted in the caliper slots. That's a slight metal rubbing metal sound.

I don't think it's your wheel bearings..

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After doing some more research... Do you guys think this is the front diff and/or needle bearings?

So dust shields and brake hardware is A-OK?

First two times I heard it I thought it was a morning dove, LOL.

It sure is high pitched, rapid compared to wheel rotation and very concentrated in one part of the 360degree turn of the wheel. hmmm there is something odd about that noise.

Lol, yeah I wish I had some kind of dedicated microphone or something.

As far as I can tell they look okay, and the shop that did the fluid changes said they didn't see anything either but also agreed that they could hear the sound.

See when I'm driving, it's not absolutely constant, but a lot of the times I can feel these odd vibrations in the pedals. It's definitely something new. The other thing is that occasionally when turning out here what I would consider the sound of a popping bushing or something close to it.

That's why I was wondering if it might be those bearings in the front diff going bad? Maybe the popping is the CV moving?

Although it does not go away when I put it in four-wheel drive but I'm not sure if that's always a true test

Did you ever find out what the noise was?

Mine sounds pretty similar.

IMG_0045.MOV - Google Drive

I may have found out what it is.

My 4Runner sounded just like yours. The noise ended up being a loose cotter pin on the CV axel nut. It was loose enough to make that metallic noise as the wheel turned over. I just tightened it up with some pliers and the front end is silent once again!

I hope this helps!

For me it was a rusty dust shield.


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Dust shield or that snap on clip came loose that clips to the brake pad pins.. possible w spring broke and hitting things too.

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