4runner highway handling

I've been considering Polyurethane track rod bushings.

8.7105 Rear Track Rod Bushings

I did the polyurethane swaybar and end link bushing upgrade a few months ago and did notice a small improvement in tracking on the highway. But I think it can be better, I've driven other trucks, some better and some worse then the 4runner, they all do it to some extent but I'm sure it can be improved.
 
Hi Guys

I hope it's ok to resurrect this old thread, I've run out of search options and the OP describes my issues with my new, used 4 Runner to a T.

I just purchased my 7th 4Runner, it's a used 2008 Limited V6 with 4WD and XREAS installed. The truck has about 43k miles on it. It had an original set of Michelin's installed on it the first time I saw it at the dealers, before the vehicle had been prepped for resale, these original tires had some unusual outside edge wear, the best I can describe it is very heavy duty feathering on the outside edge of all 4 tires.

I had the dealer install some new LT Michelin MS 2's on it since my previous 3 rd Generation Sport did so well with the original version of the LT Michelin MS tires. I also asked them to check alignment due to the condition of and my concern regarding the previous tires, which they did.

Compared to my other 4 Runners this one wanders at highway speeds especially if the road surface is uneven which is common on many of Colorado's Hiways. Last night coming into town with about 400 pounds of cargo in the back it was tracking pretty straight and true on the smooth I70 downhill into Denver at 70-80 mph. Yet on two lane, frost heaved, hi-ways in western Colorado it feels like it's floating and wandering all over the road, requiring constant attention and correction at speeds of 55-75 mph....75 mph being on the hi end as the vehicle feels very unstable. Cornering and any irregular road surface just adds to the unstable ride. I'm exaggerating a bit but my old 3rd Generation Sport handled these same roads like a sports car by comparison.

On good dirt backroads with a bit of washboard the new Limited handles well at speeds up to 40 mph, smooth ride and stable.

I've had this new truck aligned by the dealer 2 times now, Caster is set at 3.0 and 3.1, Camber is -0.3 and -0.2, Toe is .03 and .04. I've tried adjusting the tires from 30-34 psi.

Any ideas on what might be going on here and how to get a more stable hiway ride?
 
Jitterbug said:
Last night coming into town with about 400 pounds of cargo in the back it was tracking pretty straight and true on the smooth I70 downhill into Denver at 70-80 mph. Yet on two lane, frost heaved, hi-ways in western Colorado it feels like it's floating and wandering all over the road, requiring constant attention and correction at speeds of 55-75 mph....75 mph being on the hi end as the vehicle feels very unstable. Cornering and any irregular road surface just adds to the unstable ride. I'm exaggerating a bit but my old 3rd Generation Sport handled these same roads like a sports car by comparison.

I've had this new truck aligned by the dealer 2 times now, Caster is set at 3.0 and 3.1, Camber is -0.3 and -0.2, Toe is .03 and .04. I've tried adjusting the tires from 30-34 psi.

Any ideas on what might be going on here and how to get a more stable hiway ride?
Click to expand...

Your alignment numbers seen fine, although I would try and have the camber set to 0.0 for both sides. It's possible that your suspension could be worn down a bit, from just switching out the shocks I felt much better cornering response on my 4Runner.

But I wouldn't expect any drastic difference, and I wouldn't expect most SUVs to feel perfectly stable cornering at 75mph especially on frosty roads.
 
I wouldn't go for zero camber, you need at least a little bit due to the tire deformation when cornering, especially up front.

It could be some suspension wear like a ball joint or tie rod (inner/outer). I've replaced ball joints and tie rods on tons of cars, and if they have any sort of miles on them it usually firms everything up and makes the vehicle feel more stable. The feathering is probably just a sign it was driven a bit harder than the average 4Runner. The low camber angle means you tear up the outside of the tires with even moderately aggressive cornering.
 
I keep mine at zero camber. The double wishbone actually becomes mor negative as more load is put on it. If you want the truck to track straighter you want more positive caster. If you wanted to feel like you need less corrections as you drive add more total toe.
 
Thanks guys...keep it coming.

I'm thinking of taking it over to Arvada West Auto repair and have them take a look at it, especially the tie rods and ball joints.

I have talked with the owner and he suggested I take it back to the dealer for another alignment and get the printout which I have done. The next stop will be to take a ride with him and have him look things over.

Truck & Auto Repair Arvada CO, Colorado,Truck, Transmission, Mechanic, Service

Or if anyone can recommend a good local shop please do so, I'm in metro Denver and willing to travel a bit to have it done right.

Out of my seven 4Runners since 1987, this one is my first used purchase and my first 4th Gen, so I'm a bit disappointed with the highway handling, especially since each previous generation has been better then the last. My old 3rd generation Sport handled much better at highway speeds.

This one is Certified and I'm hoping that might count for something if there are any issues with the truck, it only has 42k miles on it.

Man I hate to think the truck was abused, the Carfax looked good and overall the condition appears to be good, other then the "feathered tires" on the surface it looked good from what I could tell. I probably should have had an independent inspection done on it before the purchase, but it's too late for that now. Live and learn, I should have known better, but haven't purchased used in almost 30 years and had a brain fart.

Thanks again for the help on this.
 
I bought my 2003 V8 Sport 4x4 with 60k miles, and now it is up 157k. It has always been a pleasure to drive on the highway, tracking straight and true.
 
My 4Runner tracks nice and straight on the highway, even with some wind. It does pitch around a lot with the right frequency of small bumps, but I attribute that to my likely dead XREAS at 81k miles.
 
I just installed FJ springs with the 1" Daystar spacer (2" lift) and had Schwab align it. They know me there are always nice but he didn't even try to change the castor, even though it appeared in red on his report (Left 2.4 degrees and right side 2.0 degrees). Is this close enough?
It definitely pulls left on the highway now, camber is at .1 left, .3 right. Toe is at .03 left, .01 right. It's also wandering a bit, I was really trying to figure out if it's just wind or if the tires are wearing in to the new specs.
If it stays this way, I can't daily drive it for 20K+ like I need too. I know if I go back they'll take another look but I hate to be "that guy".
Why didn't he touch castor when it was "red" on the printout?
It drove like a dream when it was stock, curse me for messing with a good thing!
 
ktom3001 said:
I just installed FJ springs with the 1" Daystar spacer (2" lift) and had Schwab align it. They know me there are always nice but he didn't even try to change the castor, even though it appeared in red on his report (Left 2.4 degrees and right side 2.0 degrees). Is this close enough?
It definitely pulls left on the highway now, camber is at .1 left, .3 right. Toe is at .03 left, .01 right. It's also wandering a bit, I was really trying to figure out if it's just wind or if the tires are wearing in to the new specs.
If it stays this way, I can't daily drive it for 20K+ like I need too. I know if I go back they'll take another look but I hate to be "that guy".
Why didn't he touch castor when it was "red" on the printout?
It drove like a dream when it was stock, curse me for messing with a good thing!
Click to expand...
Be that guy. They f'd up.
I'm going through nearly the exact same thing
 
ktom3001 said:
I just installed FJ springs with the 1" Daystar spacer (2" lift) and had Schwab align it. They know me there are always nice but he didn't even try to change the castor, even though it appeared in red on his report (Left 2.4 degrees and right side 2.0 degrees). Is this close enough?
It definitely pulls left on the highway now, camber is at .1 left, .3 right. Toe is at .03 left, .01 right. It's also wandering a bit, I was really trying to figure out if it's just wind or if the tires are wearing in to the new specs.
If it stays this way, I can't daily drive it for 20K+ like I need too. I know if I go back they'll take another look but I hate to be "that guy".
Why didn't he touch castor when it was "red" on the printout?
It drove like a dream when it was stock, curse me for messing with a good thing!
Click to expand...

I've had some of this too. What worked:
- inner and outer tier rods
- tire pressures at 35-37 cold
- good shocks/springs to control nose bounce.
- good alignment: 3.5 caster, 0 toe, 0 camber or as close as you can get. While you can allegedly get these specs with stock UCAs, it's not possible when the lower adjusters are half frozen, bolts bent, etc. the new LR UCAs helped alot..alot.

I struggled with losing good handling after lifts and this brought it all back, it's a breeze to drive now at all speeds.
 
2008 SE V8 4WD, Michelin tires. Mine tracks great on the highway, even at 85 mph, thru sweeping highway curves, all conditons. Never ever a problem.

Before this, I had a 2009 V6 4WD, same handling -- beautiful, nice tracking at all speeds, all conditions.
 
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