96 4 Runner- Sways/Drifts Slightly to the Left

[ty7466]

Hello!
this is my first post and just ahead of time I want to thank you guys for all your help in the past i have used this forum alot. So my moms 96 4 runner Sways or kind of Drifts Slightly to the Left when you are coasting/right after you accelerate at really any speed higher then 30MPH+. I looked under here car so her driver side front sway bar was broken and I replaced it but it still is doing the drifting/swaying. I here metal to metal clink when going over bumps and i dont know if thats related or not. After changing the sway bar I took it for a test drive and noticed when i was done that the engine was smoking slightly on the passenger side next to a pipe.

shes needs a oil change pretty bad could that cause swaying?

Im not sure now what to do!

Thank you guys!!

 

[sterbenlicht]

I would look at the tires, the tire wear, and brake pad thickness. A sticking brake part such as a caliper or pin can cause drag and even smoking on that side. If that's the case, fix it quickly because it'll destroy the brake system if the fluid gets hot enough to boil. Which in the case of stuck calipers, it sometimes does. If that's the case, you'll likely see a big difference in the amount of wear from an inner pad to an outer pad, or from the left pads to the right pads rather than relatively even wear across all four front pads. Some variation is normal, but nothing drastic or there's an issue.

It could be a number of things though. I would check the condition of tires, potentially swapping front left to the right and front right to the left. It could be an alignment issue. An alignment won't help you very much if other suspension parts are worn out though. Lift the front and shake the wheel from side to side and up and down. see if there is any play in the wheel. If so, is it from the tie rods, or from the bearing, or even from the bushing holding the passenger side of the steering rack? Are the shocks in good condition? When you push down on the corner of the truck and let go, does the truck bounce a few times up and down or does it pretty much immediately go back to resting position?

I don't think the overdue oil change has anything to do with anything other than potentially being the cause of the smoke if it's leaking oil onto something hot. As for the swaying and drifting, I'd check the things above. Good move by fixing the sway bar too, always fix the obvious first. I hope you figure some things out with it.

 

[5vzT4R]

Either alignment or steering rack bushings are shot. No oil change won't effect anything besides a burnt engine. The smoke next to a pipe? Probably a exhaust leak. The rattle? Could be anything, get under there and start checking for loose parts (exhaust, sway bar, heat shields ect.)

I would take these steps in this order,

1. Change the oil ASAP.
2. Check the tires for uneven wear.
3. Crawl under there and check the steering rack bushings.
4. Get the alignment checked.