TeryT
New member
I've never read or heard about anything like that on here. Fuel filter or computer would be my first two WAGs on this.
Drive shaft noise or U joint noise (LEXUS 4/06 TSB page 18) aka Driveshaft thump/bump
- Thread starter rorad
- Start date
BIGBLACKV8
New member
This happened again today!!
Has anyone experienced this?
I've called the dealer and i'm now waiting for a call back on how they want to proceed.
Has anyone experienced this?
I've called the dealer and i'm now waiting for a call back on how they want to proceed.
chaz
New member
bigblackv8, i think someone had this problem but it was awhile ago & i forgot how they solved it. id suggest investing in a scangauge 2, to see if you get any codes. also, while your waiting for the dealer, use some techron inject.cleaner, clean the MAF sensor , TB, etc. reset the ecu. it may be a bad coil, injector, or sensor problem.
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scottm
New member
Your accelerator pedal isn't connected to your engine like in the old days, it's got a position sensor on it that can go bad and cause this. A plugged fuel filter or failing fuel pump can also cause this. It's not likely anything specific to one cylinder like a plug, coil, injector, or it'd run rough instead of just slow. I don't know if you can open the throttle manually at the throttle-body like older cars, but if so, that would tell you if it's just a pedal sensor.
This is a thread about a mysterious "clunk" on 4th-gen 4Runners. You'd get better responses if you start a thread on this problem. It's always a good idea to describe your vehicle as well as the problem, including: year; miles; engine; modifications; previous problems.
chaz
New member
bigblackv8, maybe this link will help. Why Does My Engine Have Low Power Output?
BIGBLACKV8
New member
You're right.But My problem only happens following the clunk/thump when braking and then getting back on the gas. Almost as if it gears down slower then my truck physically slows down. It's as if the "thump/clunk" is so hard that it triggers a "safe mode" until I turn the truck off and let it sit for a few minutes.
It's a 2004 4Runner V8 Limited, 4x4, 118,xxx kms. I just bought it last Thursday from a Toyota dealer. When I called the dealer they, they seemed surprised and had never heard of this issue or anything like it. I'm suppose to bring it in for them to experience the problem and hopefully diagnose it, I'm just trying to get some time to drive the 45mins to the dealer that sold me it so they can have a look.
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BIGBLACKV8
New member
Just an update.
I brought it into the dealer yesterday, took the tech on a test drive, he felt the major thump/bangs, twice. His response was "wow, that's not normal".lol
After waiting about 1.5 hours, the service rep came and told me the problem was low transmission fluid and they had to "add 1/2 - 3/4 L of fluid and reset memory". Since I left the dealer i've been trying to get the thump to happen and fortunately the problem seems to be gone..fixed. It's running smooth. I'm not sure if what they told me was true, but whatever they did worked(for now).
One of my concerns now is, while I was driving with the tranny fluid low, what problems or damage could have occurred that may surface in the future?
I brought it into the dealer yesterday, took the tech on a test drive, he felt the major thump/bangs, twice. His response was "wow, that's not normal".lol
After waiting about 1.5 hours, the service rep came and told me the problem was low transmission fluid and they had to "add 1/2 - 3/4 L of fluid and reset memory". Since I left the dealer i've been trying to get the thump to happen and fortunately the problem seems to be gone..fixed. It's running smooth. I'm not sure if what they told me was true, but whatever they did worked(for now).
One of my concerns now is, while I was driving with the tranny fluid low, what problems or damage could have occurred that may surface in the future?
Best Explanation of Drivetrain Thump / Clunk I've Found
From a Tundra forum, but the problem appears to be common among Toyota vehicles:
"On the vast majority of Tundras that experience the thump or bump in the rear when you come to an abrupt stop, it is due to binding in the driveshaft slip yoke. When you come to an abrupt stop, the rear of the truck rises up and elongates the driveshaft (via the slip yoke) in the process. Once you come to a stop, the back of the truck settles back down and the driveshaft compresses. If the truck is in gear, there will be some rotational torque applied to the driveshaft even when stopped. This rotational torque tends to increase the sliding friction in the slip yoke. If the slip yoke is not really well lubricated or the machining is not perfect, the slip yoke will tend to bind up and not compress. Then after you come to a stop, the transmission will downshift. During the downshift, the torque on the driveshaft is released which reduces the friction in the slip yoke and it will compress rather abruptly. This is the "thump" or "bump in the rear" that you are likely feeling. As a test to comfirm, shift the transmission to nuetral before coming to an abrupt stop. If you don't get the "thump" when you do this, but you do get it when the transmission is in drive, then it is very likely binding in the slip yoke.
Ok, now that you have determined that it is binding in the slip yoke, you can either fix it yourself or convince your dealer to do it. Dealers don't make much money on warranty repairs unless parts are replaced, so they often may opt to replace the entire driveshaft assembly, which is fine as long as they hand lube the slip yoke with some good quality grease. But replacement of the driveshaft is typically not necessary. The slip yoke just needs to be greased properly, particulary on the 4x4s. 4x4s have the slip yoke at the back of the driveshaft where it connects to the rear end pinion shaft. The 4x4 driveshaft uses 4-bolt flanges at the rear end as well as at the transfer case output shaft. The 4x2 on the other hand has the slip yoke in the tailshaft of the transmission and as far as I know (I have a 4x4) is lubricated by the transmission fluid. I have heard of 4x2s with the thump, but most problems are with the 4x4s. The 4x2s may benefit from had greasing the slip yoke splines, but I have not confirmed this.
The 4x4 driveshaft slip yoke has a zerk fitting for adding grease; however, it is not very effective at getting grease at the point where the friction is taking place. There is a large void under the zerk fitting and it may take 30-40 pumps on a grease gun to actually get any grease on the splines, depending on how much if any grease was in there to begin with. The splines and seal are very tight and you may encounter significant resistance on the grease gun while grease is migrating along the splines. I've had my driveshaft apart examining the slip yoke and you have two options to properly grease the splines. One is to drop the rear driveshaft where it attaches to the rear end via the 4 bolts (always match-mark the two flanges to ensure you put them back in the same position - also, turn the bolts, not the nuts since the nuts have a high friction base flange to resist turning) and pull the slip yoke apart (again, match mark both halves of the slip yoke to ensure they go back together in the same relative position - the splines do have a wide spline to prevent mismatch; however, it is hard to see which one it is especially with grease on them and it's a pain trying to find just the right spot where they will slip together - match-marking the two halves before disassembly makes this much easier). Once the slip yoke is apart is then readily apparent why putting 5 or 10 shots of grease in the zerk fitting won't do any good. You can then hand lube the splines with a good quality grease. I would clean out as much of the existing grease as possible, but as long as you use a lithum base grease there should be no compatibility problems. Toyota recommends a lithium base NLGI#2 chassis grease for this. I recommend a lithium base molybdenum disulfide (moly) NLGI#2 chassis grease for this, the same grease that Toyota recommends for the double cardon joint. Once you've got everything greased up good, slide the yoke halves back together using the match marks to guide you then put the both flanges together, again using the match marks as a guide, install the bolts and nuts and torque. I think the torque is about 40 ft-lbs, but I don't have my manual handy at the moment. Torque from the bolt head, not the nut since the nut has a high friction base. After it is all together, shoot about 5-10 strokes of grease in the zerk fitting for "reserve", but you do not want it completely full as this will limit compression of the slip yoke.
If all that is a little more than you want to tackle, here is an easier way that is probably just about as effective. Take your grease gun loaded with lithum base moly chassis grease and start pumping grease in the slip yoke zerk fitting. At some point you will encounter significant resistance on the grease gun handle and will likely note that the slip yoke is expanding. Slowly add grease at this point. You will likely see the slip yoke expand on each pump of the handle and then slowly contract. Continue adding grease for about 5-10 more strokes unless you see grease coming around the seal, then stop. Now get on the rear bumper and bounce it up and down a few times. This will tend to compress the slip yoke and force more grease along the splines. Now take a wrench and remove the zerk fitting to allow excess grease to escape. Once the zerk is removed, if a tablespoon or so of grease doesn't come out, then gently bounce on the bumper again to give it a little help. Once the excess grease is out, re-install the zerk, clean up the mess, and you are good to go.
This was known as the "arkie6 fix" over at Tundrasolutions and it resolved many of the "thump" problems people were experiencing, mine included. I initially used the straight lithum base chassis grease on the slip yoke and I started getting a hint of "thump" after about 5,000 miles. I subsequently put in the lithium base moly (an extreme pressure additive) grease and haven't had any hint of "thump" in 15,000+ miles. My truck (2000 Tundra 4x4) now has 28,000+ miles and is "thump" free. "
From a Tundra forum, but the problem appears to be common among Toyota vehicles:
"On the vast majority of Tundras that experience the thump or bump in the rear when you come to an abrupt stop, it is due to binding in the driveshaft slip yoke. When you come to an abrupt stop, the rear of the truck rises up and elongates the driveshaft (via the slip yoke) in the process. Once you come to a stop, the back of the truck settles back down and the driveshaft compresses. If the truck is in gear, there will be some rotational torque applied to the driveshaft even when stopped. This rotational torque tends to increase the sliding friction in the slip yoke. If the slip yoke is not really well lubricated or the machining is not perfect, the slip yoke will tend to bind up and not compress. Then after you come to a stop, the transmission will downshift. During the downshift, the torque on the driveshaft is released which reduces the friction in the slip yoke and it will compress rather abruptly. This is the "thump" or "bump in the rear" that you are likely feeling. As a test to comfirm, shift the transmission to nuetral before coming to an abrupt stop. If you don't get the "thump" when you do this, but you do get it when the transmission is in drive, then it is very likely binding in the slip yoke.
Ok, now that you have determined that it is binding in the slip yoke, you can either fix it yourself or convince your dealer to do it. Dealers don't make much money on warranty repairs unless parts are replaced, so they often may opt to replace the entire driveshaft assembly, which is fine as long as they hand lube the slip yoke with some good quality grease. But replacement of the driveshaft is typically not necessary. The slip yoke just needs to be greased properly, particulary on the 4x4s. 4x4s have the slip yoke at the back of the driveshaft where it connects to the rear end pinion shaft. The 4x4 driveshaft uses 4-bolt flanges at the rear end as well as at the transfer case output shaft. The 4x2 on the other hand has the slip yoke in the tailshaft of the transmission and as far as I know (I have a 4x4) is lubricated by the transmission fluid. I have heard of 4x2s with the thump, but most problems are with the 4x4s. The 4x2s may benefit from had greasing the slip yoke splines, but I have not confirmed this.
The 4x4 driveshaft slip yoke has a zerk fitting for adding grease; however, it is not very effective at getting grease at the point where the friction is taking place. There is a large void under the zerk fitting and it may take 30-40 pumps on a grease gun to actually get any grease on the splines, depending on how much if any grease was in there to begin with. The splines and seal are very tight and you may encounter significant resistance on the grease gun while grease is migrating along the splines. I've had my driveshaft apart examining the slip yoke and you have two options to properly grease the splines. One is to drop the rear driveshaft where it attaches to the rear end via the 4 bolts (always match-mark the two flanges to ensure you put them back in the same position - also, turn the bolts, not the nuts since the nuts have a high friction base flange to resist turning) and pull the slip yoke apart (again, match mark both halves of the slip yoke to ensure they go back together in the same relative position - the splines do have a wide spline to prevent mismatch; however, it is hard to see which one it is especially with grease on them and it's a pain trying to find just the right spot where they will slip together - match-marking the two halves before disassembly makes this much easier). Once the slip yoke is apart is then readily apparent why putting 5 or 10 shots of grease in the zerk fitting won't do any good. You can then hand lube the splines with a good quality grease. I would clean out as much of the existing grease as possible, but as long as you use a lithum base grease there should be no compatibility problems. Toyota recommends a lithium base NLGI#2 chassis grease for this. I recommend a lithium base molybdenum disulfide (moly) NLGI#2 chassis grease for this, the same grease that Toyota recommends for the double cardon joint. Once you've got everything greased up good, slide the yoke halves back together using the match marks to guide you then put the both flanges together, again using the match marks as a guide, install the bolts and nuts and torque. I think the torque is about 40 ft-lbs, but I don't have my manual handy at the moment. Torque from the bolt head, not the nut since the nut has a high friction base. After it is all together, shoot about 5-10 strokes of grease in the zerk fitting for "reserve", but you do not want it completely full as this will limit compression of the slip yoke.
If all that is a little more than you want to tackle, here is an easier way that is probably just about as effective. Take your grease gun loaded with lithum base moly chassis grease and start pumping grease in the slip yoke zerk fitting. At some point you will encounter significant resistance on the grease gun handle and will likely note that the slip yoke is expanding. Slowly add grease at this point. You will likely see the slip yoke expand on each pump of the handle and then slowly contract. Continue adding grease for about 5-10 more strokes unless you see grease coming around the seal, then stop. Now get on the rear bumper and bounce it up and down a few times. This will tend to compress the slip yoke and force more grease along the splines. Now take a wrench and remove the zerk fitting to allow excess grease to escape. Once the zerk is removed, if a tablespoon or so of grease doesn't come out, then gently bounce on the bumper again to give it a little help. Once the excess grease is out, re-install the zerk, clean up the mess, and you are good to go.
This was known as the "arkie6 fix" over at Tundrasolutions and it resolved many of the "thump" problems people were experiencing, mine included. I initially used the straight lithum base chassis grease on the slip yoke and I started getting a hint of "thump" after about 5,000 miles. I subsequently put in the lithium base moly (an extreme pressure additive) grease and haven't had any hint of "thump" in 15,000+ miles. My truck (2000 Tundra 4x4) now has 28,000+ miles and is "thump" free. "
100% effective solution - arkie 6 fix
I have a 2008 4x4 V8 4Runner with 32,000 miles and have been experiencing the drive shaft thump issue for about the last 25,000 miles. I have tried several times in the past to pump grease into all the zerk fittings along the drive shaft with mixed results. It wasn't until I read the previous post by Gordo that I realized why it wasn't working.
Everyone emphasizes that you only need a couple pumps of grease at each location, or else the grease just ends up spraying the bottom of the truck when you drive. That may be true, but it is causing everyone to insufficiently grease the slip yoke on the rear drive shaft.
I performed the "arkie 6 fix" as described by Gordo as follows:
I connected my grease gun to the rear drive shaft slip yoke zerk fitting and pumped about 20 shots of lithium base molybdenum disulfide (moly) NLGI#2 chassis grease into the fitting. The last 6 or 7 shots visibly caused the slip yoke to expand by an inch or two. Then I got on the rear bumper and jumped up and down several times to cause the slip yoke to compress and decompress. This caused several tablespoons of grease to squeeze out of the slip yoke seal. Then I pumped a couple more shots of grease into the fitting and a little more grease squeezed out, which I wiped clean with a towel. I didn't feel the need to remove the zerk fitting to allow any more grease to escape.
That's it! And unlike previous attempts which only caused subtle improvements in the problem, it has completely resolved the issue.
As Gordo emphasized, it takes a lot of pumps with the grease gun for the grease to work its way into the splines (pic) and alleviate the binding problem. The "arkie 6 fix" can successfully coat the splines with grease without having to take anything apart.
I have driven several hundred miles without even the slightest thump in the drive shaft. I will update again after I have driven several thousand miles to confirm that the thump hasn't returned.
I have a 2008 4x4 V8 4Runner with 32,000 miles and have been experiencing the drive shaft thump issue for about the last 25,000 miles. I have tried several times in the past to pump grease into all the zerk fittings along the drive shaft with mixed results. It wasn't until I read the previous post by Gordo that I realized why it wasn't working.
Everyone emphasizes that you only need a couple pumps of grease at each location, or else the grease just ends up spraying the bottom of the truck when you drive. That may be true, but it is causing everyone to insufficiently grease the slip yoke on the rear drive shaft.
I performed the "arkie 6 fix" as described by Gordo as follows:
I connected my grease gun to the rear drive shaft slip yoke zerk fitting and pumped about 20 shots of lithium base molybdenum disulfide (moly) NLGI#2 chassis grease into the fitting. The last 6 or 7 shots visibly caused the slip yoke to expand by an inch or two. Then I got on the rear bumper and jumped up and down several times to cause the slip yoke to compress and decompress. This caused several tablespoons of grease to squeeze out of the slip yoke seal. Then I pumped a couple more shots of grease into the fitting and a little more grease squeezed out, which I wiped clean with a towel. I didn't feel the need to remove the zerk fitting to allow any more grease to escape.
That's it! And unlike previous attempts which only caused subtle improvements in the problem, it has completely resolved the issue.
As Gordo emphasized, it takes a lot of pumps with the grease gun for the grease to work its way into the splines (pic) and alleviate the binding problem. The "arkie 6 fix" can successfully coat the splines with grease without having to take anything apart.
I have driven several hundred miles without even the slightest thump in the drive shaft. I will update again after I have driven several thousand miles to confirm that the thump hasn't returned.
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message
Member
I noticed the thump right away when I got our 4runner. Thankfully I found this thread and performed the fix as described.
From the looks of my zerks and u-joints I could not tell you the last time they were properly greased.
I quite counting pumps on my grease gun after 40 until finally the slip yoke started expanding. I kept going and all of a sudden a long hissssss came from the slip yoke as the air escaped. I had to keep pumping for a while to get the yoke to expand again until finally I saw a small amount of grease coming from the slip yoke. I quite there and jumped on the bumper and a bunch of old grease came out. I then left it over night and the checked it again the next morning and wiped up more grease that had come out.
Now that slip yoke moves like butter. Next oil change I'll perform this again so to further get all the old grease out of the yoke.
From the looks of my zerks and u-joints I could not tell you the last time they were properly greased.
I quite counting pumps on my grease gun after 40 until finally the slip yoke started expanding. I kept going and all of a sudden a long hissssss came from the slip yoke as the air escaped. I had to keep pumping for a while to get the yoke to expand again until finally I saw a small amount of grease coming from the slip yoke. I quite there and jumped on the bumper and a bunch of old grease came out. I then left it over night and the checked it again the next morning and wiped up more grease that had come out.
Now that slip yoke moves like butter. Next oil change I'll perform this again so to further get all the old grease out of the yoke.
My thump just disappeared and has never come back. In fact I have had a few problems that just never happened again and it's been a few years.
wbwatson79
New member
Has anybody heard of other problems popping up in the driveline due to filling the slip joint with grease? I guess removing the zerk fitting and jumping on the bumper creates enough of a void that the shaft can contract but it still makes me a little nervous.
Somebody also mentioned a bad motor/trans mount causing the clunk in a different thread. Have any of you guys found this to be a problem?
Somebody also mentioned a bad motor/trans mount causing the clunk in a different thread. Have any of you guys found this to be a problem?
Kmvreter
New member
Here's a link to my latest experinece with this issue:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/probl...0-v6-4th-gen-driveshaft-thump-experience.html
My lesson learned is to use the correct grease. Avoid Valvoline DuraBlend moly fortified in winter climates due to the limited working temperature range.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/probl...0-v6-4th-gen-driveshaft-thump-experience.html
My lesson learned is to use the correct grease. Avoid Valvoline DuraBlend moly fortified in winter climates due to the limited working temperature range.
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Iowa4Runner
New member
I gave up trying to get the old driveshaft to stop clunking, so I just bought a whole damn new one for ~$250 and replaced it. The splines on the new shaft look as poorly machined as the old one, so I'm not sure I have a permanent fix. Hopefully I'll have TeryT's luck on this one...
carrol shelby
New member
I can confirm a drive shaft replacement fixes the clunk. Thanks to all who contributed to this thread, saving me time and hassle.
Toyota was no help.
They even told me that part # 37110-60A40 recommended in the TSB L-SB-0116-08 covering the Lexus GX 470 clunk would not fit a 4Runner.
It did.
$270.00 for the part and a half hour shop time, problem solved.
Toyota was no help.
They even told me that part # 37110-60A40 recommended in the TSB L-SB-0116-08 covering the Lexus GX 470 clunk would not fit a 4Runner.
It did.
$270.00 for the part and a half hour shop time, problem solved.
Iowa4Runner
New member
I think the only TSB issued for this was specific to the Lexus GX470.
Warranties for Toyotas only cover catastrophic failures. Design and manufacturing defects are the owner's problem. I'm only slightly exaggerating when I say that if the vehicle can move under its own power then everything is "normal" and "within spec".
carrol shelby
New member
The Toyota tech told me he had worked at toyota for 10 years and had never heard of a 4Runner clunk.
Right.
They replaced the faulty Toyota drive shaft with the one I picked up from Lexus as outlined in their TSB.
The drive shaft and the install was on my dime.
Just wanted to confirm it fits and solves the problem....the problem that Toyota told me doesn't exist.
