Driveshaft Noice????

[Sashamil]

Hi everybody,

I own 2000 4runner sr5

Last night as i was coming to a stop in front of the house i heard sort of rotating clunking noice coming from underneath the car.
Sound is kind of hard to describe it was more like squeling clunking noice.

I lifted rear wheels off the ground and went underneath the car to see where its coming from. My dad was in car pressing gas and break trying to make it squele again.

Now when the car was in drive and the tire was rotatin without pressing gas there was no sound, but as soon as he gently applied brake i found out the noice is coming from front end of driveshaft-u-joint- as it come out of tranny.

i lubed up everything underneeth and took it for test drive but noise is still there. now i can here it even if i drive 30km/h and sometimes it gets louder as i press on the gas peddal.

One last thing i also tried to drive slowly noice was there and as soon as i put it in neutral and car was still rolling noice stopped immedietaly.

Please if anybody has any clue what this could be?

Thanks

 

[shawnstcyr]

How many miles are on your truck? My first suspicion is the u-joints. You can check them by grabbing the shaft in the vicinity of the u-joints. Try to shake and turn it side to side and up and down. Look for any free play. make sure since you are checking the front that any play you see is not the shaft moving around in the transmission. Some times a u-joint check is easier with the transmission in neutral.
When you jacked up the truck, did you support it by the rear differential or by the frame?

 

[Sashamil]

I got 218 000 km on it. And i lifted it up on the rear differential.
is it easy to replace u-joints. And is it safe to drive like that for a bit?

 

[shawnstcyr]

I got 218 000 km on it. And i lifted it up on the rear differential.
is it easy to replace u-joints. And is it safe to drive like that for a bit?

I replace my own u-joints, but I've been doing it for 15 years now. To me it's not hard. I wouldn't let bad u-joints go for too long. You run the risk of them failing, which will definitely stop you in your tracks. When a front u-joint fails, the shaft has a tendency to stab down into the pavement, resulting in further damage. You want to go ahead and replace all the u-joints. You can remove the drive shaft yourself and take it to a shop to have them installed. That will save you a little $$.

 

[Sashamil]

Ok thanks for info. Now i just got to confirm its them that are cousing that sound and i belive it is as i had my head right there and sounds is deffinitly coming from u joints. Ill go under car and check for movement as soon as i get home from work.