Front end clunk what could it be? V8 4WD

[K_Labs]

FIXED! Front end clunk what could it be? V8 4WD

SUCCESS! Problem solved thanks to the wealth of knowledge on T4R.ORG! I'm buying a sticker for sure! Couldn't have done it without the info in these posts below in no particular order, help from my Dad, and prayer.

IF ANY1 IS GOING TO ATTEMPT THIS HIT ME UP I STILL HAVE 5 SEALS FROM COLONIAL THAT I'D BE WILLING TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY HERE.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/182074-fixing-transfer-case-shift-motor-leak-within.html

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/127770-shift-actuator-transfer-case-timing.html

Refer to post #46 on page 4 for more info. Basically it was my Transfer case causing the issue. I started working on it on Monday and finished up Saturday night. I was super lazy!
Monday was removing the rear drive shaft
Tuesday was the front drive shaft
Wednesday was dropping the T case
Thursday was splitting the old T case and pulling the actuator off and putting in the new seals(what a pain)
Friday I split my "new" T case to install my old actuator and prayed for a miracle! I pulled the entire actuator apart and used a paint pen to mark the gears for timing then had to move the gears to line up where the rods were (it looked like my new Tcase was in 4lo and my old Tcase was in 4hi) so the marks I made basically did nothing. I have no idea how it is actually working the only word that comes to mind is miraculous!
Saturday was FIGHT NIGHT! I had to wind up using brute strength to get the T case back in because my jack wasn't working. It was fun I even had my dad crawl under the car to twist the rear driveshaft flange and line up the splines on the tranny output shaft.
Sunday I bought T case fluid and a new battery and she fired right up after sitting for an entire year! The satisfaction of fixing a problem I was dreading for an entire year is hard to describe. Now it's time to fix that drooping front end.


(OLD POST)So I already worked on the rear end and it wasn't that so now I know for sure that it's the front. Any idea what it could be ?I'm guessing front axle but how can I tell without ripping it all apart?

 

[fdbyrne]

I think that a lot of us have had a lot of different kinds of clunks. If you tell us what it sounds like and what you are doing when you hear it (bumps, turns, braking, etc.) we might be able to make a suggestion.

 

[Gatafly]

Sway bar bushings.

 

[K_Labs]

In drive or reverse after moving 1 or 2 feet clunk then every 2 feet from then on clunk clunk clunk....... I haven't driven it more than 15 feet since I got it because of that. To me it sounds like the front right but I listened to what the previous owner and what his "mechanic" said and tore apart the rear end. Maybe I wasted a few hours on a Saturday but at least I changed my rear end fluid and verified all the teeth on all the gears are good.

 

[fdbyrne]

Wow. Hard to diagnose a problem without being able to drive it for any significant distance. Good luck.

If your pretty sure it's coming from the front right then I would look at the CV shaft first. It may be worse than that but I'd rule out the cheap and obvious first.

 

[CAN-03runner]

Check the lug nuts to rule out they are torqued properly. Are the wheels the stock wheels or after market or from an FJ for example.

I found that sometimes the nuts don't screw on properly. People have reported that this makes a continuous thump, bump, bang, whatever you want to call it as you drive.

Take the wheel off, put back on, and torque by hand with a wrench.

I've installed a set of FJ cruiser mags and with them, when it looks like they are bolted on right, I can put on a torque wrench and continue to torque by hand, even though the torque gun stopped.

Another simple check is seized or wrapped rotors. A quick tell tale sign is circles on the rotor maybe the size of a silver dollar or the markings of the business end of a hammer every so often.

Maybe the brake dust shield is bent and hitting the wheel.

 

[LTDSC]

I have a similar noise Whenever I back up straight line it is one clunk maybe two. Everything is tight and I don't have my sway bar on. I bought new TREs just to see if that's what's making the noise. At first I was worried about the diff brace cracked as its common but it's solid.

 

[Range]

This may not be related at all to what you're experiencing but I had a clunking noise on my drivers side and I found out the front drivers side flare was missing a bolt which caused a clunking noise every time I went over a bump or hit any type of bump driving at highway speeds.

 

[K_Labs]

It sounds pretty bad. I've already had the front wheels off and put them back on and I always ALWAYS torque to 85 ft lbs.

 

[Billynath1988]

Sway bar bushings. Get them on amazon.

 

[K_Labs]

I'll check them out they would be visibly bad right? It sounds more viloent than a sway bar bushing though. I broke my rear sway bar on my car and I had to hit a bump or something to make it move enough to make noise.

 

[Billynath1988]

Nope.. u probably can't tell until u change them. It's like 25 bucks... 10 min and 4 bolts.. just change them .. u will be happy u did either way

 

[T4RNightHawk]

I had that problem on mine and I lubed the driveshaft and it fixed it. Here is a link to where they are. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/97006-drive-prop-shaft-greasing-guide.html.

 

[K_Labs]

Lubed both drive shafts it got better but it now does it when U accelerate I hit the gas and it sounds almost like I put it in park clunk clunk clunk

 

[K_Labs]

Sway bar bushings are ordered. If that doesn't work what do you guys suggest?

 

[Billynath1988]

just try the sway bar bushings first... see if anything changes... then check cv's and shocks...

 

[K_Labs]

Is this good for the front and rear?

 

[JessiM]

I am currently having the same problem, front end clunks loudly (kind of sounds like a machine gun) while accelerating or going up a hill. Is this the famous driveshaft clunk?

 

[K_Labs]

I just realized that when I had my driveshaft off I wiggled the rear output shaft and it made quite a bit of noise also the transfer case is soaked in fluid. It looks like it leaks or leaked all the fluid out. Is it just like my rear end? Bottom is for drain plug top is for fill and fill until it overflows out the top plug?

 

[fdbyrne]

On the transfer case there are only two plugs. Drain and fill. The leak isn't coming from either though. If it's leaking fluid it's from one of the seals or from where the 4x4 actuator connects.