Harsh Ride/ clunk

[KellyJ]

okay so the 4runner isnt the smoothest riding car out there and i know that, but i have to drive into washington DC for school every day and needless to say, there aren't the best of roads in the city. the ride in my 4r seems so harsh that parts are becoming loose inside the cabin, like a persistent squeak coming from the area of the left rear seat or seatback- and it makes a high pitched, very annoying sound when going over even the slightest of bumps. any way of figuring out what the noice could be coming from?

on another subject, everytime i come to a stop relatively quick (like a constant pressure on the breaks until I come to a stop), as soon as i let off the break, a big thump comes from somewhere in the drivetrain and its very discerning. any ideas?

thanks

 

[fireteacher]

lay the seat down flat, drive in a mall or shopping center with speed bumps and idle over them. listen to the top of the rear window (literally sit back there while idleing, closed lot obviously) and mine comes from the seal up there. comes and goes. might just need to adjust the door or replace that gasket on the top portion.
let me know if your is the same. i am going deaf cause i crank the radio up to drown it out when it is makin noise!

 

[fireteacher]

the second part is axle wrap, unfortunatly we are stuck with it. when you change oil, lube all zerks on the drive shaft (6) front and rear and slip yoke as well.

 

[vinnymac]

As firesteacher said, make sure and pump the rear slip drive shaft full of a water-proof grease. As you press on the brakes, the rear of your T4R will rise; this is called brake dive. when the rear rises and tries to sit back down, the rear shaft will not fully compress. When it gets to a final "Let Off" point, it will make a clunking sound and the rear end will become level with the front, but it happens so fast that the noise and the leveling action seem to happen at the same time. Let your local oil change shop pump almost excessive amounts of grease into the shaft and *hopefully* make the noise dissapear. If that is not the culprit, make sure that the front brake pad pins are not worn out, for this will cause excessive brake pad play. Re-torque the caliper bolts and make sure the front ball joints have very minimal play as well.

 

[vinnymac]

One other thing. On third-gen 4X4 T4Rs there are a grand total of eight grease zerks. One on the front slip, one on the rear slip, one on each U-joint (5), and on in the double carden joint on the rear of the tranfercase. The last one is hard to find, and is pointed towards the rear of the vehicle.