I'm new to AWD, please help me understand.

[nick_rabbo]

Hey guys!

I got my first SUV about a week ago and fortunately for me, it's a 4Runner. I'm loving it so far. But being new to SUVs and especially 4WD/AWD, I have a concern I wanted to run by you guys. I don't know if it's the extra differential involved but I noticed when driving around, if I come to a stop at a traffic light for example. As soon as it turns green and I take my foot off the brake pedal, before I even get my foot to the gas pedal, I feel a slight movement or shift before I accelerate forward. It's hard to explain what it is, but it feels like something is engaging a second after I take my foot off the brake pedal. I thought maybe that's something new to me that has something to do with the AWD drivetrain?

Also, I'm getting ready to do some maintenance on it since I just got it, anything you guys would suggest? I'm doing the oil change tomorrow and from what I can tell, the previous owner did all their oil changes at the Toyota dealership. They even did the timing belt at around 95k miles. It has 130k miles now.

Thank you for the help, I'm excited to be joining this community!

 

[karyins]

Most likely you just need to grease the drive shaft zerks.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/maintenance-detailing/28414-07-v8-4x4-zerk-fitting-pics.html

 

[mrpurplepenguin]

Most likely you just need to grease the drive shaft zerks.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/maintenance-detailing/28414-07-v8-4x4-zerk-fitting-pics.html

Yep, that's the clunk you're feeling. Specifically, the slide yoke fitting in the first picture. Add grease until you juuuust start to see the slide move (mine took many pumps from my grease gun). If you overfill it too much you'll put a load on the rear diff that can break the pinion or housing or something similarly bad happens.

 

[BOFFROAD]

Mine did that and I greased the driveshaft and everything is good now.

 

[nick_rabbo]

Wow, interesting how you guys knew right away what I was referring to lol. I guess it's a common thing for these vehicles. Now I see how much has been written about this although I wasn't able to find anything before since I didn't even know how to describe it to even search.


Even EricTheCarGuy has a whole video regarding it that I just found so I shall be trying this and hopefully that weird clunk goes away:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZmTCxFgMNQ

Thanks guys!

 

[Arthur4R]

I Did about 17 pumps in the grease fitting and got rid of about 90% of clunk, I would put in a few more pumps next time I get a chance.

 

[rooost]

Welcome

And if you love maintenance of miscellaneous fluids, lubricants and misc greases, an AWD T4R is heaven....well if it wasnt for those damm skid plates !

18 Drive Shafts
2 diffs
1 Transfer Case
1 AT
Engine Oil
P/S
Brake Fluid
SLLC Coolant...thats about once in a lifetime
Washer Fluid
Four piston brakes
Timing Belts
Shocks
Sway bar bushings
throw in your stereo mods and any off roading mods and your busy for years

 

[BlackWorksInc]

There's isn't such thing as an AWD 4Runner... It's a 4WD vehicle. V8's had Full-Time 4WD, there is a difference between the Full-Time 4WD and AWD.

 

[jacksheadache]

This is somewhat of a difficult symptom to describe. I just picked up my 4Runner, and noticed this same feeling on the test drive. It was my number one concern and I'm glad to see it is an easy fix.

 

[nick_rabbo]

Most likely you just need to grease the drive shaft zerks.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/maintenance-detailing/28414-07-v8-4x4-zerk-fitting-pics.html

.

Yep, that's the clunk you're feeling. Specifically, the slide yoke fitting in the first picture. Add grease until you juuuust start to see the slide move (mine took many pumps from my grease gun). If you overfill it too much you'll put a load on the rear diff that can break the pinion or housing or something similarly bad happens.

Mine did that and I greased the driveshaft and everything is good now.

Thank you guys so much for the suggestions! Do you know approximately how long after greasing these fittings, I should see the thud/clunk go away? I'm asking because I spent some time yesterday changing out the fluids on both diffs and transit case and then I regreased all those zerk fittings on the drive shaft, I believe 1 in the back, 2 in the middle, and 1 up front. I drove it around for quite some time afterwards and although the issue seems reduced, I still feel it after some stops. Any thoughts or do I need to drive it more? I stopped pumping grease in the u joint fittings when I saw some grease coming out of joints. For the slide yoke joint, I gave it about 10 pumps.

 

[rooost]

10 probably wasnt enough, you gotta pump that sucker till it starts to come out the shaft.

This is different than the joints, it holds quite a bit of grease. Also if it has been neglected you might need to clean the shaft and remove any corrosion if any.

It really takes lots of grease! but keep going it will smooth everything out

 

[jfry008]

I ended up doing 16 pumps. The clunk took a few weeks to fully go away after greasing.

 

[Silver_midlife_t4r]

I stopped counting... I kept squeezing until my hand cramped up. I didn't see any grease coming out of the slip yoke, but I did see it start to "grow" so I stopped. My clunk is mostly gone, so I have to get back under there and pump some more.

 

[sonerick]

I believe 1 in the back, 2 in the middle, and 1 up front.

Just making sure, you hit all 6 zerks, right?

Rear driveshaft should have one u-joint towards the back of the truck, and then one u-joint plus one slip yoke towards the middle of the truck.

Front driveshaft should have one u-joint towards the front of the truck, and then one u-joint plus one slip yoke towards the middle of the truck.

 

[nick_rabbo]

10 probably wasnt enough, you gotta pump that sucker till it starts to come out the shaft.

This is different than the joints, it holds quite a bit of grease. Also if it has been neglected you might need to clean the shaft and remove any corrosion if any.

It really takes lots of grease! but keep going it will smooth everything out

I ended up doing 16 pumps. The clunk took a few weeks to fully go away after greasing.

I stopped counting... I kept squeezing until my hand cramped up. I didn't see any grease coming out of the slip yoke, but I did see it start to "grow" so I stopped. My clunk is mostly gone, so I have to get back under there and pump some more.

Ok makes sense. I'll try going under and giving it some more grease.

Just making sure, you hit all 6 zerks, right?

Rear driveshaft should have one u-joint towards the back of the truck, and then one u-joint plus one slip yoke towards the middle of the truck.

Front driveshaft should have one u-joint towards the front of the truck, and then one u-joint plus one slip yoke towards the middle of the truck.

LoL, that's probably it... I only did 4, I completely overlooked the other two in the middle of the truck. I'll see if I can get under there today and finish the job. Thank you for pointing this out!

By the way, you guys rock! I'm very appreciative of the help but also how quick you guys chimed in. Now once this is out of the way, I can try to figure out the headache of a mess on which suspension setup I wanna run without hurting the longevity of the truck. I'd like a lift with some offroad tires but not sure if I should do coilovers or just spacers because I'm sitting at 130k miles now and xreas are still good and I love the ride. But seeing as to how shocks need to be changed eventually when it gets to this mileage, I might as well switch to Bilsteins. I hope the ride is equal or nicer than stock. And I hope lifting doesn't hurt the hardware or longevity of truck components.

Sent from my E6683 using Tapatalk

 

[nick_rabbo]

Just making sure, you hit all 6 zerks, right?

Rear driveshaft should have one u-joint towards the back of the truck, and then one u-joint plus one slip yoke towards the middle of the truck.

Front driveshaft should have one u-joint towards the front of the truck, and then one u-joint plus one slip yoke towards the middle of the truck.

I went under and did the remaining 2 fittings and still no luck. I have no idea what it is. Might need to take it to get it looked at.

There was even one instance today when I was driving it around and I came to a stop, then about 5 seconds later, I felt that shift or the movement of something under the car. So it's not like it happened as soon as I came to a stop, it was a little delayed which is even more confusing.

Sent from my E6683 using Tapatalk

 

[Inv4drZm]

There's isn't such thing as an AWD 4Runner... It's a 4WD vehicle. V8's had Full-Time 4WD, there is a difference between the Full-Time 4WD and AWD.

Just the lack of a lower range in the AWD correct?

 

[Bossman]

There's isn't such thing as an AWD 4Runner... It's a 4WD vehicle. V8's had Full-Time 4WD, there is a difference between the Full-Time 4WD and AWD.

This might help explain the Toyota full-time and part-time 4WD systems to the OP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN6-gCxI60g

 

[chitown40]

Two things:

First, pumping the driveshaft full of grease until you see it expand is a BAD thing. You have now just hydro-locked that sucker from moving and are not allowing it to slip in and out. You are transferring that energy that needs to be absorbed by the driveshaft slip yoke right into the transfer case and the rear pinion. You can remove the driveshaft, clean out the slip yoke and properly lubricate the driveshaft by hand (you homely lookin' single fellas should be familiar with how to lube a shaft :jk.

Second: Driving/braking habits can affect the "clunk" you are hearing. Try braking slower and earlier and eliminating some of the body pitching fore and aft and you'll see that the driveshaft clunk is all but gone or minimized.

 

[sonerick]

And make sure you use the right grease for the slip yoke. Need to use a lube with moly in it for best results.