New Guy with a problemo

[lddrew]

Hey everybody. I'm new here to this forum, looks like a good group. I couldn't really tell which one is best for me. This truck will be stock and i'm mainly interested in maintenance and tech questions. Sadly never going to see a lift or any serious wheeling. If there's another site or resource that could help me out and you could point me in the right direction that'd be great. Like for the dmax's there's one really good general forum, one for old men, and one that is all out performance/tech.

I've got a couple questions I couldn't resolve while searching. We just got my little sister a 2002 4runner (in sig) and on our way bringing it home we noticed something odd. It did not do this on the test drives we took to our knowledge.

But on the highway under acceleration it pulls to the left. and when letting off the go pedal it pulls back to the right. nothing drastic or major but annoying and I want to fix it for my sister's safety.

Any ideas??? i know from searchin the net that the 03 up with the v8 have AWD which causes problems like this. but it makes no sense on a RWD truck. It had been involved in a rear collision but that was 50,xxx miles ago.
-driveline?
-rear diff?
-tires?
-????

any insight is appreciated. I'll be on here a good bit. Wantin to find out what I can do to make this thing last and what I can do to make it run better/safer.

Thanks for any insight

 

[trerc]

Check the motor mounts...

 

[lddrew]

that is another something i found that I was not hoping to hear.
are the motor mounts going out common on these cars?? the truck was cleaner than the so many we looked at and this seems to be the only issue. hope it's not going to turn into a nightmare. I haven't been able to get under it yet and check it over.

 

[trerc]

Not "known" to be a problem but doesn't mean you don't have a bad/broken one. Under acceleration a busted mount would cause the motor to lift on one side which could be causing your issue, not saying thats definitely it but it could be. The other possible issues you mentioned would likely cause the vehicle to wander regardless acceleration or coasting.

 

[lddrew]

Okay as soon as my dad gets back from driving it home from FL i will have a look at it and get back with you guys.

truck has 99,xxx miles on it as well.

 

[TheDurk]

Don't forget the obvious and easy: tire pressure.

 

[lddrew]

I will do that as well. thanks guys. hoping it's something simple and not remnants of the wreck it had back in 06

 

[the great him]

is he driving it in 2wd or awd?

 

[lddrew]

In 2wd i'm fairly positive. I didn't think the AWD's were offered until the 03's??
i thought this truck was a standard 4 wheel drive setup

 

[trerc]

Here's a little video to give you an idea of an easy way to check the mounts

<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RVwZHn6ISr4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[lddrew]

Here's a little video to give you an idea of an easy way to check the mounts

<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RVwZHn6ISr4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

thanks for the vid man. i already googled it and watched it lol. i appreciate it though

that's some pretty drastic movement. but from the looks of it they shouldn't be too terrible to replace in my shop if that is the case

 

[the great him]

In 2wd i'm fairly positive. I didn't think the AWD's were offered until the 03's??
i thought this truck was a standard 4 wheel drive setup

nope 99s and newer had an awd option call "multi-mode"... -see buyer guide for more info

Transfer Case differences:
The 4wd t-cases in the 3rd gen 4runners varied through the years and trim models as well. ALL 4runners are 2wd vehicles (rear wheel drive) until some form of 4wd is engaged.


-Let’s start with base, SR5, and Highlander trim models. The transfer case remained the same for these models from 1996 to 2000. It was a basic J-shaped shifting configuration. This transfer case was purely mechanical, no push button components.

-The limited 4runners had a little bit different setup though. From 1996-1998, Toyota used a push button on the shifter to engage 4Hi from 2wd. The only time you actually need to shift the transfer case is to go into 4Lo.

-From ’99-’00, the limited changed from a standard transfer case with push button to a differential type transfer case (known as Multi-Mode). This type of transfer case still has a push button to engage the t-case from 2wd to 4. A differential type t-case is different from a standard t-case in that the front and rear drive shafts could rotate independent of each other and avoid binding on high traction surfaces. Until this center differential was locked, the vehicle is essentially in AWD (all wheel drive) and can be driven on dry pavement. Once the center diff is locked, the vehicle is again in true 4x4 and can only be used off road. To lock the T-case, you simply shift from 4Hi to 4Hi(L).

-In 2001 and 2002, ALL models gained these Multi-Mode transfer cases (including limited, now they all have the same system). But the locking method changed from a separate shifting position to a separate push button on the dash.


I HIGHLY encourage you to read this thread skillfully written by Brian2sun. It is more in depth and contains information such as recommended speeds, shifting configurations, Pictures, Uses, and more differences.
The information above is a summary of the information in his thread.
T-case Differences (all years of 3rd gens).. transfer case, AWD, multi-mode

 

[lddrew]

thanks for the great info. the ones i'd looked at online had the mechanical old fashioned manual 4x4. i will double check it's in 2wd. thank you. sorry for the n00b mistake

 

[lddrew]

UPDATE: well dad is driving it back from Melbourne to here in Carrollton. and he has been trying to isolate the issue. he said that it pulls to the left, and when he lets off the gas it feels like it wants to fishtail. at first he thought it wasn't a huge deal, but he said it's quite annoying now. I'm thinking more towards diff.

if there are teeth broken off or it's toasted. what's the best replacement option on the diff?? OEM or aftermarket.

 

[the great him]

its not the 3rd member, it could be a lower control arm link(basically a track bar) bushing that is bad. or a panhard rod that is bent or broken. if you had broken teeth on the ring gear or a bad 3rd memeber(diff) you would hear a roar/groan or whine and posible constant clinking when its beign driven

 

[lddrew]

thanks man, imma look into it. i hope it's something simple