Just got Duratracs installed in my 03 4Runner Sport. Everything drives fine except now there's like a pop/knock when I get to a stop sign or when I take off from a stop. I can sometimes feel it in my foot on the drivers side front. This does not happen all the time. It's intermittent. But I was wondering what it could be? Are the Duratracs just so heavy and exposing something that was wrong with the suspension already?
Pop/Knock in front end after new tires?
- Thread starter T4R03
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That would make sense. I had most of my suspension replaced about three or 4 years ago including control arms so you may be right. I can't see anything else making that noise.
Wozzy
New member
I've seen in some older threads that when getting an alignment, the shops aren't torquing the cam bolts up to spec (or loosening over time). Check out your cam bolt torque (and possibly tightening them to 100 ft/lbs) to see if the pops go away. Wheels should be on the ground when tightening.
Will check that out because I got my alignment about three months ago. Also holy crap do these tires effect gas mileage! Ride quality isn't bad on highway but the mpg just gets raped! Lol
Wozzy
New member
Double check your tire pressure PSI. I'm not sure which exact tires you have (meaning load range, I do see you have Duratracs. If they are load range C, disregard). On my K02s, E load range, I have to use ~40PSI for them to feel good and have a good balance of off-road and street-use. When I was using them at ~33 PSI (stock tire PSI) I could feel every bump on the road and my MPGs went down 2 MPGs.
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Increasing tire pressure reduced road bump feedback? Interesting
check your lug nut torque asap.
Think it can be lug nuts? I just drove 2.5 hours from Illinois to Iowa and I don't believe the tires are going to fall off or anything. I don't think it's a lug nut issue.
So I narrowed it down. It seems to be the LCA. After work I torqued the nuts I could which were the two closest to the rear on each side to 130 ft lbs. still makes the noise and I couldn't reach the front ones w my torque stick. Will try again tomorrow. Doesn't help that I didn't bring my swivel from work and it's 15 degrees outside. So I will see if I can get to those suckers tomorrow. Does anyone know what would happen if I wait like two weeks to get to them?
Wozzy
New member
My understanding is that an E load range tire is marketed for 3/4 tons and up. Also the max PSI on an E load range tire is 80 PSI whereas a C range for instance is only 50. It's pretty "under inflated" at 33 PSI.
I've heard noises like that when wheels weren't torqued. They aren't necessarily going to fall off but they will make noises under braking and acceleration.
No worries I saw the guy torque them. I was actually cringing bc he overtorqued them with the impact. Good ok tire shops hiring anybody lol.
AuSeeker
Elite Member
The only way to torque a nut or bolt properly is with a torque wrench, an impact is for removing the fastener and initial tightening, any more then that and you will always have over tightened nuts and bolts, I always watch them when they remove, replace and or rotate my tires...if they don't use a torque wrench or I see that if they do and don't still tighten the lugs a little bit more because they are already over tightened I immediately bring it to someone's attention (usually the manager) to have them torque them properly, and I still check them with my own torque wrench when I get home!
Too many tire stores over tighten lug nuts because they just use impacts and no torque wrench, this will over time stretch the studs and could cause them to break at some point and could happen while you're driving.
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This is absolutely accurate. I had tires put on the wife's corolla and 8 or 9 months later I had to do the rear brakes. After re-installing the wheels I attempted to torque the lug nuts. Instead of coming up to torque the studs began snapping one after another. With very little torque actually.
I'm certain the tire shop over torqued them and stretched them to failure.
MrSeth
Member
Re-visiting this, the sleeves through which the LCA bolts pass CAN and WILL rust/corrode leaving a gap between the sleeve wall and bolt. When I replaced mine, they came with delrin sleeves which were not an interference fit/mm gap fit which causes my knock from ID/OD differences.
:toilet::juggle:
