thumping sound when starting to roll

[jlmilligan]

Has anyone heard anything like this? When starting from a stop and in drive, I release the brake and hear / feel a thump in the rear end. This does not happen all the time but enough to cause some concern. I checked the spare and it is tight. Any ideas?
Oh ya, its a 2003 SR5 V8.

 

[toto]

Yes, this is "normal". It's part of the driveline thumping/clunking issue that seems to affect just about all 4Runners, in addition to other Toyota 4WD trucks. You might want to check out the sticky thread about "driveshaft noise".

While it's not a cure, a good lube job on the driveshaft will help reduce the thumping.

 

[Uneek]

Mine does this as well, along with the delayed thump after stopping. Like yours, it doesn't happen all the time. Probably like once out of every 10-15 stops or starts.

I've just accepted it to be a characteristics of the truck. My Taco does the same thing.

 

[greasefingers]

Yes many 4th gen runners have this symptom along with other SUV's out there. Here is a 28 page discussion about it. I do not let it bother me anymore. Nothing bad will happen from it.: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=975&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

 

[wolfgang]

When it first happened to me - I thougt the person behind me had tapped my rear bumper!

 

[a77boy]

Yeah, same here,, First time it actually happened in my 97 4runner, I looked in the rear view cause I thought someone tapped me.

 

[rymeg11]

I had the same problem. After joining this forum I learned that the noise was coming from the rear drive shaft. When the vehichle comes to a stop the drive shaft is bound and when you let your foot off the brake it un-binds and there for the "clunk". I took it to the dealer and they said it was normal and to not worry. Digging a little deeper in this forum I found out that there is a fix. Simply lube the drive shaft. Well, I went to the local auto parts store and bought some Mobile 1 synthetic grease and a lube gun. The noise was gone and 10,000 miles later still no clunk. The only trick is not to over lube the drive shaft. After alot of research I found that when lubing the drive shaft, lube it until the drive shaft begins to move and no further. The universal joints are lubed until the old grease starts to come out. I hope this helps. The process is pretty simple as I am not a mechanic. I certainly know how frustrating this noise is. It was the ONLY complaint that I had and now it is gone.

 

[a77boy]

Great info,, thanks a bunch!!!

 

[RPM]

Hello all. New to the forum. We've owned our 4Runner for about 15 months. Just lately, I've noticed the rear-end 'clunk' as described here.
Took it to the dealership early this morning (Draper Toyota in Saginaw, MI). We'll see what they say.

 

[rymeg11]

RPM,

I hope your visit to the dealership went well. I would imagine that they will probably claim it is normal (I hope not).

 

[TheBlueWave]

I'm still debating whether or not to try the Lexus TSB fix. I found a Lexus driveshaft from a dealer somewhere online, they want something like $400 for the part. It would piss me off to pay that, do the work, and still have the clunk.

 

[a77boy]

I personally have not read the TSB, is the drive shaft the only part requiring replacement?

 

[Uneek]

I personally have not read the TSB, is the drive shaft the only part requiring replacement?

It's the driveshaft and a couple suspension items, the upper links and some I don't recall.

 

[rymeg11]

In my opinion I wouldn't perform the Lexus TSB. If you research the TSB it appears that they are using a teflon coated drive shaft so that when it unbinds it will slip with less noise. In the owners manual for the 4runner it clearly states to lube the driveshaft during the maintenance intervals. Changing the drive shaft is not going to change the mechanics of how the drive shaft moves it will only mask the noise. The same thing can be accomplished with some grease. For some reason the dealerships don't due this. It appears that a good portion of 4runners come from the factory with "dry" drive shafts. I think that is why there are some people that state they don't have the problem. When I first lubed it the noise went away and is still gone. Everytime I change the oil I give it a quick shot just one pump and I don't have any clunks.

 

[exokomp]

Anybody else only notice this problem if the compressor is on?
I never use the Auto feature and I rarely run the AC or Defroster so it really stands out to me. Now to figure out what the driveshaft in the back of the truck has to do with the compressor.

 

[toto]

Yes, I notice it a LOT more with the A/C on.
Theory related to the A/C is on page 19 of the 32-page thread on this topic.