ticking/hammerish noise from 4runner

[hayes55987]

VIDEO0002 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
^^ That noise keeps seeming to be random that my 4Runner is making

EDIT: Should have added. 2004 Toyota 4Runner SE with about 65,000 miles on it

symptoms are:
Happens between 5-35mph (mainly town driving)
seems to reverberate loudest when I am driving by cars parked on the side of the road (possibly means its at wheel well level?)
sounds kind of like a carpenter hammering in the distance
if it does occur, it always occurs after acceleration
doesn't seem to matter if I am going straight or turning. I have noticed it start more when I am doing a turn though. (like turning right or left at a stop sign)
hard to replicate
doesn't seem to matter if AC is on or not

I took it in to the toyota dealership and couldn't replicate the sound for them and so they said nothing was wrong. A ticking sound like I recorded just has me worried... They told me if I cannot replicate the sound then don't sweat it. They did not seem to be interested in my video of the noise at all

So far I've heard from people:
Lifter Valve's in the engine?
CV Joints
Exhaust Leak
U-Joint

most popular is CV Joint...

Do you guys have any input for when I take it back in there next time? I have seen this described a few times online but never seen a video of the noise. So I am not sure if the other descriptions of the problems are the same as mine or not

 

[BlackWorksInc]

From your video it sounds like metal expanding/contracting. It could be normal, when you turn your car off after driving it a while you should hear a similar sound for a little while as the vehicle cools off. Though it seems a little odd to hear it during regular driving on a warm day.

Does this noise ussually occur when you have just started driving the vehicle or on a cold day?

 

[hayes55987]

I would say it occurs shortly after starting the car up...
I drive mainly in town and so haven't the car ever on to long.

I did not notice the problem in the winter but I only got it towards the end of winter. Sorry that is not much help

 

[KB084RUNNER]

Did you check your tires for a nail or screw stuck in the tread?

 

[hayes55987]

Yes. Nothing was found. I also have not had any decrease in air pressure in the last week or two. (check it weekly)

This would lastly make sense with the fact that the noise is "random" some days and others it does not occur.

I want to say that when I brake to stop, my car gives off the thunk (this is a well known noise I believe with lubrication I need to fix) and then i accelerate after that it can begin.

Point being, it never starts randomly while driving. Only after i have stopped and then started it seems.

 

[KB084RUNNER]

I would check the front brake pad shims and clips. get some permatex green brake lube and lube the pads (back side) and caliper pins.

 

[BCfish]

I had some interesting noises come from my 4R that drove me crazy for a couple of months. Last week my caliper seized and had my front brakes done the mechanic told me the was no shim kit in and the noise was probably the brake pads moving I also would get a bit of a thud when applying the brakes.

 

[450exc115]

Brake pad movement noise or look for a broken exhaust mount/hanger.

 

[hayes55987]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I have another appointment tomorrow to see if they can locate.

Other things to add that may help...
Noise stops when I push the brake lightly
noise still occurs even if I shift into neutral while driving
noise still occurs no matter if I have my foot on the accelerator or not even in Drive
seems to happen after a sudden stop, going over a large bump (managed to get it to tick after going over a speed bump quickly), or stopping and going into a turn

I can also get a single "tick" it seems on a hard stop. If I hit the brakes harder, it just gives a single "tick" and that is all.

Is this at all an indicator of brakes??

 

[iDRiVaT4R]

In my tacoma, one day I got some loud ticking noises out of the blue. I laid on the ground and had my mom essentially drive my truck over me slowly so I could pinpoint it. Turned out a piece of metal around the gas tank bent out and was catching the rear driveshaft. This piece of metal would hit the lead weight on the driveshaft every time the shaft rotated.

Just for the fun of it check underneath near the driveshaft and see if there is anything coming in contact with it.

 

[hayes55987]

Just to bump...
Took it in again on thursday and the tech said he thought the CV Joint was looking loose. I have an appt Monday morning for the master technician to look at it.

Make sense with my symptoms or are they just blowing smoke?

 

[Veritas]

Just to bump...
Took it in again on thursday and the tech said he thought the CV Joint was looking loose. I have an appt Monday morning for the master technician to look at it.

Make sense with my symptoms or are they just blowing smoke?

only one way to find out...let us know if the cv replacement fixes it.

 

[project-roc]

If none of those suggestions have worked and you haven't resolved it by now, it sounds exactly like the e-brake spring hitting the back of the axle flange as it's rotating. I swapped out rear rotors on my 06 and ran into this problem. Does it sound like its coming from one side only? You will have to take that wheel off, unbolt the caliper bracket ( 2 bolts ) , remove the rotor and spin the axle by hand checking behind the flange (inside the ebrake assembly) with a flashlight. Mine was a blue spring with a rod through it attached by a hat, also known as the hold-down spring located on the diagram I have attached. Let us know if this was the problem on yours and how you have fixed the issue.


Just to clarify , this issue was one my 06 with 4wheel discs... the diagram is just a reference for what the ebrake assembly looks like.

 

[kai920]

So what was it?

 

[DC runner]

That sounds like metal expansion happening somewhere. That noise is DEAD on to what your exhaust pipe sounds like as it is undergoing heat/cooling expansion.