What is causing this driveline slop? video

[keeperofgoal]

When I had my rear wheels off the ground I noticed when I spin them there is a delay and then a clunk at both flanges on the rear driveshaft. Is there a pinion bearing or something that has gone bad? Thanks in advance!

3rd gen 4Runner driveline slop - YouTube

 

[Devbot]

That's normal, your car is in park isn't it?

 

[jross20]

That's normal, your car is in park isn't it?

Curious if that is normal because all of ours are worn and as such they all act the same or if someone has looked at the diff while open to confirm...or checked with new parts?

 

[Bad Luck]

Curious if that is normal because all of ours are worn and as such they all act the same or if someone has looked at the diff while open to confirm...or checked with new parts?

Entirely normal operation. The park pawl has some slack to it to allow it to engage/disengage when there is a load on it (like parking on an incline) so it doesn't lock up completely. Rear end will also have movement which is also normal. This is called backlash and without it your differential would have a rough life trying to turn when the gears heat up and the metal expands.

 

[keeperofgoal]

Yes it is in park.

I know a bit of play may be normal but when i turn the wheels by hand it there seems to be some disconnect there like the wheels turn and then it clunks and catches. I've been having this problem where when im at a stop and im turning it clunks and then catches before going forward so i thought this might be causing it.

 

[Bad Luck]

Yes it is in park.

I know a bit of play may be normal but when i turn the wheels by hand it there seems to be some disconnect there like the wheels turn and then it clunks and catches. I've been having this problem where when im at a stop and im turning it clunks and then catches before going forward so i thought this might be causing it.

If you are turning the rear wheels on jackstands then that is normal. The backlash in the differential is the reason for the "clunk"/delay when turning one wheel before the other wheel rotates.

 

[keeperofgoal]

Okay thank you for verifying. Does differential backlash need to be adjusted on this truck? cause i heard thats a thing

 

[Bad Luck]

Okay thank you for verifying. Does differential backlash need to be adjusted on this truck? cause i heard thats a thing

It does not need to be adjusted unless the differential is getting rebuilt

 

[Devbot]

Curious if that is normal because all of ours are worn and as such they all act the same or if someone has looked at the diff while open to confirm...or checked with new parts?

Well that would imply tens of thousands of vehicles across all areas of the US with all sorts of different owners with similarly different styles of driving, on all sorts of different terrain and with varying degrees of care/maintenance; all had their engines, transmissions, t-cases (if applicable), driveline, third member and/or rear axles all wear at an extremely similar rate.... Which is not likely to say the least

 

[jross20]

Well that would imply tens of thousands of vehicles across all areas of the US with all sorts of different owners with similarly different styles of driving, on all sorts of different terrain and with varying degrees of care/maintenance; all had their engines, transmissions, t-cases (if applicable), driveline, third member and/or rear axles all wear at an extremely similar rate.... Which is not likely to say the least

Well honestly that's not totally impossible. All of our rigs probably at somewhat similar, or at least there might be large groups with similar behaviors. It would make sense for some parts to wear in similar fashions.

 

[Bad Luck]

Well honestly that's not totally impossible. All of our rigs probably at somewhat similar, or at least there might be large groups with similar behaviors. It would make sense for some parts to wear in similar fashions.

New vehicles have the same play in the driveshaft rotation (parking pawl) and rear differential (backlash)

 

[jross20]

New vehicles have the same play in the driveshaft rotation (parking pawl) and rear differential (backlash)

Oh yeah I'm not saying they don't; I was just simply curious if it was just something we "considered normal" or if somebody had actually verified was normal. Haha

 

[Bad Luck]

Oh yeah I'm not saying they don't; I was just simply curious if it was just something we "considered normal" or if somebody had actually verified was normal. Haha

If the play in the driveline has been there since manufactured I would consider that normal. If every vehicle has play in the driveline then I would consider that normal.