woopy I picked up a 96 4runner SR5

[RyanKay]

Hey guys, I finally picked up a 96 4runner SR5 2 weeks ago and been checking out the forums quite a lot.
The problem I have with this 4runner is the steering wheel starts to shake after 120kmh, do you think it could be something or just require a alignment?
My ebrake is not stopping the vehicle but the light does come on whenever I pull the ebrake cable. I also removed the rear drum brakes and found transmission fluid all over the drum.
If anyone out there can give me a few tips on what to do that would be cool, I am quite handy, but at the moment I am set back with school and don't have that much time to diagnost the problem.

Oh yeah anyone know where I can find some bilstein shocks and some 31-33' tires in Canada?
Thanks

RyanKay

 

[Pikeman]

okay more then likely it is brake fluid from bad wheel cylinders (part of the drum brake system) if it is think light weight fluid. The other possibilty is you have a bad seal on the axle and it is diff oil, but that is much heavier thicker.

 

[RyanKay]

that sounds like a expensive fix, when I had the drum off, the fluid seem pretty thick. I'll check again when I attempt to replace a wheel stud that I just snapped.. oh darn.

The fluid smell awful.

 

[JohnsD90]

Hey guys, I finally picked up a 96 4runner SR5 2 weeks ago and been checking out the forums quite a lot.
The problem I have with this 4runner is the steering wheel starts to shake after 120kmh, do you think it could be something or just require a alignment?
My ebrake is not stopping the vehicle but the light does come on whenever I pull the ebrake cable. I also removed the rear drum brakes and found transmission fluid all over the drum.
If anyone out there can give me a few tips on what to do that would be cool, I am quite handy, but at the moment I am set back with school and don't have that much time to diagnost the problem.

Oh yeah anyone know where I can find some bilstein shocks and some 31-33' tires in Canada?
Thanks

RyanKay

return the car, and the ebrake even though its not working it reads that the lever is up so the ECU is saying the Ebrake is on but its not actually.

 

[Burntcreek]

The fluid smell awful.

Sounds like gear lube to me! That would make the likely culprit the rear axle seal that somebody mentioned above. I can't comment on price, but it shouldn't be too awful.

 

[RyanKay]

Thanks for the quick respond, I already placed a bunch of parts on order, the vehicle itself is in decent shape, body wise it is in amazing shape other than the hatch.

I have the Factory Service manual for the rear axle, I'll tackle that on the weekend.

 

[kball]

The leaking rear seals are probably the reason his parking brake is not working. The rear brakes are covered with oil so they aren't working at all. Unless I'm totally off here, I believe the parking brake activates the rear brakes.

 

[LINY4Runner]

If it's thick and smells bad (thats what she said)(couldn't resist) then it's gotta be geal oil from a bad axle seal. Replace that, and spray down your rear brakes with a GENEROUS amout of brake cleaner, get allll that grease out of there.

As for the wheel shaking, that's not an alignment...it's wheel balance. Well, at least start with having the wheels balanced. Cheapest things first. From there, if it still shakes, check the tie rod ends and replace the steering rack bushings. ToyTec has a nice set of polyurethane bushings that will outlast the truck.

 

[96743runner]

If it's thick and smells bad (thats what she said)(couldn't resist) then it's gotta be geal oil from a bad axle seal. Replace that, and spray down your rear brakes with a GENEROUS amout of brake cleaner, get allll that grease out of there.

As for the wheel shaking, that's not an alignment...it's wheel balance. Well, at least start with having the wheels balanced. Cheapest things first. From there, if it still shakes, check the tie rod ends and replace the steering rack bushings. ToyTec has a nice set of polyurethane bushings that will outlast the truck.

I agree.

Your rear axle seals are probably leaking which is the awful smelling fluid that you found. The wheel shaking is probably because the tires aren't properly balanced.

 

[RyanKay]

Thanks guys, I just order a bunch of parts that associate with the rear axle, gonna be a difficult task to remove all of this.
My ebrake line is replaced and it actually locks now .