CV Binding Up?

[ttora4runner]

Is there any good way to test and see if a CV is binding?

I thought the clunking noise I have when braking or accelerating from a stop was the driveshaft but after greasing all the zerk fittings it's still doing it (it sounds fine otherwise just makes the noise under these conditions). The body mounts, motor mounts, suspension components have all been checked and they are all tight.

I'm kind of grasping at straws here at what else it could be.

 

[Rock Taco]

From my experience they make the most noise when turning. I'm not familiar with your set up but what about Upper ball joint?

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Pull one side of the shaft, rotate through it's motion and check for binding.

 

[ttora4runner]

Pull one side of the shaft, rotate through it's motion and check for binding.

How? I haven't messed with the CV's before.

Guess I need to read up some more.

 

[Rot Box]

From what I've seen bad CV's (assuming you mean the front CV drive axles) usually 'click' when you drive or turn corners. I used to have them go bad on my Subaru all the time and that's how I knew they were toast. I've never seen one bind up but that's not to say it can't happen. You might try putting a jack under the control arms and with the tires off the ground turn the axle/wheel and feel for any binding or slop..

Have you checked the sway bar links? Best of luck,

Andrew

 

[ttora4runner]

Sway bar links are fine. I regressed the driveshaft zerk fittings again today thinking that the u joints were dry but alas that didn't solve the problem.

The reason I think the cv is that it starting make the noise after the toyota dealer played around with the bottom end of my 4runner and I'm thinking they screwed something up. The 96 and 00 4runners I had both had drive shaft issues one was a bad u joint and the other was some brass washer that went bad.

So I'm also wondering if it's not the cv then something with the driveshaft.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Could it be a d-ring or part of your winch rattling? I'm guessing it's not a CV. CV's usually manifest themselves while turning.

 

[ttora4runner]

No winch.

Oh, and the autocorrect on the iPhones is a piece of junk.

 

[4Runner]

How bout a wheel bearing. When my runner was IFS those where doing that and even more when I lifted it 2" puck lift. Try lifting the front like said earlier and when your checking for binding grab your wheel and try to move it around in direction any way.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ttora4runner]

So I was able to generate the noise tonight sitting in my garage. What I observed is the following.

1. I can turn the steering wheel to the right and left while in park and the parking brake engaged and it doesn’t make the noise.

2. While in the neutral, parking brake disengaged and my foot on or off the brake turning the wheel to the right and left it doesn’t make the noise (got it slightly once but couldn’t reproduce it).

3. While either in drive or reverse, foot on the brake and the parking brake disengaged, turning the wheel to the right and left the noise is audible. Tried to find an area where I couldn’t have my foot on the brake but that didn’t work out.
Here are two videos of said noise, you can hear me go from drive to reverse a few times (disclaimer not sixstringsteve quality).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW9l7iKpZOo&list=UU5-wCg0iNB0lNXVvVyHlM0w&feature=c4-overview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lugSlLm_l7Q&list=UU5-wCg0iNB0lNXVvVyHlM0w&feature=c4-overview

First part of the videos I'm in park with the parking brake engaged. Then I switch to reverse and so forth.


So any idea what would be causing that noise?

 

[Rock Taco]

Have you tried to put it in 4 wheel drive and try that? It sounds like its on the passenger side to me from the last video.

 

[ttora4runner]

Have you tried to put it in 4 wheel drive and try that? It sounds like its on the passenger side to me from the last video.

Ya, I have and it still does it.

 

[sixstringsteve]

These videos are all in 2wd, right? That's a pretty loud noise. I had the same thing when my A-arm bushings were going out. Do you get any weird vibrations or clunks when driving and NOT turning, or does it only happen when turning?

Do you have any play in the wheels when you jack one up?

Just to double-check, you have replaced any of the following recently?

- the 4 control arm bushings with the metal sleeves on them
- sway bar bushings
- tie rod ends
- steering rack bushings
- upper and lower ball joints

 

[ttora4runner]

These videos are all in 2wd, right? That's a pretty loud noise. I had the same thing when my A-arm bushings were going out. Do you get any weird vibrations or clunks when driving and NOT turning, or does it only happen when turning? No weird vibrations. It just does it when I'm braking to a stop or accelerating from a stop and cornering since I'm braking to make the corner.

Do you have any play in the wheels when you jack one up? Not that I've seen.

Just to double-check, you have replaced any of the following recently?

- the 4 control arm bushings with the metal sleeves on them, yes.
- sway bar bushings - fine
- tie rod ends - just replaced in the past 6-8 months
- steering rack bushings, have not replaced. I have another set of bushings from my previous 4runner that I never installed. Don't know how.
- upper and lower ball joints - new in the past year (Toyota lower ball joints and the ball joints that come with the LR control arms)

I guess another question would be why would it do it when I put that transmission into drive and reverse but not when it's in netural and in park. Wouldn't the same load be applied whether I'm in park or in drive/reverse with my foot on the brake?

 

[sixstringsteve]

I'd do the steering rack bushings. They're cheap and easy to do, and will make your steering tighter. I saw a writeup on TTORA or possibly T4R. Just make sure you grease them well or they'll squeek in the summer.

I'm guessing the load is more than just a side-load. It sounds like it needs a forward or backward load plus the side load to get it to clunk.

 

[ttora4runner]

Got the noise track down to the steering rack. Also, noticed that the driver side bellow is torn and fluid is leaking from it.

 

[Toad]

is it those bushings? pretty common problem

 

[sixstringsteve]

Sadly, it sounds like it's time for a new rack soon (due to the leaking fluid) and at least new poly bushings (due to the noise). I've heard of guys running leaky, clunky steering racks for quite a while without major damage. However, you take care of your vehicles and I doubt you'll sit around waiting for it to break catastrophically.

 

[ttora4runner]

Going to be installing new inner tie rods, steering rack guide and steering rack bushings (had these laying around) are going to be installed.

 

[cackalak]

I think I still have some new poly sway bar bushings from my old 4Runner. Just taking up space in my garage, so yours if you want them. May be good to do while you're in there, err under there. I also have some new starter contacts from 4Crawler I purchased back in 2006 that I never put in.