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Clunk in back mystery

3K views 20 replies 11 participants last post by  mossman77 
#1 ·
There have been a lot of posts dealing with a mysterious clunk in the back end of the first gens. HAS anybody found what it is?!!!
It's driving me crazy!
 
#5 ·
Could be worse.

Wait that's actually much better.

My truck has a weird clunk now, it happens when I accelerate from a stop but not all the time. It started when I changed my leaf springs, I'm curious what it is but haven't pinpointed it yet. Wondering if I stressed anything on the driveshaft when I pushed the rear axle down farther than the leaf springs extend. Doesn't bug me enough to chase it down yet.
 
#6 ·
Yours probably only clunks after a HARD stop...harder the stop, harder the clunk right? Drive shaft/prop joint issue.

Mine has it. 2010 4Runner that I had before this truck had it too. Lubing the prop seems to work.
 
#9 ·
...My truck has a weird clunk now, it happens when I accelerate from a stop but not all the time. It started when I changed my leaf springs, I'm curious what it is but haven't pinpointed it yet. Wondering if I stressed anything on the driveshaft when I pushed the rear axle down farther than the leaf springs extend. Doesn't bug me enough to chase it down yet.
You have new u-bolts on there. Recheck torque. They stretch some. Each nut to 98 ft/lbs.
 
#10 ·
I have a mysterious clunk in the back end on my Tundra too. Here ya go DIY mechanics.....I have done four things to my 2000 Tundra. The first was to take off the resonator and muffler and replace it with a Magnaflow muffler. A bit louder and to my liking!! :laughing3d:

The second one was back 3 yrs ago I took off my box off of my frame to do some undercoating. I had the old truck put on a NEW frame (thanks Toyota) and when I got her home I bolted back on the box.

The third thing after I got the truck home was replace the old factory shocks with some Bilenstein (sp) 5100's. (Not adjustable...I think) I unbolted the lower bolt, and then undid the top nut and put in the new shocks in reverse order. Simple..right?

The last thing I did to the truck was replace a dead tranny. Out with the old and in with the new. All bolts back in place, no extras at the end. Tranny support bolts back on and everything is good.

It seemed like my clunk happened after the frame, box install, and 5100's went in. When I put into a driveway the truck is on a diagonal (flexing, torqued) and I get a clunk, clunk. as the truck goes back on level ground again. I checked my shocks and I have rubber touching metal parts, I dropped the spare tire- noise still there, the exhaust doesn't move that much, and the bolts that hold on my box are tight!

Any ideas? I am stumped! Thanks for any help that is given...
 
#13 ·
Does this apply to 4x2s or just 4x4s? I'm having my carrier bearing replaced tomorrow and will ask them to lube whatever is necessary. I hear a clunk sometimes when putting the truck into drive or reverse.
 
#15 ·
When we did the tranny swap and put the drive shaft back on I asked about greasing those U joints. My friend said he would do it when the job was done. I will see about the torque too. I suppose I need to borrow a torque bar/wrench too...ehh? Thanks.
NOT the u-joints... the u-bolts that hold your leaf packs to the axle. When those get loose, they allow all kinds of noise. Those nuts need to be 98 ft/lbs.
 
#16 ·
Those nuts need to be 98 ft/lbs
I only torqued mine to 85 ft lbs when I installed my blocks a month ago. I was beginning to think something was wrong with my torque wrench because I was tightening them so much and I had not yet reached 98. I was concerned that I would snap a bolt. I later realized that it is much more difficult to torque something when you are laying on your side under the truck as opposed to standing up and using gravity, which is why it seemed like I was tightening them too much. I will be torquing them properly this weekend.
 
#19 ·
You have new u-bolts on there. Recheck torque. They stretch some. Each nut to 98 ft/lbs.
This. Cheers Remmy I crawled under today to inspect the u bolts, it was immediately apparent that this was my issue. My driver side had stretched and allowed enough play to let the bump stop plate shift out from under the u bolt.
:eek: scary chit.

I backed the nuts down a little to get the bump stop back into position and added more thread lock, then torqued all the bolts. Test drive showed the clunk completely gone. I just hope the u bolt isn't under more stress now since I adjusted it but I figure if they stretch from initial install it should be acceptable to torque them a second time.

I'll send you the points as soon as I'm out of :jail:
 
#21 ·
Tried to re-torque them yesterday and they are all torqued to at least 98 ft-lbs. The dealer must have torqued them when I had it in for the carrier bearing.
 
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