2003 4x4 Tundra Clunking during turns in 4x only.

I recently bought a beautiful 2003 Tundra 4x4 with 115k miles. The truck drives great in 2x (both going straight and turning) and is fine in 4x going straight, but it sounds like the front end is about to fall off when turning in 4x hi - grinding. growling, popping, clunking, jerking, and shaking even on loose gravel. The truck has a slight lift and everything underneath looks good. The noise is so bad that all of my turns have been very slow and very short. I am afraid to try 4x low. I changed oil in the transfer case (a little bit of metal on the magnet, but not much and no improvement in the 4x turning problem. I figured it must be the front differential or transfer case, but there is no problem in 4x hi when going straight. I would appreciate any suggestions on what to check first.

 

Wonder if it’s possible someone put a locker in.

 

Are you doing this on pavement?

 

Suppose to only drive straight in 4lo. Only slight turns in 4hi. Whats baffling is the noise happens on loose gravel. Maybe you are turning too tight? Even for gravel?

 

This was my first thought. To test it, coast through a corner and see if there's popping. If you get popping when you're applying power through the corner and no popping when when you roll through a corner, that will tell you something. Though, if a locker were installed, I'd think the prior owner would have mentioned that. Lockers aren't unremarkable.

 

No, This is happening on loose gravel and is equally bad turning right or left in 4x.

 

I wouldn't say on gravel makes a whole lot of difference. Does it clunk under power as well as coasting through a turn?

 

Had similar issue in my 95 grand Cherokee, sharp turns would clunk and lope, turnout the viscous coupler was bad in the transfer case.

 

I have had several 4xs including a newer Tundra and have never heard or felt anything like this. It clunks on a turn in 4x both with and without power. It starts clunking with the steering wheel turned one complete turn either direction. I will jack it up tomorrow to see if the front wheels spin in the same direction - to see if it has a locker, and I will look for some sand to turn in before I take it in to a 4x shop. I'll post whatever I find out. Thanks for all of the the suggestions.

 

Clunking and loping describes it pretty well and the noise seems to be coming from the area of the transfer case. Thee may have the answer.

 

I'll save you a little time: it's not a locker. Something else is the problem.

 

Baller is right - no locker. Turns out whoever did the 2" lift put 4" spacers up front which tilted the 4x drive shaft up to where it hits a bolt on the transmission case. I thought I had looked pretty carefully, but I missed that. The owner at Gresham 4x in Portland OR saw it. Sure beats having to replace a transfer case or diff. Apparently turning pushed the shaft up just enough to hit the trans. Thanks for all of your responses - they got me into a shop that really knows 4xs.

 

So the front suspension has 4 inch spacers and the rear has a 2 inch lift as well? What are you going to do to fix it? Remove the lift? Sorry I’m trying to understand what type of lift you have that would cause this.

 

The 4x shop recommended just removing the 4" spacers or the bolt on the trans the u-joint was hitting. The spacers tilt the front of the transfer case down while lifting the rear up - which seems to be causing the front u-joint to clip a bolt on the trans. I just removed the bolt (which held a sheet metal shield that is also held by other bolts) and all is well. Moral of this story is to look very carefully for moving parts hitting other parts, and if you screw that up (as I did) find a competent and honest shop.

 

I don't think the bolt is the problem....

 

That’s, kind of, what I was thinking. If it were the bolt, it doesn’t make sense that it only happens when turning. I’m more used to traditional vehicles and, as such, I’d tell you to check your axel u-joints. Don’t these Toyota’s have have CV joints in the place of regular u-joint’s?

 

I could hear (and see the wear spots) the u-joint hit the bolt head when I spun the 4x drive shaft. I removed the bolt and then drove it on loose gravel with no noise even when turning sharply in 4x. The u-joint is located about midpoint between the transmission above and some steel steering fluid lines below - with only about 1/2" clearance from each. Apparently sharp turns somehow lift the transfer case and drive shaft lift about 3/8" hitting the bolt head before I removed it. I'm hoping this movement is normal, but it may turn out to be a problem itself.

 

Wonder if there is eight transfer case or differential mount that is going bad?

 

The front of the transfer case sits on rubber mounts which look good but apparently allow some movement. I'll have to check why the case moves up slightly when turning the steering wheel. The u-joint just clipped one corner of the bolt (maybe 1/8th inch), and the bolt head with washers stood out about 1/4" from the transmission. The sheet metal shield which the bolt helped hold in place still covers that part of the trans, so if the U-joint still hits anything, it will hit that sheet metal instead of the trans. So far no sounds or shaking so its not hitting.

 

JT4X4 this was perhaps the highest yield thread I've discovered on this consistently high yield forum. I had exactly this problem after leveling out the front end. I read this thread and looked into it a bit, saw the bolt you referred to was slighly worn down by the u-joint, removed the bolt and VOILA: no more horribly concerning sound while turning and underway in 4x. THANK YOU. I do see that the bracket held on by this bolt has a cable running through it and figure thats the shift cable into the transmission, and Im concerned about not having the bolt. And I appreciate Mr. White's point about a bad mount. Doesn't seem right that u-joint should be so close to rubbing like that. Pics attached.

 

Would be a good place to use a bolt like this
LINK

 

Was thinking the same thing but it also didnt make sense that the U-joint would be hitting this bolt at all and I have now learned from an experienced Toyota mechanic that what I need to do is a front differential drop kit like this “to compensate for the angle between the transfer case and the front differential. This helps prevent wear on the front CV axles as well as change the angle of the front drive shaft to prevent interference and reduce excessive wear caused by extreme angles”. This should move the U-joint back down and away from the transmission and that bolt.

 

FYI that kit will make the angle worse. It drops the front of the diff mounts angling the rear 'up'.


Maybe inspect the body mounts? Not much else can bring the cab lower where that interference will happen.

 

Oh wow OK. Thanks for this info. Hunt continues…