I installed 2" polyurethane rear spring spacers, 4" LSPV relocation bracket and 4" track bar drop bracket today on my 4Runner. After the install I took it out for a test drive and then I noticed my truck makes a sound when I brake medium to hard and when I accelerate after braking and coming to a stop. It's like a loud clicking noise from the rear end. It sounds like it's definitely coming from the outside near the rear end of the truck, as if something is loose, again only after I brake hard, come to a stop and them accelerate medium to hard.

I triple checked everything I took off (Shocks, sway-bar links to chassis, track bar and LSPV to track bar). Everything has been re-tighten and I can't figure out whats making that noise. Have any of you experienced this problem after installing rear coil spacers? I went under the truck and tried to see if anything was loose but I couldn't find anything. This worries me about driving my truck. Any ideas? Please help.

 

Did you install longer shocks also ?



Fred

 

I did not install longer shocks, the shocks that I use have more then enough travel to accommodate for the spacers. I have about 3.5" of drop in the shocks after the spacer install. I re-greased my drive shaft upon request from a friend and just came back from another test drive but no luck, still have the same problem. It's more like a loud tap or blunt bang, sounds like metal to metal and from the drivers side. I still can't figure this out.

 

Mmmm, it kinda sounds like you really didn't lift the rear 2" then but simply brought a saggy rear back up to around stock height.
If that's the case then the track bar bracket may have pushed the rear axle off to one side.
Take a look, measure, and see if the rear axle is centered.


Fred

 

The springs that I have are less then 2 years old, that's what restored the truck to the original ride height. My rear end was not sagging after I installed the springs. The spacers then added 2", my truck is noticeably higher now. The spacers did shift the axle a little, I could not get the track bar back on, I had to use a come along to shift it about 1/4" to 3/8" towards the passenger side. I was told that I might have to do this from the person I bought it from, but would cause the noise?

 

I figured out my problem last night. After spending a few times under the rear end and finding no signs of anything loose or anything shifting or broken I finally decided as a last ditch effort to remove stuff from the trunk. That's when i remembered about the stock Toyota bottle jack under the rear passenger seat on the drivers side, the same side where the noise was coming from. Turns out that by total coincidence after i installed the spring spacers my bottle jack started shifting around inside of it's compartment, making that banging sound when i brake hard and when i accelerate from a dead stop. I took the jack out since I never use it anyway. I carry a mini floor jack which can jack the truck higher and has a bigger foot print on the ground. No more noises, time to install my BJ spacers.

 

Nice, you dropping the diff for your 2" lift?

 

Yeah, got all the parts I need but I haven't done the front yet. It didn't make sense to me to start on the front until I solved the noise issue in the rear. I'm planning to start on the front tonight or at least look at it. I have the diff drop kit and the sway bar drop kit too. Ready to start cutting the upper A-arms...Hopefully when I'm done I'll have the time to do a write up for the front and rear lift with pictures.