Hi all newb here.. Looking for help.

I have a '96 4x4 runner, bought it new and it's been a great truck.

I've been having a bit of a problem though.

I've got a noise, a roaring rumbling noise, kinda gravelly sounding, I can feel it through the floorboard. Like a bearing of some kind. No vibration like a drive shaft, more like driving over gravel with very hard tires.

It's in the drive train, because it increases right along with speed.

It sounds like it coming from the front, but it's really impossible to tell from inside.

I see no grease/oil leaks, CV boots are intact, about 130k miles on it.

It has been through mud and deep water off and on through it's life, and the noise started after a trip out west from Texas to Colorado of a few thousand miles. Diff oil and t-case oil has been changed at 50k and 100k.

It's been making this noise for a year now, likely about 20k miles, getting slightly louder as time goes on. I let it go thinking whatever it was would start to fail more rapidly and make it easier to figure out what it was. If it goes like this it might not fail for who knows how long, just make a lot of noise.

Any good ideas on what I can try to pin it down, before I start the trial and error at the local $$garage?

I'm thinking wheel bearings or CV joints, sound right? I did a search but most posts don't have a clear result. Are front bearings and CV's easy to replace at home without a press?

Oh and for an easy one, my headlights are old and dim, one has a rocks hole in the glass, what is a decent replacement for the the whole assembly housing bulb and all to get some good light back on the road?

Thanks,

 

Oh well, I guess it's time to spend some bucks.

I think I've made up my mind to just replace the wheel bearings all around, and the CV joints up front.. Maybe ball joints and some bushings and shocks as well while I'm at it.

Been driving this truck since I drove it off the lot new and for about 7 years now since it was paid off, guess it's time to give her enough lovin to go another 7.

 

What kind of tires are you running and how's the tread? You can probably find a good replacement headlamp assy. at a junk yard.

 

That was my first thought. Jack up each wheel and give them a spin to see if one makes a noise.

 

I'm running some off brands that are pretty well shot pathfinders or some such thing.

That's part of the issue telling where the noise is coming from, the tires are making a pretty good rolling noise of their own now as well.

I'm putting new tires all around tomorrow or Thursday, 265/75-16 at the local discount tire, BF Goodrich all terrains most likely. They have a couple of Michelins in that size as well, I'll have a look at the tread designs and pick the best looking.

I'm leaning toward wheel bearings, I have a hard time imagining CV joints could make a sound like that. I kept driving it thinking if it was bearings it would get a lot worse, maybe crunchy, making it easier to tell, but it just got louder to the point I don't want to get too far from home, but not a crunchy I'm about to grenade on you bearing sound..

I was searching again and found someone here that posted a rear wheel bearing video or two with massively sloppy bearings, that's what's pushing me over the top to do the bearings.

Just not totally sure that it couldn't be transfer case, diff, or something else that's always rotating when moving. Doesn't seem that there's any common failures of anything else though, so wheel bearings still seem most likely.

I also have a right front rotor that has warped that needs to be replaced, and if I have to pay someone for pressing bearings in and out I might as well have them do anything else that might be getting close to worn out while it's apart. Is there a shade tree method of changing front wheel bearings? (have torch, good air, welder, bench, big vise etc. just no press)

I read something about newer 3rd gen models having different and better headlights than the '96, is a 2001 model headlight better and a direct swap?


Fact is I've been rebuilding a 1953 M-37 military truck from the ground up for the last 1.5 years, swapping in a cummins 4bta diesel, and I was hoping the runner could hold up until I got the army truck finished, but it isn't going to work out that way.

The army truck has been frame off disassembled, frame and body blasted, painted, diffs rebuilt with front and rear ARB lockers, new springs and bushings, basically anything that moves rebuilt, and it's taking up my entire garage while I fit the cummins with a duece and half spicer trans in and get mounts fabricated up, after which the front clip and wiring still has to be done along with fuel tank and lines. Gonna take through winter I imagine.

But the 4-runner needs lovin now.. I don't think it'll limp through winter like it is.

 

Get the Michelin LTX AT/2. They are a pretty new tread design and they kick a$$. I had the BFG ATs on it before but I like the Michelin more because they are quieter and I think they go better off road especially in the mud.