Front end noise 70s Prado 93

[oldblue]

A curly question. I've got a noise in the front end,more prominant in low range 4wd, aceated with driving over uneven ground ,it's not a mecanical noise, but to do with suspension. No problem with getting WOFs.
If you enguage drive on the auto and ease the brake off and on .while at parke you can here this sound and feel coming from the front end.
Wos wondering if someone else has had this problem.

[DieselBoy]

Could be just the brakes.
They creak as you ease them off and back on again.
With that in mind, have another look/play.
See what ya come up with.

[oldblue]

I know the noise's that you get with the brakes,This noise can also be heard and felt while driving over small rough terain at slow speed. The stearing box and tie rods have no play. Its a distinct knocking sound, not a brake energizing sound.

[DieselBoy]

Sweet

Just tryin to rule out the obviouse things.......

They should have picked these up in a wof, but from personal experience with the safari and its huge collection of clunks, creaks and cracks that drive you nuts, some things do get over looked when the testing places are used to dealing with lightly built cars, so son't heave on things enough to show up play in certain things:

Shock bushes all ok??
Spring damper pads in good condition??
Battery secure??
Body mounts nice and tight??
Exhaust secure??
Steering stabiliser shock bushes in good condition??
Swivel hub bearings good??
Bolts securing radious arms to diff and chassis tight??

Things that got missed at wofs on the safari that turned out to be contribitors to clunks have been:

Body mounts mainly. All the front ones were loose.
Spring damper pads
Swivel hub bearings
Radious arm bolts.
(and i had put a front spring on facing 180 degress rotated from were it should have been )

After doing the sus lift on my brothers 94 Prado for him, i would have a very close look at the shock mounts. Just cause of the way they are designed.

Pete.

[DieselBoy]

Just a thought, are you still running the sway bar??

I have removed that from both my brothers and my old mans.
Could be related.
From memory there's eight 12mm bolts that locate it to brackets that mount to the chassis.

The pointy ends that locate to the diff were loose on the 92 when i pulled it off.

[wjw]

do you get a kick to, ie you can 'feel' the noise?

[oldblue]

Will check bottom radius arm bolts,and lower shocky rubbers washers, as i can relate the problem to rotational forces, thanks for the quick replys.

[toymad]

Just a thought but try the upper suspension stops on the front arms. I had a similar noise in my surf and both were loose (almost wound the nuts right off the studs). They are a fairly solid lump of steel and rubber and can make quite a heavy knocking noise if they're loose.

[eatenfuller]

good on ya for helping TOYMAD but its a land cruiser (solid axle)no top arms like youre ifs setup on youre surf ,its like comparring a lemon to banana

[eatenfuller]

youre panhard rod bushes ok im asking this because they are not designed to twist(which happens offroad when youre crossing up) just a thought ,they are renound for slogging out.

so is it awine ,clunk rattle can you be more specific I WANT TO FIND IT

[oldblue]

The noise is only when on level ground, traveling slowly over small bolders. It can be felt throu the stearing,almost like play in the stearing box, but there is'not any free play.Have no trouble getting a WOF.

[eatenfuller]

it could just be ..........................turn the wheel from lock to lock and get someone clued up to have a look under there for movement etc.or have you tried this

[DieselBoy]

It not something stupid like somthing moving round in the glove box??

I'm an idiot, but thats what my latest one turned out to be