1999 4Runner shaking during braking/Clunking when stopping

Two problems;

1) 1999 4Runner LTD 4x4 shakes violently when the brakes are applied. The shaking is felt in the steering wheel and occurs at most speeds. Truck is used for city driving, i.e. lots of starting and stopping. Changed the brake pads, bled the brakes, had the tires rotated and balanced, same problem. Saw some posts where owners changed the rotors and problem reoccured within 6 months. Trying to avoid unnecessary componet changes unless I'm sure of the cause (the truck is not under warranty.)

2) There is a Clunking sound in the rear end when I come to a stop. Sometimes when stopping but other times when I let off the brake to go again, such as stopping at a stop sigh or red light. The whole truck shakes when it makes the clunking sound and the gear shift moves (automatic transmission). I saw some mention of greasing the driveshaft and splines, what are the splines? I will try this but am looking for other causes just in case that doesn't work.

*Also when I was changing the brake pads I noticed that there are 2 sets of calipers per wheel assembly (the cylindrical things the pads sit on i'm guessing are called callipers?) Well the calipers are not extended even amounts when i removed the assembly and some thin metal rings that looked like the were supposed to hold some rubbery covers were loose, I cliped them back on the rubber covers. Would uneven caliper operation cause the shaking? How can I test for this?

Airplanes are my thing, not cars, but I'm am reasonably mechanically inclined and can follow instructions. Please Help.

Thanks :banghead:

ty_smith78@yahoo.com

If one of the pistons are stuck (not moving the same as the other), then the caliper needs to be replaced.

The clunking sound is almost certainly the splines. Grease every fitting on both propellor shafts with moly grease. If the problem is not solved (at least 90% of the way), then replacing the spline on the rear propellor shaft will most certainly solve that problem. Give the grease time to work it's way into the splines.

The splines are longitudinally grooved tubing that forms part of the propellor shaft. There is matching grooves on the other half of the propellor shaft that slide over the other matching splines. They allow the propellor shaft to elongate and shorten while power is being applied. The propellor shaft has to be able to change its length since the differentials, to which the propellor shafts are bolted, move up and down with the suspension while the transfer case, to which the other end of the propellor shafts are bolted, does not move with the suspension.

Thanks for the speedy reply and clarification. I will try the grease and check the calipers again.

As for the shaking during braking will a bad caliper cause that, or is it more of a rotor problem as others have posted? What are the visual cues, if any, that I might have a rotor problem? I have used the parking brake at driving speed and get no shaking so I'm pretty sure its in the front of the truck.

Can you reccomend a good rotor/brake pad combination for replacement?

Thanks again,

Ty :)

Personally, I would use Toyota brake parts exclusively.

As far as the faulty component, a caliper with a stuck piston will most likely trash the rotor. The vibration you feel is a symptom of a problem, not the problem. The rotor is most likely causing this symptom, but the root cause is probably the stuck piston.

I know there is alot of hedging in the above statement, but it is difficult to separate the horse from the cart here. I don't see how a bad rotor could make a piston stick.