Hate buying from dealerships!!

[B96brig4CC]

Not to sound like an old poop, well I guess I am, but with 150K I'd expect stuff to break.
Who knows when that u-joint actually failed.
But like you I'd also expect an established dealership with thier reputation to have at least given in a jerk to see if it was tight.

Agreed. By no means do I expect it to be perfect, but in my eyes this was excessive. I would have replaced them anyways, seeing as they apparently had never received grease. But once I post a picture of it on here so all can see just how bad the u-joint was, I think you will understand that you wouldn't even have to jerk on it to know it was bad. It was ridiculous how work out it was!!

 

[B96brig4CC]

I think that you wanted this car so bad that you ignored the signs. I'm guilty of this myself.

There are way more positives to it than negatives. The u-joints being the only negative and the amount of detailing I had to do to get it to my liking, but I like detailing, so for me that isn't really a negative.

I heard the signs, and knew it would be an easy fix either way, but didn't expect any of the joints to be as bad as the one in question.

 

[B96brig4CC]

Or they might not and put a sticker on the windshield that says they have.

Personal experience: motor oil should not have the consistency of cold chocolate syrup 200 miles after an oil change.

that is the truth!! Those guys get payed by the job, not by the hour, and I wouldn't put it past any of them to rush through a car that is going up for resell... Hell, they will rush through jobs for customers and have to do it over sometimes....

 

[Parks 788]

I know what your saying is true. but I have verified proof that it had a thorough 150k mile service done by the dealership and then the guy traded it to the dealership a month after for a new one. I understand that they may not go over it with a fine tooth comb as a used vehicle, before they resell it, but this u-joint looked as if it been faulty for quit some time. I would say atleast 10k miles. It is also to the front wheels for the 4 wheel drive. I heard a slight clunk when we first drove it, but having had Toyota's before it seemed like the typical Toyota hesitation clunk when you first put it in gear, or are coasting and press the accelerator and it moves from a neutral back to drive.

It was an easy fix, and I just wanted to make the dealer aware of the service departments oversight or lack of inspection. The other 3 joints looked as if they had never been greased, and this truck has grease zirks for all the u-joints and both yokes. All is well after 40 dollars for 4 new joints and about 6hours worth of work. Thing drives great. Just wonder what other things they overlooked during the life of servicing this vehicle.....

Sometime that's what you get when buying a used car, especially with that many miles on it.

You may consider yourself luck that is was only Ujoints that are bad. Cheap and easy fix. BTW, ujoints don't go bad over several thousad miles or 10K as you mentioned. Typically once a ujoint is fatigued, not greased, bearings heat to much, etc it will usually clunk like you mentioned and then start to squeal upon accelleration. Once you notice the noise of a joint going bad you may have 1 mile or 15 miles but generally don't expect much more than that. Chances are if the toyota had multiple test drives when the joint was beginning to fail a used car salesman wouldn't have a clue what the noise is and probably wouldn't report it and make it look like the truck was junk. Putting his blinders on as they say.

 

[B96brig4CC]

Sometime that's what you get when buying a used car, especially with that many miles on it.

You may consider yourself luck that is was only Ujoints that are bad. Cheap and easy fix. BTW, ujoints don't go bad over several thousad miles or 10K as you mentioned. Typically once a ujoint is fatigued, not greased, bearings heat to much, etc it will usually clunk like you mentioned and then start to squeal upon accelleration. Once you notice the noise of a joint going bad you may have 1 mile or 15 miles but generally don't expect much more than that. Chances are if the toyota had multiple test drives when the joint was beginning to fail a used car salesman wouldn't have a clue what the noise is and probably wouldn't report it and make it look like the truck was junk. Putting his blinders on as they say.

Check back when I post up pictures. You won't believe how this thing looks. I don't even know how it stayed together. I have had plenty of 4x4's and anytime I have had a u-joint go out, it was apart pretty quick. this thing failed and the knuckles were actually locked together. Remember it is the front shaft of a 4x4 so it's not in use when in 2 wheel drive, heard the clunk when it was in 4 wheel(forgot to mention that). You will be amazed, like I said I have seen them fail, but I have never seen one like this and the joint still in tact!!

 

[Cinaet]

I wouldn't turst a car dealer to wipe his own butt after taking a dump.

 

[B96brig4CC]

here is what one of the "good" old ones looked like....normal

here is the knuckle...see a problem...this is where it was rubbing up against the other

Here is one of the sleeves of the U-joint....should be round

here is the cross of the u-joint.....those should be round

 

[B96brig4CC]

I wouldn't turst a car dealer to wipe his own butt after taking a dump.

Depends on the dealer, but you and me both!! Diffee is good people!!

 

[VitruvianDoc]

I and my parents have never been done wrong by Hudi. However, after working at Carmax, I will go no where else for a used vehicle.

Someone mentioned earlier getting payed by the job, so they rush through it. At carmax, the we had to work in every area during our training and in the "production" area where incoming cars are inspected, cleaned, refurbished, etc. They are required to do a thorough inspection and notate all findings on a vehicle and if they fail to do such, they receive "points" and after so many points, they may be terminated. They truly take the time and prep all vehicles.

 

[Parks 788]

Check back when I post up pictures. You won't believe how this thing looks. I don't even know how it stayed together. I have had plenty of 4x4's and anytime I have had a u-joint go out, it was apart pretty quick. this thing failed and the knuckles were actually locked together. Remember it is the front shaft of a 4x4 so it's not in use when in 2 wheel drive, heard the clunk when it was in 4 wheel(forgot to mention that). You will be amazed, like I said I have seen them fail, but I have never seen one like this and the joint still in tact!!

Saw the pics and those are BAD. What you are calling knuckles are actually yolks. One on the diff and one on the shaft and the ujoint "connects them together. (not trying to be an ass but just FYI) Also,I am not familiar with the transfercase that the Fourunner (sp) uses but it seems like it must be a full time t-case. Or, the prior owner drove around all day everyday in 4 wheel drive. I have had a few ujoints look about as bad as yours but not quite and they were the rear driveshaft joints never the fronts. To have that much wear on the cross of the joint tells me that the front driveshaft was spinning everytime the toyota was driven. There is not a huge advantage to the greasable joints anyways. I have seen greasables fail just as easily as the non greasable types and they tend to be a bit weeker because of the grease passages in the crosses. BTW, the failed joint in the pic looks like it has some funky zerk on it. Def doesn't look factory. Although it is a Japanese auto. In the future, Spice Joints are the best you can get without spending several hundred dollars per joint. Good job on the repair and hopefully nothing else is wrong with her.