The 4Runner was our choice of rides to get down to Los Angeles for the Grand National Roadster Show recently. On the way down it felt like we got a flat tire, but when I pulled over I found nothing wrong. We convinced ourselves it was the road and set back out. We felt a similar feeling closer to LA but again an inspection turned up nothing. We stopped by the Petersen Museum to check out their new layout, and their parking garage was our downfall. The tight turning radius needed inside was enough to hear a loud “pop” followed by a whole lot of clicking. We were mobile but I didn’t know for how long. It was obvious that the axle was now the problem, so we started looking for a replacement. We found a Napa about 10 miles away with one in stock so we limped over that way and picked up that and the axle socket that I knew I didn’t have with me. I’ve you’ve never been to the Napa on Washington Blvd in Los Angeles than you probably don’t know how tiny the parking lot really is. There was barely room to park to buy the part, swapping the axle wasn’t going to happen here. We limped the truck through East LA on Whittier Blvd until we reached the Harbor Freight in Pico Rivera. There we were able to buy some jack stands (that are now staying in the truck at all times) and a tarp to make sure we didn’t leak fluid all over their parking lot.
A short while later I had the new axle in and the old was removed and I got my first glimpse of what had happened. As curious as I was I waited to inspect it until after I was home. We re packed everything and headed out to grab some food and get to the hotel.
The lead shot is from a few days later when I finally had time to pop the axle apart and see that the cage itself had failed. New Toyota axles coming up!
