2000 TD Hilux rear clunk.

Jeff,
Sounds like it could be the tailshaft centre bearing. They make a deep thud, especialy when on and off the throttle and changing gears if not done smoothly. Climb underneath and grab the tailshaft near the centre and try to force it up and down, should not be more than about 5mm movement either way. Also check the rubber is not cracked or perished.

Good luck

Steve.

I'd tend to lean towards a shock problem, pull the rear ones out and do a short drive in a place where you know it normally makes the noise.

My surf just broke the rear left saddle that holds the sway bar to the rear axel again on Sunday (mind you I did a dogy fix with wheel barrow spare parts last time! LOL)
Probally what it is, it sounds frightening, but it's not serious, very easy to reapir too. The first time it happened I couldn't find the fault because the sway bar had actually flattened the saddle and it almost looked like it was supposed to be like that.
The noise will normally happen when you put power down or brake and turn. Sounds like it's what wrong anyway, I know the surf uses the same saddle as the older hilux, the new ones might be the same, pretty common fault apparently, heaps of guys break em on the surf forums.

Sounds exactly like the problem that I have had in all of my 75 series, and in 1 hilux. It will be one of 2 things. May be warn spring dividers. They are a thin disk that separates the leaves.

It will more likely be a shocker that is warn. I contract work at all of the snow resorts in Australia and nearly all of my last 7 Toyota 4WD vehicles have done it on the mountain roads. It is common amongst friends up here too. After cornering from one side to another this seems to happen on tight bends. It is a dull clunking noise in the rear end. Drives me crazy. My current Hilux with 116,000 has not done it yet however I have upgraded the shockers to OME ones and they have way more travel than the standard ones. I must say that only the standard factory shocks have done this. Aftermarket ones dont clunk from experience.

I went bananas at first trying to solve the problem. I changed bushes on the shocks. Changed bushes on the leaf springs, changed spring leaf dividers and even my anti sway bar bushes and nothing worked. After talking to a few mates up at Buller it seemed that nearly all of their vehicles did it. It is the shocks.
I drove one vehicle for a whole winter with it clunking. Nothing broke, nothing came loose, just drove me a bit mad.

Short term solution Turn radio up
Long term solution Replace shockers with aftermarket ones.

Hi. I had the same prob with my earlier model hilux.I tried many things,even to the point of getting the rear diff rebuilt.I finally realised that it was my rear springs, but it only happens when it's been raining or I'v been through water.It's been doing it for the last 5 years,I put new OME's shockies and springs in it and hasn't stop.I I've been on 5 desert trips making this noise and nothing has ever broken,touch wood that is!