Seal Leak

What is the name of this part and how concerned should I be? The pictures are the front passenger side. I don't know much of anything about suspensions so bear with me. I also posted on 4runners.com but there's not much traffic over there. Thanks for any help.

 

sway bar link

 

Thank you @jtv! Would this cause a vibration while driving? I'm thinking a tire may be out of round as well.

 

That small grease leak is minor, it will cause the link to wear faster, but it's not a big deal. There is a small ball joint inside that requires lubrication.

The sway bar when worn causes clunks over bumps. It wont cause tire wear or vibrations. All it does is connect the left front knuckle to the frame and to the right knuckle to increase stability.

 

I'm no mechanic... but I don't think that sway bar joint "leaks". It's just really, really well greased it appears.

Can you describe the vibration? What speeds does it happen? Can you hear it at all? Is it felt in the whole truck? Just the floorboard? While accelerating? Decelerating? Coasting?

2nd Gen Tacomas are known to have Needle Bearing problems in the front diff on 4x4 models. That can create vibrations specifically in the 25-40mph range while in 2WD.

 

That won't cause a vibration, if anything, if it's really worn out it'll make a clicking/clunking noise. If you're having vibration issues you should have the wheel balance checked.

 

This is on my wife's 2008 4Runner SR5. And it could very well be that I'm used to driving with a TRD suspension and her 4Runner is the base model. I don't really notice it until we get to about 45-50 mph. Sometimes it happens non-stop and sometimes it's in and out. The steering wheel vibrates (not crazy), but it's not like my Tacoma.

I'll put the spare on and give it a go. If that doesn't work then I'll take it to Discount Tire tomorrow or Monday. Thanks.

 

Have you checked to make sure all the lug nuts are torqued properly? Even something simple like that can create problems. Could be an alignment problem. Could be a tire/wheel balance issue. Usually alignment/balance problems are more pronounced the faster that wheel is spinning/wobbling.

 

That bar is cheap and easy to do. Better replace it.

 

I'm going to order a replacement bar. I'm also going to try the spare tire and/or take it to Discount Tire to see if it's out of round or something. Thanks for the help everyone. I appreciate it.