my experience with this type of symptom on several cars over the course has been low tranny fluid, when banging a turn if it is low on fluid there is the potential of it starving for fluid, pressure drops, internals don't apply the right pressure to keep things moving it seems the engine loses connection with the wheels or that the tranny might be slipping a little and then when you level out a little bang it reapplies the pressure cause the fluid leveled out.
That's one explanation,
the other is the 4x4 kicking in, do you have auto 4x4, full time AWD or Manual 4x4 not sure how that vehicle is set up, if it is auto and only has an auto setting then there is a possibility of gunked up abs rings giving you false readings and the system thinking that you are slipping and engaging to save you, if its manual it could be binding from the last use and not fully disengaged if it's full time AWD it will always be engaged and likely not cause those types of symptoms.
Sporatic transfer case engagement is pretty obvious and if you've driven this thing for a while you'd probably be able to tell if that were happening, I'd check the fluid and cross your fingers that it's only a little low on fluid.
Good luck.
I will check the tranny fluid but this is a model with no dipstick - I understand the tranny is filled up until it bleeds over and then plugged up so I will have to get to the garage for that - its worth checking out obviously.
Its an all wheel drive model so the 4X4 should always be engaged, but it almost feels like it is disengaging in a sharp turn to allow for the turn movemement and then it reengages - I always thought this was in the differential but it seems like the trsfr case does the disengagement - not sure if it has anything to do with the computer control. Any other way you could describe a transfer case engagement? I have seen other AWD cars (i.e. Volvos) and their tires are all bald on the outsides because the AWD does not properly disengage in turns so I thought this was Toyota's version of a better system.
Anyways - thanks for the advice