Roaring sound that starts at 60 mph

Hello, I'm new to this forum but was hoping that someone could help me. I have a 2009 double cab 4x4 Tacoma, it has a 5'' lift and 35 12.50s. When I get to exactly 60mph something starts roaring and can be felt in the gas pedal but not the steering wheel. It stays that way no matter how much faster I get it up to. It only stops when I drop back down below 60 or when I turn right in a curve. I have checked the wheel bearings and they are fine, but I have noticed that the front tires are feathering a little. Please help!!!! ( P.S.... I have had an alignment, rotation and balance done twice with no change )

 

Certainly sounds like a wheel bearing, especially considering that it goes away when you turn the wheel, how notoriously weak they are on these trucks, and the fact that you're lifted pretty significantly. What do you mean that you "checked" the wheel bearings? Just because you can't feel anything by jiggling stuff with your hands doesn't mean they aren't bad.

 

I had the shop check them. Not sure how they did or if they even did but they said they were fine

 

It's weird you feel nothing in the steering wheel if it was the bearings. Does the motor sound/run ok? Or possibly the drivetrain with such a lifted truck?

 

IT only stops when I turn to the right not when I turn left. I have about 1/2" of play in the csb and its not been dropped any. You think that might have something to do with it? also would a bad bearing make the tires feather? When I say feather I mean that each thread on my tires have a s shaped line as a design in them and they are worn at different depths

 

it sounds like a wheel bearing to me...

 

The engine runs great but the transmission does make quite a bit of noise with the clutch out in neutral.

 

Which side do y'all think it could be, being that it stops when I turn right?

 

Yeah, I know. I don't feel a thing in the steering but if I keep my foot on the gas and turn into a right hand turn I can feel it go away completely

 

Look guys, I know how hard it is to admit that these 2nd gen's are reallyy sad trucks. I have a very long list of things that had to be replaced on a 5 yr. old truck.I had a 1st gen (96) and a 1977 and I am an ex aircraft mechanic that now works on rockets (30 yrs.) Trust me when I say the left front wheel bearing mainly on the FJ's, 4runners and taco's , mainly 4x4's will go bad. Mine is an 09 completely stock and it was toast at 60k. You must replace the hub and bearing together and MAYBE it will last, but don't count on it. It's a design flaw that won't go away. Any time a noise increases while turning in one direction versus another you know it's a bearing. Right turn quite.. Left front bearing, just like mine. Threds to replace are here. Just do it.

 

Yes, a bad bearing will feather the tires if it is worn enough. And typically if the noise goes away when turning the wheel (similar to how Nascar drivers clean their tires) then yes, it is usually a bearing. The direction you turn that makes the noise go away is the side that has gone bad. For example if it goes away when your turn right, the right bearing is bad because when you turn right you increase the load on the left bearing, and decrease load on the right bearing.

 

http://youtu.be/dAicnJd6zYE

 

A bad bearing has become "loose" with too much play. When going straight you have noise, when you turn right it tightens up or loads a bad left bearing taking out the play and the noise decreases. My last post was in error. Even I can get confused by this reversal of right vs. left but the kid down the street that is a Toyota mechanic has verified that driver's side bearing goes bad 2 or 3 times before a passenger side will.

 

I will disagree with you on the noise versus side diagnosis. I have been replacing wheel bearings for many years at the dealerships and have become quite acclimated to these diagnosis. A bad bearing, when loaded will get louder, not quieter. Noise goes away when you unload the bearing because there is no force, or minimal force, applied to the bad bearings. As for the Toyota, I do these bearings for a living. lol. Well, almost.

 

I had the bearings checked today and they were in good shape. They did find that the ball joint on the passenger side upper control arm had not been tightened back down after the lift was installed!!!! It was only screwed on hand tight more or less. It didn't even have threads showing through the grooves on the castle nut. That being said, after they tightened it down and I left the vibration was still there at the same speed but got a little bit worse. I am at my wits end and I don't know what else to check

 

Does not make sence. Call me crazy i'm still thinking bearings

 

I don't think its crazy.... any ideas on other ways to check the bearings myself?

 

I have read many of your posts, and respect your knowledge immensely. For this reason, I would not normally disagree with you. However, in this instance I do have to disagree, as I recently replaced my driver-side bearing, and mine actually went silent when loaded. I do agree with you in general on this topic, as I myself expected it to be the passenger bearing failing because of how it reacted to loading/unloading, and was very surprised to find that it was in fact the driver-side bearing.

So my point for anyone experiencing this, is that though BamaToy is correct on this generally speaking, don't automatically rule out that it could be the bearing that goes quiet when loaded.

 

It's the flux capacitor spooling up.

 

I appreciate your candor. I guess perhaps I should relegate my comment to "I have never seen one personally" that was not exactly as I described. I guess I should accept the fact that not every bearing failure will be identical.


As to the OP, I have to say I am beginning to doubt the shop's ability to diagnose. A noise and vibration THAT bad should be easy to spot. Thinking about how the entire front end is built, perhaps the vibration could be from a CV shaft that has excessive play, or a bad joint?