Terrible vibration...dealer says it could be...

Hey fellow members...

So I recently brought my 2011 Tacoma into Toyota for what was supposedly the rear hub and bearing assembly making the vibration at 35-40 mph...had both sides replaced luckily under my extended warranty...got it back and the vibration still there...it happens under low rpm between 1000-2000...tech says it could be the resonator from my TRD exhaust...only happens when in 2 wheel and not in 4 wheel...any thoughts or suggestions? I feel it directly under my feet if that helps. I have Bilstein 5100s at the highest setting and running 265/75/16 Toyos, rear leaf tab...dealer also says it could be the truck just making weird noise with the recent freezing temps here in Mass...any help would be great! Thanks lads!

 

This sounds exactly like the symptoms of your drivers side front cv bearing wearing out. There are a ton of threads about this and East Coast Gear Supply makes a bushing to replace the bearing with. Lay under your truck and grab your drivers side front axle and give it a good hard shake, if it has slop in it " there's your sign ".

 

^^^^x2

 

If this is it you my fella and lady are magical! I'll do my best asap to get at it...jw what's the worst that can happen with this? New to all this so pardon my cluelessness

 

Technically speaking if you let it get excessive you could have a catastrophic bearing failure IE: the bearing breaking apart while the axle is turning which could damage the axle and the front diff. The bushing, new seal and the tool to pull the bushing are less than $150 ( from what I remember ) from ECGS so it is an inexpensive fix. Very easy DIY job or just an hour of labor from a good mechanic. I attached a photo of what my bearing looked like when I removed it, if you zoom in you can see that the needle bearings are clearly worn out so bad on one end that the bearing race was also getting ground down between the bearings.

 

I need to get on this asap...don't need any of that happening! Thank you so much!

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2n...nt-differential-bearing-vibration-thread.html

Here is the link on the vibe you are feeling, lots of reading.... but the bushing was the fix for me..

 

Called 3 different diff shops and they don't want to touch it...looks like I might have to tackle this project with my mechanically inclined neighbor. Any hints tips tricks would be great...thanks in advance!

 

Strange that shops dont want to touch it . Have you called any transmission shops ? This is an easy fix for them .
Did you purchase the parts yet ?

 

I have this same problem in my truck, and its only got 22k miles on it. Actually taking it to the dealer to have it fixed. I got such a bad vibration today when I took it out of 4wd (its been snowing) that I thought I was on the rumble strip for a minute but knew I wasnt...

 

I had the same problem with the needle bearing in the front diff. I bitched to all the dealers in my area and they all gave a different diagnosis......one was your tires, the other was drive shaft, and the last dealer got what I was saying and actually helped. In the end he replaced my whole front diff and problem went away. Try different dealers until you find one that is willing to actually help. Some actually want your business......and others don't want to be bothered with work. Make sure you document your visits, who said what, and give the tech details on how to reproduce the problem. Popping the car in 4hi to remove the vibes usually tells them the bearing is the issue, which is key

 

The issue I'm having is this...the service manager is a friend and he said they will only replace it with Toyota parts...so what should I do? Will a new bearing hold up or will I be back to square one? How do I prove its what were all saying...they replaced my rear hubs and bearings thinking it was that...everything is documented as he's a friend and the truck is under warranty...he told me not to worry but come back once the weather breaks to see how bad or vigorous we want to get with it...

 

Yes I have called one right down the road and he referred it out...not sure why all he said is I don't touch differentials...I'm like OK but you can rebuild a tranny with no problem lol...and no I have not purchased the parts yet...

 

mine has held up for almost 30k miles. Ive had issues with vibes prior to my lift and it has been documented. Mine goes away when it is immediately popped into 4hi, if yours does that than the tech should be smart enough it is cv related. They should only touch your front diff and nothing else...you clearly have to walk through to the tech that vibes go away when 4hi is engaged, this will clearly isolate the front.

 

I brought the tech on a ride and it didn't do it at all...that was after I was headed to the dealership and I had it in 4hi in local driving until I got on the highway and went back to 2...on the ride with him no vibes at all...they kept it and let it sit overnight and drove it the following morning and nothing...I went to pick it up and felt instant vibes, I called my buddy the service manager and he came for a ride...he couldn't feel or hear it as bad as I could cause I was the one driving to reproduce the vibe but did document it cause he did feel it at one point...put it in 4hi and it went away...he says it could be the truck being so cold and frozen from the shitty cold temps we've had up north here...tells me to bring it in come spring once thaw hits...still dumbfounded but all your help is great, thanks all. I just don't want to fuck up a truck with only 72k on it...

 

How much slop is too much? And what about the passenger side?

 

my vibes were noticeable at 1k when i bought the truck, as you drive it more it will obviously wear and become very apparent. It wasn't until 15k on my odom when I finally had a new diff ordered under warranty. You wont mess up your truck a whole lot with the vibe. Just some metal shavings as the bearing wears down....There could also be the carrier bearing thats making the vibes if you have a lift as well. rear shims on the rear axle fixed those for me. There is a thread here somewhere if you do a search that you can measure out all your angles of the tc, rear pumpkin, and shafts to get the corrected degree shim.

 

I went under mine and could move the drivers side pretty good and could actually hear almost like a clicking sound maybe of the bearing contacting metal idk...shook the passengers side and minimal if any movement at all... Might have found a shop to install the ECGS bearing but won't know till Thursday when I go and see this guy and tell him the situation...referral from a friend he wants me to go meet.

 

Just to check off the quick and easy stuff, check your carrier bearing. They do wear out, or it could be loose. Stock bolts do not have a locking washer.

 

@LusoSoccr - How'd this end up?