funny noise - GOT IT DONE MYSELF

About 4-5 days ago my truck started making this funny noise. It sounds kind of like rubber on glass. Not metal on metal. I thought it was brakes. I pulled the front tires off and the took the pads out 3 times in 3 days. I can't find anything wrong.
It takes about 20 minutes for this noise to start so something is warming up and/or expanding and/or loose
When I push the brake pedal the noise might start, it seems to happen about 25% of the time after it's warm.
Sometimes hitting a dip in the road will start the noise
I can stop the noise by pressing harder on the brake pedal or with a sharp tap
the noise is definitely related to rolling speed, the sound changes pitch with speed changes
I finally swallowed my pride and took it to the dealer. It stumped their best guy. He even put it on the rack and checked underneath. Nothing obvious is wrong. We made a date to come back and leave the truck all day so they can tear it apart.
I thought the noise was coming from the front. The dealer guy thought it was coming from the rear. Saturday I'll pull the rears since I have been concentrating on the front. Maybe a broken spring inside a drum? But then I would expect a metal on metal sound. Maybe a rubber boot fell of from the piston?
Anybody experience anything like this? Help me out - give me a clue. I have a 4 hour drive on Monday and I'm a little nervous about it now. The Toyota guy assured me that my wheels won't fall off.
I've had my truck about 8 months now and I have 20,000 miles on it.
TIA

 

crickets

 

And you have made sure its definitely speed/drivetrain related and not engine speed related? Are you 4x4 or 2wd? Could perhaps be a bushing or bearing related to axles or drive shaft, I've heard drive shafts make noise before. Definitely a hard problem to diagnose from a forum.

 

as soon as I read "drive shaft" something clicked in my head.
I found it. It was the center drive shaft rubber grommet bearing/bushing thing.
whew! what a freakin relief! This was driving me crazy.
Thanks Supra, that's all it took, just a little trigger

 

The problem stumped their best guy at the dealer's shop?... yet Supra has your answer without even looking at it.

I'd take your truck to a smarter dealer next time if you have a problem... or ask Supra.

 

I went to the closest dealer by my house because I was getting frustrated.

I called around and found the bearing, bought it, and tried to install it. I dropped the drive shaft, no easy feat. Those bolts from the rear u joint to the differential were installed by Iron-man apparently. Got the drive shaft on the ground and I could not separate it to install the bearing. After working on it for an hour I just put everything back together with the old bearing still in place. Since there is so much slop in the bearing now I squirted a bunch of grease in there, hoping to keep it quit for a few days until I can get it to the stealership. Not the same one obviously. LOL



Of course none of this is covered under warranty because of my 2" lift.

 

Glad to be of help! Motion surfaces are always a weak spot in the system because there's always the possibility of a problem occurring by either friction from poor lubrication or uneven surfaces from dirt. Sometimes the noises go away by themselves but things wear out.

I wish I knew what every noise my Taco makes is, but I've learned that Toyota's engines just make noises inherently. Mechanical lifters and all.

 

A lift shouldn't effect the warranty, unless it is the direct cause of the failure. Did the dealer say that the power train warranty was voided? Make him put that in writing then go over his head to Corporate. I would protest vigorously.

 

not only would they not do it under warranty, they wouldn't do it at all.
That's the last time my truck will see Longo Toyota.
It was the luck of the draw. I got some idiot mechanic who said that the trans is leaking now. He said it was leaking because of my 2" lift and now the drive shaft has to be made 1" longer. It's not leaking, there was a bit of ATF there in that stupid cup thing, from when I pulled the drive shaft. I wasted 4 hours there for nothing. At least I got a drawing from the parts department. Now that I can see it I'll do it my freakin self. They wouldn't even sell me the retainer clips for the u joints. They said there are 8 different thicknesses. Now I have to be careful and re-use the old retaining clips. Man what a pisser. I had this same lift with this same bearing on my 11 Tacoma, no problems. Now with my 15 I need to make the drive shaft 1" longer? I'm calling BS here. I'm trying not to swear but &%^$&^$(*^&*()^&^%& racka fracka
Guess what I'm doing Saturday morning? haha

 

I would say that's just poor customer service on the dealer's part. May just be that dealer, might be worth it to try another one, but I always say, if you want something done right, you gotta do it your self.

 

sdtag, I see that you're in Southern California.... if you're by any chance somewhat close to Ventura, I would recommend disconnecting the driveshaft and taking it here:

Coast Driveline & Gear
2457 Palma Dr, Ventura, CA 93003
(805)656-0285

Ask for William...he's very knowledgeable and accommodating.
I had service my driveline(3 new u-joints, new carrier bearing, rebalanced it, flipped part of it around).

 

I'm in OC but thanks. I used to be a truck mechanic for Budweiser and I know some drive shaft shops.
I really don't think the drive shaft needs to be longer. If you draw this out as a right angle triangle, raising the top line 2" in no way makes the diagonal line 1" longer. I'm 99.9% sure I just got a know-it-all mechanic who didn't feel like doing his job.
Now that I have the drawing I'll do it myself. I still love my taco but dammit it shouldn't be this hard.
I have idiots in Whittier and assholes in El Monte. Whats next?
haha I just have to laugh now
so I don't kill everybody! haha

 

Ok man...well, I'm sorry you have to deal with such incompetence down there and wish you the best of luck!

 

OK I gotterdone.
2 hrs start to finish. It was a tough job too. Thank GOD I got that drawing!

After I got the drive shaft up on the bench I had to remove that middle u joint. I used a C clamp and sockets.
Then got the nut off the end of the front shaft. Then I had to use a puller to get it apart. Then a puller again on the bad bearing.

Got it all cleaned up and installed the new bearing. I had to tap in with a small roll pin punch going around and around the inner race. Then the propeller and nut snugged it back into position. Re assemble the u joint and re install the drive shaft assembly back into the truck.

I moved the center bearing as far back as it would go, and I shimmed it about 1/4" with 2 flat washers.

That front cup is what the Longo mechanic was telling me about, it is out about an inch, normally it is flush with the outer part. I crawled under a stock 2015 Tacoma and checked, yup, it was flush. So this means my tranny splines are less engaged by about an inch now. I can live with that.

Looking back in retrospect, ya know, maybe this WAS my fault. When I lifted my truck 2" I think I should have moved the bearing back, but I never knew to do this. Live and learn. So a friendly word of advice for 2015 Tacoma owners: If you lift it at all, check your drive shaft and this center bearing.

 

now that I'm done I found THIS:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/drive-shaft-vibrations-solved-step-by-step.244535/