OFFICIAL 2nd gen 4x4 front differential bearing vibration thread

Lol well one can always hope. I'm just happy it is gone. Will wait and see if anything changes down the road, hmmm.

 

It is cyclical, goes away when I take a left hand curve on the highway and gets worse when I go right. Its not a very bad vibration more like a hum and you feel the vibration in your feet.

Truck is going into Toyota for a new frame in the next week so hoping that will rule a lot of stuff out. Its an 05 with 135k.

 

Not sure if this is my problem, but I do hear a weird clunk sound when I shift into drive and leave my parking lot.. About 4-5 feet from it I hear a front end metal sounding "clunk".

I also have pretty intense vibration in the front end while going 45-60 mph where my steering wheel really shakes, but not all the time. Just occasionally. Might need a tire rotation, but thinking it's something else.

 

The clunk is probably u-joints that need to be lubed. For the vibration, I'd balance your tires first, and see if that fixes it.

 

Lubing up the joints easy and something I can do?

 

Get a good grease gun with a flexible hose. Get yourself some NLGI 2 grease and pump away. It doesn't matter whether you use synthetic or any regular grease as long as it's NLGI 2 rated. Just keep up with greasing and you'll be good.

You'll find 5 grease zerks along the u joints. 3 for rear drive shaft and 2 up front. There's a thread somewhere around here for it with pictures. Just grease away until you see new grease come out of the u joints then your good.

 

Extremely easy to do and so many people don't do it nearly as much as they should. I grease them at least once a month among other things.

Also the clunk could be, but is not limited to: LCA bushings are shot and/or not tight enough, steering rack bushings are shot, UCA bushings are shot and/or not tight enough, and some other more serious stuff.

 

Was just sitting here thinking about how I kind of wanted to try and attach my dash cam aimed at left cv into axle tube
to record it. But since they are not really a high fps unit probably wouldn't work.
Would be interesting if there was a high speed camera a guy could do that with and slow the video way down
to see what the cv is doing when the vibe starts. Just a late night random thought

 

Maybe a "gopro" camera

 

Request here . . .

Former Gen2 owner (had 2), now an . . . ahem . . . Gen3 owner. Would any of you Gen2 owners, that had TSB 0026-15 performed, please send me the specifics on what your symptoms were that led to the TSB being performed.

Below 30 m.p.h. (More noticeable when decelerating. From 25mph-20mph you'd swear you were driving on 44-inch Super Swamper bog tires) my 2016 exhibits the feeling of driving over rumble strips (like on the shoulder of a highway). It can be felt through the steering wheel and the floorboard. I brought up TSB 0026-15 to the dealership, but they said it didn't apply to the 2016s and it was only applicable to some Gen2 Tacomas that exhibit a vibration during acceleration. Of course I think this is bunk since the TSB doesn't mention ANYTHING about acceleration, but that's the song and dance I'm getting from Toyota.

 

When I stopped in to my dealers they went ahead and ordered all the TSB parts for mine, they are the same as 2nd gen.
It is a cyclic moan/groan that fades in and out I guess you could say, you can feel it and hear it. Chase talks about it in his videos and why it does it. Hence the bushing to replace the needle bearing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLaX0YktJvGQuk-Xge30aZX-EXwvlKNUVK&v=BOvoM5irtEc PART 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzdakZGs1Dg&list=PLaX0YktJvGQuk-Xge30aZX-EXwvlKNUVK&index=2 Part 2

Have you tried putting it in 4x4 yet to see if it goes away?

 

Taking it to a separate dealer for a "ride along" tomorrow, for documentation of the issue. I was going to test the rumble disappearing in 4 wheel drive since, according to the TSB, the rumble goes away when in 4 wheel drive.

I was going to test that out tonight when I picked my truck up, but I figured it would be my luck that I would put it in 4 wheel drive and then the truck wouldn't exhibit the rumble when I take it to the dealer tomorrow. Two separate service employees at the dealership I was at today said the "rumble" issue I have is different because it doesn't exhibit the rumble on acceleration, only when decelerating or driving a constant speed at or below 30 mph. According to the dealer TSB 0026-15 is ONLY performed on Tacomas that exhibit a vibration while accelerating, not decelerating.

Does it only occur when accelerating? Decelerating? Driving a constant speed or rpm?

 

Pretty much constant, doesnt matter if you accel or decel, no effect. If it goes away in 4x4 it is usually the needle bearing.
Just about everyone who installs the ECGS bushing has cured the issue.
Obviously your dealer can't read. From TSB as I am sure you read it too "Some 2004 – 2015 model year Tacoma, FJ Cruiser, and 4Runner vehicles may exhibit a cyclical grinding or groaning noise coming from the front differential in 2WD that goes away when operated in 4WD."

Repair Procedure
1. Confirm the Condition is present. Is the cyclical grinding or groaning noise present in 2WD and NOT in 4WD?
• YES — Continue to step 2.
• NO — This bulletin does NOT apply. Continue diagnosis using the applicable Repair Manual.

 

Thanks for the response. I'm just dragging myself out of bed. I'm not sick, but I feel like I'm on a NyQuil hangover.

I sent the corporate point of contact a fairly lengthy email last night. I'm "looking forward" to receiving an email or a telephone call in response (excuse).

 

I've had this clunk noise since last October when lift was installed. The sound in the vid is similar to what I hear in the cab. Clunk is random and happens when braking and accelerating, over speed bumps ("not over the speed bump goes clank"), and most especially in parking lots. Wondering if anyone in this thread has had this issue. I've went over all suspension components multiple times, everything is as it should be.

-Truck is a 2012 Regular Cab 4x4

-Suspension: TC UCA's
OME 885's, Nitro Sport Shocks
(Front/rear), AAL.

*Also has diff drop and sway bar delete.

https://youtu.be/QaNR6qwsVDI

 

I'm trying to decide whether to swap out the needle bearing for a bushing? My truck is a 2013 with 26K. Bumper-to-bumper warranty runs out next month, but power train is 5yr/60K or something like that.

Does it void the entire power train warranty, or just for the front diff?

Should I wait to do it until after the power train warranty expires, or will this cause more damage over time if I don't put in the bushing?

Are there needle bearings on both sides? Do people replace both?

Thanks in advance for your answers!

 

Do you have the vibe? I wouldn't do anything unless you have a vibration.

Putting the bushing in the diff won't void the whole power train warranty.

If you have the vibe, I'd do the TSB since it's free.

Only the drivers side is affected.

 

Yes, I have the vibration, but I don't want to have Toyota install the same loose bearing after watching the video.

I'd like to know if the vibration is a nuisance or something will cause other damage over time. I have no lift.

Aren't there needle bearings on both sides?

 

Toyota has a revised needle bearing, but it hasn't been around long enough to know if it's a long term fix yet.

Over time you'll damage the axel shaft, and eventually the bearing could fail and send shrapnel thru your diff. Mine was vibing for 8k miles and I had no problems with my axel when I pulled it.

The bearing on the passenger side isn't subjected to the same forces that cause the problem on the drivers.

If I were you I'd get the TSB done since it's free and easy then go for the bushing if it starts to vibrate down the road. Just my $0.02

 

Buy the ECGS bushing and request that Toyota use that one....I believe a few people were able to pull this off at the dealer. I wouldn't want the revised one either. I did all the work myself and it wasn't to hard. Then again, my warranty was up like 7 years ago.