Can't figure this out!! I will GIVE 50$ to who ever can help me out!!

So, going to try to make this as clear and short as possible! Thanks in advance for reading and potentially helping out.


2009 Tacoma TRD Sport 87000km in excellent shape. I have been chasing after this problem for over a year now and I am super anoyed and if I can’t fix it soon I’m about to trade it in for a new truck as much I hate too.

I have done a lot of research on trying to find anything on this and I can’t find anything anywairs.


I have a vibration at highway speeds that starts any wair from 90km/h to 120km/h, it is full random, most of the time it starts around 100-110, wen I slow down it goes away until I speed back up. This problem randomly started and after 10,000km it hasn’t really gotten worst. Hard to describe the vibration, kinda like the rumble strip on the side of the highway but without the tire noise, doesn’t feel like a tire out of balance it vibrates alot faster, the faster I drive the faster the RPM of the vibration, its pretty villante. Really hard to tell where the vibration is coming from because it shakes the whole cab but Im pretty sure its not from the rear end so it would be somewhere from the front diff to the transmission. Wen it vibrates I have to slow down to a speed that it stops because it feels like something is going to fall apart.


What I have done so fare, 100% sure not my tires, not going into details why. I have gotten my drive shaft all checked up by a well known place and it was in top shape. Wen the drive shaft was off I did a highway test in 4HI so only front wheel drive and that changes nothing, shifting into neutral while it vibrates also changes nothing. With the drive shaft back on, switching into 4x4 also doesn’t change the vibration. I have a 2.5 bilstein lift in front with a diff drop, took out the diff drop, nothing changes. Truck shifts perfectly, runs perfect.


Here’s where it gets interesting, I jack the rear of the truck on the axle so the drive shaft angles don’t change, rear wheels in the air, I can drive up to the cut off at 185km/h and everything is smooth.


So, now I am thinking something in the front diff, or maybe there could be something wrong in the transmission or transfer case but with the wheels of the ground there isn’t enough tension to set off the vibration. Checked transfer case oil and front diff oil, everything looks normal. No leaks under the truck everything visually looks good.

If someone can tell me a fix or help me through this I will give you 50$ by paypal or wtv lol


I just really want to fix this so I can enjoy the truck again, I absolutely love the truck and want to keep it but if I can’t fix it, its probably going for a trade in sadly.


Thanks for reading, hope my english wasn't to bad im french lol.

INTERESTING EDIT, more diagnostic.

So still no fixe for this issue. Winter is now here and I found a good patch of ice to try and get the back wheels spinning up too speeds that it would vibrate without the front wheels moving. SO traction control off, two back wheels spinning, I was holding speeds from 100km/h all the way to 170km/h on ice, truck not going forward because I'm on ice so front wheels not moving. NO vibration!!
This makes me think the vibration would be in the front drive line.

Keep in mind I don't have any steering wheel vibration wen it occurs on the highway.

 

Wheel bearing ?

 

Needle bearing? This sounds like a gremlin my buddy chased for a while.

 

I have a similar situation, and will be putting in a new clamshell bearing from ECGS. might try that.
http://eastcoastgearsupply.com/i-14472912-toyota-7-5-clamshell-bushingeliminates-needle-bearing.html

 

One time my front caliper froze up.
Vibration was only at high speeds. Worse as I went faster.

 

You say not tires, I'll take your word, but it sure sounds like a tire issue to me. Even a broken belt that wanders at certain resonance.

Moving on, transmission mounts and motor mounts. Have they been inspected? Cracked ones will vibrate.

If I'm right, I don't want your money. I prefer knowing that someone didn't waste a pile on a new truck when the old one meets their needs!

 

Can't be a wheel bearing if it hasn't gotten worst after 10,000km and makes no noise.

From what I read on the needle bearing, it doesn't sound like the same vibration at all.

Motor mounts, tranny mounts looks good.

I Just did a front brake job, everything is the way it should be.

I have tried to set of tires and one was road forced balance, either one didn't change a thing.

The front drive shaft doesn't rotate while driving I think, can anyone confirm this?


Thanks for all the fast replies!!!

 

truck was smooth after the lift kit? this is a new vibration?

a shake like that seems like it's a tire. rotate them, see if that changes anything.

 

I had the lift on for 15,000km and all was smooth, believe me I rotated them a bunch and tried different sets of wheels that I know didn't vibrate and was well balanced.

I know it sounds like a tire out of balance but I know it isn't because I know what a tire out of balance feels like.

 

About Road Force balancing.

The machine is great. But the results are only as good as the tech running the machine, and the effort applied.

In other words, the default of the machine is traditional spin balance. It takes more steps and attention to actually conduct a Road Force.

Unfortunately I've seen people pay a Road Force premium cost and not get Road Force service done.

We'll assume yours were done right. I'm mostly tossing this out so folks realize the term Road Force doesn't automagically fix anything.

When you say the mounts for the motor/trans 'look good', exactly how did you test them? Just looking doesn't get it done, unless they are practically falling off.

 

Before I had my Procomps with the STmaxx that are road forced balanced that ride smooth up to 170km/h+ I had the stock TRD wheels with summer tires that didn't vibrate at all and rode perfectly smooth. First thing I did wen the vibration started is put the stockers back on and nothing changed, unfortunately.

For the mounts, I went under the truck and pushed on it hard, didn't seem to moove around or stretch or anything.

Big thanks for trying to help!

 

Muffler bearing

 

Have you had the front end shaken down? I've seen a few rare instances where an outer tie rod end created a shuddering vibration. It's pretty rare though and you would likely feel that in the steering wheel as well.

When you slow down when it starts, does applying the brakes change the vibration at all or does it continue until reaching below the 90kmh speed? Any pulsing in the brake pedal when you do hit the brakes? New brakes/rotore can still have issues.


Any chance you have loose dust shields behind the front rotors or anywhere for that matter and it's a wind vibration? Unlikely as well, but its a thought.

 

Since it seems to be totally speed related, and going by the sound/feel you are reporting I am wondering if it is a plastic trim piece catching the wind. Like a loose fender flare, or wheel well liner. Is you hood scoop opened up or closed? If part of one of the wheel well liners is pulled loose it would be hard to see unless it catches the wind. Get a gopro and mount it to different places on and under the truck, maybe you can see what the culprit is or at least isolate the area it is coming from.

 

The steering wheel doesn't shake at all, that's what makes me believe everything is good there. Brake don't pulse and pressing the brakes don't effect the vibration.

The vibration is way to vilante to be a piece of plastic or something small, the whole cab shakes vilantly.. it really feels like it's a fast moving part that would be out of balance but I don't know. Lol

 

did you check the front wheel bearings? And CV joints? If you turn left or right and it pops your cv joint or joints are bad. I just replaced a bearing and cv joint on my truck and it gave a vibration and sound similar to what you are saying. I believe the cv joints turn when not engaged into 4x4

 

Just looking at your sig pic, is that an aluminum skid? Is that a current pic of your truck?

You'd be surprised at what a wind vibration can do. Have you taken it to a dealership?

 

I know the CV's, axles, turn for sure but not sure about the drive shaft.. I guess the next thing to try would be changed the needle bearing but I really doubt its that.

Can't be the skid lol vibration is way to Vilante. Didn't take it to the dealer but I spoke with a diagnostic tech, he didn't have much to say.

 

I installed a brush guard on my wifes 4runner and when I went to take a test drive I could hear a rattling so thinking I missed a bolt or something I rechecked them, there really wasnt any way I missed them since there was maybe 6 bolts holding it on but I thought well maybe I did miss tightening one. I tried shaking the brush guard and nothing. So I crawled under the 4runner and just happen to see there was an oil plug cover on the skid plate and I tapped on it and it was loose! So the new brush guard made wind turbulence and made it tap. I removed the cover and the noise was gone.