front diff bearing replacement

before anyone gets jumpy, yeah, I've read the 37 page post and all other related posts on all other sites.

I have the noise from the drivers side tire area that sounds like a bad wheel bearing ... but goes away in 4WD -- indicating a diff bearing. Question is, has anyone installed one with success? I can get the part for 150 or so but don't want to tear into this damn thing without some encouragement. pissed.

 

Want to know also.

 

I have the exact same thing...

 

How long you been driving with it?

 

too long. I need to do cv's and the diff bearing.

 

I have for about 2 months.

 

I am, would have been at the dealer a long time ago if I did.

And yes, I have read the really long post about in on TN as well. Obviously, I dont believe everything I hear, but this makes me a little less leary.

"For me, the noise / vibe started right after putting the 5100 on (see my earlier posts in this thread). I noticed it on the drive home from the shop.
That was almost two years and > 20K miles ago, and nothing has changed. The noise / vibe has not gotten any worse, and no better. I don't worry about it anymore. Most people would not even notice it, including most techs at the dealership."

This sums mine up to a T, minus the timeframe and miles.

 

I just went to the dealerships in my area today. They are all totally overwhelmed right now with the Camery gas pedal work. The soonest I could get in is Monday (5 days). Only one dealer was willing to accept that I had a brain and knew the issues I had and that they could be associated with known issues with Tacomas.

 

I've got an intermittent rattle coming from the front end, I want to say driver side. I thought it was a wire rattling off the drive side of the Y pipe but I cleared it and the rattle is still there. Seems to be between 500-1500 RPMs, speed irrelevant, I've gotten it with 1/4-1/2 throttle doing 65mph and very slightly while idling up my driveway with no skinny pedal. Couldn't get it in neutral.

Speed not making a difference makes me think not a bearing. Any of you guys have similar symptoms or suggestions?

 

Yeah I'm not going back to the dealer ... ever.

can't believe no one has a fix.

I'll tear right into the damn diff soon.

Also noticed it's sporadic. Just went out for dinner - not happening at all.... F*'d up.

 

Yeah I see that as well. I don't ever have it in 4Hi though so I am thinking its related.

 

well to all of u hope this helps.....

i had a wheel bearing soind also coming from front driver side. dealer said it was the front diff. so they put a whole new one in. then they said my 4x4 was not working corectly so they gave me a new transfer case. i picked it up and no sooner then that night the noise is back. so i bring it back in. this time they changed the front driver side wheel bearing in the hub. been a week now and no noise. i thought i was the only one with this problem. wonder what causes it. i still get a rubbing feeliong once in a while when making left turns but my truck is stock i dont know what that is.

 

I just replaced my front axle half shafts and noticed I might have a slight leak coming from the right one. I am assuming I need a new gasket or something?

 

Anyone have any more info about this?

 

It is a $9 seal. Just had both of mine replaced.

 

$9 dollar part but how bad was labor to put that new $9 to work?

 

Extended warranty covered it and a bunch of other stuff that was leaking. I think it was a couple of hundred dollars for the labor on that since they were done separately.

 

So, the consensus is a wheel bearing? Its just hard to fathom that, since this started the day that my truck was lifted and that it goes away when 4x4 is engaged.

 

ahhh i see. I wish I knew whether it was a seal that could be replaced without taking apart the diff. while I'm in there doing cv's and wheel bearings.

 

NM I would imagine the diff would need to be taken apart to install the new diff bearings anyway....