Front Popping Noise When Hitting Speedbumps/Potholes

BLUF: How can I figure out what is making the noise and how to fix it without Toyota support?

Truck has about 15,000 miles on it with stock suspension (haven’t lifted yet - not due to indecisiveness, though @ejewels )

I live in Europe (read: no Toyotacare or even a dealership which works on Tacomas) and the streets are littered with pothole, speedbumps, liberals and prostitutes...all things that make your truck go bump when you run em over. The streets are also tiny, so curb love is a normal occurance.

I was pulling a u-turn the other day and had my wheels locked out to the left. When I swung it around, the front right tire blasted the curb pretty good. Since then, if I go over a speed bump at any speed over 15-20 kph, I get a pop from that front right side. Also, the alignment is wack as it pulls right slightly on the expressway.

Did a visual check and nothing looks grossly defective. The only things that look fishy are the UCA bushing as there is a slight gap between the bushing and the UCA (gap is on both ends of UCA and on both driver and passenger side, so I figured it’s normal).

Any ideas? Do you suppose a simply alignment could fix the issue? Thanks in advance. Going to eat some bangers and mash and research dental appliances.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...at-noise-may-not-be-your-leaf-springs.464993/

 

Thanks. Just read through the thread and will order the bushings and wait the 3 weeks for them to actually arrive. The acute onset makes me think that there is more to the issue, but I’ll start with the body mount bushings.

 

I had a similar thing. Sounds like a golf ball as it hits, also a popping noise, more on the passenger side. Dealer Replaced under warranty around 25k

 

I'd go to the dealer but I fear that the closest thing they're seen to a Tacoma is a Hilux, and there's not even many of them around. Going to try to bushings and then throw a lift on it for shits and giggles, most likely. I wonder if Hilux suspension parts are to same spec as 3rd gens.

 

I guess if I wanted replies, I should have started a thread about alternate Tacoma names

 

Have you jacked up that wheel and preformed the standard front end tire push/pull exam? Do it at different clock positions. If there is excessive play look at the ball joints and tie rod ends and try to figure out which one is broken. All of those components are designed to break before the more expensive stuff in a curb hit.

If the front end is tight then take off the tire so you can do a better visual inspection.

I still think the body mount bushings are most likely. They really are complete junk.

 

Bring it to a shop to get an alignment first. If anything is bent or out of whack they'll see it adjusting your steering back to center

 

I had a similar low speed snap, crackle, pop sound at low speed over soft bumps. It only took three dealer visits but it was a bad right strut. Its been about a week now but its all quiet. Goes back in on Wednesday to get the paint scratches "professionally" buffed out that the tech left on the front end and fender.

 

Can’t imagine it’s the body mounts based on how you described that it came about suddenly after a curb impact. I second the strut/coilover theory, but would recommend the push/pull method as well to start.

 

This probably won't be the most likely culprit, but I'll bring it up in case you try a few things and they don't work.

Sway bar bushings can make that sound under those same conditions. If you hear the sound more often when the front suspension travels at different speeds (one wheel hits a pothole or you take a speed bump at an angle for example) then it could be the bushings.

The easiest way to test is to just remove the sway bar and drive it for a few days to see if you still hear the sound. If you don't, then reinstall the sway bar but cover the bushings in a rubber safe grease.

It was a common thing in the prior generation 4Runners.

 

Take a look at the video, same noise?



https://youtu.be/TMzUhE5MAvA

 

I’ll give that a try this weekend and let you know. Ordered the body mount bushing so I’ll replace those as soon as I get them.

 

I’ll look around for a shop that’s done work on Tacos. Limited here in Europe, but I’m sure a vehicle is a vehicle. Also, just heard rumor that the Toyota dealership here will do warranty work so I just need to call and verify.

 

Even if it wasn’t the bushings replacing them with polyurethane will be worth it in the end anyway.

 

I checked the strut for leaks but the damn thing is covered in Fluid Film so it’s tough to tell.

 

Yeah, like I said, it was a very acute onset. And being that there’s speed bumps all over the place here, I would definitely have noticed it before.

 

My 2 cents.

My brother, my dad and me all drive 2017 TRD DBL 2x4's. All 3 trucks were built within a few months of each other, 2 in TX, the other in MX, all 3 trucks had the Hitachi struts. We all had a popping or snapping sound in the front suspension while driving over speed humps at low speeds. Just like the video above. I was the first to raise this issue at the local dealer. The dealer advised the struts were binding, my struts were replaced. My brother and dad followed and had the front struts replaced in their trucks. Soon after, the popping or snapping noise returned in my truck and my brothers.

Rather then go back to the dealer, we replaced the front struts on all 3 trucks with Bilstein 5100s. The noise is gone and has not returned.

Perhaps you're hearing the struts binding?

 

That's the issue I have. Thought I was bottoming out over speed bumps or something.

 

Same here with my 16, but in my case the dealer tech was able to duplicate the noise but they weren't able to find the source of the noise, they told me to come back when the noise gets worst.