New Tacoma Blues

Just bought my first new vehicle ever(did I mention I'm 48). 2010 TRD Off Road Quad cab 4x4. Love the truck! but their is some weirdness going on with the tranny. So glad I found this site. Now I guess its off to the forum to start asking some questions. Thanks people, in advance for all your help.

 

axle wrap?

 

More info please...define "wierdness"...

 

Welcome from NC. You should have no problem finding answers here.

 

Weirdness: When slowing down(coasting to a stop light) the transmission feels like I have a manual. After a complete stop. There is a small clunk. I cant tell where its coming from. Sounds like the rear end. If I put the truck in neutral before the stop. No clunk........did not happen when the truck was new, but very noticeable now with 12000miles on it.

 

Sometimes I'm good; but this evening I was great! Axle wrap...I'm a genius!

 

Oh, and when you search TW, you might try spelling it "axel wrap". There should be a TSB for new rear leafs on your truck (I think).

 

what?!?!?! axle wrap shouldnt give a clunk when he stops...

my last auto when id stop itd clunk because it would stay in second gear until i almost stopped. right when i was about to stop the tranny would shift to first and it would make a clunk and almost feel like it would lurch forward. The only thing i found was a vacuum leak and it stopped doing it. Since its brand new with 12k on it and it does it all the time? might be time to take it in to the stealership

 

I disagree...

 

help me understand your take on whats going on. with an auto there is no real load when coasting to a stop in gear. if it was axle wrap it would still happen due to forces on the axle from the rear brakes in neutral.

There is also some reports of bad seals on rear ujoints causing premature where.

try going from forward to reverse and vise versa and see if you can replicate the clunk your hearing

 

Don't take this the wrong way [seriously], but what do you think axle wrap is? It's the leafs wrapping around the axle; what "forces on the axle from the rear brakes" are you talking/typing about?

 

Oh, and OP, I think (think) that the clunk you're feeling is the leaf tension being released; in other words, the clunk is the leafs "springing" back into form, yanking your driveshaft and rear diff back into position.

 

i know what axle wrap is. when you accelarate is when extreme axle wrap happens causing wheel hop etc. Whats the opposite from accelaration, brakes. when hitting the brake the pads press outward on the inside of the drum. this slows the wheel down. this puts a reverse strain on the axle which would cause twisting towards the rear. so whether or not he is in drive the axle wrap would be the same

 

It could be that you need the Trans Re-flash TSB.

By the way Welcome to TW.

 

Yoytoda: Hmmm...well, I've read and re-read your posts on this subject, and I've determined that we'll have to agree to disagree...notwithstanding the aforementioned, I think you're all wrong about it (and your theory about braking/reverse strain/neutral vs. drive is 'interesting'). *peace/doves/olive branches*

OP, forgot to say: Welcome!

 

x2 i dont believe its the rear leaf springs. i would say trans reflash but since you say its been happening lately not when you first got it i would have them check out the ujoints while you get the reflash

 

Yes, that is axle wrap, but that is not what I think is going on with these trucks. The condition you are showing usually occurred during very hard acceleration on leaf spring solid axle applications. The power from braking is usually not that hard. The wrap is MUCH less and under normal circumstances would float back in place smoothly. Under power however it can be serious as it could break a u-joint on a performance vehicle.

The Gen ones would do the EXACT same thing that people are feeling (including me now with a 2010 and 15k) The VERY simple fix on the Gen 1s was to lubricate the rear slip yoke on the rear drive shaft. (Only ever felt it or had people with extra cab trucks and two piece shaft talk about it) It would go away for about 5000 miles on those trucks but that was OK because you hit it again at the oil change service. The Gen 2 trucks do not have a fitting. I intend to rectify that issue when I get back home.

To explain what is happening, when braking you get a little "wrap" if you will but it would normally never be felt. The sticky slip yoke on the rear shaft causes it to act like a jack-shaft and hold the leafs under slight pressure. When you let off the brakes, the slight torque on the shaft from the trans is released, the splines now slide and the drive shaft releases the pressure on the suspension. That is what I think we are feeling. I will drill mine for a grease fitting to verify my suspicion.

 

yes welcome!

bkeith: nothing but peace here.

the reason i know reverse strain wraps axles when stopping is a buddy of mine had a load of roofing materials in the back of his lifted truck. He had a block lift and hit the brakes and the axle wrapped enough to put a load back enough to shear his ubolts and the rear axle came lose on one side.

the other reason im having a hard time grasping the axle wrap theory is i cant think of what the clunk would come from and why having it in gear would cause axle wrap when stopping.

OP: when you get it checked out at the dealer you have to give us an update on the results. If im wrong ill owe Bkeith a beer

 

chris4x4, thank you for confirming my suspicion that OP's problem may be axle wrap. Additionally, please be advised that I am familiar w/how axle wrap works; what's more, my truck suffered from axle wrap before I got a traction bar (a la BudBuilt -- OP, go w/AAL or stronger leafs instead). However, I want to be clearer here: What you posted and what Yo posted are not the same...at least I don't read them the same. I agree with you (mostly because your post expands on my previous explanation of axle wrap), but still have no idea about what Yo was posting about with regard to braking. Thanks again!