Rear Axle damage?

I think I messed up big time.....


Some guy in a Civic pulled into the street from a parking lot, nearly hit me in the process, then he just sat idle in the middle of the road, blocked the road and caused a small traffic jam.

As I drove around him, I got really pissed off and Rev'd/dumped the clutch to skirt in 1st and then in then screeched in 2nd. I mean-mugged the guy the whole time. After I did this, I felt like I was driving on a really bumpy road, but the pavement was smooth and flat. I didn't hear any loud bangs or grinds after I screeched out in 2nd gear.

The vibrations seemed to come from the rear end of my truck. I think I may have damaged my rear axle. I feel really f'ng stupid now.


I took a look at the rear-end, and I noticed that my Differential has fluid seepage. Maybe, I can tie this all together and get this repaired under warranty?

 

A very expensive mess . Hope you get it covered. Bent axle ?

 

Check for a flat spot on one of the rear tires. The fluid seepage could be unrelated.

 

I would guess the rear leaf spring u-bolts were not tight enough and let the axle slip out of alignment slightly.

 

If the internals of the rear assembly are damaged after one on pavement clutch dump/power shift, they are lame.

But seepage is worth noting to your dealer at your next 'free' service stop. There was a warranty repair for a pile of those.

 

Tire damage. The seepage is almost certainly unrelated. It would be almost impossible to start your diff weeping because you did a burn out. These trucks are a lot tougher than that.

 

What you felt is how much leaf springs suck for a street truck.

I also dumped my clutch once in 1st and lit the rear up from a standstill. (Traction control off). Never again will I do that. It felt like I was on a bucking bronco with all the axle wrap.

On a side note, my diff has had seepage on both sides since before this incident. It also has howled since new.....Off to the dealer....

 

What you felt is how much Tacoma leaf springs suck for most things

FTFY.

 

If dumping the clutch once ruined your rear axle it isn't your fault. Yes it is a form of Abuse but, realistically if this is not something you commonly do it shouldn't be a problem. If you did it all of the time it'd be another story. I'd take it back to the dealer and do a warranty claim, I wouldn't even mention how it happened. Something was already loose/screwed up in the first place you dumping the clutch just made it worse. And as several people on here already mentioned, the leaf springs on these trucks suck so that is your likely culprit.

 

Most likely, only damage is to ego and reputation for such a maneuver.
Insternets searches "wheel hop" lives and learns, next step drives with a derby style hat, huge coffee, and drives reeeaallllll slow.

 

Let me get this straight...
You want to try to get something fixed your stupidity caused on my dime?
No fucking way.

You would gain short term. Unfortunately, we all lose in the long run because Toyota and dealerships will simply hike their prices to cover stupidity and then we all lose.

 

I took it to the shop this morning. It was vibrating on the way there. Thankfully, one of the cool guys that I am familiar with is handling the case.

I am always cool with people, so I nearly always get hooked-up.

It's all free service for now. I don't know if it will be free if they find something.

 

If he had drag slicks on the truck and was purposely trying to break it sure. But honestly if these trucks cant handle simple drop of the clutch, then the drivetrain is JUNK. Never have I had a stock vehicle where this caused any issues. Heck, these things dont even have an LSD. Its not like you do it every day all day. Let toyota fix their junk if bad quality is the cause of damage from a simple clutch sidestep.

 

You nor I have no clue what he did. There are two sides to every story man. Read the other thread on a broke diff.

 

Yeah, like someone mentioned, one episode really shouldn't hurt it.
I have flogged my truck a few times and it never hurt anything.

 

You sound like one of those people that yells at cops saying "I'M A TAXPAYER SO I PAY YOUR SALARY SO I'M YOUR BOSS. YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME."

 

If a clutch dump is all it takes to bend an axle in a Toyota these days, then these trucks have no right to call themselves trucks let alone "offroad" machines. I sure hope that isn't the case.

 

I have solely owned Toyota vehicles for nearly 20 years straight. This is my third Toyota.

I have done a lot of dumb things before especially in my MR2 when I was 19. This is the first time I have ever had to take a Toyota to the shop because I thought something was broken.

I hauled a 2-ton palette of frozen turkeys on my second Gen. The tires rubbed the wheel well, and I still drove it for 10 miles. The truck went on for another 7 years after that with no issues. I missed that foolproof build quality, but I don't think any manufacturer makes vehicles like that anymore.

 

So, somebody who doesn't know how to drive turns onto the road, almost gets into a crash immediately, shits himself, panics, and stops to prevent doing anything else that might get him killed, and you blow your lid, freak out, and wreck your truck.

Did I get that right?

As if he wasn't already freaked out enough already.

Or maybe driver was having a heart attack.

Or maybe something in his steering or brakes failed.

Sometimes stuff happens by nobody's intention. You gotta chill a bit, what happened didn't happen just to piss you off.