Random, intermittent front end vibration???

I have a 1998 Tacoma 4x4 with manual hubs that I am experiencing very intermittent, random and short vibrations in the left front end. It is noticeable at highway speeds and the vibration can be heard and slightly felt in the steering wheel. It can be felt and heard for less than a second and does not pull to the truck to the left or right.

I experienced this same phenomenon last year and thought it was a front hub bearing. After $300.00 plus dollars at the local Toyota dealership and driving about 30 or so miles it came back. It eventually stopped that same day and has been absent for over a year.

But last night on my way home from work I felt a clunk in what sounded like the right front wheel. When I got home I jacked up that wheel and spun, wiggled and inspected it with no noticeable issues. I jacked up the other wheel and inspected it as well and found no notable issues with it.

On my way to work this morning, the strange and elusive vibration from last year is back. I am at a loss for what it might be. Has anyone else had this issue?

 

Does it sound anything like this?

https://www.youtube.com/embed/-qfGTiWeMhM

 

No, occasionally I'll get a slight vibration that almost sounds like I'm driving over a very small rumble strip in the road. It seems to be coming from the front drivers side, but its hard to tell. It isn't tied to any particular speed or gear though does seem to be more noticeable over 35 MPH. It will pop up randomly and last about half a second before going away.

 

Check your driver side CV shaft connection to the front differential. There is a documented problem with how the spider gear interfaces with the carrier. ECGS (East Coast Gear Supply) came up with a fix by swapping the needle bearing that the CV shaft rides on for an oil impregnated bronze bushing. I'm suspecting this might be your issue and you can fix it with the ECGS bushing.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/sXIfHArtvF8

 

Thank you for this information, the only question I have is that with manual hubs my cv axles are not turning while driving down the road.

 

ECGS bushing/needle bearing would be my guess. Does it go away when you put it in 4hi? The 2nd gens are more known to have the issue after lifting the truck. My dad would put his in 4hi around 35mph and it turned off the vibes like a light switch. We're close enough to ECGS that he took it to them to be fixed. They put their bushing in and it sounds/feels like a new truck.

 

I'll try 4Hi going home tonight and see if it helps, thank you.

 

You're right, I missed that part in your post. My solution isn't the right answer then. What about your lower control arm bushings? Have you inspected those? I would also take a good luck at your lower balljoints if you haven't replaced them. When you inspected your wheel bearings, did you grab the wheel at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions pushing with one hand and pulling with the other and alternating to see if you felt any play? Dealerships and shops sometimes screw up with the bearing installation and don't properly support the inner race of the bearing when pressing in the hub. This puts a tremendous load on the bearing and it won't last as long because of it.

Another thing I just thought of is when is the last time you checked your wheel balancing? Maybe that clunk you heard was a wheel weight coming off. Quite often, front end vibrations are fixed with wheel balancing. Maybe seek out a shop that does road force balancing and see if that gets rid of your front end vibration.

 

Where is your question in this? Are you concerned that the bearing is not the issue because you're unlocking your hubs and the problem persists? Tim, @Timmah! has the right idea in his second post. It doesn't sound to me like it'd be anything in the front drivetrain if you're in 2WD and it happens. I'd start hitting other parts of the running gear with a mallet to check for looseness (namely suspension).

If tyou had an automatic, I'd suspect you may have an issue with the torque converter. Most issues with those manifest themselves as shuddering around highway speeds (45+ MPH).

Try to give us the exact conditions when the problem manifests iteslf and when it definitely doesn't (i.e. 4Hi, 4Lo, hubs locked/unlocked, turning right/left, turning while stationary, over bumps, under acceleration, etc.).

 

Rotate tires. Get the suspected corner on the other axle.

Noise persist if clutch is depressed?

 

I gave them a visial inspection and had my son turn the steering wheel back and forth looking for any movement, there was none.

I replaced my lower ball joints last year with OEM ones.

Yes I did that, no movement. I also spun the wheels forward and backwards feeling and listening for any drag.

That would not be good, it wasn’t cheap to have the bearing replaced.

I haven’t balanced my wheels in a while, but I did check the weights and they were still there, none had fallen off.

 

More of a rhetorical one…

Yes, but I am going to replace my roller bearing with the ECGS bushing.

I will check it tomorrow before I go to work.

If tyou had an automatic, I'd suspect you may have an issue with the torque converter. Most issues with those manifest themselves as shuddering around highway speeds (45+ MPH).

The issue happens at highway speeds and mostly going straight. I have not noticed it while cornering or accelerating as my exhaust is not very quiet. As for bumps, the local roads are not all the greatest, bumpy and some pot holes.

The harmonics sounds like it is coming from the driver’s front wheel. But at 65 MPH and inside the cab, I can’t be sure.

 

I could try that.

The sound lasts less than a second, hard to depress the clutch.

 

If you bought your tires at a place like America's Tires, you can get them balanced for free if you bought the package they sell for lifetime rotation, balancing and tire repair. If you don't have a program like that, I'd search for a tire shop that does road force balancing and see if that fixes your issue. Tons of guys have had a front end vibration and it ended up all they needed was to get the wheels balanced better.

Another thing is have you recently driven through any mud? Dried mud caked up on the inside of the rim will throw off your wheel balancing big time. If there's some in there, wash it out and then take it for a drive and see if the vibration disappears.

 

Okay. If it isn't too much trouble, can you take a video of it and try to isolate any exhaust drone? The sound would be helpful to hear. I suspect, based off the info you have given, it could be a rotor/caliper, wheel balance, or shock issue.

 

I will try to record the sound on my drive home tonight.

 

Please also try to see if it happens in 4 hi with the hubs locked, in 2 hi with the hubs locked, and in 2 hi with the hubs unlocked.

 

Another super excellent video by Timmy!!

Could you maybe post the results of your phone conversation when you told ECGS about having to file down the outer circumference of the "nut"?

 

Like this guy said. If the noise is non existent running with the hubs locked, in 2 wheel drive then the needle bearing is junk. Leave them locked a couple days. But.... I suspect you have the same problem that I began having last week. My crappy O’Rielly two year old calipers are hanging up OCCASIONALLY. Most of my driving are long straight roads, when it was acting up I coasted to stop, jumped out and touched the rotors which were hot which of course shouldn’t be. When it’s fine, rotors are cool. I just ordered a set of rebuild kits from Rock Auto. I’m sure the seals are better quality and I am 100% certain I will do a better job putting them in than the slave labor cramming them in there. New pins, good to go

 

It isn't uncommon. I had it happen on a CR-V recently.