2015 Tacoma Drivetrain Problem

Hello fellow TW members!
I am fairly new to this site, so I apologize if this has been brought up/answered in the past.

I have a 2015 DCSB 4wd taco that has just started giving me some trouble. Upon applying pressure to the gas pedal I am getting a chirp/squeak. This noise is only there when I am on the gas and I can primarily hear it when Im giving the pedal above average pressure. Also when accelerating, I am feeling a slight shudder and the truck seems to be very sluggish (this was the first thing I noticed.) This seems to be something that is rotating and doesn't sound like a suspension problem.

I have crawled underneath the truck to see if the U-joints had any play and they do not. What do y'all think it is?

Thanks!

 

Are you sure it's not your serpentine belt. My belt was chirping and squeaking.......replaced it........

 

Does the noise happen in park or Neutral?
If so, it is probably not the u-joints.
I’d inspect the idler pulleys and Belt Tensioner Pulley.

If it happens only while driving and you are a 4x4 truck,
I would grease all the u-joints and see if the noise changes.

 

Yes, check for any play in your u joints. Chrisfix has a good video on how to check them and replace them. As does Kflos Tacoma build.

 

This noise does not happen in neutral or park. Only when I am in drive and accelerating or under load.

 

Driveline shop can check it for you.

 

My guess...Dry U-Joints!

 

U joints or carrier bearing. Usually the carrier bearing will squeak because the rubber bushing starts to give out or move around in the carrier itself.

 

Play in U joints does not always tell the story. I had NO play in my rear U joint only because it was frozen solid and the grab and shake test didn't show a thing. Replacement did.

 

You cannot tell if a universal joint is defective solely by looking and wiggling it on the truck.

Pull the drive shaft and check each joint for excessive tightness or looseness while out of the truck.

I too vote for a worn universal joint.

 

And if the worn out (probably seized up) universal joint is tight enough to cause the OP's symptoms of sluggish acceleration, I'd be replacing it post haste to avoid a possible catastrophic failure.