Driveline noise

Hey hoping y'all can help. Got driveline noise in 2006 Tacoma I'm trying to figure out. Took it to garage and spent $1k with no change. They just wanted to start replacing stuff. They did replace front left wheel bearing assembly and carrier bearing. Funny because carrier bearing was replaced a little over a year ago along with universal joints. Anyway, noise sounds a little like wheel bearing...king of a low roaring sound that varies with speed not engine RPM...not much vibration though. They wanted to replace rear differential and front right wheel bearing which was going to be +$2k. I didn't because I thought they were just guessing. Not sure what's going on, but since they removed driveshaft to replace universal joints could it have something to do with that? One other thing was the first time I noticed it was after getting some new tires installed. Anyway thanks in advance for any advice.

 

Welcome to Tacoma World.

After they changed the U joints, did anything change regarding the noise? Are they sealed U joints, or do they have grease zerks (and if they have zerks, do you actually grease them)?

Check your front brake backing plates are not bent and rubbing on the rotor. It will sound like a failed wheel bearing and change with speed just like you are describing. Good thing is it's free to fix - just bend it back away from the rotor.

Good luck finding your mystery noise.

 

Wheel bearings are a good place to start. I would not just replace the diff. Put it on stands and run through a bunch of speeds with you next to the diff. Best to put a very light drag with the brakes, as they sometimes will not make noise without some load.that is an expensive effort and should not be done without some type of confirmation. Shop doesn’t sound very impressive.

 

Is it a 4x4? There's a needle bearing up front that gives folks problems. Haven't experienced it myself, so don't know if symptoms are what you describe. But I believe the test to confirm that, is to switch to 4x4 briefly and noise should go away. So, something else easy to check.

 

Should have said it's a Prerunner so two wheel drive. Anyway, I didn't have much confidence in shop either since they couldn't decide if noise was coming from front or rear. They also were the ones who replace carrier bearing and u joints. The u joints are sealed and good quality...I bought them myself. I'm just wondering why center bearing failed so quickly. I will check the brake plates this weekend. Thanks again for the suggestions...I'll keep looking.

 

I have a similar problem with my 2009 Prerunner. This summer I drove about 25 miles on a high clearance trail in Colorado. Immediately after getting back on normal highways we noticed a rumble from the rear. We stopped at a shop a jacked up all 4 corners to check for any looseness or bearing noise and found no obvious problems. Today, I had a buddy help me disassemble and diagnose. The differential fluid is clean and full. We pulled the brake drum and all looked fine. We can hear the rumble in the left rear wheel hub. It seems like the outer wheel bearing is the source of the noise. Is the outer bearing a serviceable part? If so, is it a DIY job or are there specialty tools that would be required? Is replacing the rear differential assembly the better way of fixing this? We don’t usually do any off-road driving. Was that possibly the cause of this issue, or is it coincidental?
Also, after returning to normal roads, I noticed the brake light was on. We checked the brake fluid reservoir (ok), front brake pads (replaced), and the light is still on. Could there be any connection between the 2 issues? Thanks in advance!

 

The brake light makes me think that something got messed up in the rear drum. You might want to pull the drum and insure that the wheel cylindr is not leaking, as the brake light comes on when the system sees low pressure on actuation. Other things can light that also. Bearing is serviceable, but need pullers to remove/install. Most axles have a C clip inside the spider, so the diff cover has to come off to get the axle out.

 

1. Tacomas have a less-common differential configuration -- I believe it is called a "third member." There is no diff cover to remove. You can also pull the rear axle shafts without opening the diff. In fact, you must first pull the shafts, before you can even open the differential.



The wheel bearings are part of the axle shaft/hub assembly, which can be removed from the truck with hand tools, after you set the frame or axle tube on jack stands... however, you'll need to disconnect the brake lines, e-brake cables, and wheel speed sensors (and thus will need to bleed the brakes after re-assembly). This is a good opportunity to change the gear oil as well... even if you don't want to, half of it will ooze out the axle tube anyway, so may as well pull the plug and do it right.



The bearings can be replaced, but you will need a hydraulic press with the correct fixtures (and clearance) to accommodate the axleshaft/hub assembly--which is... I dunno, like, three feet long? Most would consider this a "specialty tool." However, even if you don't have a hydraulic press and associated fixturing, you can still DIY this job: just pull the axleshaft/hub assemblies, and take them to a shop to swap the bearings. You should either contact the shop in advance to make sure they can source the correct bearings, or procure them yourself before heading in. In the latter case, you should be aware that if you buy your bearings on Amazon, no matter who is listed as the seller (even and especially including Amazon itself): you will receive counterfeit bearings of vastly inferior quality.

This is a growing problem for Amazon. Rest assured they are deeply concerned about the unchecked proliferation of counterfeit products flowing through their global transportation, warehousing, sales, and delivery networks. Because they make money at literally every step in this process, they are rapidly running out of space to pile all the profits. So please think of the helpless billionaires, the vacationing corporate executives, and the early-career retirees living on yachts -- they are all victims of this vicious and shockingly unregulated cycle of profit.

Luckily though, there's an upside for you--at least if you've already paid your annual fee of $140 to obtain your free Amazon Prime shipping: Not only can you save 12% off the cost of a genuine part, but assuming you aren't killed or permanently disabled when your wheel falls off on the highway, you will soon become an expert at replacing wheel bearings. Practice makes perfect, they say.



Anyway, pressing in new wheel bearings is standard procedure. In no reasonable case would you elect to replace the axle tube or differential member instead--neither of those things contain wheel bearings. They do contain other bearings, which could be the source of your problem. But if your problem is in fact a wheel bearing, then you should definitely replace that wheel bearing, not these other expensive unwieldy assemblies. Of course, you could replace the whole entire axle as a complete assembly, but this would be an extraordinarily laborious and costly way to fix a single bearing. A complete axle assembly weighs six thousand pounds, at least according to my back.



If replacing the bearings, or removing the axle shafts for any other reason, you should also replace the axle seals at each end of the axle tube. Oil leaking from here is a common (perhaps even the primary) cause for wheel bearing failures. Even if your axle seals aren't leaking yet, they definitely will, after you mutilate them while pulling your axle shafts. Specialty tools exist for axle seal replacement as well, but many of us just use whatever random tool is within reach to pry the old seal out, and then use either the old seal itself, or random pieces of wood or PVC pipe, to drive the new one in with a hammer.

It's super-easy to replace the seals yourself, but also super-easy to screw up, so here's a secret way to get it right, even as a first-time DIYer: Buy two extra axle seals, then open their packaging so you can't return them. That's it--now you can install axle seals perfectly on your first try. Even if you mess up, you've got a couple spares, but don't worry, you won't need them -- just stash them somewhere in your garage for the next four to six decades.

I wrote this to sound funny, but I'm dead serious. Buy an extra seal or two. If you need them, you'll have them. But if you don't have them, you'll need them.



2. If your brake inspection caused an ABS light, and only an ABS light... and your brakes still work and are not hemorrhaging fluid... then the culprit is almost certainly the wheel speed sensor on whatever wheel gave you the most grief during the inspection. It could be something else, a random coincidence, but it is probably definitely a wheel speed sensor that you inadvertently broke or disconnected. A code reader can tell you the exact reason why the light is on, but that would ruin the fun of guessing.



3. No... driving off pavement for 25 miles likely did not cause either problem, especially if you are a person that doesn't do a lot of off-road driving. Here is a quick way to check:

• Did you drive into an ocean or saltwater lake until your axles were submerged, then remain parked there for several days?
• Do you recall feeling weightless while driving, but have no memory of when your airbags deployed?
• Did you allow your vehicle to be towed over obstacles by another vehicle that had no doors installed, operated a shirtless person?

If you answered 'yes' to one or more of these questions, then your problems may be due to off-road driving. Otherwise, this is a simple case of worn-out parts, or perhaps a manufacturer defect. Here's how to tell the difference. If the part is still under warranty, the problem is called a manufacturer defect. Otherwise it's called normal wear-and-tear.

 

Thanks to Ir172 and mk2 for your responses. I have replaced the wheel bearing and seal successfully. The drum brakes on both sides look fine with no leaks or other apparent issues. Now I’m having issues getting the brakes bled. No matter what I do the brake pedal is soft. My best guess is the master cylinder. 136,000 miles and has never been touched (owned since 10,000 miles). Suggestions?