Quick question on take-off shudder

I know this has been talked about to death but I can’t find my answer. My ‘13 had slight take off shudder right off the lot, more pronounced starting off uphill. I just lifted truck 2” (5100/ome new leaf pack, ECGS bearing delete) which made the shudder a little more pronounced. My question is, is this shudder damaging anything? Or is it just an annoyance?

 

My ‘09 has always done this in the ~9 years I’ve had it. I’ve replaced the carrier bearing a couple times now and that seems to eliminate most of the shudder on takeoff. But for me, after about idk 10-15k miles the shudder becomes more noticeable and I ignore it until the carrier bearing is ready to be replaced again. I’ve put over 250k on my truck and never felt the need to investigate it further. Thats just my experience.

 

If it's a u-joint causing your shudder then it can lead to the transmission input shaft and bellhousing shearing apart... had that happen on my Ford Ranger once.

It's a good idea to check it out and see what the cause is and consider repairing the issue.

If you ask nicely i'm sure someone near by would give you a hand for some food and drinks in lieu of having to pay a shop.

 

I’m kinda in the same boat. I don’t think I’ve had the carrier bearing ever replaced. I’ve had the truck serviced religiously by my mechanic since new and he never has seemed concerned with it. I’m at 143k right now

 

It’s super easy to check the carrier bearing. Slide under the truck and grab the driveshaft near the CB and give it a wiggle. You should be able to tell if there is too much play (shouldn’t really be any).

I always replace U-Joints and CB at the same time.

 

Had the same thing with my 07 since new. Had a spacer/aal then upgraded to Icon stage 8 with ECGS bushing (both 2" lift)... made shudder a bit worse. After installing a carrier shim the shudder is 95% gone. To get it gone alltogether i start off light on the gas pedal. I could be wrong but allways thought the shudder might be damaging the drivline/components over time. Truck is low milage... 35,000 miles.

 

Some trucks more than others have take-off shudder because of axle wrap, which can be exacerbated by a lift (increased lever arm causing more axle wrap). This can sometimes be remedied with stiffer leafs, an axle shim, or according to some people who have gone that way for other reasons, hammer hangers such as those offered by @ARCHIVE

Other trucks have torque converter issues, other trucks have other transmission issues, other trucks have specific, tricky to nail down driveline geometry issues. These trucks are not 100% identical out of the factory, and two trucks made right next to each other can have slightly different geometry, tolerance stacking, etcetera.

This makes properly diagnosing shudder due to transmission issues tricky unless you are very experienced with these trucks, or follow an exhaustive diagnostic procedure to eliminate known common transmission issues.

FWIW, my truck has had a light shudder on takeoff under the right conditions for almost 300k miles with the original engine and trans. If nothing else, taking off with a light foot is good for your tires and mileage.

 

As you can see, this is a very common issue.
I received a recall notice from Toyota to bring my 2005 in for replacement of rear U-joints, I never went though.

It's a known issue, I recommend checking with your dealer.

Also, if after lifting your truck, you get vibration, check/replace U-joints first, people love to chase their tail and do everything else with this issue first.

 

it’s done it since day one brand new. Loft just made it a little more noticeable. I don’t think dealer would do anything at this point it’s 11 years old. I’ll probably just mention it to my mechanic next time I’m in there and see what he has to say. I more just want to make sure it’s not causing damage.