2024 Tacoma TRD Offroad Needle Bearing

Has anyone confirmed that the Gen 4 tacoma is also effected by being lifted and if so, have we confirmed that the ECGS bushing is the same fit as the gen 3? I had a local shop install a 3" readylift kit and now I've got the grind / howling noise. It goes away when I put it in four-wheel drive. I've called ECGS and they said that they've not had an opportunity to check out the gen 4 yet to see if the CV Axel and Diff are the same as Gen 3.



Thanks, Shane

 

Interesting, I figured they would finally take this chance to fix this decade old issue.

 

Diff is a derivative of 3rd gen, so the ECGS bushing will probably fit.

Did the lift kit include diff drop brackets? I notice even Icon's most basic "stage 1" kit includes new diff mount brackets to drop it.

 

https://www.readylift.com/3-sst-lift-kit-toyota-tacoma-2024.html

This is the lift I had installed.

 

Do you do any offroading or is this just for looks?

 

Very little offroading, mostly for looks but the sound is a little concerning. The shop took it back and went through it again. It’s better but still there intermittently.

 

I see it has the diff drop brackets. I guess they don't drop the diff enough to avoid side loading the needle bearing.

 

@Jeff Lange any input here? I know the front differential assembly is overall different than the previous gen, what with the new housing and all. But is the carrier still using the needle bearing and ultimately the CV is holding the spider gear in place?

I want to say this has been discussed before and that the needle bearing is still there.

 

^To be precise, the diff carrier has always been on roller bearings. However, the diff carrier doesn't spin in 2WD. The needle bearing in the diff clamshell case allows the CV axle to spin relative to the diff carrier with minimal drag.

 

It also supports the CV stub which supports the left side gear. Unlike other carriers (my jeep for instance where the side gears are a perfect fit to the bore of the carrier), the side gears on this front diff are not that precise. The left CV locates the left side gear and the intermediate shaft between the ADD and carrier supports the right side gear. There is a needle bearing on the right side as well where the intermediate lives.

The needle bearing is essentially dual function, helping the CV to keep the gears straight and also helping CV to rotate independent of the carrier.

 

The differential is still the same, the gears are still the same, and the needle bearing is still the same.

Jeff

 

What I should have said when I said differential was the tube. I knew the pumpkin was essentially the same as it was before, but it looks different in YouTube videos and such due to the new aluminum tube and altered ADD position. Thanks for clarifying.

 

Confirmed! The ECGS needle bearing delete does in fact work on the Gen 4 Tacoma.
Completed today and it worked as expected.

 

Haha! I guessed it would be

 

I installed JRI shocks, I set the front lift at 1.5 inches. Now I’ve got an odd vibration/sound! Checked the axel and there is a significant amount of play, far more than the passenger side. Ordered the kit, any DIY tips for the gen 4?

 

All the same

 

The extra play on the driver side is normal. Same play will be there with the upgraded bushing.

 

Shane
Does your truck have the plastic plugs in the lower control arms?
may not be it but theres a LOUD whine noise when you remove the snowplow from the front...
I know you mention it goes away once in 4x, but maybe you were past the speed zone where it goes away anyway, if that makes sense...

 

Install went smoothly. The new seal looked different? So I decided to leave the old one in place, no leaks but Only have maybe 20 miles on it after installation.

Most other parts are different so installation was a little different than previous gens. We decided to pull the speed sensor, brake caliper, upper ball joint, steering ball joint, we were able to leave the axel in the hub. After getting the axel out of the housing I was able to move it up to the right against the sway bar bracket to gain access to the bearing. I then used 1 socket on each side of the flat part of the bearing pulling tool to clear the old seal. To get the new bearing in 1 of us held it and the installation tool with an old long mushroomed out punch while the other person pounded it in. Used a floor jack to raise the LCA to get the axel back in and reassembled everything.