New lift kit installed: New noise-what am I hearing???

I have an '06 Tacoma Double Cab 4x4 with a 6 cyl. This Friday I installed a lift kit: Toytec front 3" spacers with 2" AAL in rear. I also installed a front differential drop kit. I did not replace the UCL's. Today I got the front end aligned. All numbers are within range except for the Caster, which is 1.0* on front left, and 0.8* on front right.

Anyway, when I drive now my factory street tires sound like buckshot mudders on the highway. So, what is causing this noise, have I installed something wrong, and most importantly, is something about to tear up? As far as operation goes, I haven't seen or felt anything wrong. I do know this sound is coming from the front end. Anybody got any ideas?

Thanks in advance,

Derek

 

I just installed a 3" tuf country lift on my 2011 regular cab 4x4, same spacers as you. the rear differential sounds like a chicken bone in the garbage disposal @ 60 mph when you play the accelerator between powering and holding back. While powering a loud roar with noticeable vibration happens between 55-65 mph, all other speeds are quiet. Checked the fluid/u-joints all OK. Took it by dealership (only has 6000 miles) and described the problem. Will take back this Friday for test drive with mechanic and see what they say. It was doing this before the lift but not near as noticeable. Could be as simple as not putting proper LSD fluid in at factory. May be worse. Will see...

 

Are you sure that it's the tires? Did you shim the carrier bearing? When I lifted my '01, I didn't initially and I had a horrible vibration that sounded like that.... Shim kit and longer bolts fixer her right up!

 

For any one who has put a lift kit on the front and gets vibrations afterwards, do this;

Drive on strait road til you here noise. When noise is at it's loudest, turn 4wd switch to 4hi. If noise goes away, you have bad front diff bearing. This is the result of the lift kit. Been there done that, no longer have a lift kit. Do a search on this site on how to replace the bearing if your warranty has expired.

 

Not always a result of a lift kit, sorry. Bearing is easy to replace provided you have a bearing puller though. Also, differential drops bring the CV geometry back into nearly stock angle if you're only slightly lifted.

You could have a bad bearing, and not necessarily the diff bearing, there are the wheel bearings too. It may have already been there and the lift is only making it sound worse. Your alignment is far from 'in spec' as well, until you get UCA's it will drive funny. Also, your tires will probably scallop.

Nothing should be as loud as you are describing it though. You have to play with it a little. Telling us you have a loud noise in the front end really doesn't give us anything to go on. If you can isolate the sound to one side maybe? Symptoms like this would lead me to believe bearings are bad, however if its a hollow sound, from both sides, it is probably your tires, and either your previous alignment was NOT correct and your tires wore wrong, or your new alignment is not as good as you thought.

 

subed. have the same problem after my lift and the mechanic swears it's a wheel bearing.

 

Theres no doubt, if you have the symptoms and it goes away in 4WD, its the diff bearing... really nothing else it could be.

 

I got this on my 2011 V6 Prerunner, vibes at 55-60 mph (odometer reads 62, but I got 33" tires)

I'm thinking its the angle of the driveshaft after lifting (Eibachs, spacers, AAL). To simply cut out the fact that its not the tire, I put it on cruise at the speed it vibes at, and dropped it into Neutral.... sound went away...

I'm thinking of doind the carrier bearing drop and adding shims to see if theres a change

 

Lots of good comments here, and they are appreciated. What I ended up doing was buying longer bolts for the carrier bearing and added shims. This noticeably straightened out the drive shaft angle, plus (obviously) reduced the noise level.

 

I had a 2008 Tacoma TRD Sport with a 3" lift. My center support bearing went out and I had to replace it. When I did, I had to replace the front u-joint as well. It was shredded inside and the needle bearings were dust. The u-joint was never greased from the factory. There was no evidence of any lubrication at all. The u-joint looked like it was ready to come apart from the wear. Metal on metal is "no bueno".

Check your u-joints and lube them at the grease zert. You can also upgrade your center support bearing from the cheap OE one to a stronger more durable material.

I just lifted my 2011 TRD Off-Road and the first thing I did was lube the u-joints.

- Joe

 

Point well taken. That will be on the agenda tomorrow.

 

i have 2010 4x4 sport and installed 5100's with 885x's and 1/4" spacer up front and 2" aal, diff drop and only had take off shutter. no biggie, but then i upgraded to coilvers up front with tc uca and now i have ugly vibes at 55mph and above that are driving me bananas i ordered a cb drop kit from beefed taco and still no luck. at 50mph i switch to 4h and still have vibes. so ive run out of options and read all the threads on vibrations and dont know what to do now.

 

What if your hearing growling/crunching in drivetrain, and chirping in the rear tires when she's ENGAGED in 4wd? I'm also having issues getting her back into 2H.
01
6" lift
Think growl in coming from fwd left side...