Tacoma locked up, skid to a stop

So it's about 24*, truck was parked for about 8 hours. Drove fine before, drove probably 4 miles from my house to my GFs apt before I parked it.

Got in it, backed up. Put in 1st. Super cold so I was going slow, apt parking lot so I was going slow. Got about 100 yards going about 10-15mph and the whole truck skidded to a halt in 1st gear, clutch out, and died.

Fired it up, tried softly to ease forward in 1st. Something stopped it. Felt like a rubber band. Truck nose dived and died.

Backed the 100 yards back into the parking spot after thoroughly checking underneath it. Can't see anything wrong.

Tried again in 1st, nose dives, and an invisible rubber band rolls it backwards a bit. Tried in 2nd, same.

Tried rolling with clutch in, neutral, same result.

At first I could roll about 10' forward before it'd lock up. Then it got increasingly shorter until I can no longer go forward whatsoever. Unfortunately nor can I go backwards as I'm up against the appts.

Left truck for the night. Gonna pull the rear driveline in the AM, then the front. Seems like it's the front TIRES locking up though as it nose dives abruptly. When it locked up it happened pretty fast but IIRC the steering went all fucking goofy too.

New gears 1000 or more miles ago. 3rds built by ECGS

No abnormal noises. No gears crunching. Nothing.

I'm at a loss.

 

I can't tell you how badly I wanted to drop the clutch at 5k in 4lo. POS

Course then I'd feel worse. Reason prevailed.

 

Wheel bearings?

 

I don't see it. I've checked them a few times in the last 500 miles due to UCA bushing issues. No play. Then it went fine, normal, okay, in reverse. If it were seized bearings I think I would've noticed something before and I think it wouldn't have gone in reverse.

Thanks for the suggestion.

I'll let other people chime in on this idea too though.

 

Parking break engaged or stuck?

 

Could the front calipers pull a ford and have dug themselves into my wheel?

I guess I'll check that in the morning but I'm skeptical.



As far as one of the diffs locking up, I'm skeptical of that too... it is suspect but I'd think I'd hear teeth grinding and I'd think it'd be more sluggish and not completely lock up while rolling, and be fine in reverse.


I'd think?



And if you meant the e-locker, there was no chirping in reverse while turning so the e-locker isn't engaged. If that's what you meant...

 

Disengaged.


Could be stuck. Truck nose dived though like it was the front locking up. I couldn't tell for sure which tires locked up when it skidded to a stop.

I will say some how I bent the shit out of the e-brake components in the rear drivers side drum so that side hasn't worked. I can't see that being it either, but I'll pull the drums off tomorrow and inspect after pulling the driveline and narrowing it down to the front or rear (if it's the rear).

I also wouldn't think I'd be able to back up, or roll forward as much as I did. but maybe... I'll look into that tomorrow.


Thanks for the suggestions guys.

 

That's what I was thinking as well. I sure will. Thanks.

-Max

 

Max your GF wanted you to spend the night. Check your front recovery points for a big ass rubber band.
That's very strange, but yes it sounds like something up front.

 

lol... I wish it were so!

 

Think it could be transmission? It went into reverse aok, right? Could it be partially engaged in reverse when you're trying to go forward? Seems odd that you could back up 100 yards after having the problem. I doubt brakes, locker, or diff would allow you to go in reverse that far with no issues if they went bad. If you were in first and it went into reverse, it may feel like a dog at the end of its leash which would make the front end drop. Think about being in first and stomping on the gas real quick- the front will rise and then drop immediately. I'm thinking transmission. Good luck!

 

I think it very well could be...

It did go into reverse fine which struck me as odd... it also went forward fine that first 100 yards.

I just don't know enough about the way manual trannys work to know if this is a possibility or not.

I definitely had the same thoughts.

Course on the other side it seemed to do the same while rolling forward in neutral but that doesn't necessarily mean it isn't the tranny I suppose.

But still the front end should be disconnected no? If the tranny was locked up the front end should still turn free, no? And to be the nose dive would imply front end?

Honestly I kind of hope it is the tranny so I can take it to Toyota and tell them to fix this pile. Then I'll have an updated tranny too hopefully.

 

I think with a manual tranny if it was stuck in reverse you wouldn't be able to put it in 1st.

 

I keep thinking back to something I read somewhere about the pins backing out of brake calipers, I thought on a ford, and into the wheel which locked up the wheel... maybe.

Maybe... I want to go look but I have no ride and everyone is asleep.

 

I'd look close at that, something could be loose...
Have you been thru a lot of snow / water? Ice can build up
inside of the drum, and maybe when you go forward it's
jamming something.

 

very interesting.

I aggree it's something in the front drivetrain.

I wouldn't think the parking brake/calipers/rotors/e lock/cv shafts/driveshafts/blown front or rear diff are the cause since reverse worked. Im going to bet my money on the transmission. I have heard of certain gear(s) going out in manuals, ie, you could still drive, just couldnt use a ceratain gear(s).

Hope you can get more into it in the morning. Good luck!

 

No water in a few days. And at that it was only a tiny amount of water.



thanks for the ideas guys

 

Hmm. I remember someone with a different make vehicle having similar symptoms when the transfer case chain broke. I don't know enough about the transfer case to know whether that would stop all drive (to rear too) or just interfere with the front drive.

 

I would think with the ADD system the front diff should be independent of the t-case/tranny unless locked into 4wd but I'm not certain.