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Just Lifted, now I need Help

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by dewriffic16, Apr 4, 2009.

  1. Apr 4, 2009 at 10:30 PM
    #1
    dewriffic16

    dewriffic16 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    David
    Flagstaff, AZ
    Vehicle:
    '09 TRD Off-Road DC
    Custom Perforated Stainless Satoshi Grill, 3" Toytech Ultimate Lift with AAL in the rear, Total Chaos UCAs up front, Bilstiens all around, Diff drop/sway bar drop, Locker Anytime Mod, Map Light on with doors, AUX back up camera on anytime switch.
    Hi Guys, I just installed a ultimate 3" lift kit from toytech, along with some TC UCAs up front and I'm happy with the lift so far, but I'm getting some weird vibrations/pulsations from the front at slow speeds. It feels like I have a warped brake rotor or something, it definitly goes faster and slower as I speed up and slow down. I can only feel it if I'm going slower than say 5-10 MPH and it does it as I coast either in gear or in neutral. Its not terrible, but my truck only has 1500 miles on it, and I'm affraid maybe I've installed something wrong??? Not a whole lot to go wrong with the kit, but has anyone else had this happen after a lift? It has the diff drop and axel shims, its not like a vibration, but more like a pulsation I can feel every rotation of the tire. I've jacked up the front and spun each wheel, they both seem to spin freely and don't drag on the rotors but i'm stumped trying to find the cause for the pulse I feel as I slow down. Like I said feels much like a bent disc or somthing but it showed up shortly after the lift install, so I think its related to that.

    Anyway sorry to start another thread, tried to search but most everything has to do with vibrations at the carrier or axels. I think this is for sure coming from up front. Thanks in advance.
     
  2. Apr 4, 2009 at 10:46 PM
    #2
    humanoid

    humanoid bite me

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    I had a '99 Xtra Cab PreRunner SR5 V6
    You need to get an alignment done. Anytime you mess with the geometry of the suspension, such as adding a 3" lift, you'll need to get an alignment. Did you also get new/bigger tires too?
     
  3. Apr 4, 2009 at 10:46 PM
    #3
    toku58

    toku58 Well-Known Member

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    On a Rock in the middle of the Pacific
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    21' TRD OffRoad 2" 887 OME on Bilstein 5100's. 285/70R17 General Grabbers G3 17x8.5" Icon TRD wheels (Gun metal gray) 4.75" BS
    Are you sure everything is torqued properly?

    Jack up your truck and spin the tires and see where it's coming from? You rotors are simply held on by your rim so is it possible that you may have knocked it loose, when your tires were off?

    Best thing to do is to see if anything is out of whack?

    Also were you careful NOT to pull on your front CV joints when you installed the lift?

    If the tripod bearing got pulled out and "jacked Up" that might be causing the problem also.

    Just a few ideas. It's hard to diagnose what the problem is unless I actually see the truck in person.

    But it's a start!

    Good Luck!
     
  4. Apr 4, 2009 at 10:54 PM
    #4
    dewriffic16

    dewriffic16 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    David
    Flagstaff, AZ
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    '09 TRD Off-Road DC
    Custom Perforated Stainless Satoshi Grill, 3" Toytech Ultimate Lift with AAL in the rear, Total Chaos UCAs up front, Bilstiens all around, Diff drop/sway bar drop, Locker Anytime Mod, Map Light on with doors, AUX back up camera on anytime switch.
    Thanks guys, I have had the alignment done already, and thought I was pretty careful about not pulling out the CVs when I did the install, I took off both front wheels again and re-torqued everything I could think of, and wiggled the rotors around thinking maybe they were on funny, still had the same problems. Is there anyway to check a CV joint without removing the outer boot? Or at least figuring out which side It is?

    Thanks again...
     
  5. Apr 5, 2009 at 1:42 AM
    #5
    Butler_Geek

    Butler_Geek Well-Known Member

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    bump...about to install the same lift, wanna make sure dont miss nuttin
     
  6. Apr 5, 2009 at 6:04 AM
    #6
    chris4x4

    chris4x4 With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. Moderator

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    Take the wheels off, rotate them 1/2 turn, then re install them, but use the propper torque value on the lugs. 80 ft-lbs. If they are not torqued propperly, they can cause the pulsing in the brakes, as the rotors will be slightly warped.
     
  7. Apr 5, 2009 at 8:53 AM
    #7
    WagonRX

    WagonRX New Member

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    It's been discussed here : http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=220615&highlight=lift+diff+humming . You can read through all the pages but here's what I got from it.

    I got it the day mine was lifted. It doesn't matter what lift you install (coil overs, spacers, 5100's) as it will happen because of the lift itself. Some people have had the sound/vibration for over 30K miles without any problems or getting worse. Some have conviced thier local dealership it's there and have got new front diff's which seem to be the only way to cure it. Others are lucky and report no problems at all. Others report the sound goes away when shifted into 4wd and like mine, the sound goes away. The sound will also go away if you lower it back to stock height as well.

    I lifted my truck and had the stock wheels/tires for about two weeks. During that time it was noticable but after installing new tires/wheels, I don't notice it any more as the off road tires add a new humming sound/harsh road feeling now when compared to the stock highway tires my truck came with.

    If your under warranty still, I suggest you visit the dealership with stock wheels/tires on and grap a tech to go on a test drive with you. It will be a long up hill battle but you may get a front diff out of it.
     
  8. Apr 5, 2009 at 8:57 AM
    #8
    jrobson

    jrobson Well-Known Member

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    Ultimate lift kit, LR UCA's, Bi-xenon 8000K headlights, Xenon 8000K foglites, (4) KC slimlites on N-Fab light bar, Extang trifecta toneau cover
    Just put mine on Friday. Did you replace the UCA's?

    [​IMG]
     
  9. Apr 5, 2009 at 9:55 AM
    #9
    dewriffic16

    dewriffic16 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    David
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    '09 TRD Off-Road DC
    Custom Perforated Stainless Satoshi Grill, 3" Toytech Ultimate Lift with AAL in the rear, Total Chaos UCAs up front, Bilstiens all around, Diff drop/sway bar drop, Locker Anytime Mod, Map Light on with doors, AUX back up camera on anytime switch.

    This is exactly what I have going on, thanks a lot for the link, lots of great info in there. I am thinking that it is a bearing on the diff now, sucks that it happened with the lift. I will see if I can take it to a stealer this next week. Makes sense though, I will double check and see if it goes away when I shift into 4WD, but from reading the posts I think this makes the most sense and it does feel a lot like a bad bearing. I'm ok with leaving the lift installed if I can know for sure it won't blow up on a long road trip I just hate the feeling of knowing my truck isn't 100%.

    Thanks again for the help everyone
     
  10. Apr 5, 2009 at 10:18 AM
    #10
    311offroad

    311offroad Stock Taco For Now

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    20% tint, Debadged, Pioneer AVIC-Z110BT, Infinity component door speakers, MagLite mod
    So the only fix for this is replacing the front diff? (I only read the 1st two pages of the TN thread)

    What percentage of people with lifts get this vibe? Might be a good poll to have??

    Im wanting to do the billy 5100s at 2.5 and rear AAL but if theres a better chance of having problems than not having problems then Im leaving it stock :(
     
  11. Apr 5, 2009 at 1:08 PM
    #11
    Butler_Geek

    Butler_Geek Well-Known Member

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    WTF?? Rear spring TSB now this bullshit!
     
  12. Apr 5, 2009 at 1:21 PM
    #12
    wildjerseyfirefighter

    wildjerseyfirefighter I sell fishing and fishing accessories

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    stock, for now

    calm down there honto:rolleyes:

    Its a lifted truck, did you expect not to have problems when doing so? it aint a caddy
     
  13. Apr 5, 2009 at 1:32 PM
    #13
    Butler_Geek

    Butler_Geek Well-Known Member

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    Couple a squeaks is one thing but a possible bearing issue with the only resolution im hearing being a diff swap by the dealer is a whole other ball game, especially for such a mild lift.
     
  14. Apr 5, 2009 at 3:20 PM
    #14
    dewriffic16

    dewriffic16 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    David
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    Vehicle:
    '09 TRD Off-Road DC
    Custom Perforated Stainless Satoshi Grill, 3" Toytech Ultimate Lift with AAL in the rear, Total Chaos UCAs up front, Bilstiens all around, Diff drop/sway bar drop, Locker Anytime Mod, Map Light on with doors, AUX back up camera on anytime switch.
    Ya I have new Total Chaos UCAs installed. I have read almost all the posts from the link above and it does sound as though the issue is a bearing in the left hand side of the differential. Most dealers will replace the whole diff versus just replacing the bearing. As noted above, there are several people that have this problem, most none of them resulted in a failure, but some have reported having multiple issues. I think it is something that most can live with, I just am concerned about the long term effects after my warrenty expires. There are a few people who remove the lift in hopes of taking it to the dealer to report, but when they remove the lift it goes away completly, so perhaps it doesn't do enough damage to cause problems, but I think I will see if mine gets any worse over time and if it does, I will be removing the lift. If you have a pulse at your floor boards that feels like a warped rotor, I would say this is the problem.

    I would like to see how many people have this but maybe don't notice it due to tires and other vibs drowning it out.
     
  15. Apr 5, 2009 at 8:24 PM
    #15
    Butler_Geek

    Butler_Geek Well-Known Member

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    bump...still wanna hear about other experiences especially those that don't have this issue and what they did that might be different.
     
  16. Apr 6, 2009 at 4:07 AM
    #16
    Butler_Geek

    Butler_Geek Well-Known Member

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  17. Apr 6, 2009 at 4:31 AM
    #17
    Janks

    Janks Active Member

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    3"Trail Master lift, 31x11.5x17 MT Bias Belted...
    Oh shit!!! We did my 3" Trail; Master lift on Saturday and immedietely I felt this vibration. I figured it was because my stock tires were pretty worn down. With the lift and no allignment this caused the tires to ride on an angle. I get my new tires and my allignment in 1hr and I figured this would take it away.... Not just hide it as I am putting 31" Mickey Thomson Baja Belted on.

    I am so freak'n worried now, I'm sick to my stomach....
     
  18. Apr 6, 2009 at 4:54 AM
    #18
    badguybuster

    badguybuster Well-Known Member

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    Mine did the same thing until I got the new tires on it and balanced.
     
  19. Apr 6, 2009 at 5:35 AM
    #19
    MotoTacoma

    MotoTacoma Adrenaline Addict

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    i've never heard about this problem before, only the drive shaft issue, making me think twice about lifting my truck...

    good luck guys..
     
  20. Apr 6, 2009 at 4:57 PM
    #20
    chris4x4

    chris4x4 With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. Moderator

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    FlimFlubberJAM
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    Out of every 3" lift I have installed, There have been no vibes, and no need for shims or drops. Im thinking some people may be over torqueing their wheels or something.
     

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