Vibration after AAL (tried carrier bearing drop and 3 degree axle shims)

hi, sorry everybody, I know this is a very common question and there are tons of threads about it, but I wanted specific suggestions to try other than these two that i've already tried, axle shims and carrier bearing drop (tried both separately and together)

hope some of you guys can help me out. I have a 2006 dcsb prerunner with just over 100K miles

I installed a skyjacker 2'' leveling kit up front drove it around for a while and everything was good

I installed the toytec TSB AAL(I do not have TSB springs, they said it was fine, just a difference in length). I am having a nasty very noticeable vibration around 5 mph and between 20-30. I tried the carrier bearing drop, and I don't believe it helped much or at all, so I took that out. I bought 3 degree axle shims, and installed those, vibrations are still there. I put the carrier bearing drop back in, and vibrations are still there? Are there any other suggestions? I am just about ready to remove the AAL.

Here are pics of the install (I know there are no bump stops on there, I wanted to be able to remove the centering pins before cutting it)

does it matter if my carrier bearing seems to have moved toward the back a little bit?

 

only thing that jumps out right away as a possibility is you may have a worn carrier bearing. hard to say though......

bump.

 

thanks as usual colin, which one is the carrier bearing?

do these ujoints? look normal? I think i might just take everything off this weekend and see if the vib is still there. i'm just hesitant to do cause i had such a terrible time putting on the shims, i had the axle on a jack, and i wanted to grab the jack, so i slid it out, and the entire axle fell on the floor, it was too heavy for me to pick up, so I had to borrow the neighbors floor jack and his car's spare tire jack. so I had my truck jack, my floor jack, bottle jack, his floor jack, and his car jack to get my axle up, took me like 5 hrs to do things with many headbanging breaks

 

The carrier bearing is the part you put the shims on. When it fell it did not dent it did it? Also I did mine one side at a time. Loosened one side. Put in the shim. And then did other side. 10 min max. Ujoints can be a pain. Also did you put the bearing back in the same spot. Being careful not to move it forward or back.

 

put the shims on the carrier bearing? I thought they were axle shims? I do have that carrier bearing drop kit (the washers (actually got from colin )) When I did the carrier bearing the first time I didn't do one side at a time, i let it both fall, but it only dropped like 2 or 3 inches, it wasn't really going anywhere. When the axle dropped, it actually fell on the arm of my jack, and then i had to get it off that with another jack, so it didn't really fall far, and I doubt it dented it, it looks the same

 

Those u-joints in your last three pics look kinda dry. Might want to grease them. The carrier bearing isn't in the last pics those are the u-joints. If you weren't careful putting in the carrier bearing shim the mounting plate might of rotated around 360. It has a top and bottom, which I believe isn't marked.

I'd try greasing those u-joints and then go for a short drive. If still there park on flat surface and chaulk the rear and front tires and put in neutral. Grab either side of the drive shaft at a u-joint and twist in opposite directions. If you feel excessive play probably bad joint.

 

are you talking about the bracket that i stuck the spacer/drop under? yea that didn't rotate around, i was able to see it the whole time, and it's a prerunner so there are no grease fittings

 

and thanks for the comments everybody, please give me more though , I just want my truck to look cool, but the vib is too much to ignore, it shakes my whole double din inside the dash kit

 

Yeah I meant the washers or spacers. Our carrier bearings almost all have play. Crappy designs. They slide back and forward but you want to reinstall it in the same position. So if it moved back that may be your problem.

 

that sounds good, that's one thing i'll adjust, i'll just clamp a c-clamp on there while i'm putting it back in position, but honestly, i think the vibe will still be there. If i'm having this big a problem with an AAL, would it be safe to assume i would have the same problem with a lift block? If i got one, I would actually get a 1.5 inch block (this add a leaf gave me 2.5 inches initially, not sure where it's at now)

 

Yes I was talking about that, but if it didn't rotate then ok. Have you had an alignment since you put your lift on? If not do so because excessive toe in or out can cause shakes. If you have then that's out too.

Another thing is to check for is a binding u-joint which can only be done with at least one end of the driveshaft off the truck. Basically with a paint marker make a mark across one side of the bolt flange on the rear of the shaft where the bolts are. The drive shaft is timed and this will help you put in back in time. Put a mark on the carrier bearing plate too so you know what side is the bottom. Then unbolt the driveshaft nuts and then the carrier bearing bolts. Put a pan under the front of the shaft if you pull it all the way out. Either way at each u-joint move the joint through its full range and "feel" for grabbing or binding. If you do then you have a bad u-joint and needs replaced. These can sometimes be felt on the highway sometimes not though. For putting the shaft back in if you pull it all the way out be careful sliding the front through the seal on the tailshaft of the transmission. You want it parallel to the ground. Then you can let it hang and jack up the rear tires with the fronts chaulked front and back . This will let you turn the rear tires and help with lining up your marks from earlier.

 

preciate the advice tim, I'm gonna have to read your post like 7 more times. I did get an alignment this morning. so here's another shitty story, I put a wheel chock on one of my front tires (when i put it there i said, I know i'm gonna forget it) so the next day, after everything was put back together, get in my car and start driving CRACK/BUMP, i just crushed the chock, which wasn't a big deal, but then immediately i notice my steering wheel is like positioned between the 12:30 and 1 o clock position, I was like WTF, how could that possibly happen, jumping a curb does more damage than that. So I went an got an alignment, and now my steering wheel is fine, but overall, i was very very disappointed on how fragile my truck is. And they said my front driver's bearing is bad

 

You can check that yourself if it's bad enough. Jack up that corner of the truck and spin the wheel fairly fast. While it's spinning, carefully and lightly touch one of the lower coils of the coil spring. If you feel anything then that is the bad wheel bearing you are feeling. If nothing then I'd say it's either not that bad or it isn't bad. But if you can feel it like I told you then it's BAD.

 

is it also correct to lift the front end up, and just see if there is play when you push and pull the wheel? that's what the mechanic showed me

 

Yes but doing that is usually for checking tie rods or ball joints. If the wheel bearing is bad it will be noisy thus why you can feel it in the coil spring. I'd say have someone move the wheel for you and you look and see what is moving. But if the wheel bearing is bad enough to move like that then it sure as hell must be noisy. Did the mechanic grab the wheel at like 90 and 270 degrees and move it in and out vertically? Or 0 and 180 degrees moving it on the horizontal?

 

lol, i was confused by orientation of the degrees, he grabbed it at like 3 and 9 o clock position and just moved it horizontally, by horizontally i mean away and closer to the body, not to front and back of truck

 

Try dropping the carrier bearing more. Those puny shim spacers 1" and less don't seem to do anything. It's a simple procedure worth trying, especially if everything else is in check. Pictured below is a 1-1/2", recommended for your rear lift height. Judging from your last pic, the shims seem to be 1/4", way too small to do anything. This one pictured not only drops the bearing into a range that works, it also uses a hole in the cross member above as a 3rd attachment point which helps firm things up even more.

 

so, i added two more nuts in there, I know they're not super sturdy, but just a quick trial, still getting the vib it seems like it's dropped enough, first i tried 1, drove, and then added the other one

 

Take that POS AAL and throw it down the hill. Nothing but problems with the toytec AAL!

 

lol, what?