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OFFICIAL 2nd gen 4x4 front differential bearing vibration thread

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by BenWA, Apr 17, 2011.

  1. Jan 2, 2014 at 11:00 AM
    #1441
    Nonfatwater7

    Nonfatwater7 Well-Known Member

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    Missoula, MT
    Vehicle:
    06 DC LB 4x4 Indigo
    Map Light mod, 265/70/17 BFG AT's, 5100's front set at .85, Eibach coils, Hi-lift bed rail mount, CB radio, Sway bar removed, 886 reverse light mod, LED tail lights and blinkers, Wickedflows exhaust, $4 aux/ipod input mod
    First reaction to this thread:
    Why did it take me so long to find this thread!

    Second:
    I am doing this.

    Third:
    I am doing this.

    Fourth:
    Parts are overpriced but in the end if it fixes it I suppose that is pennies to pay for the reward of having the damn growling noise and vibratey pedal gone.

    Fifth:
    Anyone got a puller they feel like giving away?
    I'll pay for shipping of course!
     
  2. Jan 3, 2014 at 8:11 AM
    #1442
    DonL

    DonL Well-Known Member

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    Prescott, AZ
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    Monster Exhaust, Shell, 5100's all around, Airlift airbags, Hankook Atm, K&M air filter
    There's a lot of posters on this forum that have this problem and don't bother to do a search. "Front end vibration between 35 and 40 mph" search is all it took for me to solve the problem.
     
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2014
  3. Jan 3, 2014 at 5:19 PM
    #1443
    Taco'09

    Taco'09 Well-Known Member

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    The front diff. appears so marginally engineered that this disease could affect most any truck. My stock truck fell victim at very low miles. There is a member on here, 05Moose, that put an OEM needle bearing back in there. This was before the release of the ECGS bushing that was released in early 2012.
     
    Last edited: Jan 3, 2014
  4. Jan 3, 2014 at 5:23 PM
    #1444
    Agent Smith

    Agent Smith Always outnumbered, never outgunned

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    Toytec lift,FJ Anthracite wheels wrapped in BFG A/T 265/75/16's,WAAG Brush Guard, IPF 868's,sleeved fog lights
    IIRC, his second needle bearing went tits up too. That's the weak link, but the whole design sucks
     
  5. Jan 3, 2014 at 6:03 PM
    #1445
    Taco'09

    Taco'09 Well-Known Member

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    How about it 05Moose? Did your second needle bearing go bad too?

    You gotta love the design of that needle bearing. Needles sitting in a plastic tray. How lame. :cool:
     
  6. Jan 3, 2014 at 6:58 PM
    #1446
    05Moose

    05Moose Middle-Aged Member

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    Jim
    In the snow (NorCal)
    Vehicle:
    '05 4x4 DC LB SR5 #8 (LSD, Tow Pkg)
    '05 4x4 DC LB SR5 (LSD & Tow Pkg), Timbrens, AAL, 5100s (1.75), Owned: 12/3/04 Mods: Fog, Map/Dome Light, Illuminated 4wd Switch, Washable Cabin Air Filter
    Is this one number 2 or 3? Technically 3 if you count the replaced front diff. I installed needle bearing number 3 at a mod day in Aug 2011. Can't remember the exact mileage without getting on my computer, but I think it was around 110k or 114k miles. I've got around 141k miles now, so close to 30k miles on it. And that was after getting a new front diff around 90k due to the first bad needle bearing. So that second needle bearing lasted only 30k miles before going bad. For needle bearing #2, I had the 5100s set to .85 with a diff drop installed. This last bearing, I'm set to 1.75 with no diff drop. So yes, my 2nd bearing went bad like the 1st. I'm expecting to have to replace this 3rd one with a bushing in the future. I think it's a given.
     
    Last edited: Jan 3, 2014
  7. Jan 4, 2014 at 10:11 AM
    #1447
    DonL

    DonL Well-Known Member

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    Prescott, AZ
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    Monster Exhaust, Shell, 5100's all around, Airlift airbags, Hankook Atm, K&M air filter
    My needle bearing went bad at barely 19K on the odometer with 1K after installing the 5100's at 1.75. When I removed the needle bearing I looked at it and wondered how they can build an "OFF ROAD" truck with such a flimsy bearing to support an axle that will (or should)see at least some off road driving. What do you think is the percentage of people buying this truck that will lift it one way or the other???? I've had six Toyota vehicles. Three were trucks '89,'97, 2008. The first two were bullet proof. The 2008 suffers from throw out bearing chatter (steel bearing rides on an{do you believe} aluminum shaft), lousy rear leaf springs (TSB springs need air bags to support and 3500lb travel trailer with a 300lb toung weight) and now a badly designed front deferential. Toyota need some drastic changes. Sorry for the rant!!!
     
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2014
  8. Jan 4, 2014 at 10:32 AM
    #1448
    Taco'09

    Taco'09 Well-Known Member

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    As I have stated many times, I believe every last one of the 05+ 4WD Tacos, stock trucks and lifted trucks, have this problem....it just may have not shown up yet on your truck. Do yourself a preventive maintenance favor, install the ECGS bushing upgrade.
     
  9. Jan 4, 2014 at 10:50 AM
    #1449
    Taco'09

    Taco'09 Well-Known Member

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    DonL. Your truck has A-Trac right? Mine has the 4lo Trac hack mod. When I took mine apart the right side had the appearance that the shaft was being hammered against the needles. I had the 4lo Track hack mod operational in the spring of 2009 and I use it a lot. I've wondered for a while whether there was shock loading going on in mine due to the braking transfer between wheels when Trac is operational. Same for the A-Trac guys.
     
  10. Jan 4, 2014 at 5:14 PM
    #1450
    DonL

    DonL Well-Known Member

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    Monster Exhaust, Shell, 5100's all around, Airlift airbags, Hankook Atm, K&M air filter
    Taco 09, I don't know what you mean by A Trac. I have a 6 speed manual and don't have the 4 Lo anytime hack. I do a lot off road up in the mountains while hunting on 4x4 only trails that are pretty rough. I don't know if that is the cause of my problem. The bushing has made the big difference...until the next hunting season this spring.
     
  11. Jan 4, 2014 at 5:57 PM
    #1451
    Taco'09

    Taco'09 Well-Known Member

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    DonL. For some reason I was thinking you had the traction control feature known as A-Trac. You would have to have a switch next to the lighter that says A-Trac on it and a light that comes on in the instrument cluster when the switch is pushed. A-Trac is the factory version of our 4lo Trac hack but is a more refined version. Our 4lo Trac hack is often referred to a A-Trac light. My bad.
     
  12. Jan 5, 2014 at 5:21 PM
    #1452
    QuickSilver

    QuickSilver Member

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    Installed the ECGS bushing today. Bought my yota with 95,000 miles on it, it now has 180,000. Smoother now than when I bought it. The Bushing works great!!
     
  13. Jan 5, 2014 at 8:24 PM
    #1453
    uncleART

    uncleART Well-Known Member

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    Arty
    Bothell, WA
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    13 MGM DCLB Sport
    3" Toytec ULK 285/75-16 BFG KO2 Verge FN Wheels DeBadged, Toyota Bedmat, Window tint 30%, DeFlapped the front, Bilstein 5100s, Toytec coil overs, Dakar leafs, LR UCAs, SwayBar relocate, TRD Offroad tow hook, RotoPax, DeFlapped the rear, Tailgate mod, CBI receiver shackle w/ Bolt Hitch Pin, BFG KO2 285/75-16, FNWheels Verge, Weathertech Floor Liners, Spare tire mod, UWS toolbox with Bolt Latch Retrofit, Rear Diff vent relocated, Blacked-out grill emblem, Toolbox Bedrail mod, Trailer Plug relocated, ECGS bushing, Redline Hood Struts, Leer 100XR, C4 Fabrication Lo-Pro Bumper, Relentless Fab Frame Reinforcements, Warn 9.5XP-S Winch, Baja Designs S8 20" Lighbar, Off-Grid Engineering Dual Battery Tray, Odessey 35-PC1400 Batteries, BlueSea ML-ACR
    I installed my bushing today. Success! Vibes are gone. I did notice them a little in the beginning of my test drive - very, very subtle. Then I couldn't notice them at the end of the drive. So I don't know if this bushing removes 100% of the vibes, but I'm really happy.

    Also the driver's side CV shaft is solid now - it only moves just a little like the passenger side.

    Check out my post in my build thread for a mini write-up and pictures.
     
  14. Jan 5, 2014 at 8:45 PM
    #1454
    qnyla

    qnyla Well-Known Member

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    Congratulations on the install uncleART. Nice write-up.
     
  15. Jan 5, 2014 at 10:54 PM
    #1455
    ImplicitlyAlberta

    ImplicitlyAlberta VA6DCO

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    Good write up. That c-clip note is a make or break. Took me a few minutes to figure out that was why the axle wouldn't re-seat. Lol
     
  16. Jan 5, 2014 at 10:56 PM
    #1456
    uncleART

    uncleART Well-Known Member

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    3" Toytec ULK 285/75-16 BFG KO2 Verge FN Wheels DeBadged, Toyota Bedmat, Window tint 30%, DeFlapped the front, Bilstein 5100s, Toytec coil overs, Dakar leafs, LR UCAs, SwayBar relocate, TRD Offroad tow hook, RotoPax, DeFlapped the rear, Tailgate mod, CBI receiver shackle w/ Bolt Hitch Pin, BFG KO2 285/75-16, FNWheels Verge, Weathertech Floor Liners, Spare tire mod, UWS toolbox with Bolt Latch Retrofit, Rear Diff vent relocated, Blacked-out grill emblem, Toolbox Bedrail mod, Trailer Plug relocated, ECGS bushing, Redline Hood Struts, Leer 100XR, C4 Fabrication Lo-Pro Bumper, Relentless Fab Frame Reinforcements, Warn 9.5XP-S Winch, Baja Designs S8 20" Lighbar, Off-Grid Engineering Dual Battery Tray, Odessey 35-PC1400 Batteries, BlueSea ML-ACR

    I had read about positioning the C-clip this way and didn't understand why until after I was all done. Lol.
     
  17. Jan 6, 2014 at 7:34 AM
    #1457
    Taco'09

    Taco'09 Well-Known Member

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    Here is what the manual says for installing the CV shaft and orientation of the snap ring:

    INSTALL FRONT DRIVE SHAFT
    (a) Coat the spline of the inboard joint shaft with ATF.

    (b) Align the shaft splines and install the drive shaft with
    a brass bar and hammer.
    NOTICE:
    • Set the snap ring with the opening side facing
    downward.
    • Be careful not to damage the oil seal.
    HINT:
    Whether the inboard joint shaft is in contact with the
    pinion shaft or not can be confirmed from the sound
    or feeling when driving it.
     
  18. Jan 6, 2014 at 7:53 AM
    #1458
    QuickSilver

    QuickSilver Member

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    TYPEONE ^^, I installed new axles first, not knowing about the bushing mod, then I realized how much excess play was in the drivers side axle. After a ton of research I finally discovered the Bushing and went with that. I did put the new bushing on the old CV that was sitting in my garage, just to see how snug it was, the old axle (180,000 miles) seemed to not have much ware at all on the input shaft.
     
  19. Jan 6, 2014 at 8:04 AM
    #1459
    SoCal Hillbilly

    SoCal Hillbilly Well-Known Member

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  20. Jan 6, 2014 at 11:05 AM
    #1460
    nj636

    nj636 Hub Master General

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    Jersey
    OME lift 4x sliders 4x skids
    Just got done installing the bushing among many other things on my 06 w/ 80k on it. It has excessive cv slop but no vibration but I decided to install the bushing since I would have the entire front end apart anyway.

    The removal & install went smooth. A great way to get the cv axle out is a pry bar against the diff & a good wack against the flange on the axle. One wack popped mine out. A rubber mallet works great to install it as well.

    I put the bushing in the freezer for an hour which made installation easy.
     

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