Drivers side diff needle bearing noise...

I know there's been pages and pages written about this... But I have a weird experience and thought I would share.

My truck is a 2015 DCSB TRD. I've got 30k on it, lifted it at 25k
(Toytech coils, bilstein 5100's set at zero, drivers side "taco lean" plate) rear add a leaves, u bolt flip, 5100's. Standard stuff, around 3" of lift. 265-75 16 duratracs on stock TRD wheels/1" spacers. Not that any of that really matters- but after the lift, I was rewarded with the dreaded growling bearing.

Cool, no biggie- I ordered the ECGS bushing and removal tool- just waiting for a spare afternoon to pop it in. But wait...

Someone on the forum mentioned that the manual states that 4wd should be used approx 10 miles a month. I'm too lazy to open the glovebox and verify this... But as I spend a ton of time driving- I started using 4hi on straight sections... Getting a few miles on it a couple days a week. Nothing major, just s few miles here and there.

Guess what-

ZERO VIBE

I had the cyclical droning/vibration from 15 - 40+ mph... It was getting so bad that I had to tell my old lady that it was my new gnarly tired causing the rumble.

Not saying it's cured- I'll put the bushing in. But I've gone several WEEKS with no hint of it.

Discuss amongst yourselves...

 

I'm the only one that considers this news? Ha, thought I was on to something!

 

You might just be lucky as sin. I had mine go in and out of 4WD tons, and I still had the vibe. Only went away after Bushing install.

 

Its the thread title. If you called it "cured my vibes", "cured needle bearing noise", or "boobies and beer" you would have 100-responses.

 

eh. if you had the vibe, replace the needle bearing. Even if you dont feel it you could be eating away your CV.

 

Yep...

 

I had the same type of experience. I had the vibration/growling noise almost as soon as I lifted my rig (1200 miles). I looked up the ECGS bushing threads and it was the exact same noise 30/40 mph. I made a appointment to have Toyota look at it. In he mean time I went out 4x4ing and go figure the next morning nothing. Took about a month and it was back. Now for another appointment. Not sure why it came and went?

 

Problem is, Toyota will check it out- and there's 2 possibilities. A) they say "that's perfectly normal" or B) they warranty a new diff. Either way you've got the vibe. Even when they put a replacement in, same shit within not so many miles.

I'm not gonna bother even mentioning it to my dealer. Just put the bushing in and be done with it is the consensus.

 

That's exactly what I've read. What will happen if I let it go for a while?

Where did you buy your replacement kit? Thx

 

Seems like letting it go for a super long time can damage the bearing surface on the axle... But even that doesn't really seem to be a big deal. The bushing solves the issue. And it's super cheap.

Ordered right from East Coast Gear

 

Thanks

 

I was under the impression that Toyota has a replacement bushing that doesn't fail. When do you get the vibe?

 

As far as I know they've got a replacement bearing that's the same as the one that failed. In most cases that I've read about the bearing typically seems fine. It's got too much clearance (hotdog in a hallway anyone??) between the bearing surface (driveshaft) and the roller bearing. Bushing. Do it.

 

seriously, save yourself the time and frustration.... skip the dealer, just buy the necessary stuff from ECGS, its cheap.

I made a puller tool out of some spare parts n a lag bolt. Bought the bushing and did the job myself in 2hrs. Hardest part was getting the CV out, If i had to do it again, i could probably have the CV out in 10 min.

 

Yeah?? Please share the 10 minute advice... Turn/pry bar/turn/pry bar??

 

Pry bar and BFH. Beat that sunofabitch out. It'll just pop out.

 

What size lag bolt did you use for the puller? I need to do this but $60 for a puller sucks.

 

the way the CV is held in to the diff is by a C clip. This C clip needs to be compressed by the inner tapered edge of the diff in order for it to slide out.

The easiest to get it to slide out is by having the opening of the C clip facing downwards so the C clip settles down due to gravity and only the ends have to be compressed. Unfortunatly you can not see inside of the diff as to the rotation of the C clip.

So what you do is 6ths of a turn (as that is how the diff cup is made so you can pry on it) Use a pry bar, and maybe some bits of metal so you can properly space the pry bar so you are pushing on the cup only and get some good leverage.

PUSH the CV in ALL the way, and tap on it to get the C clip to settle. Try and pry it out. No go? PUSH it back all the way in, tap again, spin 1/6th of a turn. Try again. Repeat this process until it comes out.

The reason why you push it back in is so the C clip isnt bound up and can fall all the way down in its slot. Tapping on it helps to jiggle it down.

It will come out almost unsettlingly easy when you get it in the right spot.


As far as the lag bolt size i forget. I had a picture i posted somewhere of the puller that i made. But the head of the lag bolt wasnt massive, maybe 3/4 of the size of the ID of the bearing / bushing. But i Keyed the piece that pulled the bearing out so the lagbolt wouldnt spin as i tightened it down.