Front Diff Needle or Wheel Bearing Noise?

2000 Tacoma 2.7 4x4

OME 2.5" lift front/rear

Noise from drivers side front - in 2WD it seems to be intermittent. But once it starts it is quite bad. If i stop and then drive again it might not be there for a few minutes or even 10. Gets fast w/ speed NOT rpm.

Noise is a grinding/scraping noise and I can feel a vibration in the steering column and in the drivers side wheel/axle.

GOES AWAY in 4WD AND when drivers side hub is LOCKED (passenger side free).

I can hear a light bearing hum in 4WD but it is faint and no grinding at all.

What is the likelihood that this is the front differential needle bearing versus the wheel bearing or axle bearing in the steering knuckle? How can I diagnose this further?

Thanks!

 

HA! I'm chasing the same noise in mine. Changed front bearings and still have hum up front. Not a grind yet. I'd do the opposite of what I did and start with the needle. If your wheels feel fine with axles out (mine did) don't change wheel bearings for piece of mind. I'm sure I had a lot of life left on them.

 

Hmmm

Do you know if there is a needle bearing on the hub side of the axle as well as the diff side? And could this bearing present the same problems as the diff needle bearing?

 

Lift the front wheels off the ground and investigate the noise.

 

There is not. Just the wheel bearing.

 

If it's changing as you go in and out of 4WD, I'd start @ the needle. I was unaware when I went in and thought 'Eh, it's prob. time for wheel bearings'. It wasn't. Even the machine shop guy said so but I already had new bearings and the parts at the shop to get pressed. Check it out first, I should have.

 

OK thanks guys ill start with the needle bearing.

Looks like ECGS makes em for this size diff BUT NOT for manual hubs?

 

Oh, manual hubs...I don't know if there's an outboard needle or not. Maybe in the hub itself. Look for a diagram or just look as you go for the inboard. I should have thought of that when I saw the 4 cyl. Most '00s w/ 4 cyl did have them. Wish I did.

 

Manual hub diffs do not have the needle bearing that the ECGS bushing replaces. So look elsewhere for the problem.

 

How many miles did you have on the truck when you changed the bearings?

 

pretty close to 200K.
As long as the seals stay good to keep out dust and you don't go through water, I think they last a loooong time.

 

That link is for 2nd gen. DirtyPool is correct that the 1st Gen version says it is not for manual hubs.

 

I had my original wheel bearings changed @250k.

 

I had a hum.....Did needle bearing....Still humming....Maybe my damn tires...

 

that was the first thing I changed, then u-joints. Only regret wheel bearings but hell, may have been for the best, may have only got another 50K and been pulling apart again.

Sorry for hi-jack OP.

 

How possible is it that I just needed some grease in the hub locker (outter piece)?

Just put some in cause it was dry as a bone. Drove up the block a ways and back, no noise yet. We will see tomorrow.

 

UPDATE:

there is front-to-back play in the CV joint where it goes into the knuckle (backside of hub) on the drivers side, and NONE on the passenger side.

Does this point to the wheel bearing as the culprit?

 

Have you jacked up the front and spun, listened, pondered life with an old vehicle? Hate to say it but you'll prob. have to tear in if nothing is obvious.
I think manual hubs have a brass insert? What did the inside of your dry one look like? They don't pack full but there is supposed to be some grease, yes.

 

Jacked it up, spun, etc.

It was DRY so I packed a light amount of grease in and i am not getting any grinding w/ hub unlocked yet but I havent driven long enough for things to heat up.

But i did notice that the drivers side (problem) has significant front/back play where the CV enters the hub and the passenger side has none (only in and out play as it should).

Im thinking - failure in the drivers wheel bearing, leading to play and once hot broke down the grease (probably not serviced in some time at 210k miles) and thus heated up enough, OR because of the play in the axle spline this began to engage the hubs causing a grinding noise and a grinding feel in the hub felt through the steering wheel. This went away when the hub was locked at the spline is now engaged in the wheel and would not grind. BUT a bearing whirr/hum is still heard, tell tale of wheel bearing failure.

Thoughts on that?

 

So sell and buy a 2006 Tundra?