Front Diff Vibes ECGS bushing fix.

Ok this fix is kicking my butt. That said I am ready to put the cv back in. I won't go into what a pain it was to get the tool to seat into the diff.....madness!

The cv slides part way in but I am sure the c clip is stopping at the splines. Spent probably an hour last night trying over and over...no luck. Any tricks? I had a nightmare that it was something with fit on the bushingBut I looked this morning and pretty sure it is the clip. Help a brother out with getting this together!

 

You need a crow bar or long pry bar. With the cv pushed in as far as it will go, put the end of the pry bar in one of the notches on the tulip, hold the pry bar inline with the cv and hit it with a heavy hammer like a mini sledge. It will go right in.

 

Hmmm tried that with a large punch last night no luck. How do you know that the splines line up? I am probably a solid inch or so out. Feels like it it is seated somewhat but just feels stuck but turns so not jammed. Thanks for the quick first response, really appreciated it!

 

if you're getting a shop to do your lift, might want to do the bearing at the same time.
I'm getting mine done by a shop and they said since they'll already have a lot apart with the lift its not much to add the bearing

 

I replaced mine last night and tried to position the C clip at different positions and mine just slide right in. Sorry I don't remember which way worked. No need to hit with a hammer or anything

 

Thanks, got'er in with a punch. I appreciate your quick reply!

 

Ok, done, fought me the entire way. I do most of my own repairs, somehow this one was harder than it should have been. Couldn't get the ecgs tool to drop in, tried for a couple of hours, then just when I was ready to call it a night, it drops as it should. I think it was getting stuck on the bearing race lip. Bearing drops right out after that. Then tried using a socket to seat the bearing...kept going in crooked. Ran to autozone at 9pm, rented a bushing seating tool, an wham, done. Put new seal in, but the old one was a major challenge to remove. Set the new one with a punch, going slow around. That was done at 10pm, thought let me get the cv in, then call it a night, nope, wouldn't seat per my earlier post. You all helped this morning, and I think a clearer mind was a good thing too. Cv set, took my time putting the steering and suspension together, then checked the gear oil. Lower than I thought, so I decided to do a change early at 26200 miles. Damn drain plug was on super tight lol. Finished that, reinstalled my skids, took for a drive and the rumble seems to be gone. Told myself at one point that if I have a leak, take it to someone, but looking back, I will just do myself. Glad it is done, glad I did it, did alone, helper may have been good, tools are all tidy now, garage clean, PBR time

 

Im going to be doing it myself. I haven't ordered the bushing yet.

 

Yeah I had a tough time removing the old seal as well until I grabbed some large channel lock pliers and and pried it right out.

 

I know alot of members just do the one side but is it beneficial to do both since your at the project anyways?

 

The drivers side is the only one with a needle bearing which is the cause of the vibrations. I believe the passenger side is a bushing

 

That is exactly what I did. Was still a wrestling match!

 

Yeah gotta give it the people's pull...

 

So i figured id share my experience. I am not super mechanically inclined but I am very well read on the subject and watched a ton of youtube videos beforehand. I lifted my 2016 sport a few months ago and got the vibe. Toyota did not have an answer so they replaced the whole front diff which solved the problem for about 2k miles. I finally grew the balls to do it myself.


I used these youtube video as my guide


CV axle removal video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfpP4sy8qYw&t=226s

ECGS needle bearing removal and ECGS bushing install video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnA_R3gFf2s&t=200s

I rented most of the necessary tools from autozone loan a tool program (I can not overstate the importance of having the right tools and it doesn't cost anything to rent from autozone (100% refund with return of tools within 90 days))

heres a list of what i rented

35 mm socket
breaker bar
torque wrench
tie rod separator
bearing driver kit
263 dollars total shipped to my house for free and 100% refundable if you return the tools within 90 days which I did today

(The spring compressor was for something else and is not needed FYI)



Some other tools I had that were necessary
Pry bar
10 mm allan wrench on a socket driver
ball pien hammer
small sledge hammer
jack stands
jack
standard set of sockets up to 22mm

I bought the $60 needle bearing puller tool and in my opinion it is a must

I used the ECGS recommended gear oil afterwards which i ordered from Amazon (85W-140)

$13 Lucas Oil 10042 Heavy Duty High Performance SAE 85W-140 Gear Oil - 1 Quart

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IG20T0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Used this forum for a guide of torque specs for reassembling everything
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-torque-spec-guide.318116/

All in all it took me about 4 hours and keep in mind I've only driven about 20 miles since the install but my taco drives like a dream now. Quieter than the day I bought her. Hope this helps anyone with any doubt about doing it yourself. The two hardest parts were seating the removal tool behind the needle bearing and the other was pounding the new ECGS bushing in.

 

Only the driver side is a needle bearing. The passenger side does not cause problems and is a bushing not a needle bearing.

 

Any thoughts - or preferably any actual experience - on front 5100s at .65" causing issues with the needle bearings? If seems like that is a very minor angle change. Getting ready to level it with 5100s this week.

What's the long term damage caused by not doing the replacement if you get the vibes? If seems like most people are getting the vibes immediate upon lifting?

Incidentally, my 5th gen 4r had the vibes about 10-15k miles after lifting 2.5". Dealer initially said they couldn't replicate, then about 5k miles later they agreed it was the front diff needle bearings. Replaced under warranty, no issues brought up about the lift. Bearings promptly went out 1k miles later.

 

I got new suspension that gave me about 1" lift up front 3 weeks ago. Getting minor vibe and rumble that developed after about two weeks of driving. To be fair, my truck is an 07 with 135k miles so that may have to do something with it too, idk. Thought I may get away without doing this, but no such luck. From reading around, most of the time you should be fine with a minor lift, but then again you never know. Now wish I ordered the bushing and had it put in when the suspension was installed. Wanted to save money, but now it will cost me more in the end.

 

Installed my ECGS bushing today, took a total of 2 hrs. Another satisfied customer, vibration is completely gone!

Removal tool is for sale as of now! PM me

 

Dang two hours? I can see it but certainly wish mine would have gone as smooth. Congrats!

 

....should mention had a lift and 2 people haha. I was pretty shocked it went as smooth as it did