Hearing grinding or clicking noise in front wheels when rear tire slip

Hello All! I am a new truck owner. My name is Mike. I have never owned a truck before so I would like to pick your brains for knowledge. I have 2 issues I would like help or recommendations on what I should look for or how to resolve these issues.

1) I recently purchased a 2016 Tacoma SR5 in Nov. 2020. It has been driving good for most part but when I set the cruise control I noticed the shifting is not right. It will downshift when climbing a hill and when it gets to the top and the hill levels out, my transmission will not upshift for an extended time. I will usually put my foot on the peddle and go a little faster then it will upshift. What is up with that? I have heard many people say this was an issue on these trucks in certain year models.

2) We recently got a lot of snow here in Oklahoma. As far as I know my truck is 2 wd. Anyway, my rear tires lost traction and I heard a grinding noise on the front end when I accelerate. I thought that is not good. So, I pulled over and looked under the truck and saw I have half shafts coming out both sides of the transmission to the wheel hubs. I know it is not 4 wd. It could be limited slip, if the rear loses traction, the front will kick in? Is it all wheel drive? Im wondering could the shaft or hub splines be stripped out? I do have an ECT Power button. Im guessing that is to turn it on? I can read the owners manual for that info haha.

Any help or direction would be much appreciated. Thanks in Advance!!

 

Welcome
1- this is fairly normal. Every vehicle I've owned the past couple decades, tend to hold a lower gear, after a downshift uphill, I believe to prevent shifting break and forth.

2- this is normal, your rear end doesn't have a mechanical LSD, the ABS system is used to hold the slipping tire, thus transferring power to the opposite side,,, that usually has more traction; mimicking a LSD.
Are you saying you have half shafts up front? If so you have 4 wheel drive,, check for knob by start button. This system is actual 4 wheel drive, not AWD, do some reading in the manual and do some practice,,, BEFORE you need it.

 

See if the dealer has an available tsb that will help the transmission shifting per vin number. Most 3rd gens have this issue.

The “grinding” sound is the abs kicking in to keep your truck from being over corrected by the driver and it’s a safety thing.

If you have cv axles and a front diff along with two drivelines. Then you have 4wd.

ECT changes the shift points for more of a truck feel, Try it out you might like it.


Hope this helps, I’m in a hurry. Read your manual and hang out here. You will learn a lot.

 

If what you say is half shafts is a half shaft. You do have 4wd. Should see a knob next to your climate control.
Shifting weird with cruise is normal. if you think yours is bad, the 2.7 if even weirder since low power.
I think talking to someone who knows about trucks face to face would be best, since you have beginner knowledge. Want to make sure you get meat value out of your truck.

 

NorNev: Thanks for the info ! I will check that out. I did call Toyota today and have an appointment Saturday morning to have them inspect it. I will inquire about the shifting as well.

LoveableWerewolf: The truck doesn't say it is 4x4 but there is definitely half shafts on the front end. There is no 4 wheel drive knobs or anything like that. There is only a ECT Power push button.

I will read the manual about it.

 

I think your gonna have to post pictures of those half shafts. Could be a botched 4wd swap, but that very unlikely.

 

I can post pictures of it tomorrow. It is dark out there now. I just went out there and turned the key on to see the lights in the dash. It showed Tract off and Auto LSD or something like that. All the other lights are the normal lights. I pressed the ECT Power button and it lights up and a ECT Power light came on In the speed cluster.

 

As far as you know your truck is 2wd?? This is something you NEED to know. Being uninformed about items as expensive as a truck that you use everyday doesn't make a lot of sense.

The CV shafts (half shafts) do not come out of the transmission on a 4wd vehicle, they are part of the front axle. You would have a front differential assembly in a 4wd vehicle and the CV shafts run from that assembly to the wheel hubs. A 4wd truck has a transfer case attached to the rear of the transmission which then has driveshafts that go to the front and rear axles/differential assemblies.

In a 4wd the front doesn't "kick in" it's either being driven by the driveshafts or not. There is no AWD Tacoma.

How do you know the noise is from the front? Are you familiar with the sounds of ABS activating? You likely heard traction control actively braking rear tire spin. It's also possible that VSC could brake the front wheels if it was trying to correct a skid. Was this happening?

Take a picture of these "half shafts in a 2wd truck". It makes no sense. You really should understand the basic functions and features of your truck.