Carrier Bearing ?-UPDATE

2011 Off-Road. AT, Stock/no lift approx. 100k miles

I took my truck to a local shop that I have used in the past as I am experiencing "hum/rumbling" starting at about 20mph. There is a harmonic at about 35-45mph as well. I thought the problem was the rear bearing(s), but the shop said all was good with the rear end including the bearings. He believed it is the carrier bearing, but said that I should go to the dealer for this repair.
Personally, in 50+ years of driving I have never had an issue with a carrier bearing (I actually had to look up what it was). I do grease the shaft every 5k as per the manual.

So, I am looking for advice regarding this.

Thanks

 

If you’re asking if it’s possible the center support bearing is shot then, yes. Easy fix no need for a dealer.
Id imagine there’s plenty of driveshaft shops in NH. They should be able to replace everything and have you back on the road within a day.

 

^Yeah, this. The one on my stock 2012 was shot at about 90k miles. There is a staked nut that is not supposed to be reused, and it's typically a dealer part (it's just a few dollars though). But, a driveshaft shop should have them and probably does this kind of stuff all the time.

 

Drive a Tacoma for any significant length of time and you'll probably replace a carrier bearing along the way. I second a drive line shop recommendation, I did mine myself and it wasn't real hard but I had access to a shop with the correct tools. I'd hesitate to do the job in the driveway since I needed to use a press to separate the 2 driveshaft halves. There's some key points to working with the driveshaft and I'd probably just pay a drive line shop next time. Replace the u joints while it's apart, it's very little extra work and it makes sense to do both together rather then pay to take the same thing apart down the road for U Joint work replacement.

 

Thank god I changed my u joints. Kind of unreal how nicely the clutch seems to engage, now.

 

My IEDLS poly bearing is shot after about a year.

I have a mitchmadeinc billet ready to go in.
I was gonna take the shaft off and drop it off at a driveshaft shop to be put on and have them grease the zerks and check balance while at it.

That might be cheaper than getting the biggest press from HFT.

and I don’t know if separating the shaft to put the bearing would unbalance it.

I need to research position. I have it in the stock position.
But I saw a Tacoma where it was flipped. Guy said if you flip it, which he did, that it gives better clearance.
Which would be the time to do it.

Ie switching both halves of the shaft around. Guy also said this solves his vibes.

 

Thanks for the suggestions about a driveline shop. I never even knew about that type of shop which specializes in those repairs. I called a local shop. They said they do replacements for Tacomas "all the time". I have an appt. for next week.

This forum is great!

 

Just to square the circle: I took the truck to the driveline shop. They said it was not the carrier bearing, but the passenger side wheel bearing which caused the noise over the driveline. They do not do bearing repair. It took the truck to a local tranny/4wd shop that I have used in the past. They confirmed the wheel bearing problem and I had them do both sides + rear drums/shoes. The total cost for all the work was $ 1,850. There is a 3 year/50k mile warranty on the bearing work. Bearings & related parts are not OEM. Brakes are NAPA. There was no additional labor cost for the brakes as they had to be dismantled anyway for the bearing repair. They also greased the zerk fittings on the driveshaft as the guy said "nobody ever does it". It told him that I do, at every oil change.

I have had the truck out on the road and the repair fixed the rumble/hum, so the job was successful.

 

Glad you got it sorted!

 

The OE carrier bearings, in all vehicles that I've dealt with, including the Tacoma, have a very soft rubber surround to suppress vibration; this means that the rubber doesn't last very long until it's banging around. I changed my floppy one out sometime around 120K, I have pics here, I used the Spicer just like OE- but bought elsewhere, and pumped silicone into the rubber surround. It does have a VERY tiny vibration somewhere around 2000 RPM in 5th when driving from the added stiffness, but it's barely noticeable and only lasts for a few hundred RPM- doesn't bother me at all; no one else driving would notice it. I'm at about 198K now.