Tales of the ECGS Bushing

I will do this tomorrow morning. I’ll take a video to show how much play it has to see if it’s a normal amount. I’ve read that it’s normal for it to have some play but I’m not sure what abnormal

 

To much play or slop cause the cv axle to move even 15/100th is alot of motion...

 

Super late to the party, but I’m glad you got it fixed.

It’s annoying when techs are unfamiliar with something so easy to fix, but remember, they aren’t all Toyota experts. Shoot, even a majority from the dealership don’t know all the cool aftermarket tips and tricks!

That being said, I had the exact same experience lol. Got fed up, went to an actual off road shop and they knew what it was right away. Did my ECGS last week and it’s been smooth as butter since!

 

WOW ! been chasing this problem for a year several shop appointments & dollars , no one knew or had a clue & actually thought I had a screw lose . So thankful for Tacoma World & helpful members . Not sure what this is going to cost & don't care just have to find a guy who is qualified & done these before. I'm an old timer & disabled so I have to get the wallet out or would love to tackle this myself. Another member suggested a shop I'll check out a couple hours from Spokane. Thanks all of you again ..Jerry

 

Just did the ECGS bushing in my stock, unlifted 2018 Tacoma with 41,000 miles on it. A couple things…My truck started having this annoying vibration in the steering wheel and a howl that would start around 35mph and get louder as the speed increased. On the highway, it was so loud that after I stopped the truck and then got back in I’d find that I’d unknowingly turned the radio up so loud that it would scare the hell out of me when I turned the ignition switch on.This started at right around 38,000 miles. Switching into 4wd DID NOT make it subside. Since that’s generally the tell tale sign that the needle bearing’s the problem, I tried some other things first. I replaced the wheel bearings…no help (Mine showed no obvious signs of failure,play in the wheels, grinding noises etc, but I happened to have a set that I’d gotten for free so it was a no brainer as, believe it or not, replacing wheel bearings on these trucks is surprisingly easy.) Next I replaced my intermediate shaft in the steering column. This was a complete shot in the dark but it was another cheap and easy operation. This did eliminate a rattle I had but not the issue with the vibration I was tracking. I rotated the tires………no help. I plugged the 3 holes in the lower control arms per the service bulletin…no help. Now it was down to the drive shaft, the differential or the needle bearing. The needle bearing was obviously the smartest next move. I removed it, put in the ECGS bushing aaaaaaaand…FIXED! No more vibration, no more howl. A note I wanted to make on replacing the needle bearing: You do not have to remove any ball joints. The only castle nut and cotter pin you have to remove is the 35mm in the center of the wheel hub. Loosen that nut…back it all the way so it’s flush with the end of the threads and hammer the shaft towards the differential. This will free the axle from the hub. Now, remove the two 19mm bolts on the under side of the control arm right at the hub. That’s all! You can now swing the whole shebang to the left and out of the way. Now you can work on removing the axle from the carrier. This is MUCH easier than trying to separate ball joints and tearing the boots while doing so with a separator shim. Hopefully this helps someone else like me who has a Tacoma with no lift, low miles and a vibration and howl that DOESNT stop when shifting into 4wd.