3rd Gen Poll: Rear End Noise howling when feathering throttle

If it makes anyone feel better Toyota asked for my rear diff to be sent back for inspection. So fingers crossed but it could also be just standard inspection.

 

They did the same when my diff was replaced. They probably inspect/overhaul and put them back in to service.

 

When Toyota corporate officially states via TSB that it's just harmonics, and then individual dealers start sending diffs in for inspections, no, that doesn't make me feel better lol

 

This sounds reasonable. I’m pretty sure that @nDub got my old one last time.

 

haha. So those were your initials written on the inside!

 

I had to leave my mark somewhere brother! Hope you and yours are doing well!

 

Sounds about right, lol. Toyota's handling of the rear diff issue captured in musical form:

 

Any Benny Hill reference gets an upvote from me! haha

 

Good luck to you but most all of us had the noise come back. Please keep us posted.

 

Is the noise still in the same speed range though? 50-60?

 

Ugh, sorry to hear about that man. A constant whirring at all speeds is absolutely not normal. Sounds like a bad install job, or a bad replacement diff.

Let us know what the dealer finds!

 

Watched a few videos on YouTube today and it made me miss my Tacoma... Thought I would check this thread to see the progress, sad that there hasn't been a solid resolution yet. While I love my 4runner, I do miss aspects of the Tacoma.

If it makes you guys feel any better, it is not all roses over on this side of the Toyota family. The brakes on my '18 off-road are very squishy to the point that I am not sure how they bleed them as they always feel soft. It seems to stop fine though whether in a normal condition or emergency stop, but it is just not a confident feel. Also, at a light, I can use a little more force and the pedal will hit the floor. So far two dealers have looked at it and both say it is normal. And then add in that the techs in this area could screw up a free lunch. First oil change they royally screwed up. I had already changed it with Amsoil and repeatedly told the advisor not to touch the oil. They changed it, stripped my skid plate bolts and my new metal housing for the filter was leaking. ugh...

 

Time to find a new dealer

 

This is the second dealer in my area to have the oil issue. Another did the same to my brothers 4runner. Hard to find good places anymore, but luckily I thinking we'll be leaving this area soon.

 

Guess I'm lucky in the South St. Louis area to have a dealership full of top notch techs who actually know their stuff (even got a fist bump on the adm I did to my M/T)

 

Had the noise checked out at 3.5K and they said it was normal, had a 5K service today at a different dealer they also said it was normal.. as long as it's documented right? I'm just gonna enjoy it and lift it this year with noisier tires.

 

So if I am reading the replies correctly, they are still thinking it is the rear end and not possible tcase or tranny issue? I would think the 4runner off-road diff is the same, but I could be wrong. Almost 11k on my 4runner and no issues. *knock on wood* Miss the Tacoma, but not sure I want to takes chances on another rear-end issue.

 

Everyone thinks its the diff. It's not the diff. It's the way the diff is integrated into the truck... the leaf springs Toyota is using, axle tubes, axle shafts, bushings, frame design, cab mounts, rear cab wall. All of these things combined are what's transferring and amplifying the otherwise normal vibration/noise from the diff into the cab.

That's what Toyota is saying in their TSB. It's also a known phenomenon in certain truck designs...

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0954407011401302

 

I took my tacoma to the dealer for this and they said they couldnt hear it.