Clunking noise when reversing and then shifting to drive

I've had this clinking noise happen a few different times but it did it again yesterday and I had to finally ask about it.

 

Do you come to a full stop before you shift into drive or are you still cruising backwards?

 

I come to a full stop.

 

Back in the day - way back in the day I drove dump trucks for the county -

An old-geezer would ride along and taught me how to shift without using the clutch.

We'd take it up to some ( long-forgotten ) RPM and then I'd back off the accelerator, and we'd listen real careful for the
engine to 'purr like a kitten'..... Now he'd say....

Apparently the engine was just sittin there waiting for the gear change and you could slip it up or down into gear without
using the clutch. Some of you may know this already, I didn't at the time.

I do the same with the truck - automatic mind you - but the principle is the same.
Reverse to wherever, stop, listen real careful and you can hear the engine calm down and 'purrrrr' like a kitten.
Only then will I slip it into drive. Old geeezer swears this method will add a lot of life to the transmission.

Coming to a complete stop is of course good, but see if you can hear the 'purrrrr' before slipping into drive.


My kids slap their cars into drive while the damn things are still in motion - just eats me alive when they do that.

Of course I could be completely out of what's left of my mind too.

 

if you're backing up at such a speed that the engine needs to calm back down afterwards that's probably part of the reason there's an issue.

 

What year is your Tacoma? Most likely suspect are driveline u joints. I would check them to make sure there's not a lot of play/slop.

 

It could be pad slap.
There is slight movement of the pads in the calipers.
When you reverse and stop, the pads are shifted to the front of the calipers.
With your foot on the brake, and shifting to park, the pads will move backwards “rotate” just a fraction until the get rear of the calipers.

I chased this same issue when I first got my truck.
Finally figured it out.

Other than that, I’d have to agree with others. Check the driveshaft joints for wear.

 

Back in 2016 shortly after I bought my truck it would do the same thing. With the engine cold I would back 50 feet out to the street and shift into drive. There would be a delayed shift into drive with a slight slam. A Toyota Service Bulletin told the dealer how to apply a fix.

 

So, I had the same thing. Started off small, noticed it when it got worse, then a vibration started. Check the rearmost ujoint. The needle bearing in mine had failed.

 

2019 TRD OR

 

Did the vibration start when you were reversing? How expensive and difficult was the fix?

 

i’ve had a clacking noise not clunking, clacking being more of a high pitched sound rather than a clunk where it’s low pitched and you can feel the truck clunk. I only heard it when going from reverse to drive and turning into a parking spot in reverse. It ended up being the front brakes.. probably had the grease that’s not the back of the pad on the shim washed out or was never put on from factory. I just took the pads out, cleaned the pins and back of pad with the shim and applied grease ONLY to the back of the pad! Fixed the problem and i completely forgot about it until i came across this post.

 

Check your motor and transmission mounts too.