CV axel angle/diff drop/weird sounds

Hello TacomaWorld, I need your expert help and guidance once again.

A little back story before I begin. A year ago this month I put the lift on my truck. 5100’s on the stock c-clip setting with Eibach lift coils. I have loved this lift since day one. Zero issues or complaints. All together I got a total of 2.25” of lift. After the lift was installed and everything settled all said and done the rear of my truck sit exactly one inch higher than the front. Didn’t bother me at all but as time went on I wanted the full 3”. So 2 and a half weeks ago I decided to go up that extra inch. I ordered the JBA UCA’s and adjusted the 5100’s to the second notch. Due to some repairs I needed to make on the truck not suspension related I didn’t actually drive the truck until about 2 days after everything was done. Got it aligned and everything was perfect. It was one inch higher in the front, so it matched the rear and it was the exact stance I wanted.

Now to my concerns:

After I started driving. I noticed that I felt a slight vibration/grinding feeling in the pedals. I’m pretty sure that was not there before so I assume it is related to that extra inch I went up? Second, the truck makes a very loud and concerning sound when I make sharp turns. Or even if I hit something like a curb when I pull into my driveway. Now I did post something about this a week ago and didn’t get many answers. I did instal sway bar relocation brackets so I know the sway bar isn’t hitting.

Lastly, I noticed when I was under there looking around, obviously from that extra inch of lift, that the CV’s were at more of an angle. I know that the boot can tear and lose grease and that is about a $20 fix but will the axel itself get damaged? Will there be damage to the joints? I just don’t want to be out on a trail and have some type of failure.

I added some pictures for you all to see. The last two pictures are of the curved plate on the lower ball joint. You can see where there are fresh bare metal marks where that is coming into contact with the other side. At first I thought this was causing the sound I keep hearing but I feel like it is coming from somewhere else and not that part.

Thanks again guys for the help. Hopefully I can figure this out sooner than later. I have a wheeling trip planned for next Saturday!!

 

Start by doing the ECGS bushing swap..that should relieve your vibes/grinding feeling under the pedals. ~$120 for bushing and bushing removal tool if nobody local has one- and a few hours of your time. If you’re worried about your boot, do that at the same time. Everything else, not sure. Drive it and troubleshoot, go from there. Good luck!

 

What exactly is the ECGS bushing swap?

 

On the drivers side of the front diff there is a needle bearing where the cv axle goes into the diff. Whenever it is exposed to the angles of a lift it start to go bad or something, causing the inboard cv axle segment to wobble and have play in them. The ECGS bushing replaces it with a solid bushing to get rid of the wobble play and the vibes/grinding.

Can easily be done, takes a few hours the first time. I'd say you are good for the big bear trip this coming weekend, after the trip start gettin'er'done

edit: also your cv axle angles are more than fine. There is nothing extreme about them and the fins appear to be hardly rubbing. I wouldn't worry too much about them. Compared to some people's angles on here, I'd say they are good for a long time.

 

Rereading your post, the part where a loud sound on turns is concerning to me. Last time I had something similar it was the wheel bearings. Can you describe the noise a bit more? I know it is difficult to record and even more difficult to describe in words, but we can try to figure it out. I also noticed your tire size in your description, can it be possible that it is tire rubbing? Usually in sharp turns the suspension compresses a bit. Mine rubs when turning and backing out of my driveway that goes downhill due to my tire size.

edit: looking at your cam bolts, it looks like whoever aligned it tried to minimize your caster as much as possible, do you remember your alignment specs? I see what looks like an aftermarket UCA so i'd imagine you have some positive caster built in but a bit more can help with tire rubbing (if that is what is causing the noise issue)

here's a video that I used for my own ecgs bushing install
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9W31KGy6k0&t=286s

 

Thanks for all the help! The sound is like metal on metal. Doesn’t sound like a tire rubbing. I for sure think it might be suspension related. I know that after I got the alignment done it felt way better. Ill look into the ECGS swap for sure.

 

alignment specs look good except for that caster, they tried to minimize it as much as possible which is fine but with your close to 32" tires I'd push a little closer to 3 degrees for your next alignment. Shouldn't be the issue with the metal clunking sound like you said.

Read your last thread about the noise and it seems like you got most of the basic stuff out of the way. Were you able to tighten the LCA bolts to spec? Everytime they leave them loose from the alignment shop guaranteed (on mine). Check the sway bar relocation brackets and sway bar mounts? Also check anything you might have loosened during installation. Maybe the caliper bolts, rigid brake line brackets, coilover top bolts even.

Have you noticed if the clunking sound is due to turning OR due to slowing down to turn? Last month there was a member that redid his whole front end only to find that it was his brake pads making a thunk sound. Stock configuration is only one brake pad spreader spring per rotor and they tend to lose their strength and cause the brake pads to slap the rotor like a thunk. @Barhopper <--found the guy. Link to thread is below. It is an inexpensive repair, new guide pins and two brake pad springs per side should run you less than $20 if you order online from rockauto or Amazon.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/clunk.602272/#post-20259215

 

I’ll check brakes tomorrow. I think it’s when I turn sharp. Not when slowing down at all. When I checked the LCA bolts they seemed tight. I didn’t want to wrench down on them too hard as to not throw the alignment out. I’ll check everything I touched. Maybe I should mount my GoPro down there and see if I can get a video of anything.

 

So the video that I took didn't get anything. Tires got in the way when turning. Still have not figured it out. I think I'm just going to take everything apart and put it all back together and see what happens.

Pretty annoying but I guess it is what it is.

 

What about 2wd vs 4wd driving? Does the noise change

 

I've only turned the 4wd on in a straight line to see if the vibration I feel in the pedals goes away. I haven't been on any dirt roads to test out making turns in 4wd. Maybe I'll try that this weekend.

 

I may have the same problem as you. I’m going to try removing the skid and sway bar once the rain subsides to see if that helps.

 

Any update?

 

Still haven’t had time yet.

I also am getting this metallic sound almost as if the coil is binding or turning every time I pull into a driveway.

 

I hear a similar sound from time to time also but mine sounds like its coming from the rear of my truck. Once the weather clears up I'm taking my truck apart and put it back together and see if that makes a difference.

 

having similar issues. Did you ever figure it out?

 

Whats happening with your truck?

I think it's the bump stop that's apart of the lower ball joint. I can't confirm that 100% since I can't see down there when I'm driving but that is the only thing that I can see when I look under there that has "fresh" scratch/rubbing marks.

As for the sound in the rear, that was just my leaf springs. Cleaned and greased them over the weekend and they squeak stopped. That is just a temporary solution until I can get some new friction pads or some rubber pieces to put in between the leafs.

I actually took my front wheels off over the weekend and loosened the shock bolts, sway bar bolts and a few others that I touched when I initially did the install. Re-torqued everything and put it all back together. Haven't heard any sounds since Saturday but I haven't really made any sharp turns either. Everything looks fine so time will tell I guess.