Drive Shaft Vibrations Solved Step-by-Step

I have read through multiple different posts but am still unclear about the problem with my truck!

I have a DC 2wd with a 6 inch lift. I am experiencing a vibration at low speeds (1-10 mph) when accelerating and decelerating. I have seen similar problems by people posted here but they seem to be more popular among the 4x4 owners. Do I need just a shim for the rear driveshaft? The vibration is really getting old and I cannot stand it any longer I just really want to get it fixed.

I apologize if this is just another run of the mill question by a guy that failed to read every post but I have tried to determine my problem.

 

just wanted to bump this thread... just bought my taco... as stated above... not a fan of the driveline vibes.

 

Under 10mph vibe makes me lean toward the carrier bearing bushing being worn out, but we need your all your driveline angles to really be able to point you in the right direction. To do that you are best off picking up a digital angle finder like the ones shown in this thread, they are about $35 on Amazon, but you can't put a price on your sanity. I know the thread is a long read but it has really good instructions on how to do this. Pm or post here if you need more help figuring out how to measure these.

 

To the best of my knowledge, nothing has changed in 2014.

See my above post. If you get us angles, we can help

 

if i get some time this weekend ill stop by harbor freight and grab an angle finder and see what i find.

Just spoke to a coworker who has a newer 13 DBSB TRD sport v6 auto 4x2 and he has the same 15-25mph driveline vibration.

 

Thank you for the quick response ill jump on that first chance I get!!

 

Sub'd.

 

First off I want to thank everyone who has spent so much of their time and effort into researching this issue. A little back ground on my situation...

I have an 06 Tacoma Double Cab 4x4 short bed. I bought the truck new and I immediately installed BFG A/T's. I put 40,000 miles on these tires and I never felt any driveline vibes or had any rattles At around 65,000 miles I installed an OME lift with 885 coils and add-a-leaf to the existing leafs (no leaf TSB done) with front and rear OME shocks. Also, after market UCA's for alignment which is perfect. I also installed the OME 10mm CB drop kit and just bolted it on and never check alignment. I do not have a winch bumper. After the lift the truck was definitely stiffer, but still didn't have any serious vibes that caught my attention. Well fast forward am I now at 99,000 miles and all of the sudden I start feeling this vibration in the floor board at my feet, steering column and center console. If I just barely apply the gas while driving at pretty much any speed (especially while going uphill) the vibration increase enough to cause a rattling sound that my mechanic who drove the truck referred to as the heat shield hitting the frame. If I drive for like 20 mins my left foot will start to feel numb from the floor board vibes. I will say that recently I noticed the rear leaf springs starting to sag because I feel like the front is sitting maybe .5-1 inches higher then the rear. I've even contemplated on switching to the 884 coils since I never got around to buying a winch bumper. So I let my mechanic take a look and he rode with me and also drove the car. Afterwords he gets under the truck and after about 1 minute comes back and says the center bearing is worn out and needs to be replaced. This mechanic has around 15 years experience working for land rover and he is a family friend and has nothing to gain from this transaction because I usually buy the parts and he comes and helps me out while we drink beer. However, I'm reluctant to think its that easy to diagnose and fix.

I read through this entire thread and afterwords I am still confused on what we should be aligning the rear pinion flange too... (T-case flange, 1st or 2nd drive shaft). Also, I wanted to point out that if you look at the Spicer instructions linked above page 14, fig#9 you will see that they recommend the angle for the first drive shaft to not be more than 1.5 degrees (what am I missing here). I haven't seen anybody's tacoma on here with that shallow of a first drive shaft angle.

Anyways, I took some measurements and this is what I have found. I zeroed on t-case flange and 1st D/S was 7.1 and 2nd D/S was 5.0. I did not record the rear pinion flange at the time b/c I wasn't sure where to take the measurement from. I went back and removed the C/B drop down kit and again zero'd on t-case flange, then new measurements were 1st D/S 6.2, 2nd D/S 6.3, rear pinion flange 3.2 up. If I zero on the rear drive shaft and remeasure the rear pinion flange I get -3.1, which I believe only really confirms that my above D/S measurements were correct. After removing C/B drop kit my vibes did not change at all. Based on what i've posted below I think I will now try and use axel shims to get my rear pinion angle to around 0 degrees and also replace my CB with a new one.

What are your thoughts based on the fact I never had this issue until 6 years later? I don't feel any movement in the 3 ujoints. Has anybody ever had a C/B fail?

EDIT... I just found this in another related thread written by a member name Badger. This seems to sum up all the different setups everyone has tried and why they worked:

Here are the three possibilies:
1. (my preferred method and Toyota's method) Align the TC output shaft andpinion shaft to be parallel. On most trucks with well designed lifts they willalready be correct. Then drop the CB a small amount until the two driveshaftsalmost form a straight line (less that 1 degree). This geometry puts the 1stand 3rd joints canceling. Joint 2 is (near) zero. Side effects > none.

2. (Beefy CB drop) Align the TC output shaft and pinion shaft to be parallel.On most trucks with well designed lifts they will already be correct. Then dropthe CB until the rear shaft forms a (near)zero operating angle with the pinionshaft. This geometry puts the 1st and 2nd joints canceling. Joint 3 is (near)zero. Side effects: greater operating angle at the TC joint will cause fasterwear and may limit high speed operation. DL clearance is reduced.

3. (Spicer diagram) Raise the CB until the first shaft forms a near zerooperating angle with the TC output. Adjust the pinion angle to be parallel withthe first shaft. This geometry puts joints 2 and 3 canceling. Joint 1 is (near)zero. Side effect: Driveline clearance will be increased. A custom crossmemberwill be required to relocate the CB. Operating angles at Joints 2 and 3 will beincreased causing accelerated wear and possible high speed limitations. Thismethod is commonly used in trucks with long shafts and little lift where theangles are not a concern. Most sommercial trucks are set up thiis way.

Note 1: Joints should never run at a dead zero operating angle. That'swhy I keep saying "near zero". A joint that operates at zero will notrotate on it's needle bearings and will wear in one spot on each post/cap. Thebearing must operate at a slight angle to move lubricant and to wear evenlyaround the post/cap. Joints can, and should run at a zerorelative angle when parallel axis areestablished.

Note 2: Toyota did not make any mistakes in the design of this driveshaft system. They chose option one for the same reason I chose it. They used a2 piece shaft to eliminate critical speed instability, and they designed it forthe least side effects. My only complaint, or perhaps question, is why theyused such a wimpy carrier bearing. I don't know. I think some of the issuesstem from that, and I plan to change that on my truck eventually. For mildlifts of 3" or less the geometry can pretty easliy be returned to optimumby understanding the reasoning behind the geometry.

I think that's about all there is to say on the subject.

 

i think my CB bearings is bad as well. I have an 06 DCSB with 3" lift with 95000 miles and here is why i think its the CB. I only have the vibes on warmer days or after a long drive on cold days. So i think the rubber is stiffer when it cold thus no vibes.I tried CB drop all the way down to about 1.5" and still couldn't change the vibe prob.Now with the recent cold weather its hardly there at all.I think this summer i will take it to a driveline shop and have them do a custom drive shaft.

 

I have had this problem on my 2007. Have had to replace every universal joint in the drive shaft. Fixes the problem right up!

 

You may be on to something about the temperature. It's cold here and it definitely seems to get worse towards the end of my 25 min commute from work.

I checked the all 3 u-joints. I can't find any lateral play in them. Anything else I can do to check the ujoints?

 

2 of mine when taking apart had no play either but I went ahead and replaced and come to find out once the u-joints were out, they basically just fell apart in my hand

 

"Note 2: Toyota did not make any mistakes in the design of this driveshaft system."

Yeah right, that's why there are thousands if not more of these trucks with a shuddering problem. The factory repurchased my 2013, admitting there was a design flaw they had no resolution for at this time.

 

Wa-hell! First, I can't believe this thread is still alive. As a recent previous post stated, yes, tons of credit goes to Badger, one of the original Vibe Guru's (I mean that as a compliment) on this forum and a serious nice guy. I picked up the flag when Badger got tired of the BS, and then when Osugoose came along with excellent analytical skills, I stepped out and handed the flag to him. Sucks that we have to deal with this stuff, but great that there are still good sam's around willing to lend a hand. THANK YOU TO ALL CONTRIBUTORS !!!!

Second..... 69 Jim, I would like to know more about your repurchase experience. My father in Oregon just traded in his 2005 access cab for a 2014 DCSB because of child seat safety issues, with basically NO help from Toyota. I don't want to hijack this thread off very specifically driveline vibes, but....... I know vibes are a b*tch on these trucks for many many many owners. Do you have Toyota response insight you could share?

 

Certainly. I actually live in Washington state, the factory area rep is based out of Portland Or. They weren't willing to do anything at the corporate level regarding the shuddering problem until the threat of a mediation hearing was presented to them. My state Attorney General's office was a huge help with Lemon Law proceedings, all at no charge. I was told that if Toyota was to lose a Lemon Law Case do to "Non Conformity" issues over the shuddering problems, it could lead the way to mass returns, so they chose to privately repurchase the vehicle, hopefully under the radar. I'm not willing to let that happen if I can help it, they are shipping out an inferior product and we work hard for our money and don't deserve to be treated like that. What a letdown after being a Toyota fan for all of my driving life.
Initially Toyota responded to my inquiry with a bunch of generic bs that seemed to be written at the 8th grade level, and stating there was no issue to be concerned with, so go away.
The state office then sent me a six page form that was very simple to fill out and Toyota had 40 days to respond, in which they did in 47-lol. A mediation hearing was scheduled for three weeks away and I was ready to plead my case, then I received a registered letter stating they would be willing to repurchase the vehicle. I agreed to look at the terms and after they were faxed to me I saw they were about three thousand dollars short so they did correct it, but it seemed like they were acting like a typical sales team and cutting corners, yet it didn't work.
The state Attorney General's office is such a great asset for it's residents, I couldn't be more pleased with their help. They are the best avenue to take in this situation in my opinion, they get it done. Good luck and let us know your progress and hopefully you will have good results...

 

from WDmorgan1 posting previous page....


"My only complaint, or perhaps question, is why they used such a wimpy carrier bearing."


Totally agree on this one, especially when under heavy stress like towing...if you have ever seen a vid of even a new bearing flex under load you would be saying OMG for sure, add into the mix a bearing with thousands of miles, it ain't pretty...


I improved the center support bearing by removing it, injecting it with 100% sillycon caulk (not too much, about 6 squirts per hole, there are three)from a regular caulk gun...let it dry for two days, reassemble and enjoy the smooth...


Fixing the axle wrap is another area of Taco concern, leave that for another thread...


My Taco went from 'I want to take it to the junk yard' to 'Is this what a new truck should feel like', hands down the easiest 'fix' I have come across for vibes....of course there are other concerns if you have a lift, might have to do a bearing drop or shim the rear housing to compensate, again, all good information to test when figuring out your individual problem....

 

TscotR214, just happy to help. You and Badger feel free to chime in at any time.

69 Jim, I'm glad that the State DA helped crusade your case. I keep hoping for even just an "effective" TSB on this but sadly, even after a 10 year vehicle run... no.

I still remember when the service manager came to me and said "I'll be honest with you, when you talk about pinion angle, that will be over almost all of my guys' heads." I had a feeling it was over his head too, and he didn't have any desire to figure it out.

I'm gled this worked for you, I have read on many different forums for many different makes and models with mixed results that are not model dependent. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, good to hear theres a chance it could work in Tacomas.

Not to be arguementative, just to make sure the new readers don't miss something in this thread, but we do address axle wrap to an extent in this thread. Driveline components make up a system, and when you have a vibration, that is a system failure. Our carrier bearing may have been fine, were it not for the axle wrap and the factory angles of the driveline. What we have is a driveline system failure, so to solve it, we have to look at all the components/factors in the system.

Lastly, does anyone from the hilux world know if they see these problems? I'd imagine the spicer subcontract for preassembled driveshafts is for North American Vehicles only. I know that the hilux doesn't have the same cab/bed/drive variations we do. However, I wonder if the part numbers on the carrier bearings and rear leafs are the same, and what their design driveshaft angles are, and if they have had similar problems with vibrations. I'd even be willing to ship a digital angle gauge to someone to measure a couple and find out.

 

Does anybody know the Spicer part number for the (3) OME u joints on the rear drive shaft for the 06 Tacoma Double Cab 4x4?

Here is a link that I found in another thread that states these are the OME replacement spicer U-joint, but I need to make sure before I order them. My truck u joints have the zerk fittings in a different place then the ones I linked to. My rear drive shaft (3 u joints) have the zerk fitting on the side installed in the bearing caps. The front drive shaft (2 u joints) have the zerk fitting in the middle of the u joint.

Does anybody know if the front and rear u joints are the same u joint? And if so, why the zerk fitting is in different locations on different u joints?

http://www.northerndrivetrain.com/product/SPI-5-213X.html


Also, buying them from the dealer is not an option. I've heard the dealer is selling them for arount $75 a piece. I plan to buy them through a supplier for hopefully around $25-30 per and replace them myself.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Update: I found a link to the spicer u joint catalog http://www2.dana.com/pdf/K350-1-DSSP.pdf (p.555) and it shows front D/S u joints # 5002322 and rear D/S u joints # 5001919. I searched could not find these available so I went to Spicers home page http://www2.dana.com/expertforms/departid.aspx?part=5-1330-1X and found that these parts have became obsolete and have been replaced by Front (5-1310X) and rear (5-1330-1X).

Here is the link to where you can buy the OME for $23 per: http://www.drivetrainamerica.com/p-...iveshaft-u-joint-1330-grease-zerk-in-cap.aspx The page also list the other obsolete part # that I have listed above which makes me even more certain this is the correct replacement.

 

Initially I test drove a different TRD that had the shuddering issue. I tried two other ones that didn't have the issue. Not knowing this was a common problem/flaw, I thought there was just some kind of odd issue with the first model. I purchased a SR5 and everything was well in the world, for 50 miles. Then it showed up, felt like someone peed in my Cheerios. The dealership had no clue so I took it to a drive line specialist. He put it on a special rack to see what was happening, and according to what was seen, there was major axle wrap. His statement was no wonder the inferior c/b only lasted 50 miles. This wasn't his first rodeo, and said he could easily rectify the issue with a custom one piece driveshaft. I mentioned it could cause warranty issues, be he laughingly replied, "Those morons at the local dealership wouldn't have a clue", lmao, I believe him.

I just wasn't too impressed with the effort of the engineering staff at actually helping. After the four components of the TSB were unsuccessfully replaced, they called and asked if I could let them try one more idea they had, it would only take 15 minutes to do and I could be on my way. What they tried was changing the pinion angle with shims the factory sent them. I asked if it helped, and they said "The shims wouldn't fit due to the centering pins on the differential". You would think that an engineer would be looking at the drawings to see what would work before the parts were sent. I no longer wanted to own a "new" vehicle that every clown they could find pried, hammered and bent whatever they could do to get rid of me. I purchased new, not f*ucked up, cross-threaded, re-threaded and stripped...

 

Ok first holy thread revival on my part.

I have a 10 dcsb pre runner maxtrax spindle lift and 5100's set a 1.75. Have a rear 1.5 in block and 2 in aal. Shakes like crazy minor vibe at 0-10. More pronounced at 20-30. Holy hell at 50-65. Smooth as glass at 70 minus a slight floorboard vib. 50-65 steering wheel shaking.

Here's what I've done.

4 sets of tires 1 set of wheels, u joint at cb replaced. Cb replaced. Torqued Ubolts down to 100 ft lbs still there. Cb drop at 1/4" and 3/8" still no help. Had everything checked and checked and re checked no one can find this issue. Tie rods, ball joints, steering rack. The whole 9 has been went through. Got a free 1" ds spacer to push the slip yoke back into its original factory position nothing. Wheels are 106.2 hub bore. Tires are 285/75/16. I don't know what else to do at the point. And it's to the point I won't let anyone ride with me because I am afraid it is going break. What else is there