Driveshaft center support/carrier wobble.

Hi there,

I'm new to this forum. I just bought a 2002 Tacoma SR5 TRD 4x4 with 180k miles. I had the vehicle inspected at a Toyota dealer before I bought it and it came back clean and with no problems. However, under my own inspection I have notice a few things. One among them is play in the driveshaft center support/carrier. I can move is around within the bushing (under a little force), is this a problem? It doesn't look excessively worn. While driving over bumps I hear a sound like coins rattling in a can coming from the back of the truck. Wen I write that it concerns me. The trucks runs and drives like a dream though, and I only hear this sound over bumps like potholes, large gravel, etc. I can't imagine the driveshaft is making the noise. I have looked around the vehicle, but haven't found anything making the noise.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

PS I have some other questions that I am posting in other topics/titles, so please check them out!

 

A bad carrier bearring sounds lik a bad wheel bearring. The only difference is it is hard to pinpoint what part of the vehicle the noise is coming from. You will swear its coming from the front and the next time you drive it, you will think it is coming from the rear.

The rubber bushing that the bearring sits in is very flexable, you should be able to see it move up and down as you push on it. If the rubber is torn, then you know its bad too.

 

Thank you for the reply.
To be honest, I don't know what a bad wheel bearing sounds like. This just sounds like a can of coins rattling. It seems like its from the rear driver's side and it is worst over bigger bumps. You could also say it sounds like chains rattling. I don't have any chains on or in the truck as far as I know.

 

That doesn't sound like the carrier bearring. Is there a chance you have bad baffles in the muffler?

Check to make sure the spare tire is cranked all the way up. It may become evident if you crawl around under there and start wggling things. Check to make sure the exhaust is not bumping against anything.

KO

 

Lay under the truck and have someone bounce it. Also shake the muffler and cat to see is the noise is an internal problem

 

This is just something to add about the loose change sound from the rear,
I had the same noise, it was the chain under the spare tire, it just hangs there and the right bump or "bounce" shakes it.
I haven't done anything about it yet, but though about putting a piece of like foam tubing around the chain, something like that.