Has Toyota fixed the needle bearing issues on 2021 Toyota Tacomas

Havent heard of any changes but for 2022 the Trd Pro has now been increased to 1 1/2" of front lift so if Toyota is aware of the problem they may have addressed it on 2022 models

 

If you notice I said (for what it's worth). As far as, disagreeing with ECGS, I'd suggest you take that up with them.

 

Is the issue just with the bearings? Toyota doesn't make the bearings, they buy them. Are they getting from different companies with differing quality?

 

I wonder how Toyota address this issue with the TRD lift kit. Are they just going back to the TSB and replacing the needle bearing? I get that it really isn't a problem with a stock truck, but adding a lift can make life a little shaky.

 

My 21 OR had the vibes immediately after the TRD lift. I bought the ECGS bushing and my dealership installed it for free. No issues since.

 

2" lift, no issue here. I believe it gets worse the higher you lift.

 

My daughters 2022 4Runner has been down for 3 weeks waiting to have a new front diff. Finally came int his week but because of Covid they are short handed. I made reference to this earlier in this forum instead of the 4Runner forum. Shame it is a known problem for years and not repaired. Toyota went with a new front diff versus changing out the bearings on left side. I dealt with this on 2005 Tacoma dblcab 4wd. I tried to talk her out of buying 17 year old tech but it was her decision.

 

Its the size of the bearing they use, not the quality of the bearing. The ECGS replacement is marginally larger and isn't even a bearing as much as it's a sleeve.

 

Ahhhh. Thanks. Like hearing about improvements.

 

I agree, why would toyota continue to sell a truck if a known problem like that. The last thing they want is warranty claims, or bad pr.
Last i knew they are offering a 2'' factory lift with a 3 year warranty.

 

Exactly

 

Another 21 here, got the vibrations within 100 miles after lift.

 

Any of you guys experiencing the vibrations on a factory lift? Pro, TRD lift? Just curious if these are prone to vibrate. How much is the ‘21 pro lifted from the factory?

 

I was told something similar from a local 4x4 shop when inquiring about having 5.29's installed. The clamshell still has the needle bearing, but the carrier is designed differently eliminating the play in the gears and bearings. He said that this re-design of the carrier only applies to 2023's and the 2024's he has recently worked on

Here is his response:
"The issue was that the side gears had play in them 2022 down causing needle bearing to have tension. Now that the side gear has no play and side gear fits snug in the carrier journal,the needle bearing doesn't have the load on it like before. We do so many Toyotas and have found out that the carrier was designed differently than previous years. We can still put the bushing in if you'd like to. Just giving you info that may be helpful to you. Al,Sr."

 

It would be nice to see some photos or videos of that guy’s findings. Toyota still shows the same carrier used from ‘16-‘23 and I believe it’s loaded with the spider gears and should have the needle bearing in it as well. I’d be surprised if they changed anything, but I guess it’s possible.

 

He did actually send me a video of the pre 23's, but this forum won't allow me to upload an MP4 file

 

Yeah I’ve seen the pre 23, it would be interesting to see a 23 that is supposedly fixed. Maybe they just started machining the spider gear clearance more accurately. I don’t know. I would think that would warrant a part number change though.

 

Either way, I'm still going to change it out for the bushing. One thing I would be curious about though is, if I order assembled units from ECGS, and the carrier is slightly different on the 23's+, will I get and older clamshell that has the looser tolerances. Paying a shop to re-gear my truck is in the neigborhood of 3k, whereas buying the assembled units from ECGS is about $1800

 

I just sent an email to ECGS to see if they can confirm this change

 

Do you have to have the vehicle available? If not, ECGS will let you mail in your own diff and they’ll prioritize it for turnaround. Still not ideal being down for a week or two but would guarantee you keep your stuff. I had mine regeared, considered ECGS but wanted to choose my own parts.