Needle Bearing Failure With Lift (How Many)

Will take it!

 

SOLD

 

Just consider the bushing as part of your lift, why leave that crappy needle bearing in anyway. It's too cheap not to do it.

 

5100s, 888s, Dakar leafs in rear, 3" total and vibes happened immediately after the lift. Don't really notice them when accelerating, but slowing down they happen under 25 mph. Already have the bushing, just need to buy the tool.

 

Diff drop is useless on a third gen unless youre going 4" or more up, however, that does sound like the needle bearing issue. My symptoms were exactly the same as yours before I had my ECGS bushing installed and I can tell you that the ECGS bushing clears up just about all the vibes. If anything will have to happen to the driveshaft, you might need to shim the rear axle clockwise so that the third member housing is pointed more directly towards the transmission. With a two piece driveshaft like ours, we have to make sure that the output angle at the first u-joint and input angle at the other u joint are both: 1) The same within 1-1.5*, and 2) not more than 4* for either angle. Ideally both would be 3*, with the transmission being 3* down and the diff housing being 3* up. If any of those angles are off then thats when people get vibes. Just get an angle finder, take the angle of the transmission to ground for baseline, then take the angle at the first U joint. Subtract the first angle from the u joint one, thats your effective output angle. Now measure the angle of the diff housing by putting the angle finder on a flat part that faces the front wheels, and then take the angle at the last u joint. Subtract the angle at the housing from the angle at the U joint again, and now you have your output/input angles effective on each U joint. Depending on what you find youll know exactly how big of a shim you will need and where it has to go.

Thats actually not entirely true smitty. 1) I now have a lift and no vibes but it took both the ECGS bushing fix AND the fix I am describing above, 2) when I pulled my needle bearing out it was fine, completely within spec, not destroyed, not even showing any signs of wear. I wish I had a picture but I didnt take one and im pretty sure they just kept it but the point is the needle bearing doesnt have to be destroyed to create gaps in tolerance because its flexible which is the issue. It doesnt have a solid metal wall anywhere except the rings around the outside, so one would imagine that it would be allowed quite a bit of play trying to balance the cv at high speed.

 

if you bring them the ECGS bearing puller and bearing driver sets they will look much more favorably on you as well. It requires complete removal of the diff otherwise and is a PITA and very much more expensive than just ordering the 200$ tools. I got quoted 1200 to pull it so for me it was a no brainer. Oh and I paid like 250 out the door when I brought the tools and asked if they could do it without pulling the whole diff and they agreed after I explained it to them.

 

I think I have this issue or the rear diff issue. I don't have a lift. But a lot of weight up front. Bumper, winch. 205lbs. Just added the Northstar battery. Which is 75lbs. I drove off and immediately felt a shimmy/ vibration at 50-70. Not in the steering wheel. Floor and in the seat. Can see the rear view mirror vibrating.
Think of replacing battery back to factor and c if the vibration goes away?

 

What specifically isn't true? The needle bearing isn't destroyed?

 

That its impossible to kill the vibes after a lift! It just takes an angle finder and some axle shims and patience And also that the needle bearing does not have to be destroyed to produce vibrations, that its inherent design allows it to flex during normal operation which results in a slipping and catching sort of vibration as the axle moves back and forth in the bearing race.

 

Didnt realize i said it was impossible to fix vibes after a lift. Probably talking about difference sources of vibration.

 

If vibes are caused from needle bearing yes.

 

What is the part number for the bushing? And should the passenger side be done as well at the same time? Also will it hurt anything if driven without getting it fixed?

 

With the commonality of the failures, I wonder why Toyota even kept the needle bearing all these years. I'm half tempted to replace it even though I'm not lifted, just to avoid future headaches.

 

T8 clamshell bushing on ecgs website

 

Lol you'll love this... The passenger side already HAS a clamshell style bushing like ECGS produces for the drivers side. You tell me why the needle bearing was there to begin with, I think it's to sell CV axles though.
EDIT: Call it the Toyota 'lift tax' lol

 

Haha. That's funny.

 

Sub'd

 

lifted mine 1 1/5" and it started vibrating immediately. lowered it back to stock and the vibration never went away unless I click into four-wheel-drive it'll go away and it's smooth as glass and then if I take it out of four-wheel-drive it maybe will run smooth for a while. I recommend the bushing to everyone stock or lifted