Noises with poll

Poll is to see how many different trims are displaying rear diff howl symptoms. This is because the TSB is specific to the off-road and pro model with certain configurations.




My truck is a 2017 Double cab short bed 4wd.

I'm lifted 2.5" front and back. I'm hearing like a slight howling noise between 35-60mph. Most noticeable at 55mph and while turning on a downhill. I've tried covering all the holes on my LCAs but not really any change. 2wd to 4wd makes no difference. It's almost rhythmic sometimes.
Is it a wheel bearing? Can't see why that would go bad before even owning the truck for 2 years. Wheel offset is 0 on a 17x8.
No leaking at the rear diff but upon inspection noticed that the top nut isn't as far threaded on to the bolt as the others. Looks like factory put green paint to mark torqued bolts on every bolt though.

Any thoughts?

 

Rear differential howl; very common complaint among 3rd gen Tacoma owners. Lots and lots of posts on here about it. Long story short, the issue has been deemed "normal/characteristic" by Toyota, and is the result of a harmonic that is transferred through the diff, suspension, and frame.

There is a TSB out there which tries to lessen the sound of the howl, but the results are largely mixed.

 

what he said

 

Appreciate the response. Basically I can live with the noise as long as there's nothing I should be doing to fix the problem. I'm assuming if they are calling it "normal" then whatever "fix" they have for it most likely just tries to make the symptoms go away and not so much the cause?

 

living with it is all you can do. i did the TSB and it worked for a bit, then i lifted my truck and put dakars on and the noise returned. Now i am getting ready to regear to 5.29s so we'll see what happens this time lol

 

Correct, the TSB only tries to mask the issue by changing a few of the cab mounts, as well as applying a sound deadening material behind the rear seats where the vents are I believe.

There are no known diff failures linked to the sound, and plenty of owners with 100k+ miles on their diffs.

 

Just noticed this howl is mostly/exclusively on the Off Road model and pro model. I have a short bed 4wd Sport. Is this still a possibility for me?

 

i don't know. i think the howl has a lot to do with 8.75" rear end found on the OR and Pro. I don't know what the Sport runs. The TSB replaced the leaf pack and rear body bushings. With some tinkering you could probably close to silence it but i just prefer to turn up the radio. You are not damaging anything so there's really no worries

 

Detailed information on which models affected is very hard to come by... I've done a lot of research about this issue on here. I've seen posts from SR owners who claim to have the howl, exactly as described by others (50-60 mph, strongest between 53-58 mph, feathering throttle, etc.), and the SR has a different model diff than the OR and Pro models.

Bottom line, if your howl is brought about by the conditions described above, then it's considered "normal/characteristic" by Toyota, and there is nothing to be concerned about from a reliability/safety/integrity perspective. Just an annoyance.

 

Damn. Might just try to ask my dealer about it at my check up this week.

 

Yeah I was seeing some people with lower trim models experiencing the issue. Possibly not enough to justify Toyota doing anything about it. Oh well. Life's too short. If something breaks I'll fix it when the time comes. Lol.
Thanks for the help. Appreciate it

 

You can certainly take it to the dealer to express your concern but it will almost certainly be a complete waste of time. Their diagnosis will be either: a) It's normal/characteristic, or b) diff is bad.. they end up replacing diff.. noise is reduced for a few hundred/thousand miles on the new diff then returns.. you take the truck back, and they say "Oh, hmm, I guess its normal then". At least this has been the pattern experienced by many people who have had their diffs replaced.

Personally, I would just enjoy the truck and not worry about it.

 

Yup completely agree. That's why I was on the fence about even mentioning t this week at my oil change appointment. Probably won't even bother letting them know about it. Haha

 

Poll added

 

@Tacomike18 aloha just wondering if you ever did anything about the noise? I noticed you don't have an off-road

 

Sorry for the revive.
Just a paranoid Tacoma owner...like everyone on this site.

Rhythmic sound, similar to blowing over bottle coming around 50-55mph. Honestly can't say I hear it from the rear. Almost sounds like front driver side.

 

Sport AC 6MT here. I get a slight 'harmonic whine' for short bursts in 3rd - 5th, right before I shift. Noticeable when I let up on the accelerator. Not completely predictable. Almost seems more common on damp mornings(?)
I described it to the service lady when scheduling my 15k service. This pushed my appointment out 2+ weeks.
Guess what - they couldn't hear it.

 

I live right next to a servco and they've always treated me well (granted I haven't really had to go in for anything other than free oil changes) so it wouldn't be a burden to take it in. Just have the typical "first brand new car owner" anxiety that if I don't get the noise acknowledged, I'll be paying outta my butt for repairs in the future.

 

What does your "slight howling noise" have to do with the trim level poll? I'm confused.

 

The rear diff whine TSB is only covering TRD OFF-ROAD and PRO models because the rear differential is larger in those two models. I'm seeing how many people with other trims are experiencing the same sound.