Possible bad carrier bearing?

For the past couple weeks or so I notice a "woowoowoo" sound when coming to a stop. At first I thought it was a wheel bearing going out because it seemed to go with the speed of my truck. It makes a consistent woo woooo wooooo wooooooooo sound as I slow down and I can sort of notice it right when I accelerate but then the engine quickly drowns it out (the cage doesn't help either).

The way I figured out it wasn't a wheel bearing was I drove around, came to a stop while in gear and the noise is present. I tried the same thing again but this time I put it in neutral before I came to a stop and the noise didn't occur. Someone suggested perhaps a bad carrier bearing so I got under there and shook my drive shaft and notice the carrier bearing had some play in it. Typically that tells me the bearing is bad.

Would the drive shaft spin regardless of being in gear? Below is a video showing the carrier bearing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PafMFTbjh2U

Could that be the source of this noise or is it something else?

edit: changed "warbling" to "woo"

 

I had an issue almost exactly like yours this summer. My carrier bearing was moving around just like yours so what did I do? Did some research and ended up ordering a new carrier bearing. A week later I put that sucker in. Noise was still there. Then I did some more research and looked at all of the u-joints. Culprit found. One of my u-joints was completely shot (seal gone, no grease coming out). Ordered up some spicer u-joints. A week later, put those guys in. No more noise. The u-joint with the seal that was totally gone, had rust and dust inside of it, no grease...So it might be your carrier bearing but a cheaper option is to check the u-joints first.

 

& typically I'd agree 100% but the carrier is different & as I've stated in the past Toyota themselves have no specs. for it as to whats good or bad, as long as its not froze/squealing or the rubber isn't torn its assumed to be good regardless of play, not a very good answer i know but its the best info i could get..

 

@MrGrimm thanks for the info. Did you need any special tools to get the u-joints on and off? I take it you replaced all 3? I'll get under there in a bit and see if I can notice anything wrong with the u-joints. I suppose I could try greasing them up a bit before spending the cash on new ones. I forget, do all 3 have zerk fittings?

@4WD no, that is a good answer. I didn't know that, but with that grimm said, I will look at all my u-joints before ruling the carrier bearing being the bad guy

 

If your noise sounded like a piece of wire wrapped around driveshaft then i'd say Ujoints for sure, but yeah check the cheaper fixes first, the OEM carrier is about $200 & change...not cheap..

 

You need ball joint press to press the u joints out but auto zone rents them out. Im replacing all 3 of mine at the moment. I think from what I read the 2wd prerunners do not have zerk fittings (mine dont) but 4wd u joints do have zerk fittings. Im replacing mine with U joints with zerk fittings. I started replacing mine myself but I threw out my back lol so I dropped the drive shaft off at my mechanic and hes doing them for me. I'm becoming an old man despite being in my twenties hahaha

 

Oh stop it....

 

Just rehab the whole shaft...Carrier is shot most likely your U-Joints are too! Stick with Spicers

 

Not to hijack the thread but Is there a way to grease the carrier bearing? If so what are the intervals to grease it?

 

Nope, non serviceable , but I've read where some inject lube into grommett I'm assuming it's because it's torn & leaking

 

Okay thanks, I checked for a grease fitting on the carrier bearing when I grease my u joints and didn't see a fitting so I assumed it was sealed

 

@4WD The only reason I want to say it isn't the u-joint is because I don't hear it when I slow down in neutral. Isn't the drive shaft still spinning even if it's in neutral? If so, I should still hear it.

 

You'd think so but it's my experience that you hear them under load (taking off forward or reverse)

 

Hey Ron, can you get some audio up ?...

 

I can try, but I think it'll be kind of hard since my cage and tires are so loud. I'll probably put my phone on the floor in my truck to try and get it.

 

Yeah it's tough with all the other rattles & shit, do your best & hopefully it'll sound like loose bailing wire flying around, not to put you on the spot but do you know to check Ujoints for play ?

 

@4WD no lol, shake them? It def. doesn't sound like wire spinning around the drive shaft. I can't hear it at higher speeds. I don't vibration or anything

 

& I'll add that for quite a few , just lubing all zirks on drivetrain & continuing on a regular basis cured alot of issues....

 

I don't know where you live in sd but it'd take 5-10 mins. for me to check & show you so you'd know in the future...

 

I live in escondido right at the 15/78 split. I just got back from taking some video. I'm going to watch and listen to see if I can hear it. I also took some pics of all the u-joints