RESOLVED - What do we think this noise is?

Update: truck fixed under warranty for a bad driveshaft carrier bearing. See post #13 for more details


All right folks, give me your best guesses. Please keep them helpful. Pulling into the alley behind my house this evening and I notice this loud chirp. I had been driving home and around town for a bit and heard nothing until I pulled into the alley. Noise bouncing off fences and such makes it more audible.

2021 TRD OR
6MT

Everything on the truck relating to driveline is stock besides 5.29’s and 1” larger tires. Gears have been in for 25K, absolutely perfect. Stock height, no lift. Again, no mods except the driveline spins a bit faster than stock.

The video is kind of crappy, I’m aware. Hard to catch any noise with the motor revving up in 1st. But if you listen close, it’s the chirping noise. It speeds up with the vehicle speed. When it’s making noise, it starts as early as 2mph. I’ll try to get a better video tomorrow in 2nd gear where the motor is quieter.

I jacked up both the front and rear and got no noise. I put the front back down and ran the rear in gear to spin the tires in the air. Nothing. Had it in 4th going 20mph or so and nothing at all. Shook the tires, wheel bearings seemed okay.

Went for a ride with my brother who I had drive around a bit in the alley and parking lot and the noise was gone by the time he was ready to go (of course). So the whole time I spent with him I found nothing, as it made no noise.

At this point I’m just waiting to see when the noise comes back (not if, but when), and I’ll do more listening at that point. It seems to only be doing it going forward. In the video I was going back and forth (cut a lot of that out) and I really could only get noise going forward.

But anyways, anybody heard this on their truck and figure it out?

Wheel bearings?
Driveshaft u-joints? (Non greasable)
Driveshaft center support bearing?

@Bishop84 @CygnusX191 any ideas?

Appreciate any ideas I can get.

 

Wild ass guess but I'd say clutch damper springs.

It could be u joints but they are more consistent. Clutch springs are affected by vehicle load and torque.

 

Didn’t think of those….weirdly enough it seems to only be making noise when going forward, not reverse, and it also seems to keep making the noise even when I pop it into neutral. It’s very strange for sure. I’d be surprised if it were a u-joint, hopeful it’s not that. Don’t want to deal with it.

 

I had the early 3rd gen and it had an odd squeak from the leaf springs, we resolved them by greasing the contact pads. Eventually a TSB came out.

But leaf spring squeaks usually only make noise at low speeds.

 

Due to the volume of the noise vs everything else (wind, engine, tires) it’s hard to tell if the noise goes away or if I just can’t hear it. So far I really only hear it in the alley. So it seems to be pretty low speed, but it’s hard to say. I did bounce the bed up and down and got 0 noise so I’m not sure it’s the springs. I did think about it though. For now keeping an eye on it to see if it gets worse.

 

Thinking it’s the driveshaft carrier bearing…sigh

 

where the rear driveshaft u/joints ever been grease ?

 

Factory non-greasable.

 

At the dealer trying to get it done under warranty. Plus side, I get a Tacoma as a rental/loaner so I can finally see what all the complaints with the auto are about.

 

Dealer confirmed I need a new carrier bearing. They said u-joints too but that part seems unlikely/surprising. Anyways, carrier bearing is on back order. Keeping the loaner indefinitely while they wait for parts. Covered under warranty.

 

That's cool..easy fix

 

Great to see you got it sorted out

 

Final update, truck was fixed under warranty for $0. Turned in the truck the morning of 03/20/24 and got it back today, 04/01/24.

They replaced:

37230-09080 - Bearing set, center support
04371-04101 - Spider kit, universal (u-joint) x1

The center support bearing was the only part that was bad. The center u-joint has to be removed to replace the bearing, so that is replaced as well. The other u-joints were fine, as I predicted since everything was perfectly smooth all along.

Glad to have my truck back and all seems well after picking it up and driving a bit. Definitely weird to be back in it compared to the automatic. Hopefully I get more than 47K out of the next one!