Vibe after Lift - ECGS Bushing Didn’t Fix It

OK, gents, what do I do next? A month ago, I put a 3”/2” Rough Country lift on my ‘19 SR (https://www.roughcountry.com/toyota-suspension-lift-kit-745c.html?find=2019-toyota-tacoma-4wd-740124). Yeah, I know, sorry it’s not some kinda badass high-end job, but I got kids to feed and this is what I had to work with.

Naturally, I immediately got the much-discussed post-lift vibration. Sort of a slow, cyclical vibration/hum you can feel more than hear, through the steering wheel and a little in the gas pedal. Perceptible from 43mph to about 53mph, but peaks at 48mph, when you can hear it most. The vibe/hum disappears when you drop it into 4HI, but comes right back when you put it back in 2WD.

Followed the universal advice and swapped the OEM needle bearing on the driver’s side for the ECGS bushing. Same exact 2WD-only vibe—didn’t change it a lick.

Removed the front differential drop spacers that came with the kit, today, thinking maybe the CV angle change would clear it up. (Don’t worry, I’ll do the boot mod too) Same damn vibe. Didn’t even change the pitch, or speed, or anything—same exact 2WD-only vibe.

I even rotated the tires again (which were rotated when it was lifted only a month ago) to see if it was just tire cupping or some crap like that. Seemed like a long-shot, since the vibe depends on the front diff not being engaged, but figured what the he’ll. Same F’ing vibe.

What now?

 

Might need some shims for the leaf pack

 

Even with a 2WD-only vibe?

 

Possibly, changing the angles with the lift effects all our trucks differently. Have you checked that the cv is set fully and the axle nut is torqued properly?

 

So we know the vibration is in the front. (steering wheel). We also know you rotated the tires. How about cross rotate (front tires only from left to right).
Zim

 

do Carrier bearing drop.. alsocheck you angles on your rear U-joints.. they should not exceed 7degrees if they do shims, and possibly a carrier bearing drop are needed. I did the carrier bearing drop on mine, and got rid of most of the vibes.... the rest are from tire balancing...

 

I used to have a 3/2 rc lift the vibration for me came from the caster being misaligned

 

you also need to take into account axle wrap when driving. the torque of the wheels trying to push the truck forward causes the leaf pack to actually twist in an "S" shape the pinion tries to drop down increasing the u-joint angle.. there are vids posted of the tacoma doing this when on street driving. also may have a bad/dry u-joint.

 

Can we get a photo of your CV angles?

 

That sucks and is strange. About a month ago, I got the same type of lift, got kids to feed too. 3-2 spacer Mammoth 4x4 lift. I literally have had no issues at all. No vibrations, good alignment, nada. Wish I could help you out. I did order a drop kit with mine not that I needed it, still no issues though.

 

Like the others said above, most likely, your pinion angles are not in the correct geo. Don't drop your diff; that's not going to help much. You'll need to get under your truck and measure the working angles of your driveline and figure out what degree shim will rectify. Don't just go out and but a 7º shim, unless you know your pinion angle needs 7º. Any decent 4x4 or driveline shop will be able to help you out if you don't want to tackle this yourself. Check this thread for a step-by-step https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/drive-shaft-vibrations-solved-step-by-step.244535/

 

Appreciate all the input guys. My lack of mechanical inclination may be made clear by my continuing confusion over how this could relate to the rear suspension or drivetrain if it disappears in 4WD. I get that the rear suspension affects angles in the front too, but it seems like it would always affect those front angles, regardless of whether the front differential is engaged.

I’ll post CV angles pics when I get home.

Thanks again.

 

Do you have a magnetic angle gauge? They're pretty reasonable on Amazon—check the link I posted above, it's a pretty quick check.

 

Pull the front spacers and see if it goes away. If it doesn't then the ECGS bearing wasn't installed correctly. If it does, then it is your angles in the front.

 

Did you get an alignment after the lift?

 

Not to argue with you—you almost certainly know a hell of a lot more than I do—but I don’t understand how the shop could have installed the ECGS bushing incorrectly, other than by A) putting it in steel-face first, or B) driving it in too far/not far enough? I did provide ECGS’s own install tool.

As for pulling the spacers, that (or pulling the whole damn kit) may be what happens eventually anyway, LOL.

 

Yes sir.

 

Unfortunately no. Are you more interested in the CV angles or in the rear driveline angles?

 

Was it a 2WD-only vibration? What caster are we talking about? Thanks for the input!

 

Maybe worth a try. Wouldn’t cost a dime. But would a tire issue stop being apparent when you go from 2WD to 4WD, and then become apparent again when you go back to 2WD?