2020 Differential needle bearing failure

As an owner of a '21 with a late August '21 build date this issue concerns me. I see some other MY '21 owners are having this problem and wonder if there was ever an update to fix this or was the plan to ignore it since the 2022 was on the horizon.

Currently at 19,000 miles and I've noticed nothing. Is there a way to test for this bearing failure before it gets too expensive? For example checking for external movement? I suppose popping the half shaft and inspecting the surface where the bearing rides shouldn't be to hard. If there's a good chance my Tundra is going to be needing this my plan is to fix it with the bushing as soon as the warranty expires.

 

If it happens, you will notice it way before it will do any permanent damage. It will make a noise and the noise will go away or be significantly less when you place it in 4wd.

 

I’m pretty sure I have this issue. I hear the oscillating hum in 2wd around 40mph. I’m at 42k miles.

Am I out of luck for a warranty repair? I still have the 5yr/60k mile drivetrain warranty…does that cover diffs?

This SUCKS.

 

Is it necessary to replace the half shaft when installing the ecgs sleeve? Especially for those where it made the noise for a few thousand miles prior to the sleeve?

 

It should be covered, but good luck. My dealership is giving me the "nothing abnormal" routine. They know this is a PITA fix and I can tell they are playing dumb and don't want to switch out the diff. I think they are waiting me out. Going to keep driving it until it is undeniable and then take it back in. I'm at 43K, so right around the same mileage as you. Hopefully your dealership experience won't be like mine.

 

Usually not required. Mine made noise for 10K or so before I did the ECGS bushing. I ran that CV another 35K until I got a Cv click and changed it out.

 

Go to another dealer. Also tell Toyota corporate about your experience.

 

That’s my plan B. Since the sounds getting louder, I’m going to drive it some more and then take it back to the same dealership, have a talk with them about the diagnostic fee, see if the tech will take a ride with me and give them one more chance to rectify the situation. If they give me the runaround again, I’ll go to another.

This dealership is close to me, so I don’t want to completely burn bridges yet. The others are pretty far since I live out of town.

 

I hate dealing with dealerships so much I think I’m just going to get the bushing from ECGS. There’s a video or two out there. I’ll probably just do it myself.

 

I'm still on the fence, but I'm strongly considering it myself as well, mostly as the replacement diff may end up having the same issue and I'm not sure I want to deal with the hassle at this point for something that really isn't a sure fix. Most of our cars are out of warranty, except for this one, so I normally do everything. I also have a transmission cooler I bought from Genuine Cooling Systems that I want to add which is going to likely "void my warranty." It's kind of a gamble either way.

 

Hi all -

Newer Tundra owner here (new to me 2020 with 60k on the odometer.) Had the truck for 3 months or so, and I believe I have this issue as I have a noise/vibration in 2WD that all but disappears in 4HI. A few questions:

- Has anyone had this issue on a non-lifted/stock height truck?

- How can I check for play in the CV axle before commuting to this? Do I need to jack front driver side? Take wheel off?

- Is it worth having the front diff fluid changed when doing this? I am going to have a mechanic do the ECGS bushing. I’m handy, but don’t have the time in my life right now, and frankly messing with the CV axle/diff is a bit deeper than I want to go.

Thanks for any help y’all can provide. I’ve searched but couldn’t find answers to my questions.

 

My 2020 Tundra had this issue and it is bone stock. No lift. There’s another thread where I posted some details. Isn’t the Powertrain warranty 5 years/60K miles? If so, you should get the repair under warranty if you move fast. I had to take the mechanic for a ride and show him you have to drive on super smooth roads to really hear the issue. Once he heard the issue and looked at an old TSB they repaired mine under warranty. So far so good but I probably only have 2k to 3k miles since the repair. And yes, the differential fluid should be changed after the repair. On the axle play, if you catch the problem early I’ll be surprised if there is any issue in play. Hopefully others can help on that question.

 

-Had the issue on stock suspension

-Mine had significant play on the axle. Go under the truck, no need to jack it, and just press up and down on the CV. The ECGS bushing resolved the play.

-You will have to add fluid at a minimum. I drained mine and filled, 45K.

 

2021 Tundra had dealer replace front diff 2X due to this issue. I ended up purchasing a Toyota platinum extended warranty thur this forum.

 

Only reliable fix is a bushing replacement of the needle bearing unfortunately. Having these dealership techs swap out the diff is ridiculous. I feel like they are going to cause more problems than they solve, and all for something that isn't a sure fix.

 

just for reference... I have a '20. Crossed over 60k miles yesterday (lucky me...), just went out and checked, quite a bit of play on that driver's side joint! Guess i'll order the kit...

 

Im past 60k. All good hopefully one of the only repairs I have to do to it.

 

Much appreciated. Just got under truck, definitely play in axle. Ordering ECGS this evening.

 

I have the bushing and the tools coming tomorrow. I will likely do the job over this weekend and once I'm done I will have no use for the tools anymore so if somebody wants to save a few bucks I will sell them for half price plus shipping once I complete the job. I have all three tools coming. All three tools cost $90.00 + shipping from them so maybe $30.00 + $20.00 for shipping and I will ship it anywhere in North America as long as it isn't more then $20.00 to ship. That's 1/3 of the price. If it is more then $20 to ship you would have pay the difference. If anyone is interested shoot me a PM.

 

Can anyone confirm if the play in the axle is "normal"? Or is any play considered bad? I would figure any play would not be considered normal... Just curious.

 

PM you

 

If you can move the axle shaft up and down then it is going bad or it is bad. If you need something to compare it to, grab the other one and see if you can move that one up and down.

 

I know it was some time ago but did the dealership ever check to make sure your drive shaft was balanced properly. After checking and changing everything they did I would have checked the drive shaft for balance and alignment. I wonder if the dealership you sold it to managed to figure out what was wrong with it or if they just sold it like it was.

 

The dealer/tech's may claim that play is normal. It is not. You can go to the passenger side and there is no play. Drivers side, I had somewhere between 1/16"-1/8" in play and it even squeaked. I've had other 4x4 trucks and never experienced anything like this. CV's never had play like this. I figure they are either lazy or incompetent and came to the conclusion that I'd rather actually fix it myself then have one of them swap out my front diff and screw something up.

 

I guess the question goes to the guys who have had the diff replaced or replaced the needle bearing (not with the aftermarket replacement), do you still have play after?

 

Toyota's older T-SB-0121-08 is to replace the front differential carrier assembly. Since part of the issue is the spider gear bore machining not tight enough to center the gear, replacing the needle bearing alone with another needle bearing won't resolve the issue. The needle bearing just cumulatively adds to the slop.

There are post in here that confirm some replacement front diff's have resolved the issue for some people, maybe due to better machining. There are also folks who had theirs replaced only for the problem to either not be resolved or to come back.

 

I read that he said they had replaced both driveshafts.

 

PM sent

 

I stopped by the local Toyota dealer today as they have 4 used 2.5gens sitting out front. I reached through the wheel well and started yanking on each drivers side axle. They all have play. The same amount my truck has.

I’m going with it’s a non issue. Maybe eventually I’ll put the bushing kit in.

 

The noise I hear and the vibration I feel in 2HI isn’t a non-issue.

I will also happily sell the installer tool at a discount once I’m done with it in the coming weeks.