Popping Noise Driver Side

Hey everyone thanks for having me.

I have a 2014 Tundra Limited with fewer than 90,000 miles and it is making popping noise. Its kind of a high pitch noise almost sounds like a golf ball being bounced off the frame rail. It mostly happens with the initial acceleration in drive after just going in reverse. It also happens randomly when accelerating from at standstill. It is incredibly frustrating. I had it at Toyota to diagnose 2 weeks before my extended warranty expired. They had it three different times for up to 6 days total and at the end of all that I was told and I effin quote "dont drive it like that". I am able to duplicate the noise almost anytime I want to but just cant get it figured out.

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

4wd, 2wd? truck up on maintenance? Is it lifted or any other suspension mods? Are shocks original? Noise coming from front or rear of truck?

 

If it’s 4WD, I’d be inclined to remove the driveshafts and lubricate the slip yokes. Ford had a similar problem not long ago and the solution was to separate the rear shaft at the slip yoke and grease the splines.

 

Zero modifications. 100% stock truck. We'll maintained 2 wheel drive. Hard to tell as I've only ever heard the noise as the driver but it sounds like it's coming from somewhere under the rear seat or between the front and rear seats. You know how these thing go. Always difficult to pinpoint the area as the driver. I have video. Is there someplace to upload? Shocks are original. Side note I did just drive across the country pulling an enclosed u-haul trailer weighing a obout 4500 lbs 2 months ago and I noticed the noise shortly after.

 

Did someone put a golf ball in your truck frame?

 

But seriously, have you tried jacking up the front or the back to see if you have a rock or something hanging out in the frame?

 

I'm in a difficult position where I just moved across the country renting a weird house with no garage and the bulk of my tools are in a storage pod until my house is built in February.

 

I'm not a mechanic so take this with a grain of salt, but the first thing that occurred to me was failure of an engine mount based on your description of it happening upon acceleration or shifting into reverse.

 

A don't even have a basic air compressor at the moment. I'm an incredibly sad person for the time being.

 

Damn. Better hurry up and make friends with someone that has a garage and tools, lol. Hopefully you get it figured out. Noises like this always drive me nuts.

 

Sound like you may possibly have a driveshaft issue. I would crawl under it and check the u joints for play or slop just to eliminate them and provide piece of mind that they aren't going to come apart at speed on the road. Any vibration at speed? Also check your lug nuts, I once had an experience when a thief didn't finish the job and left me with six finger tight lug nuts. Shyt I was on the interstate at 80 plus for miles before I noticed what caused the knock. Another crazy time, put my wheel lock socket in the console safe. Went down to HD and had random knocking sounded like the front end was falling apart. Dark and brand new truck at the time, spent like an hour figuring out it was the socket in the safe, sure sounded like a shock bolt broke or something similar. Good luck!

 

I have a 21 that does this popping noise in the front end…only does it on initial forward motion or after reversing. Doesn’t do it any other time. Dealer says everything is good underneath and even test drive 2 new trucks on the lot and they also do this. They want to call it normal operation, but can’t tell me what the noise is.

 

Probably ABS sys. test/check

 

Reading about the ABS test now. That’s probably it. Would think the dealer would have known this . Thanks

 

Wondering if anyone has figured out what this is. Mine also has a popping/pinging noise, at low speed from the front end. Truck has 10k miles on it and just started at ~8k? Have not taken to the dealer yet. Planning on getting under the truck, checking to make sure everything is tight (sway bar bolts?) and see what zerk fitting there are and lube.

 

Is it constant at low speeds? the ABS test is only at initial start and rolling at like 5-7mph or so.

 

Do you have the trd skid? Some folks have front end popping on trucks equipped with the skid. I’m one of them.

 

I personally don't. But I also don't have a popping noise. @mfranzen89 has a pro so that's a possibility for him.

 

my bad. Quoted the wrong post.

 

Mine does. It only happens when the suspension flexes. Getting under this weekend to check it out. Have you heard what specifically with the skid plate causes it to pop?

@Jaypown its not consistent in the way your thinking. At lower speeds, and the suspension is flexing, I can hear it. Doesn’t sound like ABS. It almost acts like a squeaky sway bar bushing, but the sound doesn’t match that.

 

Found this.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10164921-9999.pdf

 

Check your driveshaft center support bearing.

 

I have misophonia where small sounds drive me nuts so I feel your pain. In tracking down my noises I read that the brake calipers on these trucks can flex a bit thus making noise.

A couple other of my truck noises were a loose plastic piece under the drivers seat and a loose wire harness on the passenger side hitting the firewall in the engine bay.

Check the jack behind the seat? Tighten bed bolts, check seatbelts and seats.

 

My current plan is to remove skid plate and test. If noise goes away, I’ll make a spacer that fits between the skid plate and the frame.

I’ve watched some videos on YouTube and they seem to be similar sounds. I think I caught mine early because @IowaGuy is 100% right…. It’s driving me nuts. They put a small piece of single side adhesive foam in the west spots. Only problem is that will wear right through… I have a plan if the skid plate is the culprit. More to follow…

 

I wonder if some large rubber bushings where the mounting bolts go would help? Also, they do make rubber sheets with adhesive on one side kinda like dyna-mat sound deadening insulation.

 

Update: pulled the skid plate, found the wear marks from the cross member rubbing on the skid plate.





Did a test drive, no noise. Got some scrap material from work (reinforced rubber blend). Cut a template and cut a piece of material. Install and test drive tomorrow.