Rumble...Carrier Bearing?

Hey folks,

Just was reading the purchase thread by @GIRRAS, and am thinking the noise he was talking about at the end on his drive home, and that you guys suggested as possible carrier bearing is what I am looking for answers to.

Like him, after I bought the truck back in October, a few weeks later I noticed a cyclical kinda rumble (whurr, nothing, whurr, nothing, whurrr etc.) noise coming from what feels like directly under my feet. I can feel it in the gas pedal and through the floor. My initial thought was maybe wheel bearing, but then after testing, I found that it seemed to go away when engaged in 4HI. Happens when under load (foot on gas), and coasting. So then my thought was either front drive shaft u-joints, or front diff, possibly a bearing in there (hope not). Its most noticeable between 20-35 mph, probably because road noise is so minimal. I think I can hear it up into 50-60 mph, but the road and engine noise make it hard to be sure. And there is no vibration in my feet at the higher speeds.

I got underneath and tried to find slop in the front shaft, and didn't seem to have much of any, but noticed its a two piece shaft. Is this the carrier bearing you are talking about? Or is it the carrier bearing in the rear driveshaft thats vibrating forward? Or could it be a diff bearing?

Any reason why it would go away when in 4hi? Maybe when its engaged, any slop in the front shaft is tighted up from being under load? I'm assuming since our trucks are 4wd on the fly, that the front shaft spins even in 2wd?

Thanks for any help!

 

My initial thought was that the carrier bearing wouldn't make any noise but a google search says that it might. It seems that most of the people here just notice the rubber dry rots but otherwise don't experience any issues. As for it going away in 4HI, I have no idea. Hopefully someone else will come along and help. has some good info in it that might help.

 

Make sure to grease the u joints. Up until this Jan I’ve had my truck serviced by Toyota and not once did they grease them. The other day I got under the truck and it took 8 pumps for the front and 6 for rears the get the grease to almost come out of the joint. I can tell you that the truck feels a lot smoother.

 

If it goes away in 4wd it is prob your needle bearing where the CV enters the front dif. (drivers side) this is common on lifted trucks. Most people upgrade it when replacing.

 

yep this...The tell tale is that when 4hi is engaged it takes the play out of the driver side CV axle and the vibration goes away. I'm getting ready to do this but it's apparent that if you have a lift on your truck it's best to do the ECGS bearing instead of a new needle bearing due to the different angle of the CV axle now due to the lifted vehicle.

 

Hmmmm interesting. No lift in this truck (YET). OME lift is in the box at home, waiting for a nice day to install it. When I had it at the Toyota dealer for their inspection before buying, they did mention the driverside CV boot was leaking a bit. So it sounds like the needle bearing is in the diff, how hard of a job is it for a shade tree mechanic with basic tools to replace?

 

Thanks for bringing this up @notlikejohnny, I’ll give 4HI a shot and report back.

 

My 2002 RCLB does the same thing. A low kind of wahhhh then nothing, then wahhhh about about a second in between at 30mph or so. Slightest of vibration on fuel peddle. Seeming to be coming from front. I'll check this weekend to see if 4wd makes any difference.

Also there was a thread earlier this week about a much cheaper Spicer center bearing alternative to OEM.

 

Just a note on that carrier bearing: I replaced mine, did not last long, It's just a sloppy idea to start with, and now I KNOW....they make a one piece drive shaft. So it's on my bucket list.

 

So I'm looking at the ECGS bearing kit, but not sure which one is the correct one for my '05 DC. Anyone know which one fits? Time and difficulty of replacement? Thanks

 

I am almost positive it’s the 7.5 clamshell. Go to their website and select your truck. It should lead you right to it

 

Did you use an OEM part? The original carrier bearings seem to last 150k or more.

 

My 89 Toy had carrier had dry rot but the bearing was good but was $175 for the part so being a cheep finlander I centered the bearing in the cage and used some windshield urethane to make up for lost rubber: 3M 08693 Auto Glass Urethane Windshield Adhesive Cartridge - 10.5 fl. oz.

$17 3M Auto Glass Urethane Windshield Adhesive, 08693, Medium Viscosity, High-Strength, Fast-Curing, 310 mL/10.5 fl oz Cartridge , Black

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000RW1XCK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_WuKgEbRJ39W3Q

Also check your splines on the drive shafts if you have because they tend to be ignored when greasing.

 

who makes the one piece drive shaft?

 

I went aftermarket, bearing itself is fine, just the rubber seems too sloppy. Yes original might of been the way to go, but now it will be the one piece driveshaft. "driveshaftsuperstore.com" is one link I have, I'm sure there are more.

 

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t the OEM set up superior to a ‘one piece’ shaft in regards to off roading? The Double Cardan has more flex and play and is better ‘tucked’ vs. a single shaft.

 

Maybe for the 4x4, keep in mind I'm a 2 wheel drive speed demon, so in my case it would be more beneficial. Of course hearing from someone that has tried it on either model would be nice to hear some experiences. Also I tow heavy loads sometimes, and I know I'm putting a strain on the carrier bearing, that's probably why the rubber got torn on the new one.

 

Didn’t realize you were 4x2, but thats good info. Like you, I’ll probably end up with a one piece when the time comes, as the double cardan seems to be a tricky joint to make right after it goes bad. Also, I don’t off road anymore so the ‘tuck’ and flex of a two piece is N/A.

I’ve towed/hauled many loads over 18 years and my carrier bearing did pretty well until replacement last year with 155k miles. Only some very slight tears on the original. Replaced it with a new Toy and good to go so far.

I’ve read extensively from others about the drive shafts here and other places where the one piece drove better (lighter?), was easier the install, and less expensive over all if a shop performed the swap.