Front diff/CV/axle bearings...what to look for
 

All,

I have an '00 SR5 with 220k and I'm in the process of fixing everything, and there's one nagging problem I need your help diagnosing (or at least knowing where to start):

-I get an oscillating whirr/roar sound that corresponds with wheel speed. Whoom. Whoom. A few times a second at 60mph. At 10mph it can sometimes be heard as a subtle knock.

-The sound/knock does not correspond tire rotation speed i.e. it's not 1:1 noise to revolution if that makes sense.

-Not affected by throttle, does it in gear and in neutral and in 4x4, does not change with braking.

-Is not a consistent wheel bearing roar and doesn't change with steering input (I've already replaced one wheel bearing and hub)

-All fluids changed and the old stuff looked good coming out

-Did it on old tires and suspension and now does it on new tires and suspension

-CV boots look good and there's no grease everywhere, though I don't know what they're like inside.

SO...I know it's impossible to diagnose some noise via an internets forum but I'm wondering if anyone has experienced anything like this, and/or what the usual suspects might be in terms of rotating bits and bearings which might need attention in the front assembly.

I've searched and nothing seemed to pop up as a suspect.

Thanks very much for reading my post.

Did it suddenly start after you changed something? Is it faster or slower than wheel speed?

Been there since I got the truck a year ago. It's slower than wheel speed.

Slower than wheel speed, but still speed related, correct?

Sounds like either a wheel bearing or maybe it's your driver side front differential needle bearing.

For the wheel bearing inspection, jack up the front end, grab the tire and the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions and push with one and and pull with the other alternating back and forth to detect any play. If you detect play, the bearing needs to be replaced. You could also spin the tire and listen for abnormal sounds.

For the front differential needle bearing, grab ahold of the inside joint of the driver side CV axle and see if there's gross play by pushing and pulling on it. If there's gross play, the bearing is probably wasted. There's a fix for it the East Coast Gear Supply came up with. They replace the bearing with a oil impregnated bronze bushing.

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If you find one of your wheel bearings has gone bad, we've got two videos that could help you with the job. Use our Upper Balljoint Replacement video to know how to remove and reinstall the steering knuckle. Then use our Manual Hub Swap Part 2 to learn how to do the required press work. Good luck!

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Yep, 100% related to vehicle speed so it's not related to engine or tranny. And not affected by throttle input.

I *think* it's CV joint related, either worn parts that were only half-repaired by PO or some bearings in there that are just tired, looking to identify the usual suspects but searching doesn't reveal anything.

I would suspect rear driveshaft joints. Front driveshaft will spin while in 2wd, but it's more of a parasitic rotational drive from the front differential being driven by the left cv axle so not directly speed related. You can remove the rear driveshaft and drive around in 4wd to determine if it's the rear driveshaft.

And I wouldn't rule out rear wheel bearings, mine are making some weird sounds that changed over time, took me awhile to figure it out as the sound resonates through the vehicle, had it rolling on jack stands and my diff was noisy, pulled the rear axles and diff, and as closely as I checked them on the vehicle, until the axles where removed it was obvious the original bearings at 300,000km where due, this noise has gotten progressively worse and changing over a year, a rumbly grumbly vib noise that can be felt in the t-case shifter as a vib.

If the CV's are aftermarket, it can make noise too. All AF CV's are not properly balanced.

Fixed!

Turns out it was *not* coming from the front end (sounds can be deceiving as we all know) but rather a bent rear axle. With COVID, limited time/space/tools and a desire to support local business I went ahead and had my local Boulder CO Toyota guys (Independent Motors) do the work, which set me back $1500 with new OE Toyota parts and related components. That hurt, but it addressed the issue immediately.

Posting this as a thanks to everyone to chimed in with ideas and as useful info for anyone hunting for a similar noise. HNY everyone!

You don't hear of runout on the rear axle shafts to often, but maybe it's because few of us check for axle shaft runout. Instead of putting it on a lathe to check it you can roll the axle shaft on a perfectly flat table and look for a wobble. I got rid of my whom whom with a new rear driveshaft, but might pull my axles and check for good luck, thanks for the update. Was it the p-side or d-side axle, I would think the p-side gets more abuse.