I've got an '06 4WD with 150k. For awhile now I've had a clunk/rattle in the front end anytime I would hit some type of bump - manhole cover, pothole, washboard, whatever. I'd spent a fair amount of time trying to chase it and was absolutely convinced at various points that it was my hub/bearings and then my CV axles.
I actually ordered new CV's yesterday because I took the front tires off and found I could reach up and wiggle the base of the CV axle just enough to replicate what I thought was the clunk/rattle. There is just enough play at the diff to allow that. Internet searching revealed a bunch of similar complaints, especially in the Tacoma community and I had settled on replacing them along with a bushing from ECGS which apparently replaces the needle bearing on the inside of the receiving end of the diff.
On a whim I was at the stealership yesterday and asked if they had front swaybar bushings in stock. They did and I bought them. Took 10 mins this morning to replace them and lo & behold my issue seems to be solved.
I had physically tried to move all the components by hand when chasing the problem earlier and could detect no play in the swaybar. The old bushings didn't really look too bad either so I was fully expecting to chalk it up to routine maintenance and press on with finding the problem...
But happily, $40 and 10 mins seems to have eliminated the issue I was preparing to spend hundreds of dollars and several hours on.
I realize a "front end clunk" can present for a million reasons - and there are a million threads, which can make it even more difficult to diagnose for the overwhelming volume of information - but sometimes it helps to start with the simple and easy things first, even if they don't seem like the likely culprits. Hope it helps.:cheers:
I actually ordered new CV's yesterday because I took the front tires off and found I could reach up and wiggle the base of the CV axle just enough to replicate what I thought was the clunk/rattle. There is just enough play at the diff to allow that. Internet searching revealed a bunch of similar complaints, especially in the Tacoma community and I had settled on replacing them along with a bushing from ECGS which apparently replaces the needle bearing on the inside of the receiving end of the diff.
On a whim I was at the stealership yesterday and asked if they had front swaybar bushings in stock. They did and I bought them. Took 10 mins this morning to replace them and lo & behold my issue seems to be solved.
I had physically tried to move all the components by hand when chasing the problem earlier and could detect no play in the swaybar. The old bushings didn't really look too bad either so I was fully expecting to chalk it up to routine maintenance and press on with finding the problem...
But happily, $40 and 10 mins seems to have eliminated the issue I was preparing to spend hundreds of dollars and several hours on.
I realize a "front end clunk" can present for a million reasons - and there are a million threads, which can make it even more difficult to diagnose for the overwhelming volume of information - but sometimes it helps to start with the simple and easy things first, even if they don't seem like the likely culprits. Hope it helps.:cheers:
