Strange noise from rear end

[vlad drac]

$60 bushing is a permanent fix.

I'm having the same issue. I bought a 2010 a month ago with 74K miles. Dealer put on 4 new BFG Long Trail Tour soccer mom tires. I have been getting the droning on and off now for the entire month. I could have sworn it was the front left tire, and I asked the dealer if they would warranty the tires since they put them on new. They said they would take a look at them but I haven't had the chance to go back. (I only want them to replace the tire so I can sell all 4 on CL and get some AT/3's)

The sound comes and goes and is very dependent on temperature - under 35-40 degrees and the sound gets worse. Again, I was convinced it was a bad tire until I saw this post yesterday. Went for a ride on a 6 mile dead straight stretch of road. Put the truck in 4 HI and poof, sound went away. I spent about 2 hours last night on the Tacoma forum about the issue. I am now convinced it's the CV/diff slop.

Sooo, my dilemma is this - I received a 3mo/3000 mile powertrain warranty when I purchased. I did not buy from a Toyota dealership - it was an Audi dealership, so I have no confidence that they will be able to correctly diagnose the issue, and the fact that it comes and goes and sometimes can be hard to predict will make it even more difficult for them to get right. If the ECGS bushing is a good fix, which by all indications on the Tacoma forum it is, should I just get that done on my own? Should I tell them to do it? Should I have them try to diagnose and come up with a solution? They are going to try everything in their power not to replace the entire diff I'm sure. Maybe I tell them that it's a possible Toyota defect that should cost them 2K, but I have a solution that will only cost them around $250?

Oh, and the real shit part is the dealer is 1 hour away.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Jeremy556]

Any advice would be appreciated.

I would do the fix myself rather than deal with a far away dealer and 3rd party warranty company.

 

[vlad drac]

I would do the fix myself rather than deal with a far away dealer and 3rd party warranty company.

I didn't purchase an extended warranty, they gave me a powertrain through their dealership.

 

[gibbylt1]

This definitely sounds like the same issue I am experiencing. As evidenced by the posts on tacomaworld and my experience, even if Toyota replaces the diff and cv, the sound may return. It does seem like the bushing is the fix with the most success, I have only hesitated since my 4Runner has such low milage.

I suppose if I were in your position, I would push to have the diff and cv replaced by a Toyota dealer under your powertrain warranty, and the next time the sound comes back (if it does) say in a year or more, do the bushing fix. I'm still not convinced about the reliability/lifespan of that bushing.

For what its worth, I've spent a long time researching the issue and have yet to find a diff that has catastrophically failed as a result of this noise. It does seem to be more of an annoyance than anything.

I haven't tried this yet, but I'm curious if the sound would go away by preventing the driveshaft from turning. I may tie something around the shaft to see if the noise is due to the ring gear freewheeling or if it is indeed the needle bearing going bad. If you try this first, let me know how you make out.