Super Loud Noise, need help!

[Jordanbiird]

4th gen 2008 4runner, 4x4 v8.

Guys, I have a very annoying problem that just started 2 weeks ago!

BACKGROUND INFO:

Just recently i bought 17x9 +12m offset aftermarket rims, and 285/70/17 Duratracs to add to my 4runner. I got them installed and balanced in Idaho 4 weeks ago.

I drove down to Colorado for 8 hours with no problems.

Once in Colorado, i went to a local shop to get the tires aligned to avoid getting fast ware and tear on the tires, and to have a smoother ride. (Even though i wasnt noticably swaying off the road, or any other problems) but after i got the alignment done, i would be getting up to speeds of about 75-80 MPH, and this high pitched super loud noise is heard. It is not super high pitched nor a deep sound, it is somewhat in between the spectrum, but more of a high pitched sound.

This sound, sounds like something rotating, or some mechanical peice. It almost sounds like a airplane turbine, but not as loud ofcourse. I mostly hear the sound towards the rear of the vehicle, like i imagine the sound somewhere below the rear seats, but im not sure, i might hear some of the noise in the front of the vehicle too. and ALSO, i can sometimes, vaguely heard the noise even at lower speeds such as 30-50 MPH, but it starts to be very loud and annoying once i hit about 70 MPH

I am 100% sure it is not wind sound because i can disteanctly heard that seperatly.

I am 100% sure it is not the engine, because when i am at 80 MPH, and i let off the gas, the sound remains, unless i decrease in speed, and then the sound will go away. I ALSO DROVE 1 week before getting the alignment, 8 hours from IDAHO to COLORADO, and this noise never existed, so it cant be the tire noise!

I am almost certain, that it is not the tires, for example: when i excelerate up to 80 MPH, there are times when i get to around 75-80 MPH for 15 seconds, and then you start to hear that high pitched turbine, rotating-like sound.


Now, i took it back to the same shop today, telling them about this, but when they inspected it, they told me it was just tire noise, but i dont even think they got to a high enough speed to hear it, since there isnt a highway close to their business. I also researched the sound, some people say it could be wheel bearings, or ball bearings, whatever you call them... I told the guy at the shop that maybe it was the wheel bearings, and he said they checked them, saying they looked good. He told me that everything else looked pretty good from what they could see.


Now here is the tricky part, i think i recall hearing the noise before i even got the alignment, like when i was driving on the highway to go take the 4runner in to the shop for the alignment. I did work on my vehichle a little before taking it for the alignment. I did take off the left two wheels, to put on wheel spacers to see if i liked the look better or worse with them on, as i compared them to the wheels on the left side. I also, took off my rear tires to trim the rear mudflap. Each time i reinstalled the tires and torqued the lug nuts pretty good.

Another thing i did, was i put quite a bit of synthetic grease into both of my drive shafts, because i was trying to fix a clunking noise when i came to a stop, and then let off the brake to excelerate again.



BUT BASICALLY, thats my problem, this super loud noise that i cannot stand, the mechanics at the shop telling me its just tire noise when i know its not, and i really want to fix it!

PLEASE HELP WITH YOUR ADVICE! PLEASE COMMENT BELOW or even if you want to help me more, text 970-270-7699

THANKS!

 

[Phpate]

On the possibility of it being a bad wheel bearing, I did everything I could to verify a bad bearing minus removing it and the only way I could identify it being bad was when I would take higher spend bends in the roads. On a sweeping left turn the sound would go away and on sweeping right hand turns it would still be present. Even when I took the bearing off, I could only feel a slight grind. I wouldn't have noticed it if I didn't have a brand new one on hand to compare.
As far as sound, I didn't really have one other than it sounded like almost exactly like tire tread but I could distinguish it. I also could feel a vibration in the steering that I knew shouldn't be there.

 

[bassmacka]

wheel bearing

 

[Jordanbiird]

wheel bearing

If it is a wheel bearing, was it fault of the guys who did the alignment, or do wheel bearings just break every now and then?

 

[Rodtheviking]

Still have your old wheels and tires? Slap those back on and go for a spin. Skid plate on or off? My guess would be wind noise threw the fender liners/suspension now that you have lifted it and but meats on?

The only way they check a wheel bearing is by giving the hub and wheel a shake, if its tight up and down, its "good". They only way to truly check them is to remove them. Its possible the new wheel off set and suspension speed up an already marginal wheel bearing.

 

[montijo505]

If it is a wheel bearing, was it fault of the guys who did the alignment, or do wheel bearings just break every now and then?

They just wear out, common issue on this platform including similar model year Tacoma’s. Maybe the added weight of the wheels and larger/heavier tires aggravated a bearing already on its way out. Luckily, they’re easy to replace. They’re $330 shipped from a guy over on tacomawold.com, his username is 05taco4x4. Search it and the thread will come up. He includes new axle nut, cotter pins and seals. Great customer service too. If you’re mechanically inclined at all, you can swap them out yourself. If not, any shop can do it.


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[flsurf]

I have the same thing happening with mine. And the only thing that I can think that I can trace back to before it started was when I also pumped quite a bit of synthetic grease into both of my driveshafts and all the zerks. I lifted the rear end today to check for play in the wheel bearings but they were solid.

Im just bought all the parts for the 5th gen brake upgrade and I also got a pair of pre-assembled front bearing hub assemblys from 05Taco4x4 on TW that ill be doing when I do the brakes. I dont see how this noise could be coming from bad or possibly seized brakes and Im doing the front bearings preventively (I think, no major signs). Could this possibly be bad ujoints?

 

[Seymore Butts]

Yes, they do wear out. They'll wear out sooner if you have spacers or wheels with an offset different from the OEM spec.

 

[rwvw415]

Wheel Bearing.

I just replaced both front bearings and the noise went away.

 

[Jordanbiird]

They just wear out, common issue on this platform including similar model year Tacoma’s. Maybe the added weight of the wheels and larger/heavier tires aggravated a bearing already on its way out. Luckily, they’re easy to replace. They’re $330 shipped from a guy over on tacomawold.com, his username is 05taco4x4. Search it and the thread will come up. He includes new axle nut, cotter pins and seals. Great customer service too. If you’re mechanically inclined at all, you can swap them out yourself. If not, any shop can do it.


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Thanks for the info, and is it 330$ per each wheel? or all 4?

Because im not sure which wheel it is, but i want to say its one of the rear ones.

And why would the mechanics tell me that the wheel bearings where okay, or in their own words (Everything checked out good), like i asked the guy at the shop if it could have been the wheel bearings and he said he checked them...

should i believe him, or do you think they actually didnt check?

Also, how long can i last with a bad wheel bearing before replacing it, because i am very low on cash atm.... All advice would help significantly, thanks so much!

 

[Jordanbiird]

Wheel Bearing.

I just replaced both front bearings and the noise went away.

Was the sound very similar to the sound i was experiencing? Thanks.

 

[montijo505]

Thanks for the info, and is it 330$ per each wheel? or all 4?

Because im not sure which wheel it is, but i want to say its one of the rear ones.

And why would the mechanics tell me that the wheel bearings where okay, or in their own words (Everything checked out good), like i asked the guy at the shop if it could have been the wheel bearings and he said he checked them...

should i believe him, or do you think they actually didnt check?

Also, how long can i last with a bad wheel bearing before replacing it, because i am very low on cash atm.... All advice would help significantly, thanks so much!

It just depends. Easy way to check is jack it up and grab the wheel at 3 and 9 o clock and push on it. It shouldn’t have any play. If it does that means the bearing is bad. You can also turn the wheel and see if you hear the noise you’re hearing on the road slightly. That price is for both fronts shipped. The rears aren’t an issue like the front ones are. It’s also tell tale if you drive and hear the noise, make a turn and it goes away while you’re turning. If you turn left and it goes away, it’s the right. If you turn right and it goes away, it’s the left.

 

[Billynath1988]

I also agree its the wheel bearing. Very common, noone fault.. it just happens on these trucks. A guy on tacoma world is selling ready to bolt in hubs with bearings. pretty easy job with basic tools.

 

[AuSeeker]

You can check your own front wheel bearing by jacking the wheel off the ground and grabbing the tire at the top and bottom and with all your might try to move the tire by pulling the bottom and pushing the top and then alternate the action basically trying to "rock" the tire back and forth as fast as you can, if you feel any play/looseness then the bearings are bad and need to be replaced.

You said that this started after getting an alignment, so if it's the bearings then I would think it would be the front and not the back, the back bearings can't be checked in the same manner since they are solidly connect to the long axle shafts, any play in rear bearings would be in an up and down motion and most of the time but not always you would also have diff fluid leaking on the backside of the wheel/brake area.

The $330 for the bearings he mentioned above is for both of the front bearings/hub assemblies, that price is for 4WD T4Rs, for 2WD the price is a little bit more @ $390 for both front assemblies.

These assemblies are direct bolt on units that should only require basic mechanical tools to remove your old ones and install the new ones, the hard part as follows has been done for you, you can buy the actual basic bearing for much less but you need expensive shop tools to remove/press your hub off of the old bearing and then to press the new bearing back on the hub, if you don't know exactly what you're doing you can screw this process up and have to at the very least do it all over again, and the worst case you may have to buy a new bearing if you damage the new one using the hydraulic press.

Here's a link to the TW member's topic who sells these.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/wheel-bearings-hubs-4x4-prerunner-165-ea.537080/

 

[Jordanbiird]

You can check your own front wheel bearing by jacking the wheel off the ground and grabbing the tire at the top and bottom and with all your might try to move the tire by pulling the bottom and pushing the top and then alternate the action basically trying to "rock" the tire back and forth as fast as you can, if you feel any play/looseness then the bearings are bad and need to be replaced.

You said that this started after getting an alignment, so if it's the bearings then I would think it would be the front and not the back, the back bearings can't be checked in the same manner since they are solidly connect to the long axle shafts, any play in rear bearings would be in an up and down motion and most of the time but not always you would also have diff fluid leaking on the backside of the wheel/brake area.

The $330 for the bearings he mentioned above is for both of the front bearings/hub assemblies, that price is for 4WD T4Rs, for 2WD the price is a little bit more @ $390 for both front assemblies.

These assemblies are direct bolt on units that should only require basic mechanical tools to remove your old ones and install the new ones, the hard part as follows has been done for you, you can buy the actual basic bearing for much less but you need expensive shop tools to remove/press your hub off of the old bearing and then to press the new bearing back on the hub, if you don't know exactly what you're doing you can screw this process up and have to at the very least do it all over again, and the worst case you may have to buy a new bearing if you damage the new one using the hydraulic press.

Here's a link to the TW member's topic who sells these.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/wheel-bearings-hubs-4x4-prerunner-165-ea.537080/

Thanks guys for all the help, i really mean it! i am pretty sure thats the problem i have right now, and i will probly get in contact with that guy on TW.

But just one last follow up question, is it just the front wheels that almost always have the wheel bearing problems, or the rears too? Because i mostly heard the noise in the rear of the vehicle when im going fast on the highway. So could it be one of the rear wheels? Thanks!

 

[Jordanbiird]

Hey, everyone, if you dont mind helping me, im trying to address my rear wheel bearing problem asap, in the cheapest way possible, since i literally am scraping money for college tuition, and i dont want the bearing to be bad for too long. Im thinking about buying 1 off of ebay, and i suprisingly found a few different ones for 25-40$ .But idk if its a bad idea buying non toyota parts for wheel bearings.

Please TEXT ME 970-270-7699, or just respond below or PM ME. i need some help please!

One says it comes with ABS, but im not very smart when it comes to all the wording with auto parts. Can you guys guide me to the correct part, and to make the best decision? I dont want to pay a shop, so i heard i could buy the whole assembly and install it myself with simple tools.

here is the first one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wheel-Hub-...a-03-13-4Runner-FJ-Cruiser-4-Lug/253498919555

2nd: https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Rear-W...r-4Runner-FJ-Cruiser-Lexus-w-ABS/160949013492

 

[TowMeOut]

Not sure about the prices on the bearings but this isn't something you want to do multiple times. I'd stick with OEM or at least some brand name stuff (Koyo, Timken, etc.). The rear parts are "cheap" by comparison but the labor involved is pretty hefty. Check out this writeup:

Toyota Maintenance: Replacing Rear Wheel Bearings and Seals

If this is outside of your or some of your buddies skillsets you're gonna have to bite the bullet and take it somewhere.

Good Luck

 

[Seymore Butts]

Don't cheap out on the bearing. I'd get a quality one from Whistler Bearings in Denver. That way you'll know it's not an eBay counterfeit. Also try KQL autoparts in Denver. You can get a used OEM assembly at a very low price.

How did you confirm that you have a bad bearing or are you guessing?

 

[cloud]

17x9 with a +12mm offset?? Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea? How wide are those tires? +12 offset would push them closer to your upper control arms than factory wheels.

For reference, I'm probably going to run 17x9 with -38mm offset to fit 35x12.50's and eliminate the need for wheel spacers. That would push the wheels away from the truck by about 2 inches if I remember correctly.

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[4RunnerIdiot]

Sounds like a wheel bearing, but I also had some crazy loud sound coming from the rear of my 4Runner that sounded like it was linked to my speed and like something was rotating, and it ended up being the heat shield above the cat being loose and vibrating like crazy. At least worth checking before going down the wheel bearing road.