LinuxHack3r
New member
I guess what I'm really asking is...will I need to replace any axle gasket/seal on each side after pulling the axles out a bit and then back in?
Wheel Bearing? - (No Longer) A Rear Differential Issue
- Thread starter LinuxHack3r
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montijo505
Senior Member
As long as they’re not leaking, you should be fine to just put it back together.
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LinuxHack3r
New member
Touché to anyone that expressed doubt that it was the rear differential. I dropped in the 3rd Member from ECGS over the weekend and can report that I believe the noise was 100% unchanged. I learned a lot though and am not as disappointed as I thought I would be in this scenario. I did grease the u-joints that I could get to so it wasn't a complete loss. I'll also note that while I doubt the fluid had been changed anytime recent, there weren't excessive shavings or anything.
I do have the following update regarding the swap itself. Anyone with any technical skill at all could typically do that swap. That said...what should have been a three hour job took closer to six. Between my father and myself, I bet we tried 20 times to seat the new 3rd into the housing (and failed each time). At some point we got fed-up and removed the sway bar. I was able to at that point successfully seat the 3rd in on the first try. I think that bar might actually be bent a little, which makes me wonder how it was bent in the first place. It was essentially blocking the 3rd just a small amount towards the top, and I kept trying to sorta "go under the bar with the top of the 3rd's upper flange lip and then seat it" but it kept binding every time.
Regarding the noise, I have three current working theories.
So, if it ends up being a wheel bearing, I'm extremely disappointed in that shop I took it to. I stopped by there during lunch and explained the situation. He told me to come back later this week when the owner is there. So I'll be back. I don't expect this to go anywhere but we will see.
I'm wondering if it is a wind noise. A few months ago one of the roof rack covers must have fallen off somewhere because it is no longer there. I'm curious to see if this whole thing has been wind simply singing or causing vibration up top. I have plans to either borrow a cover from a buddy or try my hand at some duck-tape to smooth things out to see if the noise changes at all.
I have no experience with ECGS. It seems most people like them a lot. It it possible that the replacement just makes the same noise as the other one? On that note, I've started rather paying attention to other vehicles I drive and wonder if it isn't to some extent standard noise anyways? There is a Jeep at work with 50,000 miles on it and I'm not entirely sure it sounds much different.
I'm going to keep looking. The next place is to put it on jack-stands in the rear and see if we can determine anything. That honestly should have been one of the first things I did, obviously, but since I had a local shop diagnose it I really assumed they were correct.
I do have the following update regarding the swap itself. Anyone with any technical skill at all could typically do that swap. That said...what should have been a three hour job took closer to six. Between my father and myself, I bet we tried 20 times to seat the new 3rd into the housing (and failed each time). At some point we got fed-up and removed the sway bar. I was able to at that point successfully seat the 3rd in on the first try. I think that bar might actually be bent a little, which makes me wonder how it was bent in the first place. It was essentially blocking the 3rd just a small amount towards the top, and I kept trying to sorta "go under the bar with the top of the 3rd's upper flange lip and then seat it" but it kept binding every time.
Regarding the noise, I have three current working theories.
- Wheel Bearing (either left or right on rear, probably rear but may be front.)
- Wind Noise
- ECGS 3rd Makes the Same Noise
\
So, if it ends up being a wheel bearing, I'm extremely disappointed in that shop I took it to. I stopped by there during lunch and explained the situation. He told me to come back later this week when the owner is there. So I'll be back. I don't expect this to go anywhere but we will see.
I'm wondering if it is a wind noise. A few months ago one of the roof rack covers must have fallen off somewhere because it is no longer there. I'm curious to see if this whole thing has been wind simply singing or causing vibration up top. I have plans to either borrow a cover from a buddy or try my hand at some duck-tape to smooth things out to see if the noise changes at all.
I have no experience with ECGS. It seems most people like them a lot. It it possible that the replacement just makes the same noise as the other one? On that note, I've started rather paying attention to other vehicles I drive and wonder if it isn't to some extent standard noise anyways? There is a Jeep at work with 50,000 miles on it and I'm not entirely sure it sounds much different.
I'm going to keep looking. The next place is to put it on jack-stands in the rear and see if we can determine anything. That honestly should have been one of the first things I did, obviously, but since I had a local shop diagnose it I really assumed they were correct.
LinuxHack3r
New member
On a side-note to the above, does anyone think it would be worth taking it to the local Toyota dealership?
Wheel bearings should be easy to eliminate, does the noise change/stop when you're turning?
Warwicke36
New member
I mean you didn't seem to think there was an issue to begin with which leads me to believe any present noise hasn't noticeably changed during your ownership. We don't know how they did their diagnostics... Do you have anything other than highway tread tires on it? Are the tires perhaps cupped at all? Either of those scenarios could produce a wheel bearing like noise which wouldn't change while turning. IMO/IME I wouldn't have jumped to the most expensive repair first without being 100% sure that was the issue. Not blaming you in any way... but if a shop is going to say a diff is bad I am going to want to know what they did to verify it.
CookieRoe
Senior Member
I have a "hum" when driving and appears to be worse when it is cold. I've read countless threads on the same "problem" and 9/10 it was a wheel bearing. Many suspected the rear differential and some even the front (those of us with 4x4). Anyway, the wheel bearings don't have to be loose on our rigs to sound like they are bad. Hope this helps. Good luck.
ps: I still have the noise, Toyota has told me twice now that the wheel bearings are fine.......... so I dunno................
ps: I still have the noise, Toyota has told me twice now that the wheel bearings are fine.......... so I dunno................
This would have been the cheapest fix - why did you start here to eliminate this as a possibility?
LinuxHack3r
New member
No, I don't believe so. At least, at 30-40 mph, if I turn going around a curve it does not seem to change at all really.
LinuxHack3r
New member
I had a set of very worn (overworn, really) Michelin Latitude tires. I knew of a noise, but figured it was brake or tire related. I knew I had plans to fix both of those issues so never worried too much about it. I did the brakes (calipers, pads, rotors) and then immediately took it for Michelin Defenders. It was at that tireshop they mentioned to me that they thought I had a bearing going out based solely on drive noise. That's what lead me to the mechanic shop.
I know I could have and should have spent a little more time diagnosing the issue myself, but as stated previously I've had good experiences in the past and had little reason to not trust this shop for this diagnosis.
LinuxHack3r
New member
Well, because it never crossed my mind as a potential culprit until yesterday when I was thinking "what on earth could it be" and it randomly crossed my mind.
LinuxHack3r
New member
Oh, and regarding the tires being cupped, I bet I have less than 50 miles total on them. Now...I would be curious as well whether a complete alignment may change things a bit.
LinuxHack3r
New member
And I knew $700 for the 3rd wasn't cheap, but I was happy it wasn't the $3,000 quoted to me by the shop and if it fixed the issue I was very happy to pay it. I was more worried about fixing the issue quickly than a few hundred. I don't deny that this likely cost me unnecessary money in parts.
Warwicke36
New member
Again, my comment wasn't meant to mean you did anything wrong. More sympathy for your troubles. As an ASE cert tech it burns me up a bit that a shop would recommend a 3k diff without being damn sure it needed it. Unfortunately the way it played out you took them at their word but since they didnt do the work you're left with no recourse. Just a bummer. Hope you get it sorted easily from here on out. Cheers
LinuxHack3r
New member
Ha! Well they are also ASE certified and theoretically should be trustworthy for a $90.00 diagnosis.
Warwicke36
New member
And in practice it appears they were not
montijo505
Senior Member
Is your 4Runner 4wd? If so, does the noise change or go away when put in 4hi?
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
LinuxHack3r
New member
4WD. I've tested in 4 Hi and it does not change. My method was to go on country road, set cruise to 30 MPH (confirming that I could here the noise), and then engaged 4 Hi. The noise did not change in the slightest way.
LinuxHack3r
New member
I dropped it off at NTB for a no-cost diagnosis (I'm just curious what they would say about wheel bearings).
He called me back just now and told me the right rear it making noise, but as he then told me they don't do wheel bearings I'm not entirely sure how much time they spent on it.
I do plan to put it back on stands and see what I can determine.
If I do decide to go for either or both of the rear bearings, what will I need from RockAuto?
He called me back just now and told me the right rear it making noise, but as he then told me they don't do wheel bearings I'm not entirely sure how much time they spent on it.
I do plan to put it back on stands and see what I can determine.
If I do decide to go for either or both of the rear bearings, what will I need from RockAuto?
Drcoffee
Senior Member
One of the basic test for a worn wheel bearing is to drive for 30 minutes, normal around town drive. Park it and get out. Walk around to each wheel and place your hand on the center hub of the wheel (not the plastic part). It should be warm to the touch but not hot. Compare all 4 wheels. If the wheels are not hot, the bearings are probably still good. If one is hotter than the others, its most likely the bad bearing.
Its not impossible to do yourself but you need a press capable of 20 tons. It took 14 tons to remove mine from the axle. But also check around at part stores like CarQuest. Some still do this type of service. I once paid $40 per bearing, well worth the cost. That was a bargain over the $1700 dealer fee.
My wheel bearing write up
Rear Axle leak & bearing replacement | Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum
Its not impossible to do yourself but you need a press capable of 20 tons. It took 14 tons to remove mine from the axle. But also check around at part stores like CarQuest. Some still do this type of service. I once paid $40 per bearing, well worth the cost. That was a bargain over the $1700 dealer fee.
My wheel bearing write up
Rear Axle leak & bearing replacement | Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum
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