Another roaring post but with info for help (1 Viewer)

[smwmustang]

My sons 99 LX had the rear drive shaft ujoint go completely out. It had more than a wobble and prob wasn't safe to drive. I went ahead and had a new shop install front and rear drive shafts since they appeared to be stock.

After picking it up it still had a vibration once you got over 50 and there were no other vibrations prior but it was still better than before.

Fast forward a couple of months and we just had a new a/c compressor put in by my old shop and when looking at the bearings one was completely shot. So we did new bearings and cv axles as the left front was coming apart and I figured that was the roar and vibration. It only happens at 50 above and in town there are no speeds over 45 so it drives fine until 50 and up. Current shop did not drive on interstate so it drove great for them.

My question is could the driveshafts:
1. Been installed wrong
2. Not have been straight or balanced to begin with
3. Would not enough grease attribute to this

And finally what test can I do to maybe eliminate something. Going back to shop when I pick up my 05 highlander that needed an a/c compressor too.

The roar at highway speeds is load and side mirrors vibrate so bad you can see in them. Oh and not shake in Steering wheel so tires appear to be balanced.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Mauser]

I chased a vibration just like that on my 98 Lx470. I checked everything, the wheel bearings were nice and tight. I decided to grease them and found a bad bearing.

 

[Moparsncruisers]

Did the shop install new U-joints or new complete shafts? I installed new joints in the rear on my '06(from Toyota) and had a terrible vibration that wasn't there before. U-joint replacement went without any issues, I've done this more times then can remember...both yokes and shaft marked, everything installed the same as it was from the factory.....vibration at 40, rear view mirror shake at 55/60 and rumble in seat cushion and floor board above 65......ordered and installed a new driveshaft from Toyota, smooth as can be now! No clue what's going on with the original shaft and new joints. From what I've read it could be something to do with the C clips that come with the new joints? There are 15 different thickness clips from Toyota and 13 are obsolete!

 

[smwmustang]

I chased a vibration just like that on my 98 Lx470. I checked everything, the wheel bearings were nice and tight. I decided to grease them and found a bad bearing.

Just greased both sides

 

[smwmustang]

Did the shop install new U-joints or new complete shafts? I installed new joints in the rear on my '06(from Toyota) and had a terrible vibration that wasn't there before. U-joint replacement went without any issues, I've done this more times then can remember...both yokes and shaft marked, everything installed the same as it was from the factory.....vibration at 40, rear view mirror shake at 55/60 and rumble in seat cushion and floor board above 65......ordered and installed a new driveshaft from Toyota, smooth as can be now! No clue what's going on with the original shaft and new joints. From what I've read it could be something to do with the C clips that come with the new joints? There are 15 different thickness clips from Toyota and 13 are obsolete!

My guess is either drive shafts are bad or incorrect install but not sure. It was complete shafts with ujoints

 

[Zuberg]

Could definitely be bad install or imbalanced driveshaft. Just to throw something else in the mix but how old are the rear control arm bushings? If original they're probably shot, at least the upper ones and that can cause vibration under load.

 

[smwmustang]

Could definitely be bad install or imbalanced driveshaft. Just to throw something else in the mix but how old are the rear control arm bushings? If original they're probably shot, at least the upper ones and that can cause vibration under load.

Thanks I will check that out too.

 

[Moparsncruisers]

My guess is either drive shafts are bad or incorrect install but not sure. It was complete shafts with ujoints

Toyota shafts?
You can't install them wrong, they go on either way without an issue. As long as the u-joints are good and the shafts are balanced ot should be fine

 

[elhombre]

Your current shop is suspect. You brought the truck in for a vibration problem at hyway speeds. They work on it. Then don't test their work at hyway speeds?

Start with the basics. Remove each drive shaft and drive it on one with the center diff locked, Find out if the vibration goes away with one or the other driveshafts removed. If no change with a drive shaft removed, then you need to inspect the wheel bearings much more closely. This may mean you have to pull the front apart at the ball joints and get a good look at the brass bushing and needle bearings where the CV shafts come in contact with the front hubs. If these are all good, with the correct sized C-clips at the hub drive flanges, then you need to get more investigative. The next step I would suggest is draining the diff oil and see if you have bearing material floating in it. None there, then check the center diff oil. But I would bet you have have a problem in the front hubs somewhere IF removing driveshafts doesn't make a difference.

 

[smwmustang]

Your current shop is suspect. You brought the truck in for a vibration problem at hyway speeds. They work on it. Then don't test their work at hyway speeds?

Start with the basics. Remove each drive shaft and drive it on one with the center diff locked, Find out if the vibration goes away with one or the other driveshafts removed. If no change with a drive shaft removed, then you need to inspect the wheel bearings much more closely. This may mean you have to pull the front apart at the ball joints and get a good look at the brass bushing and needle bearings where the CV shafts come in contact with the front hubs. If these are all good, with the correct sized C-clips at the hub drive flanges, then you need to get more investigative. The next step I would suggest is draining the diff oil and see if you have bearing material floating in it. None there, then check the center diff oil. But I would bet you have have a problem in the front hubs somewhere IF removing driveshafts doesn't make a difference.

Thanks, I knew there was a way somehow to check with each driveshaft removed but had not searched it yet. Taking truck back as soon as my highlander is ready today or tomorrow and he may know those steps but I wanted to be able to share it with him as I feel the driveshaft/s are the issue still. We just repacked all the bearings but all of this is very helpful so that if one thing does not change it we can have something else to look at. Putting in new cv axles made the front end more tight and responsive but zero change in how it really drove - even though the left front was basically toast.

 

[smwmustang]

Toyota shafts?
You can't install them wrong, they go on either way without an issue. As long as the u-joints are good and the shafts are balanced ot should be fine

I doubt they were Toyota but with almost 250K miles I was not worried so much about it - hindsight is 20/20 I know with non OEM parts but it was undriveable at the time and I ran out of time to try and put new u-joints in myself. It would have been my first time but we were down a car so we needed it drivable again. Shop did not charge me much as they owed me some work so now just need to see if it is something new or not.

 

[smwmustang]

It's is back at my normal shop even though it is a 30 min drive now. After driving again there is no vibration in the steering wheel and still would describe as a roar/vibration in the seat and maybe more in the rear. At 65 its bearable but at 70 its scary so I only tried that once. Kept it around 60 on interstate to be on the safe side. I will update as shop was supposed to drive it yesterday but not sure if they got to or not.

 

[smwmustang]

UPDATE: Shop called and thinks they found the problem so I am going to go drive it and see if it is taken care of. I did go ahead and have front and rear bearings done as well as all front and rear fluids other than oil as it was recently done. Shop did say fluids were low but no metal in any of them at all.

However, he did find that that the rear driveshaft was installed backwards with the collar (that I guess allows the driveshaft to move front and back) on the wrong end that is was supposed to be. I really had a feeling that the driveshaft was the issue but I am out of my league at this point as I have not done this type of work before.

Should be able to test drive it in the a.m. and I will post a follow up. Shop that did the install was highly recommended and maybe it was just a mistake or not being familiar with the cruisers.

 

[smwmustang]

Picked the truck up Sunday afternoon and it is finally fixed. All bearings done at all 4 corners, all fluids changed and driveshaft put back in the way it was supposed to go. My guess it this was the real issue and my mechanic should have listened to me as I really thought it was the driveshaft even though that did not make sense. All the other work needed to be done anyway and he cut me a break since he did not check the driveshaft first. Now for a tire balance and they are obviously out of whack not that the tires have been on and off numerous times and one is missing weights completely.