Clattering When Cold

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Joined
Oct 2, 2016
Threads
13
Messages
117
Location
Tennessee
It was very nice weather this morning so I rolled the windows down before setting off, the noise is still there. It only does it after it has sat overnight, and only when in gear but sitting still, this odd clatter from the front left. The sound reminds me of the sound a tractors PTO shaft makes when engaged without anything attached...a takka-takka-takka sort of sound. My CV shafts are a year old, the diff fluid was changed several months ago, and the noise goes away after I make it to the end of the street only to return the next morning. No other odd noises, no leaks, and no signs of obvious damage. Am I alone on this one? Sorry if this is a bit...sporadic...typing it up on my phone with a two-year-old jumping on me!
 
Check your skid plate bolts. My Tacoma had this problem and it turned out one of the skid plate bolts had sheared off, causing the skid plate to bang on the frame when I'd put the transmission in gear with my foot on the brake. The noise was worse the colder the outside temp was.
 
I crawled under the GX this weekend to grease my driveshaft and change my t-case fluid. All the bolts are in my skid plate, its stock and that thin metal is a bit...floppy. I rotated the tires since it was overdue and gave everything a good once over. Nothing broken, loose, or visibly damaged. Grabbed the wheels while it was still on jack stands and there is no noise or movement like a bad wheel bearing.

Feeling stumped, I did a quick search for piston slap. Sure enough, found some videos on YouTube of Tundras with the sound I was trying to describe. I don't know whether to be happy I now know what it is, or frustrated that it is happening!
 
I crawled under the GX this weekend to grease my driveshaft and change my t-case fluid. All the bolts are in my skid plate, its stock and that thin metal is a bit...floppy. I rotated the tires since it was overdue and gave everything a good once over. Nothing broken, loose, or visibly damaged. Grabbed the wheels while it was still on jack stands and there is no noise or movement like a bad wheel bearing.

Feeling stumped, I did a quick search for piston slap. Sure enough, found some videos on YouTube of Tundras with the sound I was trying to describe. I don't know whether to be happy I now know what it is, or frustrated that it is happening!

Hmm, does the noise sound like this (listen in at the 13 sec mark)? I have something similar with mine on cold mornings when the engine is revved up briefly like I when I go into reverse. I had read about piston slap before but didn't want to believe that it was it- could you provide a link to the videos you mentioned? Thanks.
 
That clip you linked is what mine sounds like inside the truck. I happened to notice one morning when I had the windows down and it was much louder on the outside. It only occurs in gear, it stops after a minute at most, and I can only reproduce the noise when it has sat overnight. This is the video that I found which sounds most like the noise I hear outside the vehicle:
 

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