Pulsing/droning vibration at highway speeds (3 Viewers)

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I am happy to report the vibration was cured by replacing the rear prop shaft.
Awesome to hear... Give us a follow up report in a few weeks!
 
Awesome to hear... Give us a follow up report in a few weeks!
Will do. I am hoping to head out for a day of mild wheeling this Sunday
 
Aaaaaand I'm back. I've managed to get my driveline vibe basically eliminated - as @abuck99 suggested, I shortened the lower links to minimum, and that seems to have mostly sorted my u-joint vibes. It has not, however, done anything for my cyclic highway vibration. Just to recap -
  • U-joint/driveline alignment vibration - mostly constant high-pitch buzzing, accentuated by heavy acceleration or deceleration, anything that increases the loads on the driveline. I induced this type of vibration on thing on my quest to eliminate my other vibration, but have dialed it back out with my adjustable lower links.
  • ???/other vibration, similar to wheel balance or worn shocks: cyclical vibration that comes and goes in 10 second (ish) cycles when cruising between 70 and 80 mph. Feels like a wheel balance thing, but have had them repeatedly balanced and rotated and never changes. Not super intrusive but noticeable, sometimes more so than others.
List of replaced parts:
  • Front CVs and drive flanges
  • Front wheel bearings
  • Front and rear prop shafts (and re-balanced rear)
  • Brake rotors all around
  • Two new calipers to replace sticky ones - one front, one rear
Related modifications/parts:
  • AHC lift with AHC spacers
  • King rear AHC springs
  • Cranked T-bars
  • 33" All-terrain tires
  • Rear poly spring spacers
  • AHC has been flushed/bled/is in spec pressure front/rear

So, that's where I'm at. So far I've just had to live with it, but it's annoying that even my old rust-bucket tacoma doesn't have a highway vibration like my 100 does.

I guess a few more questions:
  • Does anyone have a frame weight I can borrow/have/buy to test that? I've definitely not got one on my frame. I can post in the classifieds I suppose.
  • Maybe an axle bearing problem?
  • Engine/trans mounts? The vibration feels slow, tho, like wheels, not like engine or driveline. Trans mount looks fine but is also really easy to replace.
  • ????
 
Aaaaaand I'm back. I've managed to get my driveline vibe basically eliminated - as @abuck99 suggested, I shortened the lower links to minimum, and that seems to have mostly sorted my u-joint vibes. It has not, however, done anything for my cyclic highway vibration. Just to recap -
  • U-joint/driveline alignment vibration - mostly constant high-pitch buzzing, accentuated by heavy acceleration or deceleration, anything that increases the loads on the driveline. I induced this type of vibration on thing on my quest to eliminate my other vibration, but have dialed it back out with my adjustable lower links.
  • ???/other vibration, similar to wheel balance or worn shocks: cyclical vibration that comes and goes in 10 second (ish) cycles when cruising between 70 and 80 mph. Feels like a wheel balance thing, but have had them repeatedly balanced and rotated and never changes. Not super intrusive but noticeable, sometimes more so than others.
List of replaced parts:
  • Front CVs and drive flanges
  • Front wheel bearings
  • Front and rear prop shafts (and re-balanced rear)
  • Brake rotors all around
  • Two new calipers to replace sticky ones - one front, one rear
Related modifications/parts:
  • AHC lift with AHC spacers
  • King rear AHC springs
  • Cranked T-bars
  • 33" All-terrain tires
  • Rear poly spring spacers
  • AHC has been flushed/bled/is in spec pressure front/rear

So, that's where I'm at. So far I've just had to live with it, but it's annoying that even my old rust-bucket tacoma doesn't have a highway vibration like my 100 does.

I guess a few more questions:
  • Does anyone have a frame weight I can borrow/have/buy to test that? I've definitely not got one on my frame. I can post in the classifieds I suppose.
  • Maybe an axle bearing problem?
  • Engine/trans mounts? The vibration feels slow, tho, like wheels, not like engine or driveline. Trans mount looks fine but is also really easy to replace.
  • ????
Even before I finished reading the whole post (which by the way was excellent in laying out the details!) I started typing up that you might need the "flux capacitor"/ frame weight thingy.

One other thing you could try (please be safe and not try it going up hill or when other traffic is on the road or when you have passengers, etc. etc.) - going at a speed where you feel these vibrations - shift into neutral - that would remove driving force from the drivetrain and see if the vibrations are still there.

If you had access to a closed circuit long straight stretch I would even recommend going into neutral and turning the engine off (but keeping the ignition at position 1 to avoid steering lock) and see if that eliminates the vibrations. But I don't think it would be safe on public roads.
 
Even before I finished reading the whole post (which by the way was excellent in laying out the details!) I started typing up that you might need the "flux capacitor"/ frame weight thingy.

One other thing you could try (please be safe and not try it going up hill or when other traffic is on the road or when you have passengers, etc. etc.) - going at a speed where you feel these vibrations - shift into neutral - that would remove driving force from the drivetrain and see if the vibrations are still there.

If you had access to a closed circuit long straight stretch I would even recommend going into neutral and turning the engine off (but keeping the ignition at position 1 to avoid steering lock) and see if that eliminates the vibrations. But I don't think it would be safe on public roads.

Actually, I did mean to do the neutral thing recently but forgot. I'm hoping to get ahold of someone's old flux capacitor just to eliminate that as a possible cause, but I don't think that's the issue. Based on the troubleshooting page, it points to Tire/Wheel Lateral Runout, but I have nothing to measure that, and can see the wheels are at least straight enough to the naked eye during balancing though that's hardly scientific.

I will eventually get this solved I'm sure, but I'm starting to think it'll be by accident one day rather than intention!
 
Watching.
 
I’m still convinced it’s pinion angle related. Either t case output bearing, diff input bearing, or rear trailing arm bushings being worn enough to allow for angle change under load.
 
My 03 with 200K is new to me, but I just noticed a vibration/resonance issue. Comes on at about 70mph, and will fade at higher or lower speeds.

The sound emanates from the DS floorboard transmission tunnel, and has a metallic buzz. Not a vibration in the driveline- no shaking or wobbling, more like a badly played brass instrument is under the floor.

Truck is lifted with OME rear springs and a few turns on the torsion bars up front. New shocks and lower control arms. 18" tundra wheels with 285/75R18 BFG AT's and Slee Rock sliders. Flux capacitor not present. Recently serviced front bearings.

Based on what I've read here and in other 100 forum posts, there are at least 2 main different classes of issues people have with the generic term "vibration".
1)Drive shaft/hubs/wheels
2) Transmission mounts.

I think my issue is in the transmission mounts.
 
So for me I had a vibration that started at about 50-55mph and would fade away around 70mph. This was something that could be gotten around by accelerating slowly in that range. After greasing the driveshafts a few times the vibration did not got away which pointed me to the hub flanges and axles.
Since I did have the tell tale P-R-D clunk I knew that my Diff bushings were part of it.
When the Diff bushings were replaced (just main, front) and the clunk and vibration only slight lessened I moved to the axles.
I did such last weekend with OEM axles, new seals, new flanges and repacked everything and brought up to spec.
The cheap LAPS axles that were on there ended up being Tripod style instead of the RZEPPA 6-ball type. When the new OEM were installed the vibration is now 100% gone!!!
So if you have aftermarket axles on your truck they may be the culprit.
 
snap ring for rear joint list. Could be same as front But I didn't' check. year of 100 from 8/2002 to 2007 is the same so year doesn't matter. Might want to check pre 2002, I didn't.

DOn't know how I'd have enough of these to mix and match a proper install. maybe guess 4 sets of 4 clips of 4 sizes.
I'm also working on a growl at 70mph under load that vanishes unloaded. New joints 1.5 years ago OEM. But didn't realize the snap ring importance.

Easy version, in order. unlike parts pages.

9052025039RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.29,MARK 1
8​
9052025040RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.31,MARK 2
8​
9052025041RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.33,NO MARK
8​
9052025042RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.35,BROWN
8​
9052025043RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.37,BLUE
8​
9052025044RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.39,MARK 6
8​
9052025045RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.41,MARK 7
8​
9052025046RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.43,MARK 8
8​
9052025047RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.45,MARK 9
8​
9052025048RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.47,MARK 10
8​
9052025049RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.49,MARK A
8​
9052025050RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.51,MARK B
8​
9052025051RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.53,MARK C
8​
9052025052RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.55,MARK D
8​
9052025053RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.57,MARK E
8​
9052025054RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.19,MARK D
8​
9052025055RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.21,MARK E
8​
9052025056RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.23,MARK F
8​
9052025057RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.25,MARK G
8​
9052025058RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.27,MARK H
8​
 

Attachments

  • rear u joint snap rings.pdf
    60 KB · Views: 117
snap ring for rear joint list. Could be same as front But I didn't' check. year of 100 from 8/2002 to 2007 is the same so year doesn't matter. Might want to check pre 2002, I didn't.

DOn't know how I'd have enough of these to mix and match a proper install. maybe guess 4 sets of 4 clips of 4 sizes.
I'm also working on a growl at 70mph under load that vanishes unloaded. New joints 1.5 years ago OEM. But didn't realize the snap ring importance.

Easy version, in order. unlike parts pages.

9052025039RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.29,MARK 1
8​
9052025040RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.31,MARK 2
8​
9052025041RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.33,NO MARK
8​
9052025042RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.35,BROWN
8​
9052025043RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.37,BLUE
8​
9052025044RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.39,MARK 6
8​
9052025045RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.41,MARK 7
8​
9052025046RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.43,MARK 8
8​
9052025047RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.45,MARK 9
8​
9052025048RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.47,MARK 10
8​
9052025049RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.49,MARK A
8​
9052025050RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.51,MARK B
8​
9052025051RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.53,MARK C
8​
9052025052RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.55,MARK D
8​
9052025053RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.57,MARK E
8​
9052025054RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.19,MARK D
8​
9052025055RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.21,MARK E
8​
9052025056RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.23,MARK F
8​
9052025057RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.25,MARK G
8​
9052025058RING, SNAP (FOR REAR PROPELLER SHAFT JOINT SPIDER BEARING)UZJ100 T=2.27,MARK H
8​
See I thought the same thing: u-joints. I was also concerned about the teeth in the split joint being worn and allowing some play so I ordered a new driveshaft from the dealer: new joints already installed. No difference.
 
I'm having this vibration, had it stock have it lifted, 3 different sets of wheels tires, 4.88s new arb difs and new rear prop shaft. It doesn't go away with drive shafts removed but does change slightly. Im pointing at my tcase I bought the truck used and someone had split the case prior im guessing the output shaft was not properly indexed when reassembled to the center differential. At some point, hopefully soon I'll be installing some low range gears and all the bearings. I will inspect the case for something damaged maybe the case leaking and wore something out (like planetary gear set) before being resealed, my syptoms match a worn viscous coupler to the T...

Anyone else having this issue that has had their case opened?

My next tool purchase will be chassis ears :flush:
 
Joining the struggle here...done a lot of diagnosis...hopefully can nail down next steps
I have a 2003 100 series (IFS of course..) with 230k, lifted with front diff drop, armor all around (6k lb rig) and droning noise starting at 35 mph and then severe body / frame vibrations at 70mph (road speed) / 63 mph (speedo speed). I have 34 inch Toyo Open Country tires with good tread left, but they make buzz sounds at low velocity ...and the steering wheel does not vibrate but ARB bumper flops around and the whole driveline goes nuts!! Driving about 70mph is very unpleasant

Expanded situation. I can't remember when this all started. Maybe 15k miles ago...no events associated that I know off. Recent front pads, lower ball joints, UCA upgrade to SPC to get some more lift / travel, and repacked the front wheel bearings (they looked good...so didn't replace them). I had to torque more than spec to get to 9-15 lb range on fish scale....heard this was okay...assured correct hub flange to C-clip gap as well...all right.

What I have done:
1) standard wheel balance (road force balance is an option still...)
2) inspected engine and tranny mounts. Good
3) drove without rear d-shaft. Still shakes. Pinion angles within .4 degrees (good)
4) drove without front d-shaft. Still shakes. Pinion angles with 1.5 degrees (this is strange....thought it would be dead on....)
5) replaced front right axle with new Toyota spare. No change
6) drove without front d-shaft and front axle hubs removed (axles not connected to wheels). Still vibrations.
7) d-shaft u-joints and slip joints seem okay...

Conclusion:. Cannot isolate by removing driveline components...it is always there. Therefore could be (in order by $$):
1) tranny mount is bad...(replace)
2) tires are bad (check with road force balance)
3) axle bearings are bad??
4) front and rear d-shaft s are bad ($700!!)

Thanks all!
 
Feel it in steering wheel? Seat?
Floorboard?

Start with the tires- ideally if you could swap out to another set of A/T already mounted to test back to back.

Toyo open country MT: how many miles on the tires? Regularly rotated 3-5k interval?

Fwiw fantastic tire offroad- but once these tires are cupped- they ride like absolute shyte -especially low speed- dont balance well- and transmit heaps of vibrations. This was my experience on my FJC.
 
If you have sliders, make sure the mounting brackets aren't touching the floorboard, if they are, loosen them and lower them a little. Also, did you have to remove the flux capacitor when you installed your skids? If so, put it back if your able to to see if that helps.
 
Feel it in steering wheel? Seat?
Floorboard?

Start with the tires- ideally if you could swap out to another set of A/T already mounted to test back to back.

Toyo open country MT: how many miles on the tires? Regularly rotated 3-5k interval?

Fwiw fantastic tire offroad- but once these tires are cupped- they ride like absolute shyte -especially low speed- dont balance well- and transmit heaps of vibrations. This was my experience on my FJC.

Feel it in the body / drivetrain. Steering wheel is unaffected...I know, strange. I am running Open Country AT II. They have been rotated every 10k miles (5 tire rotation...). They have about 40k or so on them and still has lots of tread. But they whine at low speeds...as if the fibers inside are talking to me.
I do have a friend with a tundra...could swap tires and see what happens.
Cold mornings feels like flat spots on tires...they could be part of the problem
 
I was thinking you were running the M/T- the A/T II outer tread block wont cup and vibe the truck like the M/T
 
If you have sliders, make sure the mounting brackets aren't touching the floorboard, if they are, loosen them and lower them a little. Also, did you have to remove the flux capacitor when you installed your skids? If so, put it back if your able to to see if that helps.
Metal Tech bolt on sliders are solid and no contact with frame or body. No flux capacitor either....I guess that was removed many moons ago. How heavy is it? With all of the other weight added to the truck, curious how that would play into it. I need some of my dynamic modeling bubba's at work to develop an ANSYS model for our trucks! I will inquire!!
 
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