Vibration, Vibration, Vibration...

So...
Bought my 2018 TRD premium brand new with like 4 miles on it. Everything was fine up until about 3 months ago. I have 18k on it and has its sched. maint. done by Toyota. It's in between oil changes done by me. (Been A mechanic for 25 years.) So every 5000 miles its on a lift. I started getting a brake vibration only when they were hot and at highway speed. Now i consider myself pretty damn good at diag with chassis and braking issues, so i identified pulsation in front and rear. Also verified on my lift. But balance all 4 hoops anyway. stock bridgestones on premium wheels. Being that it is still under warranty, My local dealership checked it out. Nothing wrong they said. I asked if they drove how i explained. No. So I asked again. Get the brakes hot, step on the brakes at 50 or above. its obvious. Get a phone call back, no problems, tech checked the run out of the rotors. nothing wrong but found a drive line vibration. Well whats the drive line vibration? no idea we were checking the brakes. So, at this point i needed the truck to get back to work so i said thanks for nothing see ya. next week, it goes to another dealer. they replace the front pads and rotors free, test drive it for... wait for it... 107 miles. Call me and tell me its fixed. Front brakes feel fine. rear vibration still there, now its getting worse and it vibrates all the time. really bad at 65. Also i very slight turn right or left at highway speed you can feel a vibration in steering wheel increase. bad enough to rattle the chips in my lunch bag. My gut us telling my a cv joint is binding in one of the front axles. I haven't even had a chance to take it off road yet. Long post I know,but has anyone else had a similar issue?

 

What is a TRD premium? Not familiar with that model

 

I'm sure he means TRD OR Premium.

 

Are you getting vibes only when you press the brakes or is it happening at around 65mph under acceleration too?

 

Torque the lug nuts to 85 ft lbs. Get the tires road force balanced. After that, keep taking it back to the dealer until they fix it.

 

So is this happening only while you're braking? If so, it wouldn't be a wheel balance or CV joint issue.

 

A TRD Off Road premium is a below a pro, but above all else basically. without bisteins, aluminum skid plate and grill. But with kdss suspension, instead. All else is the same. I chose literally because I wanted a sunroof and Barcelona red. And didn’t want black wheels lol.
No. Not just while braking, they already replaced the front pads and rotors under warranty. Drove it a hundred miles and said it was fine. Which it’s not. And getting worse. Which is kind of a dood thing. Also, lugs are always hand torqued, and tires have Been balanced with a hunter Shark Road force machine. That’s why it’s so bizarre. I’m used to complaints like this but I’m at a loss. And if I have to fix it, why did I buy new with a warranty? Sorry if that sounds douchy. I work on cars and trucks all day, I don’t want to have to worry about my own new one

 

Thank you all for replying by the way.

 

Warranty return/work.

 

yeah tell me about it...

 

Does it vibrate when you engage 4wheel drive?

 

Try this first. If it stops vibrating in 4wd then it's a needle bearing.

If it still does it, try increasing tire pressure. The stock tires are notorious for creating vibes.

I had vibrations at 60mph and finally got rid of them with new tires.

 

tough to say. I don't really like to run 4x4 on dry pavement at highway speed. Not that it is major issue with a cv front end and open diff for a test. Nimby, which needle bearing would you be referring too? in the auto hub, the u joints, the transfer case input shaft planetary, the transfer case intermediate shaft? There's quite a few in the drive line so that is why I'm asking. Again. thanks for the responses. I will test and let you all know.

 

It's the needle bearing on the left side of the front diff.

If you're driving in a straight line, you won't have an issue switching into 4 high to see if the vibes go away in 4wd.

This is the TSB. The TSB describes it as a noise, however, a lot of Tacoma and 4Runners who have experienced this problem describe it as a vibration.

 

https://eastcoastgearsupply.com/i-8536125-toyota-8-clamshell-bushing-eliminates-needle-bearing.html

 

And it's not to say the needle bearing is your issue. Just something to test.

 

It’s been a huge bitch with Tacoma owners for years. If you do anything over a 2” lift you will probably have issues, some folks don’t even do a lift and they have issues. East Coast Gear Supply has probably made a mint off of Toyota owners. I had to put their stuff in my Tacoma, good thing they make a quality product.

 

Sorry about the long wait on the reply. Been busy rebuilding a 996 engine and refreshing a 928s. Long days. Doesnt go away with 4x4 Nimby. And I noticed that it seams to bind on fairly easy turns in 4x4. No im no stranger to axle bind. Ive had lockers, straight axle trucks, ifs trucks, and the like. but this seems excessive for new axles, and ifs. Especially with none of the "off road" stuff engaged other than the t case being in 4high. in any event, I have a call in to toyota care. Factory rep supposed to be coming out. We'll see... I may not repost untill i get back from vacation but thatnks as always for the great responses. Tough to find a forum without a bunch of know-it-all a holes. Just go on Rennlist lol.

 

996 convertible is on my radar in a few years. I hope they stay affordable

 

Just got 2017 back from the dealer. Tried to load balance 8, yes 8 sets of tires. All failed to balance. Still under warranty, vibration issues. Not only failed to balance the 8 sets, but also gave me a $1000 bill for their trouble