Driveline Clunk: Found

Hey all, yeah, another Driveline Clunk post but with it comes an answer! I've been chasing squeeks, rattles, and clunks over the last two years of owning my 2006 AC and this was the last one on the list and I'd just about given up and decided to live with it...until yesterday that is!

I got under the truck yesterday to inspect the bird s*it welding work on my replacement cats (yes, a tweaker made off with them a month ago) and while there, brought a pry bar to poke around. I ended up sticking the bar on the Trans cross member just under the Trans mount and I pryed up. BINGO!

If you have a Clunk and you've done everything you can think of, spend the time and check the cross member. 3 of the 4 bolts were slightly loose and creating the noise. While there, I also discovered hairline cracks on the cross member so I need to decide what to do with that.

I've tightened those 4 bolts and the noise is now gone.

Give it a check and look for cracks on yours, get your camera in the bottom holes looking upward and on the topside as well. Passenger side is where my crack is.

 

For 2WD Tundras from '05-'06 and Sequoia from '05-'07, there's a known TSB for said clunk.

2WD owners can click the link in this reply to see Toyota's TSB with the "fix", which is costly, they recommend replacing the crossmember. Other members have just re-torqued the four bolts (if all are still there) with a light thread lock, like Loctite "blue", and it was fine: https://www.tundras.com/threads/u-joint-suggestions.102131/#post-2624452

For 4WD Tundras from '00-'06, similar clunking is often attributed to failure to grease the driveline, specifically the slip yoke.

4WD owners can get a good NLGI 2 grease like

$14 Valvoline VV985 Valvoline Moly-Fortified Gray Full Synthetic Grease 14.1 OZ Cartridge

Valvoline VV985 and read this reply for proper procedure on the slip yoke, then click the link at the top of those instructions to see the FSM diagram showing which zerks to top off: https://www.tundras.com/threads/what-would-you-say-if-i-told-you.71827/#post-1848468

Note for the 4WD folks out there: Read those instructions carefully, the slip yoke is not a "normal" grease point, it'll act like it takes unlimited amounts of grease. Some members have pumped a half a tube in, maybe because they missed the part about jumping on the bumper and popping off the zerk to release excess. Or it's possible theirs had just never been greased!

 

Screencap of TSB showing impacted vehicles:

 

Wow. Okay. Guess I'll in invest in the new cross member and some new hardware. It makes me wonder how long those bolts had been loose with the previous owner..

 

I haven't read the TSB in a while, so I'd review it to confirm it seems like the content applies to your specific issue. If you're not already signed up at the Toyota Owners site ( https://www.toyota.com/owners ), I would also sign up just to confirm no previous owner went in for the TSB to have it solved before spending the ~$200 on the part recommended. For all I know, it could just be you had the TSB work done, but the mechanics didn't torque things to spec and fasteners backed out.

But the fact you're having the issue, and it appears to be 'loose bolt' when the TSB says it's an issue with a "joint" between the mount and crossmember - which could be a piece of substrate or shim or gasket that didn't hold up as intended, disintegrating and leaving the bolts no longer tight for all I know - I'd probably think this TSB deals directly with your issue.

Note the part to repair your V6 is different from a V8 truck. I looked up the V8 part at parts.toyota.com and it was $181. If you have time and want to order with no tax, 25% discount, and free shipping, I think Serra of Decatur in Alabama is having a discounted sale ending today or tomorrow. https://parts.toyotaofdecatur.com/

 

Thanks again for the TSB. Actually I do have a V8 now but my user name was created back when I had an 02 V6.

This tsb seems to be addressing exactly what I'm seeing, I think you hit the nail on the head. I'll go ahead and check on the owners site for any clues as well.

Ty for the tip on the sale as well!

 

I'm now certain I have this. I inspected the bolts (M6? M8? M-too small.). They looked fine, were not very tight, but theres a pretty low torque value on those things. There was red dust all around the bottom of the mount. It's been moving. I re-torqued - we will see. The TSM calls for an updated mount. If it didn't, I would weld the sucker I have down.

 

Thanks @3.4Tundra and as always, @shifty` . With the sales going on now I decided to just order the parts. I hope they are better engineered - that first run is BS.

 

I believe it's a 12mm socket I used on those. I'm going to check out pricing and likely order some parts up too.

 

I had mine replaced on my 06 when I had it. It was around 2008 or so.

 

Just ordered a new crossmember, transmission mount, bolts, and an ignition switch I had been meaning to buy for 251 shipped from that Toyota of Decatur link that shifty provided above. That's a great sale going right now, thanks again for that link!

 

I have a similar clunk on both my 06’ Tundra and 07’ Sequoia. But they are both 4WD.

I’ve tightened everything suspension and steering wise and still can’t find it.

 

Checked my bolts the other night and all were tight. The 4 that attach the trans mount to the trans, the 4 underneath that attach the trans mount to the crossmember and the 4 that attach the crossmember to the chassis. Also the large bolt in the middle of the trans mount that goes thru the rubber bushing.

My 2WD has no slip yoke so not sure where my clunk-after-I-have-come-to-a-complete-stop clunk is coming from. Brakes maybe?

 

I resolved some noises as I went through the Driveline. Replaced the U joints on the driveshaft, replaced the carrier bearing, and did a fluid change on the rear and some drain and fills on the trans.

How do your sway bar end links look? The rubber bushings will eventually fail. Also check the rubber bushings on your shock lowers where the bolt passes through.

 

Stupid question, but you greased the entire driveline, including the slip yoke on both? Reply # 13 ended up solving my issues. https://www.tundras.com/threads/what-would-you-say-if-i-told-you.71827/

You check all the engine/driveline mounts?

 

I had an 06 2wd Double Cab

I had the clunk at stop and go

I tried everything including rebuild the driveline,grease the splines, and even add greased u joints too

In the end what I did was a transmission drain/refill and put in 1 extra quart above normal and it stopped completely.

 

I didn't check engine mounts just the tranny mount/crossmember area. I already replaced all u-joints in the shaft and center bearing with Spicer parts. No issues I can find there. The thump on mine is clearly from the ass end. It doesn't do it constantly though. Meh.

 

I actually did grease everything.

On the Sequoia, I just lifted it, full Icon and new everything. The clunk is only on bumpy roads, and it is annoying. It honestly feels like a worn engine or trans mount. But being I just modified it, I’m trying it into the suspension, but everything is tight.

Sequoia has 180k on it and was babied so I don’t see anything else being worn.

 

Just do your install with Blue loctite.
Clean thread area with thread cleaner then Blue loctite the shit out of em.

 

Had the same clunk. I noticed it when I would accelerate and if I brake hard enough, essentially when there was a shift in weight of the truck. So I knew something was loose. I put the truck in park had someone underneath and rocked the truck fwd and back and was able to re create the noise. Followed the sound and felt the sound and ended up being the transmission mounting bracket, it appears they are a little loose causing the whole bracket to slide back and forth when accelerating/braking. Took me a while to figure this out and was really concerned, that's why I'm posting this, hope it helps!

 

Were any of the mounting bolts missing? Some folks have found the clunk and realized that they lost bolts along the way.

 

Good point. IIRC, there should be 4 bolts. I dug up the part number for someone in the past.

Anyway, I guess it was a good time for me to edit my solution above to include more 4WD info, in case someone in that boat finds this thread later also.

 

No, none of the bolts were missing. However, they were nearly hand tight. It's weird that they use a threaded bolt through the bracket with no nut. I just tightened them up and test drove it this morning, and that was the problem. I may look into putting a longer bolt and throw a lock washer and nut on there. Or even just removing them and putting some locktite on there. I bet eventually, I would have lost them because I tow alot with my truck and that extra force combined with free play probably would eventually shear them right off.

 

It's happened to a couple other guys, who only found one or two bolts remaining.

The overall issue with the design is, they used a composite pad of some sort sandwiched in the mount for shock absorption. The TSB came out after they realized the composite pad was compressing, leaving play in the mount, essentially unfreezing the torque on the bolt, letting it back out if/when it wants.

Lame problem, but hey, if that's the worst there is, I'll never complain

 

I know right! I was starting to think the worst! Literally took me more time to slide under the truck than actually fixing it. I'll just have to periodically check these. Thanks for the info!

 

Just wanted to pop in and update on what the source of my clunking ended up being. I took my rear Sway Bar off to get it powdercoated and install new bushings and have been driving around without it for a few days. Clunk and rattle is gone. Must have been the worn out bushings on the swaybar causing it to bounce and rattle around.