HELP DIAGNOSING POPPING SOUND!!!

I got mine figured out and fixed in about 30 minutes. Mine ended up being the driver side, upper spindle bolt. It was easily observed after jacking up the front like I recommended above. Fingers crossed that yours is an easy fix.

 

If it started right after the alignment, first thing I’d check are the alignment cam bolts. Those things need to be torqued to like 200lbs and the alignment shops never tighten them enough.

 

https://www.tundratalk.net/threads/driver-front-cv-joint-bad-after-15k-miles.107064/

Found this but about to upload a video that I think will shock everyone

 

https://youtube.com/shorts/5OokSRTEqoc?feature=share

 

https://youtube.com/shorts/evM7u0jQuyc?feature=share

 

Have you checked yours yet?

 

The spindle bolts are good and tightened up with the JBA UCA’s

 

Check out the videos above and that’s the problem, loose CV

 

I had a similar issue with pooping while going into reverse , sometimes at full lock. I spent hours of every other day just going over every thing checking and checking. I eventually developed a intermittent wheel shake that would shake the wheel very badly. after the months of dealing of dealing with this issue I started taking it in to the dealer and a few other places. no one could figure it out , months go by and just the other week the intermittent wheel shake came back so bad on the hwy I pulled over at the next exit and started going through the front end there. what I found was my left front CV axel was binding an releasing (pop) and would come loose (wheel shake) but then it would tighten back up going away. when I rechecked it at home it seemed to be back in the tight position so I started turning the wheel and checking it every angle and sure enough I confirmed up the slop it had in the upper CV for up and down play. this issue was so illusive that it wasn't found by 7 master techs. I dealt with it building up for roughly 2 years till I got my conclusive answer , so I recommended checking every bushing joint and checking the CV up and down play in every position of the tires being turned and even then moving the vehicle forwards or backwards to rotate the axle and rechecking CV up and down play.

after doing both my CVA's the issue I had went away also noticed my steering wasn't so tight while turning or making a u turn and my braking distance decreased and my random once in a blue moon pop went away.
hope some of this info helps out on getting to bottom of it , also how is your front tire tread ware?

 

@TXTundra2722 @NueveTundra So I went to the shop today here in San An, the shop I typically take it too (Anthony's Planet Pickup). I talked to the guys, specifcally Chris who has always been helpful and showed him the videos and explained the issue. He said, and its his opinion that the tolerance in the CV shown in the video https://youtube.com/shorts/5OokSRTEqoc?feature=share is COMPLETELY NORMAL and that is should have some play in there. Personally, and I am no expert but I feel like that is false based off of conversation with @Coachbuilder1 and a few other people. I am still scheduled to take it in next friday either way and they are going to look at it. I even threw the possibility of it being the spindle joint like @TXTundra2722 suggested and they said it could be that so they are going to check it out.

I just really feel like it is the CV cause @NueveTundra had similar instances where it seems the same for me.

 

@NueveTundra I know you mentioned a wheel shake that was "intermittent" my question to you is how bad or aggressive was it cause at times this does happen such as today but its very minimal in my opinion, nothing that would scare me or make me think that I need to pull over.

 

My wheel shake was first maybe twice a month that was just a little over common wheel vibration but eventually turned into a good violent 1/4" shake back an forth that was triggered from slight road vibrations but would go away during corning or other road conditions it eventually caused cupping in front tires witch made it worse till I got a tire rotation then it went away. For a few days and came back in small just over vibrations to shake till it got really bad. Somedays it wasn't there at all somedays it was annoying and other days it felt like full blown both wheels are loose and about to fall off. One spot I noticed it loved to start shaking was 60mph with hard acceleration letting off to rest at 85mph on the highway it would really love to start the shake.

 

Same exact popping sound on my 2.5 lifted 15 Tundra. Changed CB steering ends after performing the 9oclock-3oclock tire wiggle and had play. I replaced the CB steering ends with another brand new set from Mr Ekstrom. Popping noise persists and is very annoying. Ive researched and read and read. Your truck sounds exactly like mine and how you replicate the noise is how mine behaves also. Im keenly interested in what you find out. Thanks for your post.

 

Another reason I finally signed up here. This is the exact same sounds mine makes. It started after putting Kings 2.5s, TC UCA, new spindles with gussets, and replacing BOTH driver and pax side axles. This all done at 50k miles. That popping, almost metal fatigue popping, is so very annoying and embarrassing. I don’t know what to do. My axles were purchased as assemblies with the CVs already installed and ready to go. I’ve checked that same area you did for play, mine has some VERY minor movement, but not as much as what you found. Not nearly that much. I thought it was my lower control arm cam bolts/sleeves/bushings that I am almost ready to take it in and have the LCAs and LBJs replaced. Have you found anything since Oct when this thread was going off? Did you ever fix it? If so, how?

 

Bump.

 

My 2020 makes all kinds of noise from the front end, I think the passenger side. Only things I've done to it is TRD front sway bar, AMP Powersteps, and @Classy63 aluminum cat plates. I guess the first thing to do would be to remove the cat plates and see if it persists, but those looked like such a PITA to install, I'm kind of averse to removing them.

 

If you haven’t changed any suspension components, it could be your cat plates or skid plate?

 

Took mine into the dealer Monday. Unable to reproduce the sound without me, and with me driving lol. Terrible!

 

Same issue here… Toyota wanted atleast 4 hours at 200 an hour to POSSIBLY diagnose it.

 

Just a update, since its been a few months now, my popping noise did indeed go away with doing my CVs , and my wheel shake went away for a month. But it seems as I Fix one issue another one lets loose as Wheel shake has returned but its no longer a center wheel feeling but a lower wheel feeling. I know I need bushings, but bills and moving expenses's are stacking up. I'm due for a front end rebuild since everything is 7/10ths gone and fixing one just makes the another get more of the stress still it shows.

 

2020 SR5 Double Cab with Bilstein 6112/5160 front at 1.9" with .250" shims for 2.5" front and CB +2 Shackles in the rear. 24k miles and now I'm hearing a popping sound in reverse after the lift was installed at 23,715.

 

Mine needed a realignment after about 6 months from lift install and initial alignment. Suspension settled in and a after second alignment all the pops went away

 

Hey @zachzap361 any update on your truck? I'm having the same issue, did you replace CV's ?

 

Bump. Just started having this issue after wheeling the four peaks trail here in Arizona. Went a little faster than usual but nothing too crazy. I plan on retorqueing the skid tonight and see if that helps. Fingers Crossed!

 

Just fixed this issue on my truck. Turned out to be the two rear bolts on the TRD skid. They became loose after wheeling over the weekend. I re-torqued to 38 ft. lbs and all is well.

 

Mine has a similar pop but only does it one time after sitting stationary for a bit and then turning. Doesn’t matter direction. It sounds like a loose plate but I just tightened everything and it’s good. Can’t chase a noise that only makes sound one time a day.

 

I know this is an old thread but any updates on this? I'm starting to notice this clunking noise in full lock to the left in forward and reverse over a hump or up/down an incline. This happens in our 4runner with a 2.5 Icon lift with UCAs and the Tundra with 2.5 bilsteins. Will look at CVs and tie rods and skids

 

Same. I have moog tie rod inner and outers. Pop went away for a little while then came back

 

Over a year later and the sound persists. Truck still driving so just gonna let it ride for now. Got a 2100 mile road trip in June so will be doing new upper and lower arms and alignment and see if that helps.