05 Front end noise

Hi all, I have an 05 with 85K on it. Have owned the truck for almost a year and it's been awesome for long trips and towing. Recently when I was driving the truck through the yard to hook up my trailer I noticed a creaking or rubbing sound. I got under the truck and realized the top half the sway bar bushing was busted off. I replaced that but it's still making a little noise. The old one, I assume the original was definitely beefier than the one I got from rock Auto. On road, the truck drives good and doesn't really make any noise. If the truck had 300K I might think it's just getting old but it's only got 85K. I wonder if I just need get a better quality away bar link. Anyone else ever have issued with creaking/rubbing noises coming from the front end at low speeds?

 

Have you done any testing on the front wheels, jacked up independently? Like ... jack up a single wheel, from under the lower control arm specifically, and...

• Spin the wheel, see if you hear anything
• Grab the wheel at 3/9 o'clock and push/pull each hand in opposite directions, like you're trying to wiggle the wheel off
• Grab the wheel at 6/12 o'clock and repeat
• Grab the wheel on diagonals between those two positions

This should be the first step you should be taking right now to try and gauge if your issue is something in the brakes, something in the steering, one of the ball joints, a wheel bearing, etc.

Do it. It's super basic and fundamentally something you should be doing any time you hear noises in the front, to try and isolate before something potentially disastrous happens.

 

Creaking is often ball joints. Don’t be a victim.

 

I did do this on the front left tire where the noise is coming from.There doesn't appear to be any play in the wheel. The brakes were just done by a local shop. The more I read it sounds like it could be the ball joints creaking. The poster below seems to think so. I’m digging up the Toyota part number now.

 

I think you’re right. This is from a Toyota website and describes exactly what’s happening.

have you done this job? It appears to be 5 or 6 bolts. It doesent have to be pressed in the hub.

 

Yes. It’s 1 castle nut and 4 bolts for the ball joint itself. Use OEM. Use OEM. Use OEM. Aftermarket will not do. If your ball joint fails the truck collapses onto the front wheel and causes damage to the fender and potentially a catastrophic accident depending on when it decides to let loose. Don’t drive on it until it’s repaired.

 

Finding the Toyota part number for it now.

 

Check the mega thread

https://www.tundras.com/threads/so-you-wanna-buy-just-bought-a-1st-gen-tundra-eh.115928/

 

got the old one off already. I’ll call the Toyota dealers in the area tomorrow. Hoping one of the three has it in stock.

 

GET NEW BOLTS ALSO. Torque to spec with (at least) blue thread locker. Some folks will tell you to go red. I go blue and mark my bolt positions to check later if anything is amiss.

Easy job. Hardest part is separating the tie rod from the LBJ without damaging the tie rod. If you have a pitman puller, it’ll help with popping the LBJ out of the LCA.

 

Ok. I pulled bolts part number 9010512316 from the mega thread for the 04-06 trucks. Will call the Toyota dealers to see if one has the kit 04006-62134 in stock.

Also, the bolts I just took out had red on them. Those were done under the recall 60K and 15 years ago at the Toyota dealer. Just an FYI. But I do have some blue thread locker.

 

They probably won’t sell you the kit. They’ll probably tell you there’s no such part. That part number is apparently something they only use internally? Besides the kit is only the LBJ, no new castle nut or cotter.

I updated my reply to add some helpful info. Just replaced both mine at a whopping 15yrs and ~70k miles.

 

PS, I think the FSM may also tell you to use red. I didn’t follow the directions on mine. I did what I typically always have done with BJs. Which may be really arrogant of me, I dunno.

 

The torque specs I found are the following. Someone can correct me if this is wrong.
117FT/LBS on the bottom spindle nut
48FT/LBS on the four ball joint bolts.

I really hope one of the three Toyota dealerships in my area has these in stock so I can get it out back together.

 

That is indeed wrong: https://www.tundras.com/threads/spi...-bolt-test-1st-gen.111746/page-6#post-3487964

If you saw 48 posted somewhere on here can you let us know where so we can ask that person to fix their shit?

 

And just in case that doesn’t jump to the right place:

 

59FT/LBS sounds more accurate. I found the part numbers in your updated thread. For my 05 I will order the following. I appreciate all the help.
43340-39595
43330-39825
90105-12316
And these did come up in the Toyota part search.

 

This should be correct and jibes with my '06 order which should use the same parts as your '05.

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Shifty, what dealer did you order from and how long ago was that? I called three Toyota dealers in the area. I thought I was getting a deal at $188 apiece. I had one quote me $240 apiece.

 

https://autoparts.serratoyota.com/

During their year-end sale. But even still, they charge minimal-to-zero tax, and I typically get free shipping.

NEVER call the local dealership for a part that's over $20. You should really check https://autoparts.toyota.com and when you go to add the part to your cart, it'll give you a list of nearby dealers to choose from. Click to pick the nearest one, and it'll show you their price. Before you add it to your cart, tap the BACK button in your browser, and pick the next closest one, to check their price. Repeat, until the distance to that participating dealership is too much to stomach.

If your local dealership is participating, and the part is cheaper, call them back, "Look, if I order through Toyota's system for pickup at your dealership (or whatever other nearby dealership has it) it's XYZ dollars. Why is your price off, and can you match the price Toyota is giving me online for this?"

 

That’s Excellent. Thanks for the tip. I found another dealer here in Michigan that has it for $133 apiece. I will definitely be showing him that when I pick these up. They should be able to match pricing on these between Toyota dealers. SMH at the ones asking $240.

 

I feel like you guys may have saved me from something bad happening. The truck is no longer squeaking and creaking at low speeds. Also the old ball joint had a lot of play compared to the new one which is pretty stiff. There is still a little clunk when turning and driving around the yard. but I will find out what that it is.

 

it’s the great commission. That and timing belts.

 

Hi, I wanted to revive this thread. I'll start out by saying the truck has been both my daily driver for work(until recently) and my weekend warrior to pull my camper on long trips. The truck has been amazing and has not skipped a beat in two years of ownership. So far I've replaced the lower ball joints in the last 15K miles with Toyota OEM ball joints per the boards strong recommendation. Timing belt was also done at the dealership and the rear diff fluid was changed with Lucas per shiftys recommendation. I am still getting some rubbing/squeaking noise at low speeds in the yard. I have driven enough of these trucks to know it's not normal. I took it to a local shop and they diagnosed it is as the sway bar links. I took those off and drove it around the yard and it still made the noise. I replaced them with Toyota OEM sway bar links and it's still making some noise. Has anyone ever seen the full sway bar make any noise? Could it be the shocks? I have new Bilstein 4600 shocks to put on the front and back but I want to get the noise figured out before I do that. I'm taking it to another shop in the next week or so to have it looked at but was going to put it out there to see if anyone has had this problem.

 

Have you tried lubricating the sway bar bushings? Another alternative is Teflon wrapped around the bar where the bushings mate.

This is all assuming that's your issue, but in my experience messing around with big bars on my other cars, a sway bar can make a lot of noise.

 

It’s probably the rack (the clunk). And potentially a wheel bearing (the squeak). Man, if only I could find that video with squeaking for the guy any time he’d shift into reverse…

 

Its more like a rubbing sound it's not really a clunk.

Minor update. I was just under the truck, one thing I noticed that someone mentioned on here. The guy I bought it from installed 5100s but he has the bolt facing backwards on both sides. One of the bushings looks like it's worn out/torn. I feel like it the shock is moving around on the bolt/bushing that would def. make some noise I could hear at low speeds. I may replace the shocks since I have new ones and see if that helps.

 

Like metal on metal rubbing? Have you checked if your brake dust shields are rubbing the calipers? Super common. Easy to check also. Mine was so microscopic, but I saw the little etch mark on the dust shield. And the squeaking was driving me f’n nuts.

 

That could be your culprit, although from what I've gathered the 5100s are pretty durable, lotta miles on them?

Common failure spot is the lower shock bushing.

 

Definitely with Rancho. Haven’t seen it as much with Bilstein, KYB and others. In no way saying you’re wrong. A pic from OP would help decide.