whats that noise in my tundras rear end

Sounds like the crossmember tsb problem @shifty` already mentioned.

I'd remove it and wire brush the rust off. The cracks will rust as well and if the crossmember is rusty it'll all blend together.


Manhandling the trans won't be enough twist to duplicate the noise.


I could not make out my cracks on a non-rusty crossmember until removed from my truck.

 

definitely not the cross member making the noise. and i'd love to be able to just take my cross member out and have a look, but this is a Canadian truck, living the salt life.

here's what my crossmember looks like
and how i diag'd that the noise is not coming from it.

(woolwax is getting it's annual spray on in the next few weeks.)

 

So all 4 bolts are intact, and firmly tight up inside these holes*?

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Indeed they are. Unrelated to this noise, I found that info 2+ years ago (thank you for the all the sticky info). They were all there then, and tight.
Since this post, and you guys mentioning it, I have double checked it. I really wish it was that, as it's a super easy fix.

I spent 6hours under her yesturday prepping for woolwax. Me and that cross member were intimate for a little bit

Now that I have the annual undercoating out of the way, I'll gonna go at it with the chassis ears more and try to narrow down the source.

I'm thinking something in the leafs or shocks. Every thing about the leafs is factory 22years old. Shocks have been replaced a few times, but may also be due. Really hope it's not the diff. I haven't been able to find any info in regards to clicks and clacks from functional diffs. Whines, howls, growns, yes.

 

Did you check the leaf springs, to ensure the plastic isolator pucks were intact at the ends of each leaf, which prevent the leafs from smacking each other under flexion?

 

Think the bolts you are referring to are in the two holes under the trans mount to the right.

 

Shit. You're right. Brain is still not quite intact from 14-16 hour days up in Maine. I saw the \____/ shape, and thought we were in the valley. I think my 4WD has only one hole in the xmember, but I'd need to look at pics.

Pic updated.

 

Could be worth checking rear axles. My truck was making noise and only after pulling the wheel and pushing/pulling on the lugs did I see that the axle was moving in/out. Noise was happening in turns and the axle was banging when being pushed/pulled from force of the turn.