Inspect your Transmission Crossmember

*3/8

 

This is literally happening to me and my 06 SR5 double-cab as we speak. This is the post that made me go underneath and take a glance at the trans cross member bolts(as i have been dealing with this clicking/clacking noise for over a year now) and sure enough! Huge crack through one of the bolt holes you can almost see daylight through. Used the part number that was provided at the top of the post. Thanks!!

 

Zombie bump for 2005-2006 Tundra and 2005-2007 Sequoia owners. Check their crossmember, to your point. TSB info is attached to reply # 17.

Noise may be as small as a tick if the crossmember is cracked, but a few members heard clunks after the bolts managed to work themselves loose. At least one person found bolts missing entirely.

 

Good to know this is an area to check while underneath the vehicle. Great post!

 

On my son's 06 Dbl Cab 2WD, we have clunk after coming to a complete stop and/or when taking off from complete stop. All bolts are in place and no cracks visible on top & bottom of cross member. I greased the u joints (yes 2wd with zerk fittings??) and even drained/filled the rear diff with new fluid. There is very little play in transmission mount on cross member and everything looks to be in good condition. Have any of y'all replaced the transmission mount and resolved this issue, even though there was no visible damage/wear on mount? If this doesn't resolve, I'm hoping that drain/fill transmission fluid may help. TBH, tranny still has original fluid since new. Truck has been in family since new, in central Texas is entire life and has just under 152k miles. Clunking has been happening for years, just getting around to finally repairing.

 

Symptoms match the TSB exactly. Have you read the TSB and checked to ensure all 8 bolts are torqued to spec - the 4 bolts holding the mount to the trans and the 4 bolts holding the mount to the crossmember? The latter are usually what's missing/loose. The xmember cracks are usually hairline, small as seen here.

4 bolts to the trans take 65 N*m (48 ft*lb)
4 bolts under the xmember take 30 N*m (22.1 ft*lb)

Bolts should be tightened in a clockwise manner, starting with the one closest to the rear passenger tire first.

 

If it's got zerks, fill the driveshaft with grease.

 

I just did this and I am glad did. The cross member bolts were hanging fast and loose.

 

@shifty` I have read the TSB and verified that all bolts are present (on trans and on cross member). I made sure they weren't loose, but didn't verify torque. They wouldn't budge when I tried to turn...on really tight. Really curious if the mount could be bad even though it looks fine from outside? Might replace and see if that's culprit. As for the zerk fittings, I was able to insert some grease at the front and middle u joints, but not at the one connecting the driveshaft to the axle. I couldn't get the grease gun nozzle to attach there, too tight of area to access. Also considering drain/fill transmission or even having all fluid replaced by having it hooked to system that purges/fills entire tranny. I forget name, but NOT flushing tranny as I know of negative outcomes from this.

@Baller when you say fill driveshaft full of grease, do you mean the ujounts?

 

I was referencing greasing the slip yoke on the driveshaft

 

Doesn't exist on 2WD trucks. It's a shocked the truck has U-joints w/zerks, someone must've replaced them at one point.

 

I can't recommend enough to get one of these. I got one a little under 20yrs ago, best damn investment ever.

As long as it's low pressure, it's fine. Honestly, I think the tranny flushing stuff is urban legend/old wives tale. It's been discussed before on here a few times.

As for whether that could be the cause, if you happen to have a GoPro, you could always strap it on, point at the tranny mount, and go for a short drive. You can see if the thud corresponds to the tranny moving, and sometimes even tell if the sound is coming from the location it's looking at if you have headphones on.

 

All done! No more clunk.
Mine sounded like a pendulum nik-knock.
Followed the TSB. Had the crossmember out.
There was one hairline crack. I had it welded.

 

I picked up some WS transmission fluid from local Toyota dealer today. Going to do a drain/full, then bring to temp and "top off" using method in FSM. I've found a few post on this forum where guys did the TSB, replaced carrier bearing, replaced/greased ujounts, drail/fill diff and still have clunk. I'm thinking previous owner (my brother) had ujounts replaced (since they have zerk fittings) and lost some ATF fluid during repair but didn't have any added back to tranny. Fingers crossed.

$20 a quart!!! Ouch!

 

So I did a transmission drain/fill on the 06 Dbl Cab, as a hopeful solution to the clunk noise that had occurred on this truck for years. So far, clunk is gone!!! I did the drain/fill on Sunday and since then put a little over 100 miles on it and all is great! Only 2.5 quarts of trans fluid drained out, I put in 3 quarts...I was .5 quart low? My best guess is that when my brother owned this truck (2015-2021) he had the ujounts replaced (spicer with zerk fittings) some tranny fluid leaked out of the transmission and was never replenished. Will keep monitoring, but for now, really stoked that this worked.

 

If so, I guess the big question is, "why?!"

Hopefully it was something innocent, like a previous owner did a drain-fill and didn't refill enough. But 'pink milkshake' is a thing, check the coolant overflow and look for any signs of cloudiness, in case the trans line that passes thru the bottom of the radiator isn't open, and leaking tranny fluid into the coolant.

 

Always gotta inspect your member. Guess I’ll wait till it’s a bit warmer to crawl under mine but again I’m 4wd so I ‘should’ be ok??

 

@shifty` I had the timing belt/water pump replaced last Spring. Mechanic didn't mention anything strange about coolant, so I don't think there was any pink milkshake or tranny fluid leak into coolant. I'll check the coolant overflow later today, to be sure this isn't happening now. Also, I now remember that sometime around the first 12-24 months of purchasing this truck (I bought new in Jan. 2007) I had the clunk then. I took it in to the dealer I purchased from...they asked me if I had any tranny work done to it, because I was MISSING the mounting bolts!!! Don't remember if they just replaced the bolts or replaced crossmember and mount also. Thanks for the advice, it's always appreciated!

 

Totally. I didn't realize you'd owned it its whole life. There's a few different ways these sealed transmissions can lose fluid. Replacing the radiator would be one. Or maybe it's just a fluke! Crazy you lived with it for so long!

 

Yeah it is crazy. Drove me nuts for a long time. I bought it new and kept for a little over 8yrs, then sold to my brother. He owned it for nearly 6.5yrs, then I bought it back from him for my 16yr old son (now 17yrs old). My boy gets his license in 2 weeks, then it's his. Been working on it for a little over 1 year, getting it back as close to new as possible. He'll be taking it with him to college in the fall. Still need to replace a front wheel bearing (sounds like a bird chirping under fender) and rear shocks and at least one TPMSensor.

 

Good Thread.
Before I climb under there, what MM are the bolts?
TIA.

 

I’ve got a big clunk coming from my 07’ Sequoia and 06’ Tundra. Both 4x4 and lifted on 33’s. I’m Pretty sure it’s coming from the trans cross member. I’ll have to check it out.

 

Thought this was only a 4x2 issue. Or is there only a TSB for the 4x2 trucks?

 

As discussed in the general info dump thread's annoyances/TSBs section:

• Driveline "clunks" when stopping and going: For 4WD trucks, you probably aren't lubing your driveline every 5k-10k miles as needed see this reply (PS - this zerk requires special attention, see reply #4). For the later-year 2WD trucks, there's a TSB out, the crossmember can cracks over time, then bolts loosen & fall out. Typical symptoms are clunks when turning, stopping, going. Similar clunks in 4WD come from lack of greasing the driveline. There's a TSB for the 2WD tranny mount problem, but but it calls for replacing the crossmember, which many think is overkill unless clearly cracked (examples here). If not cracked, retightening with a non-permanent thread sealer has worked.

The TSB only covers 2WD trucks, and only for later years, '05-'06 1st gen Tundra/Sequoias and '07 Sequoia. 4WD trucks of all years are impacted by failure to lube the driveline every 5k-10k miles. Probably one of the most commonly neglected things on 4WD trucks, other than failure to engage 4WD for 10-12 miles per month as Toyota recommends in the manual.

 

My clunk I have been chasing around the front suspension, but lately I’ve noticed I can feel it in the floor board. It is only noticeable on rough roads.

 

I feel like I remember seeing this elsewhere, but I'll ask anyway, even though I know you know your shit. You sure it's not a cab mount? I presume you checked all bolts are tight, it's not sway links, or any of the other obvious stuff? Have you tried popping off sway links (if in) just to see if it persists?

 

If it ever stops raining, I’ll start chasing Drivetrain and Body mounts.

Just by feel and sound I’m guessing Motor/ Trans Mounts or front Right Body Mount. I know on my 3rd Gen Tacoma Front Body mounts were a common issue.

I went through the whole front suspension and everything was tight, as well as new.

 

I had that clunk sound too.

I noticed it after completing some suspension work and thought it was that.

4Wheel parts looked at it for me and said it was my rear transmission mount and my center support bearing.

when I pulled out the bolts that attach the rear trans mount to the crossmember sub-assembly..... a chunk of metal came out..



Just finished installing the new crossmember sub-assembly and now I'm clunk free!!!

Sitting pretty now.... at least the truck is.....

 

Alright I'll bite. How do you get the truck up that high to get it on the stands?

 

You start with a Harbor Freight 3 Ton Long-Reach Low-Profile Floor Jack:



Then you replace the lifting pad with one from Pro Eagle:



Then you buy the 8" and the 15" jack extension, also from Pro Eagle:



Then you buy the 14" two-piesce supercar wheel cribs drom Race Ramps:



Then I put 4 17" 4x6's under the Race Ramps to equal 20" of lift at the bottom of the tire:



I raise the front 1st and add the first 1/2 of the two piece Race Ramp for 7" of lift.
Then I raise the rear to the same level 7".
Back to the front now for another 7" to equal 14"
and the rear again to another 7" to equal 14"
Last time back to the front for the wood 4x6's, raising 6" for a final height of 20"
Finishing up with the rear 4x6's, raising 6" for a final height of 20"

After work is complete, I just reverse the process starting with the rear to lower back down one section at a time.