Popping noise

Hello! I've already read up on all the possibilities, and I've also had all of those possibilities replaced along with an alignment! I have had a popping noise in the front end when I come to a stop or on take off, for months now. Any ideas? As I said, I have replaced the rack and pinion tie rod boots, outer/inner tie rods, upper/lower ball joints, sway bar links, wheel bearings, front upper / lower control arm bushings. It also has new tires, new engine and new drive shaft, with 330,000 highway miles on it. Anyone have any suggestions, please? I generally use mechanics that do side work as I'm a single mom with 2 vehicles, and trying to do it all on my own, so I can't afford the dealership or shop. And the times I have had to take it in, like for the alignment, I've been told that the work that's been done has been right...cause I'm cautious anyways, I would really appreciate some help...if anyone has experienced this and what it ended up being. Thanks in advance!

 

Tsb for the 2wd crossmember, trans mount and bolts.

 

More info on that TSB is in this thread: https://www.tundras.com/threads/so-you-wanna-buy-just-bought-a-1st-gen-tundra-eh.115928/

search for the word “clunk” on the 1st page.

 

OP, here's an image of what to look for that may very well be the cause of your popping sound considering all the components you've already replaced. Look closely and you'll see the fine cracks in the center of the old cross member in the image.

 

Thanks for the reminder. Even though I don't fall under that TSB. I need to look at mine before I button everything up. Just because I'm already there. Also, good on you for posting the part number for future reference.

 

My pleasure. I believe that may be @Jack McCarthy or @NUDRAT that originally posted it, but it may have been another member that I can't recall that replaced theirs. I keep it handy because I have 2WD.

 

I just replaced mine not too long ago.

Hairline crack:


Parts (bolts x4, not 10 as shown on bag):



Measurements showing newer crossmember is thicker, despite same part #:

 

Welcome!

You mentioned a new driveshaft- is the entire driveshaft new, or just the joints? Is it brand new, or used?

The reason I ask is because the driveshafts on our trucks need to increase/decrease in length as the suspension moves up and down. This means that there is a part of the shaft that can extend and retract, and if this isn’t greased often enough, it can clunk or pop when coming to a stop or accelerating from a stop. It’s easy for this to feel like it’s coming from the front.

Here’s what the grease fitting on the driveshaft looks like:


I’d bet you could have your mechanic pump a bunch of grease in there, and then see if the pop goes away. Would be good to do as preventative maintenance anyway.

 

Every oil change mine takes quite a lot to fill it back up. More than youde think it should. I also get about 3/8 to a 1/2 inch of push/drive shaft pushing out, and a couple creeks when I do it. Stop and go are noticeably smoother.

 

Well, I also have that clunking. Thought I might as well take a look. At least there does not appear to be any cracks. Who needs all four bolts anyway?
Seriously, guess what I am doing tomorrow. Already went to dealer to get bolts. Replacing the sole survivor too.

 

Use threadlock (blue) at install, but if your crossmember has cracks in it, they'll probably back out again anyway, and you may still end up having the clunk from that crack opening/closing under torque events.

This is one of many annoyances we dropped into the new-owner megathread.

 

I could not see any cracks, so didn't want to drop $200+ on a crossmember and $90 on a HF transmission jack (on sale right now) if I did not need to. Also ordered the 243 blue loctite as it appears to be better suited for that size of bolt. As it is basically a 10 minute job, I'll give the bolts a shot first. I'll mark them too to monitor movement.

If the problem persists, then I will pay the money. Now, if it was a 4 hour job, I'd do the crossmember anyway.

 

I too have been chasing popping sounds from the front end in turn-around and parking maneuvers. Mine has turned out to be from the center of the 3 aftermarket skid plates from Skid Row that the previous owner installed.

The popping started last summer after I did a bunch of maintenance including timing belt, ball joints and an alignment. It seemed suspension related so I'd been chasing all the ideas surrounding bushings, joints and mounts. But finally I tried pulling off the skid plates and the clunk was gone! Huzzah!

I added some nylon washers when I reinstalled the plates but the clunk is back. But it goes into the "don't worry your pretty little head about it" category. Love those... :/

YMMV... Best of luck...

 

Replaced the 3 missing bolts (as well as the sole surviving bolt as who knows how that handled doing the work of 4). Clunk GONE!!

 

Unless OP's driveshaft has been c

Sweet! Glad to hear. A lot of 2WD owners are unaware of this known issue.

 

@Jsim, any progress in your diagnosis of the clunk?

 

I don't know if I'm answering replying to you the right way, there's no reply button ‍♀️ anyways, I ended up having to take the truck back in cause the new rack and pinion boots were completely messed up (see pics) and there is an oil leak coming from somewhere. My son is going to Nascar tech and was home for xmas, he finally crawled his butt under there and immediately came back out with the bad news. So I took it back up to Mavis Tire, where I had gotten the alignment, and they fixed it. Said everything was ok now. I slay just got the rotors and pads for the front, that I ordered from Detroit AxleI read on someone else's post that I souffle be using anything but oem, denso and 2 others?? I usually do, but on some of the suspension parts I mentioned in the first post, they're from Detroit axle, also. I don't really have the option to do the oem, with all that needs to be done to get my truck right, and the cost of labor even though it's not in a shop...I wish I had someone in the area that I could depend on, that worked on Toyota's, cause they would definitely get all my little money! Anyways, I have not had the chance to look at what ya'll havw shared with me about the possible cause of popping noise, but when he does my brakes I'm going to ask him to check it out. I hope it's an easy fix. If my son has a little more time off and actually had his own tools already, it would have been a great project for us to work on. But I'm sure there will be plenty more. I'll keep you posted! And again, thank you so much for your help and suggestions!

 

Having to go aftermarket parts and chain-store mechanics is a reality for some people. It's very much not ideal, but we get it. Sometimes it's what you've got to work with.

Keep asking questions and ask for clarity where things aren't clear. Like any hobby/profession/sector, Tundras and associated repairs have their own lingo. We use a lot of short-hand on this forum because we all talk about this stuff enough to know what we're saying to each other. But the lingo can feel a bit dense at first...if you're getting advice on something and it makes no sense, it's likely as much our fault as yours. Ask clarifying questions. We talk about this stuff enough that we often don't realize how indecipherable the language can feel to people on the outside.

Anyway, chain shops that specialize in mufflers, oil changes, alignments etc. sometimes have great, knowledgeable mechanics, but I'm going to say it's not the norm. Even if they aren't actively trying to screw you, they're often just not very good mechanics. Go in knowing that. Mechanics with more skill don't tend to work in those places, or they don't work in them for long, unless they happen to also be the owner. You won't find many quality chefs in a McDonalds kitchen, know what I mean?

Toyota specialty shops are the way to go. Toyota dealerships are not. Many people who don't involve themselves in mechanical stuff assume the "right" thing to do, the "best" thing, is use the dealership. It's just not true. Guaranteed you'll pay a premium price. Absolutely not guaranteed you'll get quality work.

 

Hello! And thank you! I'm happy to be here and that I've found so much help! The drive shaft was brand new when the previous owner replaced it, about a year ago. I got the truck the end of Jan, I think along with the replacement of the engine. And I honestly couldn't tell you if the popping/clunking noise has been happening the whole time or not, but I know for sure that I've been trying to get help with it since June! Hence, the reason for replacing suspension parts. And I will definitely have him check it out when I take it back in next week! He had already said that I may need new bushings and u joint‍♀️ since there is so much vibration in my seat and the steering wheel after 70mph. I don't know...I wish I knew more than what I do and I'm so tempted to get the DIY Toyota book from the parts store, buy my own tools, and just teach myself! But I that's just not possible, or the smartest option at the moment I will definitely check it out though. Thank you, again! I appreciate all the help I can get!

 

No, definitely no chefs at mcds! And thank you! I'm grateful I found this site! I do understand that, completely! I know a decent amount about vehicles and have learned quite a bit more in the last 4 years, owning a 14' Chevy cruze LT 1.4L‍ and now since I got my Toy...well, it's been an expensive adventure, to say the least! And the only reason I had taken her to Mavis Tire was for the alignment...and ended up finding a master mechanic as the manager of the shop, and does a little work on the side. Has already helped me out a good bit, and hasnt charged me any money for the couple of times I've taken her back up there to have him look and tell me what I need. I will still be cautious, cause I'm a woman and I know all to well how much places can try and take advantage of all that I don't know. Which is why I do my own research and have been trying to learn as much as I can about my tundra, and what led me here! I'm still trying to find a good mechanic in my area, that knows about the little quirks and ins/outs of them. I had one, but it usually ends up turning into some kind of drama trying to get someone to work on my vehicles...don't ask, cause it's completely ridiculous and makes me sorry that I'm a woman. Anyways, thank you for sharing and all your helpful tips!!

 

Just remember to check for those rear transmission mount bolts. It sounds a lot harder than it is.

There is a crossmember that runs from one side of the truck to the other, about a foot behind the front tires. In the middle of that, there are two oval shaped holes. Look up into those. You should see two bolts in each. At least verify that before spending more money. You really do not even need to lift the vehicle to snap a photo with your phone.

If you have several of them missing, as the driveshaft connects to the transmission and if the mount is not connected properly to the crossmember, it's feasible hat could give some unwanted play that may translate to what LOOKS like a driveshaft issue. Total cost of bolts is a few bucks, even at full MSRP.

 

That boot looks like someone rotated the outer tie rods to do an alignment without holding the inner tier rod in place.

 

Ok...how tf am I supposed to be replying to yall's posts?! And I don't know what I did in this reply, but it's showing 3 other posts and I'm only trying to reply to the one, right now! Wth?! Lol! Anyways, yes...that is exactly what happened! And the other side, the boot wasn't even connected! So I took it back yesterday and the manager fixed it. It's so frustrating not being able to trust someone to do a job you're paying them for. I wish I could just do it my damn self! And I will check the cross member as soon as I get a chance. I do know what that is and exactly what you're talking about, actually! Thank God! And thank you for your suggestions!

 

Thank ya'll for all your helpful tips and suggestions! So freaking awesome! And can someone tell me what the [op] means?

 

Sure does. You might could pop the tie rod end out of the lower ball joint and twist the whole tie rod to straighten out the boot without affecting the alignment. Question is if the boot has survived it's twisting torture test...

OP = Original Poster, means you started the thread.

 

Jen - he’s not in Columbia but Tim’s Auto Pro in Dalzell, SC is an honest independent garage.

 

Wow! That's great @bfunke! Thank you so much for that contact. It's about an hour drive, but it would be worth it to me.

 

Fortunately, I don’t think anyone here cares how you’re plumbed from birth, everyone here just loves Tundras and wants to help.

“Master mechanic” is ambiguous. “ASE certified” is, likewise. You can have both, but still not know the quirks tied to specific brands, and make mistakes out of that lack of experience. Titles don’t equate to experience. I’d rather have someone who’s been in business working on Toyotas specifically for a couple decades, without those titles/certs, fixing my stuff.

We’re lucky over here in Atlanta, we have quite a few Toyota specialty shops like Lextechs, ToyoTechs, etc. which are mostly staffed by former Toyota dealer mechs. I looked online, doesn’t seem like Columbia is similarly chocked. Sometimes just knowing the quirks and being able to articulate them in person to the shop manager is enough, but misogyny in that industry is real, so whether the other end will listen to a woman is another story entirely.

Friend of mine growing up, Varney … this reminds me of a chat we had many moons ago. Seems nothing has changed in 40 years.