Noise and vibration problem from 2" front lift.

[Ribe]

Hi! New guy here
So after i installed spacers in the front of my 08 hilux for a 2" lift (no lift in the rear) i have been having problems with noise and vibration. The noise/vibration seems to be located somewhere in the front half of the undercarriage or wheel wells and it seems to happen at any speed with no pattern. sometimes it's a pulsating noise/vibration and sometimes it's simultaneously on for a few seconds. I tried loading the back, first with 500 kg then 200 kg, but there where no difference, but when i put it on 4H the noise/vibrations seems to be gone. Any solutions?

[gorilla5150]

You will most likely require a wheel alignment and balance after the suspension changes.

[Ribe]

You will most likely require a wheel alignment and balance after the suspension changes.

Yeah i'm gonna do that, but i don't think that's going to solve the problem tho

[Rob_Wood]

You will most likely require a wheel alignment and balance after the suspension changes.

Yeah i'm gonna do that, but i don't think that's going to solve the problem tho

You might be surprised. After doing work on suspension, tie rods, linkages, any of that gear the next step is a MUST to get a wheel alignment. If it's been a while since the front tyres were balanced then it's a good idea to get them done as well. Same with the back tyres, although you haven't worked on the back end, balancing the rear tyres can take the shudder out of the vehicle. Also remember that rear tyres out of balance can easily feel like something in the front end being out of whack.

[dave g]

Spacers are not a good idea anyway

[Rob_Wood]

Spacers are not a good idea anyway

Agreed, there are numerous tried & tested lift kit solutions available.

[ptrl1600]

Ribe, I had a similar issue with my 2007 SR5. I could feel a vibration and rumbling noise more noticeable when slowing and almost coming to a stop. It was definitely coming from the front, but didn’t change when braking or steering. But it instantly went away if I shifted into 4WD. I found that the issue was the spider gears in the front diff. If you get under the front of the car and grab hold of the left front drive shaft, see how much play there is at the CV where it goes into the diff assuming your car has the ADD fitted. Non ADD models have a bronze bush where the CV axle enters the diff, but ADD models use a needle bearing. I replaced the bearings, but that didn’t solve the issue as it was caused by the spider gears spinning inside the diff. In the USA there is a company that supplies a tool and bush which many say solves the issue by replacing the needle bearing with a bush, but I eventually fitted a pair of slightly longer axles that allowed for the lift and the problem disappeared when I fitted a Lokka which replaced the spider gears.

[Ribe]

Ribe, I had a similar issue with my 2007 SR5. I could feel a vibration and rumbling noise more noticeable when slowing and almost coming to a stop. It was definitely coming from the front, but didn’t change when braking or steering. But it instantly went away if I shifted into 4WD. I found that the issue was the spider gears in the front diff. If you get under the front of the car and grab hold of the left front drive shaft, see how much play there is at the CV where it goes into the diff assuming your car has the ADD fitted. Non ADD models have a bronze bush where the CV axle enters the diff, but ADD models use a needle bearing. I replaced the bearings, but that didn’t solve the issue as it was caused by the spider gears spinning inside the diff. In the USA there is a company that supplies a tool and bush which many say solves the issue by replacing the needle bearing with a bush, but I eventually fitted a pair of slightly longer axles that allowed for the lift and the problem disappeared when I fitted a Lokka which replaced the spider gears.

Sounds very complicated. I'm no car expert. Do you think a simple diff drop kit might solve it?

[ptrl1600]

I doubt that it would solve it, but it may help. The issue is the side gear that the axle slides into inside the diff being worn and sloppy. The problem with ADD equipped cars is that the spider gears are constantly driven by the left hand side wheel. Non ADD cars don’t have that issue because both wheels are driven which turns the crown wheel and pinion, so the spider gears only rotate when you turn a corner. There is no easy or cheap solution, but it poses no real problem other than the noise and vibration.

[Ribe]

In the USA there is a company that supplies a tool and bush which many say solves the issue by replacing the needle bearing with a bush

Do you have a link?