RC Pilot Jim
Senior Member
Issue Update June 2018
Rereading my initial post I realized had left out that 2 times per year we drive about 40 miles each way on very badly rutted washboard roads in a heavily loaded truck. The forty miles takes about 2-3 hours because one can't drive over 10-12 mph due to the terrain.
Tuesday of this week, a local auto shop in Vista, Ca - "Rough Road Auto", www.roughroadauto.com, that specializes in off road vehicle iissues discovered the source of the "popping" sound that occurred whenever I went through a gutter to a driveway. The popping was worse in winter than summer (Heat/cold) and was slowly getting worse.
The second gen Tacoma does not have a "boxed" frame. Toyota uses cross plates to renforce it and two "longitudinal plates to renforce the cross-plates in the front. The mechanic removed the large plate that covers the engine and front differential and checked all the bolts for tightness. Three of the bolts on the rear of the drivers side "longitudinal" plate had worked loose to finger tight. And 3 nuts on Drivers side top shock mount were loose or not torqued properly....To 5 not 28.
Tightening them has solved the issue. In the future annually I will have the mechanic check them.
Feb 2016
Returning from my last trip to the desert in February, Tacoma now makes a single "pop" noise in the front when transitioning from flat street through a gutter into a driveway or shopping Center parking lot. Noise is subtle. It is heard inside the cab not outside. No "pop" noise driving on street, turning corners on road...just going down through a gutters. Transitioning through a gentle "swail" one street to perpendicular street produces no noise.
The problem has been checked by both my mechanic and the local dealers service department. They hear the sound too, however have not located the source. Nothing seems to be broken or out of place.
Dealer got rid of me and the problem by stating that I need to remove the Eagle, remove the non-stock rear spring set, returning the vehicle back to stock... a at least $ 1,500 process I am not willing to undertake.
I know the Tacoma does not have a boxed frame. I wonder if the "twisting" is stressing the frame. I know there has been rear frame breakage with the 1st Gen Tacoma (2001 - 2003 model years). Have never read any problems with the 2nd gen Tacoma's.
Anyone out there have any ideas of where to look next?
Rereading my initial post I realized had left out that 2 times per year we drive about 40 miles each way on very badly rutted washboard roads in a heavily loaded truck. The forty miles takes about 2-3 hours because one can't drive over 10-12 mph due to the terrain.
Tuesday of this week, a local auto shop in Vista, Ca - "Rough Road Auto", www.roughroadauto.com, that specializes in off road vehicle iissues discovered the source of the "popping" sound that occurred whenever I went through a gutter to a driveway. The popping was worse in winter than summer (Heat/cold) and was slowly getting worse.
The second gen Tacoma does not have a "boxed" frame. Toyota uses cross plates to renforce it and two "longitudinal plates to renforce the cross-plates in the front. The mechanic removed the large plate that covers the engine and front differential and checked all the bolts for tightness. Three of the bolts on the rear of the drivers side "longitudinal" plate had worked loose to finger tight. And 3 nuts on Drivers side top shock mount were loose or not torqued properly....To 5 not 28.
Tightening them has solved the issue. In the future annually I will have the mechanic check them.
Feb 2016
Returning from my last trip to the desert in February, Tacoma now makes a single "pop" noise in the front when transitioning from flat street through a gutter into a driveway or shopping Center parking lot. Noise is subtle. It is heard inside the cab not outside. No "pop" noise driving on street, turning corners on road...just going down through a gutters. Transitioning through a gentle "swail" one street to perpendicular street produces no noise.
The problem has been checked by both my mechanic and the local dealers service department. They hear the sound too, however have not located the source. Nothing seems to be broken or out of place.
Dealer got rid of me and the problem by stating that I need to remove the Eagle, remove the non-stock rear spring set, returning the vehicle back to stock... a at least $ 1,500 process I am not willing to undertake.
I know the Tacoma does not have a boxed frame. I wonder if the "twisting" is stressing the frame. I know there has been rear frame breakage with the 1st Gen Tacoma (2001 - 2003 model years). Have never read any problems with the 2nd gen Tacoma's.
Anyone out there have any ideas of where to look next?
