Just wondering.. When I lock my hubs in, like last night when it started to snow..without being in 4wd my truck vibrates and makes some noise from the front end. When I shift into 4H the vibration gets a little worse. Once I’ve been moving a long for a while it seems to calm down I’m just curious if I’ve got a bent drive shaft, bad CV or some other problem, OR if this is normal! OH is there a write up on doing a complete trans flush for a 3.0 automatic? I’ve been draining and filling every year but would like to do a total flush.. Anyone!!!!!!!

 

i think it's most likely your front driveshaft vibrating.

 

If you have a straight front axle, it could also be the u-joints for the front axle at the wheel.

 

solid axle trucks don't have u-joints in the front axle

 

There has to be some type of flexible joint where the wheel assembly meets the ends of the axle, otherwise you wouldn't be able to turn the wheels to steer. With IFS, this is accomplished by half shafts with CV joints. With most solid axle systems I have seen, there are small u-joints connecting the ends of the axle shafts to the wheel hubs.

 

toyotas have birfields, which are like a single CV joint.

i was just giving you some crap about that

 

Never heard of a 'birfield', but then the last solid front axle 4X4 I had was a '79 Chevy K-10, and it had those small u-joints because I had to change them twice during the 14 years I had it.

I did a google on birfield, and after a quick trip to birfield.com, I see what you mean. Those joints look to be a lot more expensive to fix than the 'old' style u-joints on my old K-10. But, I guess thats progress. Must be showing my age again.

 

ive had this problem and it is not fun to fix there is bushing that are brass bushing in the spindles that the outer shaft rides on those are worn out and have to be orderd special from the toyota parts poeple that was the hard part the rest is some what easy u just need a press a temp fix is to pull the axle shafts and thow a buch of grease on the that last for a couple off mudd boggs if its trail running it will last a while hope this help also it doesnt hurt anthing its just that sound is really anoying

 

not really "progress" as CVs and u-joints have been interchanged all over in the past. u-joints are generally regarded as stronger but birfields are smoother at full lock, and there's new super birfields that are about as strong as a 1 ton u-joint...

not to mention if a u-joint grenades in a front axle, it tends to wipe out the axle shaft yokes and balljoints. birfields don't usually cause this collateral damage

 

As for tranny flush, i just goto a local shop its only like 40, 50 bucks