Drive Shaft Center Support Bearing

hi everyone, how much play should a drive shaft support bearing have on a 2011 tacoma extended cab? i am chasing a gremlin that only happens twice a day a clunk and i noticed the bearing with up/down and side to side play, any help would be great thank you in advance

 

In my 2010, I had a squeaky noise at low speed and a clunk. The squeak was the carrier bearing failing and the clunk was from the rear ujoint that was shot and causing the clunking sound. I pulled the drive shaft. Than replaced the carrier bearing and all three ujoints. Buy good quality parts that last. Don't forget to mark or index the position of the shaft the shaft to maintain a balanced drive shaft.

 

i only get a clunk/bang when i firt pull away and it is fine all day then a clunk/bang when it sits for awile, it isnt constant just twice a day and my center bearing does have some play, the question is how much play should it have but thank you as well the u joints are perfect, the truck is a 2011 with 18,000 original miles i bought it brand new.

 

At 18k miles I'd be shocked if it was a bearing. I'd be re-torquing control arms and looking at shock mounts/bushings and sway bar bushings. Thinking something rubber is not happy from limited use over time.

 

There should be no play in the bearing, except flex in the rubber.

Might be the 11 year-old grease in the slip joint has dried up.

 

the center bearing has play, i can move it up and down easily and when i do it i can hear a clunk type noise if i put the truck in drive and break torque the truck i hear a clunk the struts look good and the control arms have been replaced due to leaking ball joints the u joints look good, this gremlin has been bothering me for 6 months

 

It’s the clunk when you go from Drive to reverse with your foot ON the brake?

Or just when you take off?

 

no clunk from drive to reverse, when i put it in drive and break torque the truck it clunks and only 2 times a day ill try to get a video of the center bearing and post it but there is play in it i thought it was alot but not sure how much should be there.

 

The rubber around the carrier bearing has flex to it naturally. Movement is normal. If the rubber bushing has torn or worn out then the movement will be excessive but it should be obvious looking at it if the bushing is shot. And it will give you mean drive line vibes at all speeds, not an intermittent clunk

 

ok thank you ill look closer at the rubber tomorrow..

 

I agree. Some movement is Normal.
It’s hard to explain what Normal is.
The best way to tell is from experience and seeing both a new and worn bushing.

 

ok this is what i did today and what i heard, i grabbed the drive shaft near the center support and pushed up and down and it had movement and if i shook it, i heard a bang/metal noise coming from it ill get a video done when i go back out there.

 

There are some good clips on YouTube that show good vs bad carrier bearing movement, for me I could tell it's good by feel because even though there was play it felt firm. When the bushing eventually tore the movement felt more sloppy and excessive

 

The bang/metal noise doesn't sound good, even if it's not what's causing the issue you're having it might still need to be replaced regardless.

 

With 18k on the truck I doubt the carrier is back, I think the clunk is loose u-bolts, torque to 80ftlbs and the clunk should be gone.

 

i checked u bolts lower control arms front struts and i even took all 4 brakes apart to make sure they were good

 

You checked, but did you torque and the front lowers need to be super tite.

 

i torqued the u bolts and the shop that replaced the lower arms torqued them and then the alignment shop had to adjust the front end through the lower arms and they said they torqued them, what is the torque on the lower arms and ill verify that tomorrow

 

I think 1/4" is ok. Any more and you will need a replacement.

this is not good:
https://youtube.com/shorts/jzabcym5Lek?feature=share