Windmilling? MDT Tech? Anybody?

I have an '03 Tacoma with a funky noise when cold - a low frequency growl (sounds like when you run over a rumble strip) at 25-30 mph. Only occurs every 3rd or 4th wheel revolution, and disappears after a mile or two of normal driving. Problem only occurs in 2WD; placing the vehicle into 4WD will make the noise go away.

Saw a post somewhere where a guy with a Tundra with a similar problem cured it by removing the front driveshaft. So, rather than remove my driveshaft, I simply stopped it from moving by tying what amounts to a big rubber band around it. Keep in mind that the front driveshaft should not spin as long as 4WD is not engaged. With the front driveshaft so held, the noise is gone.

I believe this is referred to as "windmilling", whereby the cold, viscous fluid in the front differential is causing the front driveshaft to rotate. Since I only held the driveshaft with a relatively weak rubber strip, and the rubber strip didn't break, there is apparently not a lot of torque involved - just enough to spin the driveshaft. Anybody know of this "windmilling"? What is causing the noise that only happens when the front driveshaft rotates (presumably) slowly?

BTW, the Tundra that I mentioned earlier was diagnosed by one of Toyota's roving "super techs". Maybe there's a TSB or something on this?

Reply to
Karl Yeanoplos
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