MY 04 Toyota truck, 2wd,Tundra, was toad (Street Cleaning) on a flat bed. When I went to pick it up I noticed a vibration in the seat and steering wheel starting at 40mph on. I had the wheels rebalanced and rotated but no help. I brought it to a T/dealership and they said it might be a bent drive shaft, $1200.00 to fix but couldn’t guarantee it would fix the problem. Any suggestions?
I don’t see how hitting a toad could possibly bend your drive shaft.
Was it an unusually large toad?
;-))
$1200 for a new driveshaft is way too high. I ordered a custom made shaft for $400.00 and that included a CV joint. If the Yota driveshafts reasly are that expensive then I would go to a drive shaft shop or machine shop and have them rebuild the one you have or just have a new one made.
Get another opinion. There’s no reason to suspect a bent drive shaft. I’d look for a bent wheel first.
And stay away from those toads.
I had the lower control arms bent from a bad tow…Tow cables were connected to them.
Cost the tow company $500+.
That is exactly what I was thinking.
Improperly attached tow cables/chains/hooks could bend front end components, such as lower control arms, and this is much more likely to be the cause of the vibration than the drive shaft. The company that towed the truck would not have attached any equipment in the area of the drive shaft, but they undoubtedly would have attached chains/tow hooks to the front end.
I suggest that you have a shop that specializes in front-end repairs inspect your vehicle, and that you have them document their findings. Make copies of this documentation, and then send–via certified mail–the mechanic’s letter and a cover letter that you have written, to the company that towed your truck. They are insured against damage that they cause when they tow a vehicle.
While you are waiting for their reply, have the truck repaired and keep the documentation of the repair. Hopefully, you will be reimbursed by the insurance company for the towing company, but don’t be surprised if you have to stay on top of the situation in order for them to comply with your request for compensation. If all else fails, you could take all of your documentation to Small Claims Court, where you should be able to win.
And, as mcparadise sagely advised, stay away from those toads!
As The Firesign Theater once asked: “Where do you go when your toad away?”
Don’t you go to the 4th tower of inverness? Front end advice from VDC is good and it may be as simple as an alignment.
The best case scenario is an alignment, but given the symptoms of vibration, it is also very possible that the OP is dealing with damaged/bent front end components.
That is exactly why you need someone who can look at a problem in person and diagnose it correctly!
Added point: the tow company should have a damage claim form and insurance to cover this sor of thing. The dealership should be happy to provide the damage details on the shop order, which you can then attach to the claim for for submittal to the tow company. They’ll submit it to their insurance, which will assess the situation and probably reimburse you.