HOW TO: DIY 3rd Gen Prius Front Wheel hub assembly replacement

Hey everyone i'm a newbie here and i thought i would make my first post into a write up. I know theres a video already posted by Mendel Leisk which is a GREAT video but i thought id post one up for us DIYers who dont have a lift or the air tools at home. (also havent seen much in detail for this job on this particular year and model)

im sorry i dont have pictures but ill try to be as detail as i can.

by the way im not responsible for any thing negative or misfortunate that may happen to you along the way, during, or after doing this job.

Symptoms:

recently purchased the vehicle and heard a "Whoo Whoo" sound that was related to speed while driving on the highway. i thought it was my tire but given some thought, it couldnt have been as the sound was in and out and the wheels were on tight.

Parts:

I searched and searched for the wheel hub assembly and the cheapest i found was 86 bucks with military discount at autozone. it also came with a one year warranty and i said "eh why not". I know i know, i get what i paid for but after reading and reading and looking at the diagram i thought to myself that i couldnt be that hard and i was willing to do it again if i had to. eventually ill fork over 200$ to the dealer for OEM.
(by the way the job wasn't difficult! if you can change your brakes and rotors, you can do this job!

(also if you need to change your brakes, this is the perfect time to do it)

Tools:

17 and 14 mm socket, 3" extension , 3/8 and 1/2'' ratchet or 1/2" breaker bar for the axle nut. (wtvr youre comfortable with). Along with a 14mm wrench for the upper left bolt on the wheel hub assembly its self.

30MM 12 point axle socket. you can rent this at autozone for 80 bucks. its a whole kit with different sockets.

youll need two M8x1.25 bolts to remove the rotor(i did it with one bolt that i found in the back of the tool droors). i seen another thread where you bang the rotor off the set lip and thats a BIG NO GO.

zip ties to hold the brake caliper up when banging out the wheel hub assembly

3 jaw puller to push axle inward also rentable at autozone

gloves (optional)
beer (suggested after completing task)
jack
jack stands
and i believe thats it. I'm doing this off of memory so if anyone wants to chime in on something i forgot, by all means please do.

oh and a torque wrench to tighten everything back up.

Step 1: loosen lugs, lift car up, set on jack stands, remove lugs, remove wheel, place wheel underneath car next to jack stands

Step 2: remove two 14mm bolts that hold the caliper to the caliper bracket. place the caliper behind the rotor zip tied away from everyrhing else. becareful not to pinch the brake line!

Step 3: place a heavy thick rod or thick screwdriver in between the rotor heat vents and the brake caliper bracket to prevent the rotor from spinning when attempting step 4

Step 4: with 1/2" breaker bar and 30MM 12 points socket, remove the axle nut (counter clockwise) i highly recommend you get a screwdriver or punch and pop up the notch that was made on the bolt before loosening so its easier to remove the axle nut without damaging threads on the axle. (youre technically not suppose to reuse the axle nut but i did because my only use of transportation was this car and i couldn't go search for another one AND ive reused an axle nut before and never had a problem)

Step 5: remove screwdriver or rod and remove the 17mm bolts that hold the caliper bracket. place to the side with brake pads.

Step 6: screw in the the two M8x1.25 bolts in the two holes of the rotor. (the only two holes that will accept those screws in case you cant find them, its on the flat surfface of the rotor that the rim sits on) screw them in equally until the rotor pops off and then set the rotor to the side and put bolts away (wont need them anymore)

Step 7: with the 3/8 ratchet and 14mm socket and 14mm wrench remove the four bolts that hold the wheel hub assembly. (youll need the extension on some of these) its a bit tight but you can get in there with out having to remove the lower ball joint, the tie rod end (which if you do remove youll need to get an allignment) the axle its self and the mcpherson strut tower. be patient and take your time. the bolts wont fall out but youll know they are out when you can pull them in and out easily in place.

Step 8: with a 3 jaw puller, place it around the front of the wheel hub assembly and on the axle and begin to remove the axle. you just wnat to push it out so the splines are off the hub assembly.

Step 9: get a hammer and go to town with banging out that bad boy hub assembly. Not too hard but enough to let it know you mean business. bang equally around the hub from behind the hub assembly inbetween each stud. little by little itll nudge

be carefull not to bend the dust shield in the process or its gna make grinding sounds when driving away. if it does do that, just take a screw driver and push the shield inward towards the car until theres no more rubbing grinding (dont worry, it happens)

Step 10: once the hub is out, inspect it. spin it by hand real hard and real soft. you shouldnt hear noises, it should be smooth, you should also not see any grease or oil. it also shouldnt make rattle click sounds if you shake it like mine did. if you get any of these. its bad.

******before step 11, *PLACE THE DUST SHIELD BACK ON******
i forgot to do this and i sat there for 10 mental minutes pissed off because i had to remove everything all over again lol

Step 11: get the new hub, inspect it like Step 10, if everything seems good. place it in the position evenly, make sure you get the splines of the axle in first before final alignment into bolt holes. twist the hub assembly left or right to align the holes. once its evenly on there, start tapping it in with the hammer (like step 9 but opposite side). once its close enough for the bolts to grab thread, screw in the bolts in criss cross pattern and repeat steps backwards.

MAKE SURE YOU TORQUE EVERYTHING TO SPEC

check your manual

or visit the dealer for a torque specs print out.

Well thats it i hope you all dig this write up and like i said, if i missed something, or you have some tips to help out in the process, feel free to chime in.

Thank you.