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Vibration at high speeds

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Fifen, Sep 29, 2023.

  1. Fifen

    Fifen Member

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    I have posted about this in the past. I'm back with the same issue.

    I'm exhausted trying to fix this issue. For the last 6 months my car starts shaking at speeds of 70 mph and gets worse the faster I go. Around 80mph my steering wheel feels loose. It's the front of the car that shakes. I'm pretty mechanical. Backyard mechanic. So I replaced all of the suspension except the outer/inner tie rods. I got a wheel balance, rotation, and alignment. Still happens but I can go 70mph safer now. My wheel hubs were bad so I changed those out for new mevotech ones. It still happens. I replaced my tires. At this point I don't know what could be causing it.

    I hit 85mph to see if the shake would go away after a certain speed. It got really bad and remained shaking until I dropped down to 67mph. It happens when accelerating and when not accelerating.

    Car is 2010 Prius with 160k miles.

    SM-N986U ?
     
    #1 Fifen, Sep 29, 2023
  2. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    Possibly worn inner cv joints. Does acceleration improve or worse the vibration?
     
    #2 The Critic, Sep 29, 2023
  3. Fifen

    Fifen Member

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    The cv axle was replaced. I don't think acceleration has an impact. I can try to coast down a mountain and see if it happens. If I let off the gas the shaking remains until I get low enough

    SM-N986U ?
     
    #3 Fifen, Sep 29, 2023
  4. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Maybe try a different shop for alignment, as well as rotate and balance of tires? In recent years, we've seen an increase in dishonest alignment shops not doing the work and still charging you for it.
     
    #4 PriusCamper, Sep 29, 2023
  5. bdc101

    bdc101 Member

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    Why didn't you replace tie rods?

    Like PriusCamper said, alignment shops are inconsistent, rushed, and even dishonest. I wouldn't be surprised if you had it aligned and they didn't notice bad tie rods. They could cause this problem.
     
    #5 bdc101, Sep 29, 2023
  6. Fifen

    Fifen Member

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    I have new ones. I'm just so burnt out working on the car. Every time is 5x harder than what I expect. I might just pay a shop to put them on and do an alignment

    SM-N986U ?
     
    #6 Fifen, Sep 29, 2023
    bdc101 likes this.
  7. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    Genuine Toyota axle or aftermarket? Aftermarket axles tend to be a significant driver of vibration issues.
     
    #7 The Critic, Sep 29, 2023
  8. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    Have you checked the brake pads and rotors? Maybe a bad spot of the rotor?
     
    #8 ASRDogman, Sep 29, 2023
  9. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    Rotors will not cause vibration during cruise.
     
    #9 The Critic, Sep 29, 2023
  10. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    Yes, they will. If they are out of round, warped, or the pad has embeded itself into it.
    Either from sitting for long periods, or getting hot then driving in the rain and cooling off quickly.

     
    #10 ASRDogman, Sep 29, 2023
  11. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    Pads do not contact rotors during cruise. Even if there was excessive LRO or DTV, this feedback can only be transmitted when the pads are in contact.
     
    #11 The Critic, Sep 29, 2023
  12. Fifen

    Fifen Member

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    I have looked at the rotors. If there is something wrong with them it's not visible. They are about 5 years old and I got very high quality ones. To be fair I live in the mountains and use them more than your average Prius owner. The caliper isn't stuck in any capacity. I'm well aware of what that feels like.

    Today I was carrying a heavy load in the rear. I got to 90mph on the freeway before the shake started. So it didn't get bad with more weight in the car.

    SM-N986U ?
     
    #12 Fifen, Sep 29, 2023
  13. bdc101

    bdc101 Member

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    Once I had a rotor turned that was slightly warped. The shop turned it and never checked whether they got rid of the warp. However, that only caused vibration during braking. My money is on tie rods, OP
     
    #13 bdc101, Sep 30, 2023
  14. Fifen

    Fifen Member

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    I'll update once they are replaced

    SM-N986U ?
     
    #14 Fifen, Sep 30, 2023
  15. Fifen

    Fifen Member

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    It's fixed. It was the tie rods. And the tires were slightly out of balance. That stressor is gone. But I noticed a new concern. When I accelerate I feel a slight thunk in the peddle. It's very slight and I think it was happened before these issues. I'm thinking it's my calipers releasing. Like they are being a bit sticky and when they open fully they make a clunk

    SM-N986U ?
     
    #15 Fifen, Oct 24, 2023
    ColoradoBoo and bdc101 like this.
  16. bdc101

    bdc101 Member

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    Glad to hear you got it fixed!

    Brake problems don't usually cause a clunk problem like that, when taking off from a stop. Usually a clunk when taking off from a stop is caused by an engine mount wearing out. But it can also be other things. Does it only happen when taking off from a stop or do you notice it other times as well?
     
    #16 bdc101, Oct 24, 2023
  17. Fifen

    Fifen Member

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    Mainly happens when starting from stopped. Or if I'm going really slow. It doesn't happen every time. I was thinking the brakes. But it also kinda feels like it's right below me. I almost wonder if a rock is stuck in the skid plate and is sliding around.

    SM-N986U ?
     
    #17 Fifen, Oct 24, 2023
  18. Fifen

    Fifen Member

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    Just did a short drive today. It does happen while moving. But only when going slow. So applying brakes. Or sometimes when turning sharply and moving slowly. I can't imagine it's my cv cause it's brand new.

    SM-N986U ?
     
    #18 Fifen, Oct 25, 2023
  19. bdc101

    bdc101 Member

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    I would bet the rear engine mount. Or it could be a CV possibly. If your mechanic used a cheap CV axle, the cheap ones can wear out really fast sometimes. One reason why I always used quality halfshaft.

    The rear engine mount failing would cause a clunk when starting off from a stop, or at low speeds when stepping on the gas. As the vehicle speeds up, the engine/trans combo produces less torque going to the halfshafts, just because of gearing. So the clunking will become lesser and lesser in magnitude.
     
    #19 bdc101, Oct 25, 2023
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