Drives like a lamb, Roars like a lion!

Hi all,

I picked up a 2010 Prius V package last week with 162,000 miles. I got it from the original owner, and it is in incredible shape. My only complaint/concern is the level of road noise.

Now, for a bit of background, I am coming from a 2006 Prius with Goodyear Assurance tires, and this 2010 is significantly louder. It is a roaring sound, coming from the back, fairly constant in nature, but noticeably louder at highway speeds. The 2010 has Michelin Premier A/S on all four. Of note, the two in the back are very new: one is around 1,000 miles, the other is about a week old.

My dad drives a 2010 II package and he said my car was quite a bit noisier than his when he test drove it, so I'm assuming it's something is out of whack.

My questions are these:

Could new tires be causing the roar? Should I have them rotated and see if the noise moves to the front?

Could it be bearing(s)? It's harder to determine with rear bearings, as the slalom test isn't as effective on non-steering wheels.

Have any other Gen II to Gen III converts noticed an dramatic increase in road noise after the switch?

The collective brilliance of of this forum is much appreciated, as is your input!

Thanks,

Michael

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I don't believe the Michelin Premier A/S are winter tires, but I could be mistaken. I've never heard a loud Michelin before, come to think of it, that's why this surprised me.

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Can I ask which brand hub you ended up using, and how bad the replacement process was? I do a lot of the work on my cars, but I wouldn't call myself a mechanic... The hub replacement looks somewhat straightforward, which are usually the jobs that turn into a bear.

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WJB or Dur International?

I considered picking up a cheap pair just to see if it fixes the problem, but I know if it DOES fix it that I'll wish I had spent a bit more so I'm not tearing in to it again in a year...

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I just ordered a pair for the rear! Thanks so much for the feedback!

 

Just a quick update for those who may stumble across this thread: I installed the rear wheel hub on the passenger side today, and it literally made all the difference. My roaring lion is now a purring kitten. I went with the Dura International hubs from RockAuto.com, so not sure how long they'll hold up, but at least I know how to do this now and can always swap them for nicer hubs should these fail in a year.

Just to note, my rear hub did not have the distinctive "wub wub" most folks reference for bearing failure. It was just an excessively loud roar coming from the rear end. Even when I got the hub off the car, it didn't make the notorious grinding sound every YouTube video teaches you to look for. But it was definitely the problem!

I've spent the past several days researching this, and had to overcome a rotor that was rust-welded to a hub, and a hub that was rust-welded to a knuckle. I'd be happy to share what works (and what doesn't), should anyone need help.

Thanks to all for their contribution!

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