Missing dust deflector after bearing replacement

Welcome to PRIUSchat!!

Would the mechanic install the new deflector for no charge?

 

Driver side what bearing?
Wheel bearing? Why would the shield be removed?
Price a new one, and labor, then talk to your mechanic.
I’m assuming it’s not a Toyota dealer.

 

It keeps all the road debris/water/puddles/mud from getting into your wheel speed sensor. Not to mention VERMONT snow ice salt etc etc etc..............the metal retaining ring has a small cutout that has to be aligned with the speed sensor face so it can see through the retainer and pick up the rotating "star" wheel on the axle assembly. There are no openings in the dust cover, so no debris gets into the "star" wheel or sensor area.

I've done this wheel bearing (actually a hub assembly) on both sides and know exactly what video you're referencing. I was able to pop the dust covers off no problem. "OFF" is actually a bad term, you actually pop them away from the knuckle and then pull the cover and axle back a bit to access the 4 bolts holding the hub. Doing it this way allows you to swap the hub without pulling the entire knuckle assembly. BUT, you have to be very careful when reinstalling. It is very easy to misalign the metal dust cover retaining ring and damage it. Once damaged, that puppy is NOT going back in place properly.

Now, if he pulled the knuckle and hub assembly completely off and forgot to put the dust cover back on during reassembly then that's just a matter of pulling it back apart and installing it. There is NO WAY of installing a new one with the axle assembled.

Part 43246A and B on the drawing.

FRONT AXLE HUB. For 2008 Toyota Prius | Toyota


They are available for about 25 bucks each from Toyota

2008 Toyota Prius Deflector. Front, brakes, bearing - 4324647010 | Toyota

mmmmmmm.......microphone drops to the floor.......

 

If your mechanic is smarter than the engineer who designed that part of the car, why is he working as a mechanic? The pay is lower and it is hell on that fresh hands look that is so popular when drinking fine wine in Paris each weekend.

He needs to put the parts the engineer specified back on the car. If that shield was not needed, Toyota would not have made it and installed it.

 

I would obtain the part and install it soon-ish, when the new bearing can probably still be removed without damage and reinstalled (the dust shield goes behind it).

Wait long enough, and the bearing tends to get very fond of the knuckle it is mounted in, and most of the approaches to forcing it out will damage it, adding the price of another new bearing to the (considerably lower) price of the dust shield. So sooner is better.

-Chap

 

is it possible to rotate the dust cover without complete disassembly? TIA.

 

If I remember correctly, iIf the dust cover was installed with the window not completely aligned with the speed sensor, it can be "popped" again rotated as needed and inserted back into position.

Don't forget to remove the sensor first if you have to mess with the dust shield. It comes out pretty easy. Just remove the single mounting bolt and it should slide right out. Then do what you have to do with the shield. That way you don't risk damaging the sensor face and you can look into the hole to see how well it's aligned.

 

I have a similar problem with previous mechanic not replacing the dust deflector. Unfortunately I didn't find out until my wheel bearing failed after 2 years.

Now today I try to put everything back together and my car gives me the ABS VSC etc lights. I pop the tire off again to find that the dust deflector decided to spin with the CV axle instead of staying put (thereby shearing off the tip of the ABS sensor). How do I go about getting that deflector to stay put? do I need to replace the knuckle to get a tighter fit? Previous mechanic certainly marred the front of the knuckle trying to remove the bearing hub last time :/

Thanks!