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Replacing front wheel bearing info

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Unproductive1, Apr 16, 2017.

  1. Unproductive1

    Unproductive1 New Member

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    I started to get the whoop whoop noise from my front left, would get louder if turned right, softer if turned left, both while moving.

    I tried to find info on DIY but only came up with 2nd gen stuff.

    Bought 2 front timken bearing hub units, and swapped out the noisy front left bearing, just wanted to share some things I learned from the process.

    Axle to hub nut is 30mm 12 point.
    Splined axle was stuck in hub, gave it a few hits with large brass punch to break it loose (next time I do this I might try using a puller, but I've always done it this way).
    Removed tie rod to allow me to turn the spindle by hand, might not have been necessary though.
    Removed caliper, abs sensor and brake line clip.
    Removed the two upper spindle to strut bolt/nuts but soon realized I didn't need to.
    I pushed the axle in with one hand and loosened the bolts holding the hub to spindle, worked perfectly without removing the spindle from the car.

    In the process I noticed my front rotor is jacked up on the inside, pad wear is very uneven, and the disc is grooved badly, so I will have to replace front brakes also, ordered OEM pads and will pick up some Napa rotors and replace both fronts

    Compared to my old Audis, with it's 4 control arms per corner, the Prius suspension is nice and simple

    Oh and yes it did solve the whoops, car is nice and quiet
     
    #1 Unproductive1, Apr 16, 2017
    Mendel Leisk, Former Member 68813, AubreyIII and 2 others like this.
  2. Rush2112

    Rush2112 New Member

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    I'm having a sound issue right now. I feel as if it the wheel bearing on my driver's side left. The noise is heard around 30 mph then at higher speeds, it isn't so bad. (Around 60-70). I swapped tires to see of the tire was messed up, but no luck I still had to same sound. I'm dreading having to pay 500+ dollars. I would like to do it myself and I am already a mechanic, but at the same time I don't want to throw a bunch of parts at it and not know what actually foxed it.
     
    #2 Rush2112, Apr 23, 2017
  3. Unproductive1

    Unproductive1 New Member

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    Sounds like a bad wheel bearing to me, mine made the same noises at around the speed you mentioned.

    The timken hub units were around 140-150 each, if you want to go cheaper you can find the china made ones for dirt cheap around half that or cheaper.

    Since your a mechanic this should be a simple fix.
     
    #3 Unproductive1, Apr 24, 2017
  4. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

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    #4 Former Member 68813, Apr 24, 2017
  5. Unproductive1

    Unproductive1 New Member

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    92k miles, it only recently started making noises, at first it was so faint I wasn't sure, wife didn't even notice it, could have waited longer to change it, but me being a car guy, it bugged the hell out of me
     
    #5 Unproductive1, Apr 24, 2017
    Former Member 68813 likes this.
  6. Unproductive1

    Unproductive1 New Member

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    Oh and I did replace my front brakes this past weekend, nice shiny coated rotors, OEM pads, and lubed the slide pins.

    My pads were about 1/2 life at 93k miles, slide pins looked in perfect condition, lube was still clear looking, cleaned and, re lubed anyway.

    Still need to top up the master cylinder since I had to push the caliper pistion back in, I pushed the fluid out the bleed nipple, level is still above min but not by much
     
    #6 Unproductive1, Apr 24, 2017
  7. Katsuranomiya

    Katsuranomiya Junior Member

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    First time DIY 2012 prius front hub/bearing assembly replacement. Local city does a $h!t job maintaining roads when spring hits. Pothole got me. I got the OEM Toyota front assembly from a dealer nearby. About $230 CDN.
    - hubcap off, wheel aligned with notch up
    - dent in axle nut tapped open
    - breaker bar w/ 30mm 12pt socket, loosened axle nut
    - car jacked up, wheel off
    - 14mm socket, brake caliper off and hung up with a clamp on the piston
    - 17mm socket, capliber bracket off, rotor comes off
    - 14mm socket w/ extender (really tight impossible clearance), loosened up all 4 bolts through the hub
    - slide hammer on with a slightly compatible hub puller
    - whacking away... and it comes out.... but not the whole thing.. the bearing came apart and the part attached to the dust shield is still in place, though it looks like it maybe moved downward because the top 2 bolts don't drive in all the way now, which maybe caused by the degree of shifting

    Now I'm stuck. I either need to get a tow to a shop and ask them to press the hub out of the knuckle, or detach the knuckle myself and take it to the shop. Any suggestions?
     
    #7 Katsuranomiya, May 20, 2017
  8. Katsuranomiya

    Katsuranomiya Junior Member

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    FYI, if anyone wants to DIY a front bearing assembly. I highly recommend getting an air hammer instead of the slide hammer. Use the air hammer in alternating directions on the bolt flanges of the hub assembly. Pivot it about 1/8 turn each direction, and it'll gradually loosen enough to get in from the back side of a flange. Once you have enough clearance for that, the whole thing pops out. Much much cleaner, easier, faster, and works on all 4 wheels.

    However, if you try the slide hammer and end up like I did, there's a trick for the front wheels. Put the bolts back in, but don't tighten them. Brace a metal rod of any kind between the bolt and a hard point of the frame inside the wheel well. Then while a friend gently turns the wheel so that the steering squeezes that rod, use a hammer and tap the sides of the bolt flanges. The combination shock and pressure will pop out the bearing housing. You might have to alternate which bolt this is done to gradually wiggle it loose, but it worked like a charm.
     
    #8 Katsuranomiya, Aug 6, 2018
  9. Katsuranomiya

    Katsuranomiya Junior Member

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    Not sure if this is helpful, but I've found a quick test for bearings was to kick the tires. A healthy bearing will give a rubbery hollow sound, and a worn bearing will give a higher pitch sound. Seems to work for even small amounts of wear.
     
    #9 Katsuranomiya, Aug 6, 2018
  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    A lot of good tips, made a pdf of the bulk of this thread:
     

    Attached Files:

    #10 Mendel Leisk, Aug 6, 2018
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