2007 Prius making grinding sound after offroading

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Lzzvq, Dec 15, 2023.

  1. Lzzvq

    Lzzvq New Member

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    Good morning!
    I lifted my 2007 base Prius (which I've named Patty) this summer and put on a bash guard from Prius Offroad. The front has +1.5" lift from Prius Offroad spacers and the rear has a +1.75" lift from springs from Valley Spring Works. Stock everything else. I finally got the chance to go offroad in Sedona on Munds Wagon trail. On the way down, I was getting a little too adventurous and going pretty quick. At the bottom, I noticed my right front was making a grinding sound when turning and at low speeds.

    This week, I've been trying to diagnose the issue, and came across the idea it could be wheel bearings. I mostly notice the grinding/buzzing at speeds less than 25 mph and particularly when the ICE is running. I've gotten up to 15mph on purely electric and it doesn't grind at low speeds when turning. In general commuting, it does grind when accelerating from a stop up to about 25 mph, and when turning right. Turning left doesn't make any sounds.

    The part that confuses me is that it only seems to grind when the ICE is running. Any ideas what that might be? I'm going on a roadtrip on Thursday and I'm taking Patty in to a shop on Monday. If I could, I'd prefer to replace whatever is wrong tomorrow by myself.

    This morning, I put her up on jacks and tried to wiggle the right front wheel and it had no play at all. Looking around underneath didn't provide any obvious clues of things that moving parts might be rubbing against.

    Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
     
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Now that you've got it up on jack stands under the rocker panels or some such kind of thing start the car up and put it in gear and make the wheels turn You don't have to try to drive a hundred miles an hour just barely touching the gas turn the steering wheel nothing can happen your drive wheels are in the air Make sure nobody's standing in front of the car what's happening now you can leave it in gear and actually get out of the car while the wheels are turning don't forget not to touch them and you can look right at the wheels while they're spinning The wheel bearings and the drive axles and all that see you're here anything out of character? How many miles are on your car 2007 should be around 200,000 it's about time in reality for wheel bearings I don't change them till they start groaning and I hear them regularly almost to the point where I've blocked it out and I don't change them because I don't hear it but I change them
     
  3. Lzzvq

    Lzzvq New Member

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    Thanks for the input. I don't have her up on jacks right now, and I've got 145.7k on the odometer.

    I think there's enough signs here to definitively point to wheel bearing failing, and I don't want to do that work with that tools and work area I've got. I'm going to plan to take it to the shop on Monday. Thank you!
     
    #3 Lzzvq, Dec 15, 2023
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2023
  4. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Maybe "grinding" noise isn't the right word? As in both the exhaust shielding and dust cover plates next to the front disks are the biggest noise makers under a Prius but they make a rattling sound like tin metal, not a grinding sound.
     
  5. Lzzvq

    Lzzvq New Member

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    Unfortunately the sound is definitely not rattling - it is definitely grinding/rubbing/buzzing sort of sound. It introduces drag into the system at low speeds, and at higher speeds goes away. I did bend back the dust cover plate (although I didn't visually examine it) to make sure it wasn't contacting the brake rotor, but still had the same sound afterward.
     
  6. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    As I do the wheel bearings on all the cars that come through here I remove the brake dust plates or the brake backing plates I don't use them so I have a whole stack of them here if anybody needs any before I throw them out there are also two different styles of these things I didn't know that I have pictures but they don't post but anyway there are two different styles of the front brake dust shield / backing plates I have both sitting right here they'll both bolt in place of each other I don't know why there's two different ones maybe one is pre 06 and one is post '06.
     
  7. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Isn't there some way to reinforce them so they aren't so noisy?
     
  8. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Yes you can tweak them the noise isn't the problem I just take them off it gives more airflow around the brake rotors. I guess I could also cut some out of the heavier gauge 10 or steel or even aluminum like that diamond plate sheet that type of thing maybe without the diamond plate but you get my drift but they don't seem to do anything I've never had any rocks or anything get caught in the brakes and I do a lot of that kind of driving so I just figured while I had the hubs apart delete them but it seems everybody wants them.
     
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  9. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    My left front has been rattling for more than 180K miles. It's one of those things that if you shake it, then it goes away for a while! Lol... Can't believe I put up with it for so long!

    I wonder if I should cut them off with metal shears when I'm doing shocks and brakes next week?

    I can see how they'd be valuable to have on salty roads but all we got out west is rain and rare snow when no one goes anywhere and no salt.
     
  10. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Up north in the salt those things just rushed right off and fall off before you do the brakes the first time which is a long time granted but they just get ate up yeah you can trim them off usually I just do it when I'm doing wheel bearings I'll have to bust them apart anyway but yes you could trim them and where you can't get your shears and can get your Dremel or whatever
     
  11. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Wheel bearings on these cars in the front are easy as all get out to do It even if you only have a half inch breaker bar it takes me about 55 minutes aside with the breaker bar and if I have the luxury of having my half inch drive DeWalt electric impact gun knocks off about 10 minutes The hardest thing is making sure you get your castle head steering nuts undone carefully and then to get the tapered shaft through the steering knuckle I you use a dead blow hammer on the outside of the aluminum the shock is what undoes the tapered shaft not beating on the threaded end of it with the nut on that's a no-no It's a very quick job delete your backing plates while you're doing this for those of you with backing plates that are rattling if you just roll the car up on ramps lay down on your back under the car and look at your backing plates grab them with your hand and gently bend them gently towards you if they bend real easy and almost fold over you know they're rusted and fubar you may be able to just bend them back and forth until the piece comes off and throw it into the trash Make sure you check the other side The backs don't give you any of this trouble it's only on the disc brakes.