2005 Prius- Overhaul Strut-Wheel & Hybrid Battery Conditioning

My 2005 Prius is now at 127k miles. I just completed an intense overhaul of 4 struts, 4 bearing-hub assemblies, and brakes (2 drums/2 rotors). Both the front/rear brakes were at 66% pad healthy, so i left them be. While i was in under the upholstery tending to both rear struts, i went ahead and conditioned the hybrid battery; mainly because i already had access and a basic curiosity of how the battery generally looked. I took it slow and dedicated a full day to breaking down the interior upholstery/rear seats. The project originally started with a need to do only the front struts (they were dragging bad) and front right bearing (noisey turning at low speeds). As i ordered the parts and brushed up on my YOUTUBE, i got courageous and bought the full 4-wheel sets. The battery was pretty straight forward. The battery lead readings were all a consistent ~8. I just brushed off an expected amount of dry-acid buildup on the leads and wrapped the battery housing unit back up. There was no need for me to remove the battery from the car, as i was not required to replace any battery cells; my fortune.

The end product turned out really nice. Smooth coasting and braking; also greater control and stability with my higher-speed cornering. I can take on-off ramps at a higher velocity, where historically i was very timid. I feel so much more confident gasing through turns. This combined with a recent MAF-throttle body cleaning has notably helped regenerate my battery bar back into the green/90-100% percentile. Historically i would only hit the green once every few months by accident. Now Im hitting the green battery bars at every off ramp and at times cruise control on high ways at 70mph.

Enjoy the pics.

 

Oh my goodness, if i had a choice i dont want to revisit that area for another 5-10years. Battery danger is less an issue, as the prep is what wore on me; there were too many upholstery items (ex. seatbelts) to strip down and clips and bolts to account for. Infact i ended up w a few extra bolts: 1 small metal bolt and 2 plastic plug-types. Extras seemed harmless, everything repackaged snug and I didnt want to go back and relive the tear down. Just getting to look and assess my batteries was well worth it. They look in great shape for a 12yr old car; & now i know what i am driving and dealing with in regards to hybrid battery health and maintenance access.

AndrewC-- I did not use a torque wrench for this project-- still using the FORCE; infact i have not yet invested in one. I know i will suffer huge one day and be forced to up my game and toolkit. I did not use anti-oxident. I did hard-plastic brush the terminals and cleaned off the nuts in a Purple Power cleaning solution. I'd say both sides were equally acidy.

Ericbecky-- Yup thanks, some of the pics were not done in sequence. Working alone disadvantages me from a having a real-time historian. Got that heads up after researching and garnering courage over a dozen threads and YOUTUBE postings. I uncoupled both the 12V battery and the orange plug low-left of the traction battery. I immediately noticed losing electricity to my Radio and back hatch access. I saw it coming too as i closed and secured the back hatch; but my inquiry got the better of me. What a pain snaking in through the side doors to do rear-battery access maintenance. I was doing some serious yoga poses and was not going to digress and recouple the 12V battery. I was already losing light outside and overcast was coming.

 

SFO-- no they were all the same size. Camera angle must be off. Well worth me getting in after 127k miles and replacing those RUSTY bearing. Now i am driving with more confidence and can better diagnose any future maintenance issues. I picked up the car at 90k, so i was uncertain as to what i was dealing with; now i know i have a winner.
- Front bearing hub assembly -- PrimeChoice // Wheel Hub and Bearing Assembly Front Driver or Passenger With Lifetime Warranty | eBay
- Rear bearing hubs-- Aftermarket Autoparts (10yr warranty) // Rear Wheel Hub & Bearing Assembly Pair Set for Toyota Pontiac w/ ABS | eBay

cheers

 

biglew8-- i got them in a bulk order on Amazon: Buyautoparts. The struts came all assembled with rod and springs. This made the job easier as i just swapped them out. Free shipping and they prefit size for my 2005. I did not change the tie rods; they were still solid and "in-there" as i gave them both a good pull/jerk.

cheers

 

INVEST IN PREP. I guess the biggest thing i learned out of working on the compact PRius is that there is a good amount to stripping down and prepping the car prior to doing the maintenance. Front strut access were almost as a hassle in getting to than the rear struts. For the fronts i had to pry out the cowel tray and windshield washer assembly only to get to those upper strut bolts. But that was only a bit easier than excavating the rear upholstery. I found earlier on that doing this affords full access to the upper intake manifold. I also recently picked up a 2010 Prius and removing the cowel/windshield wiper assembly is the only way to get to the spark plugs. Horrible design, but i understand that the Prius is working in under tight "sardine-can" confines.

 

edthefox5-- thanks for the advice. I will keep an eye on that battery and look into the alignment.

cheers

 

Nope, sorry I am not.
new to the Prius scene. Just got my 2005 2 years ago and a 2010 last month.

 

These struts fit great; however they strap on a little wide with the bolts that connect the knuckle. If you notice in my finished strut pic (1st pic), i had to order a new bolt bc the lower already-short bolt became a bit more short after the strut exchange. That bolt had only dangerously, half a nut-bite.

Strut boots on all my 4 old ones were shredded & i originally had a noticeable amount of noise from the right-front while steering. On items with pairs, mechanics have consistently told me when you change one you should change them both; the newer item will either off set balance of the collective unit and/or the older item will limit full performance of what should be a new material unit.

The Prius has been great negotiating around turns, corners and handles like a new steering column; in the parking lot at <5mph it turns like 'real' power steering. I can easily control the car with 1 finger. Noticeably stiffer on speed bumps. I feel less road bumps and hear lots less road noise. But i should also add the new bearing hubs also should contribute by some% into this nice new ride feel. Don't forget these projects also gave me a good excuse to get into the wheel well and cleaned out lots to include the knuckle, real good. I feel a whole lot more intimate with and confident driving this Prius. These struts should last another +100k miles.

If you had to buy new ones, i would put these in the category of NICE TO HAVES. You and i don't need new ones to operate the car, as there are plenty of other car project priorities. Although now that i have new struts in, i will know what future maintenance issues are NOT--- my new struts.

cheers