Front end loud highway noise

Wheel bearing and CV joint replacement is not procedure that Toyota necessarily as to do. Any good shop can do it. You probably need the wheels balanced if they weren't done when you got the tires. But you really need to have the bearings checked and the CV joints. Bad bearings get worse and then other more expensive things start happening, then really dangerous things can happen. Find a good shop that is less expensive than the stealer.

 

Just checked Rock Auto. A Timken wheel bearing + hub assembly is just under $100. The car won't need alignment after installing this since the suspension isn't touched during the job.

More Information for TIMKEN HA590064

I don't know why everyone else is jumping up and down about having the working bearing replaced, doing alignment, etc. I guess money grows on trees for those folks.

I just did a front wheel bearing on my mother-in-law's car the other weekend, took just over an hour and the car drives like new again, no noises or anything. Old hub off, new hub on, that's all that the car needs. If the dealer charges you any more than $250 for this job, find another mechanic.

 

Really...? I think we are all just trying to get this young person to a mechanic before they get hurt or hurt someone else. Stay on target. This is not the place for posturing and I will not engage.

 

I have the same issue. Turning one way makes the groan go away while turning the other way makes it louder. In addition, the CAN controller I built shows my right front wheel speed is .2 MPH less than the other wheels. I ordered two Timken bearings for $90 a piece and will replace both on Friday. The dealer wanted $880 while Sears wanted $700. That's $500 in savings.

 

Its really not hard. It just takes time. The Haynes manual has a good step by step write up in it. I would never pay to have it done b/c its too easy but, I have a lot of experience DIYing. It really is a job that most anyone should be able to do. The thing is, we really need to determine if its your wheel bearing or cv boot/joint.

Let start by ruling out the cv joint. Do this and report back.

Pull into a low traffic area (preferably a parking lot or cul-de-sac). Turn the steering wheel to the right stop (windows down) and slowly take off. Listen for clicking noises, if none, stop, turn wheel to the left stop, and repeat. If no clicking sounds, jack the car up and check the cv boots (make sure they are attached at both ends, have no holes and grease is not spewing out of them). If all that is ok, I'm calling it bad wheel bearings.

The test above should not show any evidence of a bad wheel bearing (since it is so slow).

If you want to tackle this yourself, buy the Haynes manual, review the procedure and see if you are up to the task.

 

Decided to delete.

 

A wheel bearing that's just humming a bit won't fail immediately; a grinding noise, however, is time to get off the road.

As long as this gets fixed sooner than later, no one's gonna die. Relax.

Being that you're not actually replacing the bearings (which would require a puller & a press) but the entire hub / bearing assembly, it's much easier. The assembly is simply bolted on to the front suspension.

There's some DIY threads here on how to do this, just do a little searching. The only trouble a DIYer might run into is removing / replacing / retorquing the axle nut. It's big and it needs a long lever arm! Hope you've got an extension bar

 

Its a beast for sure. Getting the dimple out is the hardest part (to me).

 

Local Stealer in Janesville , WI (Hesser) quoted $470 to do one side. 2nd opinion tomorrow.

 

Well, second Toyota dealer opinion was $800 and a 3rd was $612!?

Does Toyota North America know it's dealers are NOT using the book to estimate a simple wheel bearing change?

This is infuriating!!!

 

There are several factors in play here:

- You aren't willing to do the work yourself
- You're only shopping dealerships (an independent mechanic may have a lower overhead / hourly rate)
- You're not shopping for the part itself (RockAuto lists options between $60 and $140)

Notice those factors begin with "you"?

 

The DIY on this job is about $200. That's if you buy the tools.

 

hey there,
new to the discussion. my buddy and i just did this job. after you figure out how it all comes apart really easy. that being said, i'm on here because after doing it my speedometer and odometer don't work. the vsc, abs and "brake" light are on. the display doesn't show any mpg or consumption infromation. this is a problem. anyone smarter than me with an idea?

 

Exactly which part did you install? It sounds like you may have used a part which is incompatible with the Prius wheel speed sensor, or the sensor somehow became damaged or disconnected...

Nexus 7 ? 2

 

Yep, sounds like a wheel speed sensor (or related wiring) got damaged to me.