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Metal clunk at initial acceleration and hard braking (none during steering)

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by tanor, Aug 31, 2013.

  1. tanor

    tanor New Member

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    I just had my front axels replaced. The Cv's were clicking. That problem was fixed.

    Then, some guy ran me off the road and I did a 180 going around 70mph on the highway. There was no impact. But, now I got this metal clunk or knock. It happens at initial acceleration. Or, sometimes hard acceleration when moving. And, sometimes during hard braking. Car steers and drives the same. Any ideas?
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    whew! glad you're okay! welcome to priuschat, i suppose it could be anything. sorry ican't be more helpful, i'm sure others will have some good ideas, all the best!(y)
     
  3. tanor

    tanor New Member

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    I'm sure they will too. Thanks for the warm invite.
     
  4. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    Hi
    Hi Tanor welcome to PC, Have a close inspection of the front suspension wishbone mounting bushes both sides. The rearmost bushes are the most suspect but if any are worn or damaged replace all four. It could be a drive shaft problem but braking heavily in neutral should prove this. If the noise is not there in neutral it is one of the shafts if it is still there the noise is coming from else ware (wish bone bushes or possibly even brake calipers).

    John (Britprius)
     
  5. tanor

    tanor New Member

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    Ok, I did some more tests. The vehicle makes the noise during braking in drive mode (sometimes). I could not get the noise when i would brake in neutral. The noise is not present every hard acceleration. But, if the noise was made during braking then the first acceleration would follow with a clunk.

    Wishbone bushes look fine.

    So, more than likely it is the front drive axle?
     
  6. koolingit

    koolingit Member

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    We're all just guessing but my money is on a broken motor mount.

    Open the hood and have someone you trust step on the brake firmly while goosing the accelerator. If the engine looks like it's trying to climb out of the car, there's a broken mount.
     
  7. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Put the car up on jackstands and take a good look at everything. Check that there's no trans fluid leaking out of where the both inner shafts enter the transmission. The diff saw big side load there doing a 180. Look for red fluid leaking down the side below each rubber boot.

    Probably bent one the cv shafts.
     
  8. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Whats a wishbone please? Do you man lower control arm?
     
  9. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    Difference in terminology between the US and UK getting in the way again.
    It is the lower suspension component that forms a triangle. The outer point has the bottom ball joint attached the inner points have rubber bush mounts to the front sub frame. Looked at from above or below it resembles a wishbone hence the terminology. There can be upper and lower wishbones depending on the suspension arrangements.
    Again in the UK where on some vehicles this component is only a single strait arm with only one bush at the inner end, we call a track control arm. In this configuration the anti roll bar another UK term takes the load of braking and acceleration as with many Fords from the 60's on.

    John (Britprius)
     
  10. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Yes we call that a lower control arm.
     
  11. tanor

    tanor New Member

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    There is no fluid leaking where the axels enter the transmission. I'll probably pull the axel's this weekend. I'll let you guys know what I find. Thanks.
     
  12. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Thats good. No damage to the diff. Probably just bent outer.