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Rotational Rumbling / Bouncing at all speeds

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by iRunfastXC, Mar 30, 2022.

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  1. iRunfastXC

    iRunfastXC Junior Member

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    Another fun one for y'all, this time more mechanical.

    There's a distinct rumble & associated bounce with every rotation of my wheels. I can be going fast, slow, doesn't matter. Also doesn't matter if the ICE is on or off. Sometimes, when I'm going like 2 mph, the rumble sounds more like a grind than anything else, and it vibrates the car a little.

    What I've done:
    • Checked all four wheels for lateral and vertical play, (I had assumed bad wheel bearings or ball joints). No play present whatsoever.
    • Checked brakes for warped rotors/bad calipers. Replaced both front rotors & pads, calipers were fine. Rear drums fine.
    • Had tires checked. All four fine, not structurally compromised.
    Yet the rumble and bounce remains. Sometimes it's worse, sometimes it's not so bad. Not sure what triggers that. Turning doesn't seem to have any impact on the severity of the rumble.

    Ideas?
     
    #1 iRunfastXC, Mar 30, 2022
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    it could still be a tire, how old are they? how many miles? try switching front to back
     
    #2 bisco, Mar 30, 2022
  3. iRunfastXC

    iRunfastXC Junior Member

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    Oop, sorry, should have mentioned. I did that. Also had two replaced. The other two have minimal wear.

    One rim was bent (it was like that when I bought the car a few months ago) and I replaced that, too.
     
    #3 iRunfastXC, Mar 30, 2022
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  4. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Make sure to thoroughly inspect the undercarriage of the car and compare how it looks to another Prius or a parts diagram... I'm putting my bet on it being due to the loss of something on the underside of the car that helps with sound dampening.
     
    #4 PriusCamper, Mar 30, 2022
  5. iRunfastXC

    iRunfastXC Junior Member

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    Hmmm, will do. Not sure if that would cause the vibration and rotational bouncing, though.
     
    #5 iRunfastXC, Mar 30, 2022
  6. iRunfastXC

    iRunfastXC Junior Member

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    I should also say that when you spin the wheels off the ground, there’s no grinding, no wobble, no nothing. Everything stable and quiet
     
    #6 iRunfastXC, Mar 30, 2022
  7. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    Are the front axles OEM or aftermarket? The passenger side OEM axle has a vibration dampener on it. Looks like a chunk of rubber wrapped around the axle and held in place by a couple crimp style strips of steel that look like hose clamps. Most aftermarket axles do not include the dampener. Unfortunately, I would find it hard to believe this would cause anything unusual at low speeds. Suspension issue perhaps? Failed strut? Failed bushings in control arms?

    The only time I've experienced rotational bouncing was when I had a large bubble form on the inner edge of a front tire.
     
    #7 TMR-JWAP, Mar 30, 2022
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  8. iRunfastXC

    iRunfastXC Junior Member

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    Just checked—Yes, it is the OEM axle!
     
    #8 iRunfastXC, Mar 30, 2022
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    how many miles on her? maybe a cv joint. i know the sound is supposed to change when you turn, but who knows?
     
    #9 bisco, Mar 30, 2022
  10. iRunfastXC

    iRunfastXC Junior Member

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    158k 2004, not sure about the service history on the suspension, though. I’ll check that out tomorrow.
     
    #10 iRunfastXC, Mar 31, 2022
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