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wheel bearing? axle? strut?

Discussion in 'Prius c Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by cutter44, Jun 11, 2018.

  1. cutter44

    cutter44 Member

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    When I did my snow tires to regular tires changeover a few weeks ago, I noticed a little bit of "wobble" as I was wrestling with the wheels to get them off the car. And now I'm becoming more aware of an annoying sound when I'm driving. I've been doing some research, and I thought I had come to the conclusion that it was a bad wheel bearing. So I just went outside to record a little video of the issue so I could get some opinions here.

    Well, upon further investigation, now I'm wondering if it might be something more than just a wheel bearing. It looks like the whole shock wobbles. Could it be a bad strut? If that's the case, it seems like I could probably have my regular mechanic deal with it. In other words, a strut (or axle or even wheel bearing) isn't something particularly problematic with a Prius, is it? As I understand it, for the most part he car is basically a Yaris, right?

    I'll post a link to the video in case it will help you see and hear what I'm talking about. Thanks for any thoughts.

    ---- forget the video. I can't figure out how to post it. :)
     
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Do you have a YouTube account, are you able to post video there? I struggle through that process and was then able to post video link here. Once... :oops:
     
  3. padroo

    padroo Senior Member

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    This video shows how I found the noisy wheel bearing.



    I had a strut failure at 100,000 so they do go bad. Blew its oil all over the place and very obvious.
     
  4. cutter44

    cutter44 Member

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    Never even thought about YouTube. This will be the first video I've ever posted there. And I purposely did it in portrait vs landscape because I thought the vertical perspective was more relevant than horizontal in this case. I was wobbling the wheel with one hand while I was holding the camera with the other, so it's not really stable, but you should be able to get the idea.

     
  5. padroo

    padroo Senior Member

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    Is the center axle nut tight and the two bolts that go through the steering knuckle and strut and the bottom ball joint bolts and the bolts that hold the bearing flange tight?

    Is the axle trying to separate from the transaxle?

    From the video I can't tell what direction you are applying pressure, is it in and out, up and down or side to side?

    You are going to have to find out where the movement is coming from and then you will find your problem. A good light and a helper to make it move while observing would help. While moving, move your hand in different locations and feel the vibration.
     
    #5 padroo, Jun 11, 2018
    Last edited: Jun 11, 2018
  6. cutter44

    cutter44 Member

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    Well, I understood a couple of those words. :) I do routine maintenance on cars (mostly fluids), but have never messed with any of the stuff mentioned above.

    Before I went behind the wheel to shoot the video, I approached it from the outside, as if I were changing a tire. I wiggled the wheel with hands on the tire at 9 and 3, then at 12 and 6. I noticed the play, then decided to look behind. BTW, this is just the passenger side. the driver's side is solid as a rock.
     
  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Maybe tapped a curb when parking? What would that tend to damage?
     
  8. cutter44

    cutter44 Member

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    Well, I know this winter was a bear for us with potholes. I hit more than one and felt like I was going to lose a filling. And it does seem like most of them were on the right side of the road. I'm sure it doesn't help that when I change or rotate the tires, the wheel usually sticks on the axle and I have to kick at it or sometimes even ride up and down the driveway with the lug nuts loose, just to free the wheel.
     
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  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I leave one nut on loose, at 12 o'clock, put a 4x4 timber block on the slab against the back of the wheel, then smack that with a sledge hammer. The impact is so sudden it breaks the wheel loose with minimal suspension strain. I think...
     
  10. padroo

    padroo Senior Member

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    I have had wheels seize up and used the loose wheel nut trick. If really bad drive around in a circle with the lugnuts loose.

    Make sure you remove the corrosion buildup on the wheel and the hub or there is a possibility of the wheel coming loose even after doing a proper torque job on the wheel nuts.

    Try physically grabbing the strut and see if it moves.
     
  11. cutter44

    cutter44 Member

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    Just grabbed it by the spring and it pretty much moves and makes the same noise identically to when I grab and wiggle the tire.
     
  12. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    I did get the idea, but you're right, if you had a tripod (or even just a helper) a more useful video could result.

    That is a lot of play. And a lot of the video is too close up to see the big picture. Something that showed the knuckle and control arm all in the picture at the same time would help ... with the camera stationary.

    The knuckle is the big casting that the axle goes through and the wheel hub and brake mounts on. The top of the knuckle connects to the strut with two bolts. The bottom of the knuckle has a ball joint, connecting it to the control arm (vaguely L-shaped or triangular big steel stamping that attaches to the car with big bolts through rubber bushings).

    There is also a tie rod (steering control, attaches to a lever-shaped part of the knuckle sticking out rearward).

    For as much play as I'm seeing/hearing there, I'd have to think maybe the ball joint is really worn (if you can see that you're moving the knuckle around relative to the control arm), or the control arm bushings attaching it to the car (if you're moving around the knuckle and control arm together). I just can't tell from the video.

    A very loose tie rod could also allow the knuckle to move the way you're moving it toward the end, kind of rotating around the strut.

    Just need to keep doing that, shooting better video maybe with better light, and notice what's moving and what isn't.

    -Chap
     
  13. cutter44

    cutter44 Member

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    Thanks for your thoughts. I can try again tomorrow. I had a tripod ready to shoot me just wiggling the tire from the side angle, but when I saw the movement from behind, I thought that was better. Not sure how I can get a relevant shot from the back side of the wheel just using a floor jack, but I'll see what I can do.
     
  14. padroo

    padroo Senior Member

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    The steering knuckle is the big aluminum piece that everything attaches to. The strut fastens to it by two big bolts at the top, the ball joint attaches to it from the bottom, the axle passes through it with the bearing flange bolted to it. The tie rod fastens to it for steering. The long rod is the stabilizer link. You will know all the lingo by the time you are done with this.
    Do you plan on making any kind of repair yourself? Even if you don't and you take it to be repaired it is nice to be able to talk the same language as the guy working on the car.
     
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  15. cutter44

    cutter44 Member

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    Thanks. No, 'm not going to do any of these repairs myself, and I do trust the mechanic I'll probably use. But getting back to one of my original questions, should this kind of repair be pretty standard for any mechanic who knows regular Toyotas? Nothing unique to this kind of thing because it's a Prius, right?
     
  16. cutter44

    cutter44 Member

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    Mission accomplished...$400 later. I brought it to my mechanic this morning and walked the two blocks to work. He called me a couple of hours later with the news, and a comment that "I'm surprised you made it here". Bushings in the (unbelievably rusty) lower control arm were shot. Two hours of labor and a new control arm and I'm back in business. Noticeable difference.

    Thanks for the comments.
     
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  17. padroo

    padroo Senior Member

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