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Wheel bearing question

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by daisy555, Sep 5, 2024.

  1. daisy555

    daisy555 Senior Member

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    2009 Prius
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    Tonight my Prius started making a metal scraping sound. I checked underneath and don’t see anything hanging. A few months ago there was a somewhat similar but intermittent sound. The dealership checked and diagnosed it as the heat shield being loose.They secured it and things have been fine until now.

    I have myself convinced it might be a wheel bearing but the last time I needed a wheel bearing it was a very slight and gradual increase in sound. Sounds like it’s coming from the drivers side but I just looked at my records and the left front wheel bearing was just replaced 2 yrs ago. Any thoughts? I’m bringing it in tomorrow morning but no idea if they’ll have time to look at it. Still waiting on my new Prius. : /
     
    #1 daisy555, Sep 5, 2024
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2024
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Wheel bearings make very strange moaning and groaning noises at a speed that's usually driven that a lot things like that A lot of people that's so subtle they don't even realize it's happening they just turn the radio up a little more and so on so there's always that. Poor quality wheel bearings being used for replacements can be problematic 2 years and what not is pretty common actually so he want to be careful about that the $40 jobbies are not the ticket the $69 jobbies or TRQs can be pretty good comparatively to the 180 something dollar originals which in my eye there is no need to buy I have TRQs and another brand on a couple of these cars they're two and three years in and the wheel bearings are the least of any issues that would be having at least so far. Heat shields when they go bad down here in the south we just pull them off with our hands and remove them If there's any loose bolts sitting in ears that we can't get out we just trim the ears off so those bolts don't rattle and shake in their rusted ears or what have you The heat shield gone has no bearing for us as long as there's no rattling and funny business that's the main problem that we want to get rid of.
     
  3. daisy555

    daisy555 Senior Member

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    2009 Prius
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    Thanks. Headed to the dealership this morning and the sound was gone. I’m guessing it was a piece of gravel or something maybe got inside somewhere. It was a scraping sound for 15 mins on my way home last night. I remember the wheel bearing sound was more subtle and varied depending on speed and if I was turning. The dealership used OEM wheel bearing. Guess I’m ok for now. Hopefully the right wheel bearing will cold on until this new car comes. Appreciate you taking the time to respond.