Creaking and a Groaning Gone

I bought a 2012 Prius C last summer that had a rebuilt title. It had front end damage but it drove perfect and with only 13K on it, it looked like a new car! About a month later I started to hear creaking and groaning from the front end when ever I accelerated and came to a stop. No noise from cornering or pot holes. I first thought the motor mount was the problem. I took it to the dealership and had them look at it. They said it was likely coming from the sub frame cross member. A spot weld or seam had come undone. This cross member supports the rear of the engine and if its not solid it will flex and make those unwanted creaking noises. I had hoped it would be replaced under warranty but they announced that the car was no longer under warranty due to the rebuilt title. The new cross member from the dealer is $1200. Way out of the budget. So I checked the wrecking yards and Ebay and found the used part for about $500 Still way out of budget. So, I checked on Craigslist for a local welder. I found one close to my house, a guy who works out of his garage. For $60 he reinforced all the weld joints on the cross member and now the creaking and groaning are gone! I am a DIY'er and pulling the cross member was medium easy for me. But if you have never done this you might want to employ someone to do the job.

But if you like me, then here is what you do: Jack the front end up on stable jack stands. Cross member is in clear view. Remove all visible bolts and two nuts. I supported the engine with an extra jack stand but then realized it was not necessary when I accidentally kicked the jack stand out and the engine stayed put. Once all the bolts and nuts are removed the cross member will drop and then you will need to remove the bolts on top for the sway bar. Then wiggle the cross member out from the lower control arms and your done. Took about 50 minutes. Reinstalling took 2 hours because of aligning and getting the bushings back into the lower control arms. Used a long crow bar with a hammer and tapped back in. Required taking the front wheel off to get the right angle. When reinstalling all the bolts do not tighten. Leave everything loose so you can wiggle and move the cross member around to get all the holes to line up. Be sure you reinstall the sway bar first before pushing up the cross member into place.