Gen 2 2004 Prius Front End Noise (Rack and Pinion?)

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Kyle Allen, Apr 5, 2023.

  1. Kyle Allen

    Kyle Allen New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2023
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    Location:
    28806
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Hi all. First time poster, but long time harvester of all the great info on these forums.

    I bought my 2004 Prius new. It has 250k miles on it. I recently replaced...
    1-Brake pads and rotors
    2-Lower Control Arms
    3-Stabilizer Bars
    4-Front Strut assembly
    5-Ball Joints
    6-Alignment done after work complete. Stayed barely in spec despite the work but they still adjusted it to bring it closer to target

    A lot of the noises I was hearing have gone away with the repairs. However, there is this troubling "clunk" that I still hear. Sounds like it is coming from front end, but not necessarily one side or the other. I hear it when you'd expect, when turning into driveways with a curb, etc. But I don't hear it when going like straight over speed bumps. I sometimes hear it simply on some light steering, or even light braking like at a stop sign (without steering).

    Note, I did not replace tie rod ends, but there is no slop at all when I try to shake the wheel side to side when jacked up.

    I'm curious if it could be my rack and pinion? I don't really know how to test this? Wouldn't this show up as slop when trying to check tie rod ends or does it not work like that?

    CV axle? I feel a very slight wiggle when I grab the axle and move it towards and away from the wheel. On both sides.

    Thanks in advance. Please assume great ignorance on my part.

    Cheers,
    Kyle
     
    #1 Kyle Allen, Apr 5, 2023
    Last edited: Apr 5, 2023
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    11,658
    2,064
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    If you sit in the car with the car off nothing running radio off absolutely nothing happening and you grab the steering wheel at 3:00 with one hand and you bounce the steering wheel very slowly up and down from say 1:00 to 5 like a clock You're listening for a light to louder clunk clunk as you move from one to five five to one one to five not quickly You don't have to be doing this and I can speed demon You're just listening for the clunk clunk clunk as you move the rack very slowly left to right not like you're making a turn just like you're jiggling from 1 to 5:00 You don't have to take your hand off the wheel You might even do it between two and four just need a little movement if you hear any clunking when you're moving that wheel like that then you need to get your child to do that without the fob in their possession while you listen under the front end of the car while they're doing that The rack comes to mind inner rack ends come to mind. Rack to housing alignment a slightly out I don't know if this model has an adjustment cup that you can make that adjustment anymore older Toyota racks did etc
     
    #2 Tombukt2, Apr 6, 2023
    Kyle Allen likes this.
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