Prado 120 - OE Alloy Bullbar problems

Submitted: Monday, Sep 25, 2006 at 12:16

ThreadID: 38029 Views:6969 Replies:3 FollowUps:6

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Member - Drew T (Melbourne)

Last month I did a great trip up the Canning & across parts of the Kimberley. Put the car in last week for a post-trip checkup and to get a few small (I thought) problems fixed.
I had noticed that when I started up the car there was a bit of a 'clunk' from the front end that I couldn't identify. 4WD place has found that the front bullbar mounts are broken and a number of the spot welds on the inner guards are also broken. Also, some of the plastic trim behind the bullbar and around the inner guards has broken away.

Car is about 4 months out of warranty but i'm told the problem is a 'known defect' for which Toyota has decided to fix on-occurrence rather than do a fleet wide recall. Apparently this happens mostly to Prados fitted with (heavier) after-market steel bars & they dont have much luck in claiming warrantly repairs (ie: toyota blames it on the heavier bar even though they know there is also problem with the OE bars).

I am interested in knowing if anyone with an OE Alloy Bullbar has had the problem & what toyotas response was. I have the car booked in for an out-of-warranty claim assessment this week, so just want to find out the facts!!

DrewT

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Reply By: Moose - Monday, Sep 25, 2006 at 14:04

Monday, Sep 25, 2006 at 14:04

G'day Drew
Can't help you out too much with your questions however I was on a club trip a little while back and we had a new Prado with us. Going up a rutted hill there were horrible cluncks eminating from the front. When it was examined we found a few broken off bolts. Owner wasn't a happy fellow and was off to see the dealer the next day. Haven't seen him since so I don't know the outcome.
Good luck in getting it sorted out.
Cheers from the Moose.

AnswerID: 196404

Reply By: Peter 2 - Monday, Sep 25, 2006 at 15:22

Monday, Sep 25, 2006 at 15:22

It is a known problem, do a search on here as it has been discussed before, mainly due to the 'flexible' front chassis rails (for impact absorption) and excessive movement in the front half of the chassis.
In other words they are too light for the job in hand.

AnswerID: 196418

Reply By: 120scruiser (NSW) - Tuesday, Sep 26, 2006 at 19:52

Tuesday, Sep 26, 2006 at 19:52

Also try yahoo groups 120scool email list as there is a fair bit of talk about it.
Mine is going into ARB tomorrow to have the shorter crush tubes in the front body mounts removed and standard ones put back in under warranty.
Is yours still with standard suspension or has it been upgraded?
120scruiser

AnswerID: 196676

Follow Up By: Member - Drew T (Melbourne) - Wednesday, Sep 27, 2006 at 09:38

Wednesday, Sep 27, 2006 at 09:38

Yes mine has upgraded suspension (Kings springs & Koni shockes .. although the front konis failed on the Canning trip this year!!)

DrewT

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Follow Up By: Member - Drew T (Melbourne) - Friday, Sep 29, 2006 at 09:54

Friday, Sep 29, 2006 at 09:54

I have searched yahoo groups 120scool email list but can find nothing related to this topic ... are you sure that is the forum where you saw it?? (I have posted a new topic on the yahoo forum anyway)

cheers .. Drew

DrewT

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Follow Up By: 120scruiser (NSW) - Tuesday, Oct 03, 2006 at 10:25

Tuesday, Oct 03, 2006 at 10:25

Hi drew
There are photos of it in the photo album section. I printed some off so I could take them to the people who fitted my bull bar as they didn't know what I was on about. Try flicking through the photo page and see how you go.
120scruiser

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Follow Up By: Member - Drew T (Melbourne) - Wednesday, Oct 04, 2006 at 12:58

Wednesday, Oct 04, 2006 at 12:58

Hi again. I'm still waiting to get access to the 120scool forum to see your photos .. but in the meantime can you clarify yor statement above re ... "Mine is going into ARB tomorrow to have the shorter crush tubes in the front body mounts removed and standard ones put back in under warranty."

Did you have the standard ones taken out when the bullbar was originally fitted or something??

DrewT

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Follow Up By: 120scruiser (NSW) - Wednesday, Oct 04, 2006 at 18:03

Wednesday, Oct 04, 2006 at 18:03

Drew
Originally when ARB released the bull bar for the 120 they removed the standard front body mount crush tubes and fitted shorter ones to crush the front body mount down. Mine was fitted with these last year in August when I bought my car brand new. ARB don't fit these shorter crush tubes anymore and leave the standard toyota ones. They don't reckon that the shorter tubes caused the cracking in the inner guard but changed anyway. I think it was a way of reducing the bar wobble.

One theory is that because the front body mount was pulling the body down onto the chassis rail and the next body mount is under the fire wall, over time and corrugations it caused the inner guards (the weakest point) to crack. No evidence as toyota bars are doing the same.

Its all on yahoo groups.
Here is the link autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/120scool/
You will find hours of reading in there.
Regards
120scruiser

BTW if you have dramas you can email me at l o n a r d s a t b i g p o n d d o t n e t d o t a u
Cheers

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