Prado 120 Series ARB Bull bar problems
Submitted: Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 14:28
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Hector
Hi all,
Im interested to know how many 120 series (Current Model) Prado owners there are out there or who knows someone else that have an ARB deluxe Bar fitted and are very dissatisfied with the way it behaves on the vehicle while travelling.
I have asked several other people in car parks that have the same set-up and all seem to be quite bleep . I also have a winch fitted to
mine which only aggravates the problem.
The car is un-comfortable and at times unbearable to drive on long trips due to the side to side shaking which vibrates right up through the steering wheel like un balanced wheels and hence the whole car starts to shake slightly. I have even had the front damper modification fitted which Toyota don't tell anyone about until you jump up and down at the dealer.
ARB tell me "its normal and they all do that" but I see so many on the road with the same set up. Do you all just put up with it or does someone know of a fix...?
Reply By: MEMBER - Darian (SA) - Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 15:18
Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 15:18
With a new TD auto Prado sporting an ARB bar in mind for this member in the near future, you have my attention ........ bit vague still on your problem.... is the vehicle quite stable in itself, but the bar is doing the wobbling ? If so, I can't see the damper mod as applicable, so I must be missing something.... ?
AnswerID:
232744
Follow Up By: Hector - Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 15:30
Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 15:30
Your right, the damper mod is not applicable I just threw it in in case someone comes up with "try the damper mod" response so we can dismiss the idea.
Yes the bar wobbles badly side to side and resonates down through the rest of the car. Before the bar and the winch were put on the car it was a dream to drive. I understand modifying and fitting heavy accessories will alter the behaviour but not to this extent.
FollowupID:
493633
Follow Up By: MEMBER - Darian (SA) - Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 19:19
Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 19:19
Should have mentioned prior - my Jackaroo has the same issue with its ARB bar, but it only arises on rough/corrugated roads - smooth gravel roads and a few bumps is quite ok. Must all be down to physics - mass of the bar, fighting against the chassis mountings that are too central probably - hence the ends of the bar have playtime.
Mine has taken a small toll, in that a supposedly unbreakable spotlight mount broke (warranty - replaced) and the UHF antenna wire was forever breaking off (now on the roof).
FollowupID:
493688
Reply By: Member - Peter R (QLD) - Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 16:16
Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 16:16
Check out the Prado Owners site
link text
I have a 2007 GXL on order but am going for the Sovereign Bar.
Pedro
AnswerID:
232758
Reply By: HGMonaro - Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 16:44
Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 16:44
my father-in-law has an ARB bar with winch on a new Prado. I had a drive the other day and didn't notice anything amiss so what you describe sounds wrong. I will say regardless of what people write about how much smoother the new diesel is than the old one (he traded a 90 series) it's no where near as smooth or quiet as my petrol. I did notice the ARB bar was mounted a long way away from the body which looks rather ugly around sides near the body panels. I have the Soverign bar and both it and the ARB wobble seperate to the body which takes a bit of getting used to!
Cheers, Nige
AnswerID:
232762
Reply By: Rock Ape - Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 16:45
Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 16:45
Hector,
Sorry your Prado is giggle headed, if it was a horse you would break a beer bottle full of water over it's head. That's an easy cure for a horse.
On the more serious side I would be chasing up ARB at the top of the tree, no reputable company should sell a product that changes the ride/ handling of a vehicle unless it's an improvement.
So go to the top, if the problem is genuine ( and I have no reason to doubt you) they will help.
If you still have a problem, I am sure the DMT in your state will sort it out.
ARB are a big company and have a good reputation so they are not going to run foul of the law.
Have a good one
The Ape
AnswerID:
232763
Reply By: 120scruiser (NSW) - Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 17:33
Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 17:33
I have an 05 TD prado with arb deluxe bar and 9.5 K winch. Have had both on since the car had 410 km on it.
Yes there is a wobble but I think you will find it is in the body. The front body mounts are very soft and you can easily move the body on the chassis. As for handling, no probs. I do have HD Lovells in the front with Bilsteins and no problems for me. Car has done 42 k now and just about to do its second simpson crossing in 3 weeks.
I was concerned at first but you do get used to it. It doesn't bother me now.
120scruiser
AnswerID:
232780
Reply By: Member - lyndon K (SA) - Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 17:37
Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 17:37
Hi
Not sure where you are located?. I'm in
Adelaide and have had fantastic service from ARB, As said i think if you jump up and down they will either fix it or give you your money back. They even gave me a new bar(deluxe)(the other was 5 years old and a commercial bar!!!) because the new lights didn't fit the bar+winch combination. Fantastic service. If you are in
Adelaide, David Frewster is the guy to see. Oh, and the manager from
Melbourne also phoned me to apologise for the inconvenience.
Good Luck.
Lyndon
AnswerID:
232784
Reply By: kimprado - Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 17:57
Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 17:57
Hector
I'm on my second 120. The first had an aluminium bar and the current one is fitted with the ARB Safari.
The ARB bar vibrates (as all bars do) but I have'nt experienced what you're describing.
I'd be taking it back to the dealer, because something does'nt sound right with the installation.
Regards
Kim
AnswerID:
232792
Reply By: Member - Stephen M (NSW) - Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 18:01
Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 18:01
Hi there, if I remember correctly this has been asked before a while ago and it was an issue back then for the exact same reasons you have decribed. I would be more worried about it in the long term as far as stress factures to the chassis rails with the amount of vibrations going through the body of the vehicle. I have also heard of the fronts cracking on the 120 series due to the bullbars. I'm sure any other regular on here would have read it as
well. It would be in the archives some where for sure but it was last year some time. Sorry cant be more pacific but will try and find it if I get a chance tonight. Regards Steve M
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Crackles - Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 18:02
Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 18:02
The 120 Prado has a very poor mounting for the bull bar hence the vibration you are experiencing. (Most likely to improve the front end crumple zone) It's fairly common & some even say
driving lights are a waste of time as they shake so much. If you live near ATS in Geelong, they fit a bracket that reinforces the front end minimising much of the shaking & giving you a decent recovery point.
Cheers Craig...............
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Joe - Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 18:48
Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 at 18:48
Hector,
I have a 120 out first shipment and had the Toyota alloy bar fitted from new.Later when the steel ARB became available I had it fitted.With the
suspension setup provided by ATS at Geelong the smoothness and steering have not been compromised with the ARB bar.
In fact a comparision drive by a fellow member of Lcool,left both of us in no doubt that the setup was smother than the factory suppied shocks and springs on his yet unmodified 120.
Yes the bars wobble about unceasingly on the end of those tuning forks, but there is no vibration transfer or noise issues. With 70,000km of dedicated off road use the car is a dream and absolute please o drive and own.
I think it reasonable that they ARB work to solve the problem.
Cheers
Joe
AnswerID:
232801
Reply By: Member - Arkay (SA) - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 08:33
Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 08:33
To extend the post a bit further, we have a 120 with Sovereign bar. With it, as with other brands, there is a fair gap between the bar and the underside of the vehicle leaving the potential for sticks or flicked upstones to damage the aircon evaporator etc. Some people put a solid bash plate from the underside of the bar to the chassis cross member and that protects the mesh grilles and also stiffens the bar to chassis mount (see LCOOL as someone has already indicated). I was not happy with that setup for a couple of reasons, but after trying various flexible things accross this gap (they soon broke because of the vibrating movement) I found a springy brass coloured wire door mat from Big W for very few $ that was exactly the size I needed without modification, and this has lasted 25,000km, so far.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: jb39 - Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 19:08
Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 at 19:08
I Have an 04 Prado vx with the ARB bullbar, fitted in melb by ARB, I have done a fair amount of off road driving and have not had a problem with the vehicle or the bullbar.
JB39
AnswerID:
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Reply By: lc_120man - Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 01:17
Friday, Apr 13, 2007 at 01:17
Something must be wrong with your setup. My ARB Sahara does vibrate a bit (All bars on Prados do as they are mounted to the chassis which moves separately from the body). But no vibration get transferred to the steering wheel etc and is pleasure to drive...
AnswerID:
233049
Reply By: Strahan - Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 13:10
Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 13:10
As a few people have said- Its the body of the prado moving not the bullbar. The body sits on flexible mounting to make a nice ride and the bar is bolted to chassis- hence the body moving and the bar staying still.
AnswerID:
233323