120 series Prado body cracks

[Water Patrol]

Just bought a 120 series prado 3.0 TD and need to fit a bull bar. After reading the topics and threads on body cracks, I am confused. Is there a bull bar anyone recommends that does not cause cracks? Has the problem been properly diagnosed yet? I would like to hear from people with personal experiences with the types of bars they have fitted and not hearsay.

[Funky]

Im a toyota machanic at a dealership and i can honestly say that i havent heard or seen this problem but the best bull bars to buy would be the ARB or the TJM personally i like the ARB one better and it sits nicely and the TJM has a small gap on it all the way round.

so my first choice would be a ARB second TJM and third GENUINE TOYOTA

thats just my 2c

[Water Patrol]

Im a toyota machanic at a dealership and i can honestly say that i havent heard or seen this problem but the best bull bars to buy would be the ARB or the TJM personally i like the ARB one better and it sits nicely and the TJM has a small gap on it all the way round.

so my first choice would be a ARB second TJM and third GENUINE TOYOTA

thats just my 2c

Thanks Funky - how long you been at Toyota? Everything I have read indicates that it is the arb bars that have caused the problems. Can you please ask around at work and see what the consensus is, I would really appreciate that.

[Funky]

iv been there for about a year now and yeah ill ask around and if you need to know anything else just let me know ok.

[Water Patrol]

iv been there for about a year now and yeah ill ask around and if you need to know anything else just let me know ok.

Thanks Funky - you're a good man. Will let you know if there's anything else I need to know.

[bj on roids]

Just bought a 120 series prado 3.0 TD and need to fit a bull bar. After reading the topics and threads on body cracks, I am confused. Is there a bull bar anyone recommends that does not cause cracks? Has the problem been properly diagnosed yet? I would like to hear from people with personal experiences with the types of bars they have fitted and not hearsay.

Toyota genuine alloy bar, wobbles like mad. Bonnet also wobbles like mad since brand new, this is on one without the common rail engine.

[Funky]

Yes we have had 3 of these that wobble and have to fix them.

ARB is the best bar to get for these and no1 at my work has heard of anything cracking

[TheOtherLeft]

so my first choice would be a ARB second TJM and third GENUINE TOYOTA

thats just my 2c

I thought Toyota bars are actually made by ARB??? Maybe they have different designs and production standards?

[lukethedork]

Are these cracks similar or the same to those that the FJ Cruiser (american model) suffers from around the frontal area?
I say this because it might be of interest to you to take a look on some of the american FJC forums. The FJC shares the same chassis and/or suspension as the 120 series prado.

took about 30 seconds to find this thread title: 'body cracking at firewall with winch and bumper installed??'
http://forum.ih8mud.com/fj-cruiser/2448 ... alled.html

heres another with 6 pages on 'engine bay body rips'
http://forum.ih8mud.com/fj-cruiser/1714 ... -rips.html

Luke.

[bj on roids]

Yes we have had 3 of these that wobble and have to fix them.

ARB is the best bar to get for these and no1 at my work has heard of anything cracking

How did you fix them mate? All 3?
What did you do to them?

I have had mine in to be fixed, and was told: "They all do that, its nothing to worry about."

Both wobbly bonnet and wobbly bullbar, I also have the lightest bullbar available a Genuine aluminium bar.

I have seen them crack with the steel ARB bar.

[bj on roids]

Yes we have had 3 of these that wobble and have to fix them.

ARB is the best bar to get for these and no1 at my work has heard of anything cracking

Why is ARB the best bar to get? Because YOU think they LOOK better? I personally agree, they look fantastic, the only problem is the chassis can't handle it!

[Funky]

Q 1: How did you fix them mate? All 3?
What did you do to them?

A 1: im not to sure on how we fix these as they arnt my job when they come in but ill ask the other guys and get back to u on this ok.


Q 2: I thought Toyota bars are actually made by ARB??? Maybe they have different designs and production standards?

A 2: im not 100% sure on this but mayb they do have different designs.



Q 3: Why is ARB the best bar to get? Because YOU think they LOOK better? I personally agree, they look fantastic, the only problem is the chassis can't handle it!


A 3: YES i think they look better but thats my personal prefrence
and also they made alot better then other brands

[bj on roids]

Just bought a 120 series prado 3.0 TD and need to fit a bull bar. After reading the topics and threads on body cracks, I am confused. Is there a bull bar anyone recommends that does not cause cracks? Has the problem been properly diagnosed yet? I would like to hear from people with personal experiences with the types of bars they have fitted and not hearsay.

Funky may not have come across it, as I think they fixed it by the later models, im talking about the early 120 (not common rail)

Do you NEED a bullbar? Just stick with the Toyota bumper. I think they look alright.

[booflux]

There have been ones that have cracked along the front inside the guards. It has been atributed to driving heavily corrugated roads with a lot of weight on the front. Have a look at www.pradopoint.com for all you want to know about the 120 Prado

[jomar]

I had one of the first 120Prados, which I sold due to body issues.
Main problem with cracking firewalls and guardsis from hitting the bump stops hard

[Water Patrol]

Just bought a 120 series prado 3.0 TD and need to fit a bull bar. After reading the topics and threads on body cracks, I am confused. Is there a bull bar anyone recommends that does not cause cracks? Has the problem been properly diagnosed yet? I would like to hear from people with personal experiences with the types of bars they have fitted and not hearsay.

Funky may not have come across it, as I think they fixed it by the later models, im talking about the early 120 (not common rail)

Do you NEED a bullbar? Just stick with the Toyota bumper. I think they look alright.

Yes, I do need a bullbar.

[Water Patrol]

There have been ones that have cracked along the front inside the guards. It has been atributed to driving heavily corrugated roads with a lot of weight on the front. Have a look at www.pradopoint.com for all you want to know about the 120 Prado

Thanks, have looked at other forums including pradopoint. Again there appears to be some debate over the cause, e.g. crush tubes, arb, corrugations. Have also spoken to several aftermarket fitters and other prado owners, who all believe that the early arb bars and sovereign bars may have contributed to the cause, due to the method of installation.

[Water Patrol]

I had one of the first 120Prados, which I sold due to body issues.
Main problem with cracking firewalls and guardsis from hitting the bump stops hard

Yes, I read about this as well. Did you have a BB and dual batteries? I believe an upgrade of the suspension fixes this issue.

[jomar]

I had one of the first 120Prados, which I sold due to body issues.
Main problem with cracking firewalls and guardsis from hitting the bump stops hard

Yes, I read about this as well. Did you have a BB and dual batteries? I believe an upgrade of the suspension fixes this issue.

Hi Water Patrol,
Started with Soverign bar until the steel Arb bar arrived.The battery carrier also also cracked,had dual batteries.
My original ARB suspension upgrade was far too soft, and I beleive they changed the specs latter...so I hit the bumps stops really hard so many times. About a year later went with bilstiens,and they failed after 50,000km...but the new springs and bilstien package kept me off the bump stops, but the damage had already done.
I did extensive outback travel and off road activity giving it a hard time.

[mmaaxx]

With the new Hilux's having the same front suspension and almost identical chassis, just wondering has anybody come across the same or similar issue that the Prado has?

Also, the Factory bullbars that Toyota sells used to be manufactured by ARB with the previous shape vehicles.

Now they are contracted out to a Queensland mob I think because of cost, because it sure cant be the quality, they are absolute pieces of crap to buy and more crap to fit.

Yes, the ARB bar is probably the best built built but by no means the best. I have an ARB bar and if I could swap it for something lighter, gives me more approach angle Id swap it over in a flash, but unfortunately theres nothing on the market such as that at the moment.

[Water Patrol]

I had one of the first 120Prados, which I sold due to body issues.
Main problem with cracking firewalls and guardsis from hitting the bump stops hard

Yes, I read about this as well. Did you have a BB and dual batteries? I believe an upgrade of the suspension fixes this issue.

Hi Water Patrol,
Started with Soverign bar until the steel Arb bar arrived.The battery carrier also also cracked,had dual batteries.
My original ARB suspension upgrade was far too soft, and I beleive they changed the specs latter...so I hit the bumps stops really hard so many times. About a year later went with bilstiens,and they failed after 50,000km...but the new springs and bilstien package kept me off the bump stops, but the damage had already done.
I did extensive outback travel and off road activity giving it a hard time.

Thanks Jomar, that's good information. I suppose some lessons may have been learnt and these issues resolved by better designed after market products.

[craz3d]

So just to clear this up:
The weight of the bull bars against the under rated suspension cause excessive bump stop smashing and the shock of the hits damaged other parts in the car, namely the chassis and the firewall?

ARB should supply either a) a less heavy bar or b) suitable spring replacement allowing you to run the bull bar without killing your bump stops.

[dv81]

does anyone have pics of the cracks