Engine Bay Body Rips

[bandi]

mungk previously said:

Sorry haven't read through all the 200 posts.. but this problem is caused by bottoming out then?

I had a forum member have their shop check the
bump stop issue, and it was found that upon full
compression when the bumpstops come into play,
that the tires do not come in contact with the
wheel wells, that in fact, there was plenty of
clearance...

This was checked with the strut/coilover and sway
bar removed, then the wheel/suspension was rasied
to it's highest point...

There were a few forum members that had an
"accident" where they hit a ditch at speed and
the wheels made contact. but that is not a normal
situation, but as worded, an accident, and has
nothing to do with this situation... Hope this helps...

...The report I received is that the stops worked as they should, no contact with the fender well, and room to spare. I will note that I have the OEM tire's still om the truck. Unfortunately no photo's, as I just could not stick around all day. These guys are reputable here and I will give them the benefit of the doubt.

I don't think we can completely eliminate this theory for those who have installed larger tires, but it would probably be an isolated case or 2 where the bumpstops failed and caused any rips.

[cruiserlarry]

mungk previously said:

Sorry haven't read through all the 200 posts.. but this problem is caused by bottoming out then?

Not to come off like an a**hole, but this is an important issue that may involve the current safety and future value of your FJC - it might be worth your while to scan through some of the 200+ posts here, and the other related threads on this issue - so, please, take a few minutes to educate yourself about this problem, have your vehicle checked, and if any symptoms are found, take it to the dealer for documentation and repair information...then file a complaint with Toyota Corporate offices, and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

Thanks - the vehicle you save might be your own...

[LandCruiserSteve]

mungk previously said:

Sorry haven't read through all the 200 posts..

Not to get nit-picky, but there's only about 2000 posts here.

[SonicFJ]

JoeUser previously said:

Whoa, that's wild, Sonic!

Was there any torsion, twisting, at the bottom of the hill? That would lead credence to the frame torsion theory...

The rows of moguls leading to the top of the hill are not evenly spaced, and sometimes they come on an angle. I believe it may have gotten twisted a bit going over them.

As usual on my coverage of breakage problems, I actually have video of the hill climb. One I was driving, and the other one he was.

It is not really relevant though, just some regular rough-housing, and the aprons buckle.

What IS interesting is that he has a pro-comp 6" lift. One of the last combinations NOT mentioned in the poll. I guess that will not protect you from this gremlin.

[w5wi]

cruiserlarry previously said:

That is not correct - I have seen one, and heard of another repair, that have started to bulge AGAIN. Don't ask for names, as I am respecting the privacy and re-repair efforts of the individual whose vehicle I saw, and of the other I heard about. But, As I have said before, and many others have agreed, the inner fender rips are a SYMPTOM, and not likely the PROBLEM - so replacing them, no matter what the change in design, does not seem to cure the actual problem. I have also been told by Toyota that my repair, for which the parts and the body shop are ready to go, can be delayed so I can see what is up with the repair and recurrence issue.

I have tried for two weeks to get in direct contact with any factory engineer directly involved with this issue, but to no avail. Customer service, while courteous, has repeatedly denied me any access to higher level personnel, to discuss the issue of subjecting my vehicle to a fix likely to fail.
My frustration is growing, as it seems Toyota's efforts are not coordinated on a way to keep up with the results of their mandated repair regimen, and their lack of communication with their dealerships regarding the existence of this problem. I am hoping that enough complaints are received that some pressure from the NHTSA will prod Toyota to investigate further, and stay in direct contact with owners of affected vehicles to save everyone time and money on repairs that don't permenantly fix the problem at hand.

Thanks for the update Larry. Now I have heard of new repairs starting to fail...

cheers,

dale

[DC Cruiser]

That sounds like good news Spincycle. Seems like everyone else is preocupied with the amount of posts but I for one am happy to hear of your meeting with Toyota and the reasurrance that they are working on a solution.

[spincycle]

DC Cruiser previously said:

That sounds like good news Spincycle. Seems like everyone else is preocupied with the amount of posts but I for one am happy to hear of your meeting with Toyota and the reasurrance that they are working on a solution.

Thanks, I'm glad SOMEONE noticed my attempt at actually providing real, firsthand information.

Also: the dealership specifically gave me a copy of the work order, with the comments about Toyota, the regional tech rep, etc. in writing, and I am quite confident after this experience that they (the dealership AND Toyota) have my back on this.

Another item: He said specifically that while he wouldn't go abusing the vehicle too hard with the cracks, it WAS safe to drive, an that, as a liability issue, they wouldn't LET me drive it if it wasn't safe. So my upcoming trip to AZ will happen after all, just no crawling or serious bumps.

[w5wi]

spincycle previously said:

Thanks, I'm glad SOMEONE noticed my attempt at actually providing real, firsthand information.

Spincycle, We ALL appreciate your information on how Toyota is addressing your situation.

I, and I'm sure many others as well thank Bernd for calling everyones attention to the problem. Our sincere appreciation goes out to you, Bernd, LCSteve, CruiserLarry and several other folks with the problem who are proactively carrying the torch for all of us in getting Toyota to:
1. acknowledge the problem;
2. deal with it;
3. take ownership for it; and,
4. hopefully providing us with a permanent fix.

Thanks to you and the others!

cheers,

dale

[LandCruiserSteve]

DC Cruiser previously said:

Seems like everyone else is preocupied with the amount of posts but I for one am happy to hear of your meeting with Toyota and the reasurrance that they are working on a solution.

DC, in spite of the occasional deviation from topic that you'll see in any thread on this forum, the "preoccupation" that you speak of is hardly directed towards the amount of posts in this thread.

However, the large number of posts do indicate the tremendous amount of concern and effort being put forth by many members here to find resolve to this problem. So, please bear with us.


BTW, welcome to the Forum.

[MountainMan]

spincycle previously said:

OK, My story: at about 7000 miles or so, I noted the now common cracks along the rear end of the front apron inside the engine bay.

thanks spincycle, pray tell, what dealer are you working with?