Engine Bay Body Rips

[bandi]

NECruiser previously said:

Found this note on the Tundra forum....

TRDinMI
Registered Member My Garage2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
Dealer : Serra Toyota Scion Last Online: 07-23-2007 06:57 PM
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Commerce Twp., MI
Posts: 1

.....We decided to take one more run up Test Hill and I misjudged my speed at the peak of the dune. This resulted in the front end leaving the ground..... ....Upon landing, the front tires contacted the wheel well directly below a crumple zone on both front fenders. In turn, the impact pushed out the crumple zone causing the inner fender to warp and therefore pushing the top of the outer fender into the doors on both sides.......

......Having modified and designed several off-road suspensions, I fully understand the importance of a properly-designed bump stop to avoid contact between the tire and the frame. I inspected the bump stop and did not see any damage. The frame and suspension were also damage-free......

Sincerely,
Craig R. Myers

Different situation then most here, but interesting
non the less, should the bump stop keep the tire
from hitting the inner fender during a launch ?...
For a race truck, YES, for a recreational SUV, I
don't believe so, it is not designed for this type
of impact... just my thought anyway...

[couver]

bandi previously said:

Different situation then most here, but interesting
non the less, should the bump stop keep the tire
from hitting the inner fender during a launch ?...
For a race truck, YES, for a recreational SUV, I
don't believe so, it is not designed for this type
of impact... just my thought anyway...

I know nothing about suspension, but it sure seems to me like any bump stop should, in fact, "stop" the suspension from allowing the tires to travel into the body. However, the author of that letter doesn't tell us if he was running larger tires, which the factory bump stop might not properly protect from stuffing. This situation seems more like air2air's experience than the stress tearing being discussed in this thread.

[couver]

Honu previously said:

I think the credit goes to Rock Fj though as I think he was the first to notice which made me run out and take some more pics

I also wanted to give props to Rock FJ for pointing this out (see Post #582). This really re-shapes the discussion. The current poll may still have some merit, but it needs to include "old fender" or "new fender". It is pretty clear at this point that the old fender style is susceptible to this failure, even in stock form, and will likely be accelerated by lifts and bumpers. So, still no one with the new fender style and tears? If not, then maybe the problem for 01/07 and later FJs is resolved and we can focus on solutions for those of us with older builds.

[bandi]

couver previously said:

I know nothing about suspension, but it sure seems to me like any bump stop should, in fact, "stop" the suspension from allowing the tires to travel into the body. However, the author of that letter doesn't tell us if he was running larger tires, which the factory bump stop might not properly protect from stuffing. This situation seems more like air2air's experience than the stress tearing being discussed in this thread.

Yes, I agree about the bump stop keeping the
tires off the fenders, but this gent admitted
launching his FJ off the top of a dune, and no
production SUV's are built to do that...

Good catch on the mssing info of his poss. mods...

Air2Air had run accross a washout at a good
speed, not a launch, but with the same kinds
of forces at work, and same results...

[edit] IF ANYONE READING THIS IS DOING A
LIFT THIS WEEK, ONCE THE FRONT SPRINGS
ARE OUT AND SWAY BAR DISCONNECTED ON
ONE SIDE, JACK THE OPPISTIE SIDE UP FROM
UNDER THE LCA WITH THE TIRE MOUNTED ON
TO SEE HOW FAR THE SUSPENSION WILL
TRAVEL UPWARDS....

[gotvenm]

of course I am just guessing, but it sure seems to me that he just has the factory 32" tires by the way he worded the following.

I contacted a friend who works for Toyota Quality and confirmed that the FJ ships from Japan with a smaller tire than the 32” BFG AT tire the TRD Package provided me. He said that the 32” tire is installed at the port but there is no modification to the bump stop at that time. Based on my experience with off-road suspensions, it is imperative that the bump stop be lengthened to accommodate for a larger tire diameter.

What he assumes is that the bump stop isnt already designed for the 32" tire (im not saying that it is or isnt properly designed) and just uses somethign smaller for traveling on the boat.

[chrisngrod]

I've been through as many posts as I can. The Internet is really slow here. Can anyone who has rips and a MT raise their hand please?

[Pilotpit]

I called the service manager at Avondale toyota in AZ and asked if there was any official word from Toyota on this. He said no. I have an appointment on Mon and told him I am seeking a warranty repair for both sides. I have many mods- I'll keep everyone posted.

[Kansas Law Dog]

Relic hunter previously said:

The only thing I see is a change in design maybe related to the cracking, maybe not. I implore everyone to not speculate, let’s wait for Toyota's official response. It will do no good to fan a fire if you’re trying to put it out!

I added the bolding and underscore to the above quote. The Bernd Effect is definitely more serious than anything to date. But many of us asked Toyota in November-December if they would offer a retrofit to the ATRAC / rear locker combination, as I preferred this route to doing the wire hack. Toyota has never responded (to my knowledge) after issuing numerous case numbers to us.

When has Toyota responded to anything discussed on this forum? Trail Teams are good guys hired by TMS USA to promote the FJ Cruiser, but they are not really spokespeople for Toyota. It was said that Toyota sent a representative to the FJ Summit in Ouray, but he was a mystery person, because he never spoke up or was introduced.

If Toyota wants to show they are listening to us, then they can respond to us. Start with posting information about the dates and changes that occurred with production model series numbers A, B, C, D, E, and F during the 2007 year. Let us see the Bulletins issued to service managers. The only bulletin I've seen was the one about Premium Gasoline is recommended, not required, and the Bulletin image of it looks like it was retrieved from the waste basket.

My FJ doesn't have the bulge or cracked fender metal, and it is stock with aftermarket rock rails and 32 inch tires on the 16 inch TRD rims, no lift and stock bumper.

I don't have the faith some of you have that Toyota will automatically do the right thing.

[Relic hunter]

LandCruiserSteve previously said:

I'm not trying to sound like a jerk or anything, and my apologies if I missed a more detailed explanation about the circumstances of your inner fender replacement earlier in this thread and exactly how you dealt with it warranty-wise. But, a pic of your FJ in a very impressive 'wheeling shot doesn't really show what's going on under the hood.

So, how did Toyoya respond to your initial claim and what was their explanation as to why it occured??

A few more details on your initial contact with the dealership about this and how Toyota approached and dealt with this would be appreciated.




x2.



Dale, thanks for your kind words. Thankfully this has turned out to be a good collabrative effort amongst the members of the Forum. Without this forum and bernd's initial prompt on this whole thing, perhaps nothing ever would've really been discovered or accomplished on this problem.

Speaking of which, what's your build date and how are your inner fenders holding up, Dale??

Ok, Let me try this again. In March I noticed a bulge on the inner fender drivers side at the same location as the rips have occurred. The “bulge” was severe enough to displace a bracket mounted in the same location. I did not take pictures (regretting that now), but at the time the dealer and Toyota were working with me on the issue. My first contact with the dealer resulted in them saying that a Toyota rep would have to look at the problem, They could not authorize that kind of repair.
Several weeks later I met with a Toyota representative who spent almost an hour looking at anything and everything that could cause the deformation on the inner fender. The plastic on top covering the inner fender was removed to inspect the damage on the inside of that fender. The splash guard on the underside of the fender was partially removed for feather inspection in that area. I have made many modifications to this vehicle and the rep asked about them too. Such as who did the work? I told him I did all of it. He then wanted details about how I did the modifications. The rep looked at new FJ’s on the lot for comparison. He commented about the scratches and minor dents on the skid plates, but not in a negative manner. It was noted in writing that the FJ was being used offroad. When he finished the inspection he agreed there was a problem, but he could not ascertain what had caused it. No fault was assigned to me for the way the FJ was being used. Nor was it said this was manufacturing issue. The idea was raised that maybe it occurred in shipping, but the rep admitted that this was very unlikely considering where the damage was. He agreed that Toyota should replace the inner fender, and a week later it was at the body shop for that repair.
All of this transpired in a professional manner! At no time did I feel it necessary to seek representation of any kind, legal or otherwise. As for the picture, I included it so you could see what kind of wheeling I do. When I say my FJ sees dirt, I don’t mean by the side of the road. I wanted everyone to know that Toyota is NOT going to void your warranty because your FJ is used offroad!
We will find a solution to the inner fender cracking. That’s little comfort to those effected however. I can tell you that I was well treated by the dealer and Toyota. I believe everyone having this problem will also be treated in a similar manner.

[bandi]

Relic hunter previously said:

Ok, Let me try this again. In March I noticed ....

Thanks for the additional Info, I know you
don't have photo's of prior, but could you
take some of the repaired inner, like where
the the inner fender meets the firewall, and
the crush zone groove area... TY...

Ohyeaa... and off the pass inner too...