Just checking behind the bull bar today and noticed cracks in the mounting plates on the bull bar where it attaches to the crumple mounting brackets. Both sides have cracks.
Ron
Attached Files
4WDriver since 1975, current 4WD, 2009 GX diesel auto 150 series, fitted with ARB bullbar, snokel, dual batteries, rear draws, water tank, mud tyres, side steps, 50mm lift & roof bars. Tow a Olympic Champion XPack caravan, travelled a lot of Australia, past big trips in 150, August 2010 - Hay River Track NT, July 2011 - Kimberleys and WA, July 2013 - Canning Stock Route WA.
Shit! I know what I'm doing tomorrow. I'm going to be having a look at mine. Would you care to share when you had your bar fitted? Also is that a crack in the bull bar itself above the mount?
Without seeing it first hand they don't look like cracks. The top one is a bit of cold roll which hasn't had paint coverage and the second looks like it is just bad painting. Can you take some closer shots of each crack? Any sign of the same on the other side? Happy to have a close look if you like.
My 150 build - http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread.php?27423-A-Random-approach-to-a-Bluestorm-150-GXL-D4D-automatic
The top one is not a crack, it is just rust stain running out from under a weld.
The bottom one is a crack, powder coating under the bar is very poor as you can see by the rust.
The other side has a crack as well but not as bad.
The crack is in the bullbar mount.
The bar was fitted in March 2010, nearly 2 years ago, the vehicle has travelled @50,000k with the bull bar fitted.
Will ring ARB tomorrow.
Ron
Attached Files
4WDriver since 1975, current 4WD, 2009 GX diesel auto 150 series, fitted with ARB bullbar, snokel, dual batteries, rear draws, water tank, mud tyres, side steps, 50mm lift & roof bars. Tow a Olympic Champion XPack caravan, travelled a lot of Australia, past big trips in 150, August 2010 - Hay River Track NT, July 2011 - Kimberleys and WA, July 2013 - Canning Stock Route WA.
Hi Ron, thanks for your post. We'd like to get your vehicle into one of our outlets to have a good look and take some further photos for our engineers.
I'm surprised at the amount of rust, not a good sign. My mate has his 150 booked in at a crash repairer to fix surface rust coming from a seam above the back door. Seems like the paint thickness/application at joints is pretty poor.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
[B]Steve[/B]
2010 Silver GXL Prado 150, D4D Auto, with a few non standard bits
Took the vehicle to ARB today for inspection. ARB are going to replace it under warranty.
I found the crack from underneath when I had the sump guard off. But it can be seen from on top. Its easier to look for the crack in a dark place and use a torch to light up the area. Look at the mounting plate from the top side of the bullbar, on white the rusty crack stands out, not sure how other colours will fair.
Ron
Attached Files
4WDriver since 1975, current 4WD, 2009 GX diesel auto 150 series, fitted with ARB bullbar, snokel, dual batteries, rear draws, water tank, mud tyres, side steps, 50mm lift & roof bars. Tow a Olympic Champion XPack caravan, travelled a lot of Australia, past big trips in 150, August 2010 - Hay River Track NT, July 2011 - Kimberleys and WA, July 2013 - Canning Stock Route WA.
Hey Ron. Interesting story. Just wondering if you wouldn't mind answering some curiosities for me: 1. what suspension you have (and for how long), 2. What tyre pressures you run and 3. what kind of driving you've done in that 50,000kms?
Cheers,
G.
150 D4D GX with big tyres, TPMS, Tracklander, GME, Safari breathing straw & super soft squishy custom rear springs.
Had my new bullbar fitted today. It sits higher than the old one, before I could see half of the top bar, now I can see nearly all of it, it doesn't shake as much as the old one did either.
Ron
4WDriver since 1975, current 4WD, 2009 GX diesel auto 150 series, fitted with ARB bullbar, snokel, dual batteries, rear draws, water tank, mud tyres, side steps, 50mm lift & roof bars. Tow a Olympic Champion XPack caravan, travelled a lot of Australia, past big trips in 150, August 2010 - Hay River Track NT, July 2011 - Kimberleys and WA, July 2013 - Canning Stock Route WA.
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