Is the 150 showing any signs of cracked inner guards

[rob_macca67]

Geez, this is a worry..... Just checked mine and it's all OK. Just wondering if it would be wise to bend up & shape a thin piece of sheet metal to the inner guard shape and bolt it in place.....

[krypto]

Having looked at what the guard does and how it is attached, I cannot see how bull bars or engine types have any bearing on the problem. The cracks will be related to weight placed directly onto the guard, types of roads /terrain travelled and consequent impact/vibration. Suspension, tyre pressure and driving style will also have some bearing on the problem.

Like I said before, Toyota would not have changed the design and strengthened the guard if it wasn't a design problem.

[Steve M]

Cheers Steve, I will let a couple of people know (friends of mine) who are not on here but have 150's and do use them off road. One is stock standard the other with ARB steel bar. Will report back if any cracks with pictures....Cheers Steve

[krypto]

No, it's looking from inside the engine bay next to the fuse box. You can also see it from under the guard but its not as clear.

Being a qualified Mechanical Engineer (that's Uni and 30 years of work experience to save any questions) and having had a very good look at it, it is plain and simple a design flaw as the fracture has occurred in an area that would be subject to stress from loads on the guard but where there are no stress raisers ie the guard is not up to the task or is not sufficiently isolated from stress raising loads.

Incidentally, the new Prado has a completely different double skin guard design. Toyota generally don't change things without a reason so why did they change this?

[Steve M]

Steve is that picture taken from under the wheel arch ?? ... Cheers Steve

[krypto]

You can add two stock standard 150 Prados, a GX and a GXL, to the list of cracks on the passenger side (left) guard.

Have a mate visiting at the moment and he was telling me how p*&sed off he was having just discovered that his Prado 150 GX has a crack on the passenger side guard . Took me outside to show me on another Prado where his was cracked and found a crack on the passenger side guard in exactly the same spot and exactly the same size. Both the cracks look like they've been there for a while as there are signs of rust.

For all those people speculating about modifications playing a part, both the Prados are bog standard apart from being dual battery. The crack IS NOT on the dual battery (driver's) side. Both done some dirt driving, in my case it is really pretty minimal some corrugated roads and a bit of off-roading every now and then.

I've included a picture below, details of the vehicles are:
11/2010 (reg 02/2011) Prado 150 GXL, 58,000 km - 3cm crack on passenger side (left) guard
3/2011 (reg 04/2011) Prado 150 GX, 80,000km - 3cm crack on passenger side (left) guard

His dealer has admitted liability and says the repair requires removal and replacement of the whole guard, which includes some welding.

The picture below is taken looking down inside the engine bay next to the fuse box on the passenger side. The black plastic in the top of the picture is the fuse box. The crack can also be seen from under the guard but is not quite as clear.

[Warnsie]

Wow, what a thread. I never thought this topic would create so many campfire arguments. Vehicle manufacturers are not designing their vehicles with the view that their owners will be fitting another 200-300kg of aftermarket accessories. Their focus is on making the car safer and more efficient.

Most of the posts revolve around accessories that add weight or stiffen the ride to carry more weight. There is no hard evidence to show that any of these accessories are to blame. I think it shows that no matter how much R&D is carried out by aftermarket suppliers, there will never be a guarantee that you will not come into problems down the track- especially when the vehicle is used in extreme conditions. We all must realize that we are taking a risk when adding bars, winches, batteries etc, and never think for one second that it is not altering or effecting the vehicle in some way. Just because everyone sells it, or everyone's has it, it does not mean it is proven and tested.

Give it a couple of years and their will no doubt be a crack down on aftermarket suppliers and their endless list of products. The band on electronic rust protection devises in the US is a good example of a product that has no real evidence that it actually works.

[SWR]

Hi Guys

Here is a link below on kerb weight etc

Kerb weight. With or without fuel/oils and coolant? #1

And here is the other link worth a read!

Kerb weight. With or without fuel/oils and coolant? #2


Cheers

[SWR]

Gday mjrandom

Did we ever establish whether the kerb weight includes full tanks or not? Mind you that is only 25kg or so of fuel.

Kerb weight is full fuel and all engine fluids etc but not cargo or person's.

Cheers

[mjrandom]

SkyWalker I did actually read all those posts, most of which I had read before. I simply don't think that it is a single issue so we can agree to disagree. My 120 with an Ironman steel bar (that wasn't anywhere near as heavy as either a TJM or ARB bar, I know I hefted all 3 before I made a decision) wobbled like crazy like all the bars do. I cannot see the sides of my T3 bar on the 150, in fact I can barely see it at all so no idea whether it does the same but I guess it does. Might have to mount a GoPro on the bar and go for a drive. I would have expected that the wobble would become a problem with fatigue on the crush cans long before it would translate any of that to the chassis and then the inner guards. Extra weight over the front is an issue and exacerbates the up and down flex of the chassis but I never saw much of that on my 120. And if I was to give the bar a good whack it would wobble laterally but not discernably up and down at the chassis mounts. My opinion is it is a combination of things. I am also not sure that you can read much into the problem is mostly with ARB either, I would think that ARB had the majority of fittings to deep bush 120s and 150s but I could be wrong. If you have the majority of the product in the marketplace and there is a problem then it will show up. We have to be careful not to jump to conclusions or make sweeping generalisations.

As for weight the revised rear seats will make a bit of difference too. Did we ever establish whether the kerb weight includes full tanks or not? Mind you that is only 25kg or so of fuel.

[SuperDavid]

I think you miss my point. If it is only the weight of a steel bar that causes the issue then a fully loaded V6 should have the same problem. Also where does the 245kg weight increase come from? I just checked the brochures I have and an option pack 150 GXL D4D auto is 160kg heavier than the 120 equivalent. Still heavier yes but not as much as indicated. GVM is up 90kg.

I dont think all of the 245kg or 160kg comes from saftey cells.
I've got a 240v power point in my 150...I dont think the 120 has that! Little things like that, that the 120 doesn't have adds up.



yeah..I've got nothing to add either

I'll throw in another difference to the debate. The cross member aft of the gearbox on the V6 is closer to the engine than the diesel. Perhaps the front half of the V6 chassis is stiffer and coupled with a lighter engine, causes less deflection on the chassis. Just a thought and IMHO.

[SWR]

I think you miss my point.

Yep!!.... I think you missed my point as well but that's ok!

Read what i had written then read all of the links attached to it and see if you Get/ See my point!

Anything past me trying to explain any more than what i have already fall's into repetitive and a forceful opinion!

As long as i get it and my pocket coin is safe i don't really have to worry about any apposing opinion's as long as i get it!

Funny how a alloy bar hardly moves around but the metal bar likes to wriggle around allot!..... Why is that???......... Mmmmmm?

How come the stock standard bumper dont move at all?? ... Whats the go there? .. It only has a 1 maybe 2mm gap as well!

How many millimeters does the metal bar dance around and more importantly why?

Cheers

[mjrandom]

I think you miss my point. If it is only the weight of a steel bar that causes the issue then a fully loaded V6 should have the same problem. Also where does the 245kg weight increase come from? I just checked the brochures I have and an option pack 150 GXL D4D auto is 160kg heavier than the 120 equivalent. Still heavier yes but not as much as indicated. GVM is up 90kg.

[SWR]

The V6 is 80kg lighter than the D4D. There are reports of standard D4Ds having cracked guards but not a single report of a V6 with winch, battery and steel bar with cracked guards?

OK???? So can we safely say that the fact that the V6 "IS" lighter and no issues and that without the metal bar added to the diesel "IS" still 80kg heavier off the bat THEN when the metal bar added can we safely say that the "EXTRA" weight could be cracking the crumple zone?

Go all ball's out and add a battery and winch while you are at it!! ..How much heavier would that make it to a V6?... Mmmmmm?... We can always say that the V6 will always be 80kg lighter!... But the 150 series will always be 247kg heaver than the 120 series.

We are aware that jumping off sand dunes and going flat-out on high tyre pressures and constant corrugated roads will knock your teeth out etc but we can not get away from the over-loading of the front Axel can we!!

This is what i do believe is stressing the front crumple zone!

Check out all the rigs on this forum alone who are running metal bars as appose to stock standard!

Cheers