150 Cracked Inner Guard List

[krypto]

Mine was same date and model with no mods and just 50k. Crack under cranking battery, other side just had a normal tray with no crack.

[brogers]

Member: Clancy
DOM: 11/2010
Engine: D4D
Model: GXL
Crack Location: Passenger Side
Crack appeared @: 75,000km
Toyota Response: Haven't tried
Outcome: Will probably just get local panelbeater to weld it and put a bracket over the top of the crank battery to support it
Battery & Weight: standard crank battery
Battery Tray: standard
Tray Modifications: none
Vehicle Modifications: ARB bar, Warn winch with plasma rope, dual battery is on the passenger side up at the firewall
4WD Trips: Tasmania touring, Big Red Bash 2014,

I had same model Prado, same month, same unmodified crank battery, and same crack on passenger side.
Grab the battery and gently rock it forwards and backwards, and watch the crack open up and close up...so a top brace will help. I had it welded but no top brace, and it cracked again. The other side had a TJM battery tray with top brace, with a heavier battery,and it didn't crack at all....despite two trips to two consecutive Big Red Bashes, and a trip to Innaminka, the Bridsville track, Lawn Hill, the gulf etc.

[krypto]

Member: Clancy
DOM: 11/2010
Engine: D4D
Model: GXL
Crack Location: Passenger Side
Crack appeared @: 75,000km
Toyota Response: Haven't tried
Outcome: Will probably just get local panelbeater to weld it and put a bracket over the top of the crank battery to support it
Battery & Weight: standard crank battery
Battery Tray: standard
Tray Modifications: none
Vehicle Modifications: ARB bar, Warn winch with plasma rope, dual battery is on the passenger side up at the firewall
4WD Trips: Tasmania touring, Big Red Bash 2014,

The bracket/patch will make the biggest difference as it spreads the load, a weld alone will just crack again.

[Clancy]

Member: Clancy
DOM: 11/2010
Engine: D4D
Model: GXL
Crack Location: Passenger Side
Crack appeared @: 75,000km
Toyota Response: Haven't tried
Outcome: Will probably just get local panelbeater to weld it and put a bracket over the top of the crank battery to support it
Battery & Weight: standard crank battery
Battery Tray: standard
Tray Modifications: none
Vehicle Modifications: ARB bar, Warn winch with plasma rope, dual battery is on the passenger side up at the firewall
4WD Trips: Tasmania touring, Big Red Bash 2014,

[Rob L]

Cheers guys. Off to the mines so will follow up again once I get back. The letter sounds like the go.

[Bushbasher]

I'm thinking that, just as was the case with the injector sheet (seal) issue with the early D4D, it's only Toyota Australia that's refuting the claims. That would answer why when most dealers search for parts they can't find the patch numbers. Give them the part numbers and suddenly they find them in their database and exclaim "those are overseas parts."

[krypto]

Ok at Toyota now. They've never heard of it before of course and suggest that I should have bought a factory Toyota aux battery tray. First I've heard of them. Certainly didn't help with the passenger side. Gonna put to Toyota and get back to me.

I'm not confident that I'll have a win with this. To be continued....

I wrote a factual but passionate letter to the top of the company that focused on the safety aspects and got a great result. It seems that they do use accessories such as bullbars as a way of shifting blame. Use of a Toyota battery tray, if such a thing exists, is a red herring and has no bearing on the problem which is well known and documented.

Stick to your guns. The fact that a patch kit exists is an admission of a known fault in the guard design, it's also the reason that they have kept it so quiet.

[rob_macca67]

Ok at Toyota now. They've never heard of it before of course and suggest that I should have bought a factory Toyota aux battery tray. First I've heard of them. Certainly didn't help with the passenger side. Gonna put to Toyota and get back to me.

I'm not confident that I'll have a win with this. To be continued....

Whatever they try to blame it on, get them to put it in writing.... This is what I did and fortunately they had a change of heart and decided to pay for repairs....

[Rob L]

Ok at Toyota now. They've never heard of it before of course and suggest that I should have bought a factory Toyota aux battery tray. First I've heard of them. Certainly didn't help with the passenger side. Gonna put to Toyota and get back to me.

I'm not confident that I'll have a win with this. To be continued....

[Rob L]

Yep, sure does. Here's the pass side where the Crack is only just starting. It's a little below and to the left of the backwards 'D' shaped hole and about a centimetre in length. Because of its originating position in this case it suggests the area of concern is actually bowing (sp?) which certainly backs up your theory.

Hopefully it's visible on the photo.

[rob_macca67]

I definitely would have to agree to this one as well..... I had a crack on the Drivers side years ago and after being repaired, I copied what TJM did and added a support bracket to prevent the Fwd/back motion and all has been good 4yrs down the track

Will be doing the same to the OEM battery on the passengers side b4 our next outback adventure.....

Hey Rob, Grab your aux battery and rock it gently towards the front/rear of the car, and watch what happens to the crack...thee crack opened up a bit on mine with a backwards and forwards rocking motion...but on the other side I had a battery tray that had a "brace" onto the front cross piece...so it prevented undue backwards and forwards rocking motion of the battery when off-roading...and no cracked guard on the side with my TJM battery tray...I think you may have to try and prevent a rocking motion of the aux battery, so it may be best to use a battery tray that has a horizontal metal brace onto the upper front engine cross member...just a thought?

[brogers]

Mine too now

GXL
2010
Dual battery - aux 80ah on ABR tray
Winch
Bar

Hey Rob, Grab your aux battery and rock it gently towards the front/rear of the car, and watch what happens to the crack...the crack opened up a bit on mine with a backwards and forwards rocking motion...but on the other side I had a battery tray that had a "brace" onto the front cross piece...so it prevented undue backwards and forwards rocking motion of the battery when off-roading...and no cracked guard on the side with my TJM battery tray...I think you may have to try and prevent a rocking motion of the aux battery, so it may be best to use a battery tray that has a horizontal metal brace onto the upper front engine cross member...just a thought?

[Rob L]

Mine too now

GXL
2010
Dual battery - aux 80ah on ABR tray
Winch
Bar

[hulbyw]

That's right, it's not Toyota's fault. They only have a repair kit as a customer service and they didn't change the design of the inner guards on the face lifted model because they had a problem either. And they are not interested when you point out that it is occurring on stock vehicles. It is the aftermarket suspension that is the cause! Sons of spinsters!!

[brogers]

Mine cracked in the same location, no bull bar, but a dual battery.