Hilux Safety Alert, Prado next ?????

[discoveraus Member Find all posts View Profile Close discoveraus]

Hello all,

Victorian DSE and CFA have just put out a OH&S Safety Alert on all post 2005 4x4 Crew Cab Hilux utes.

Any of these vehicles with a steel bullbar and a winch are to be withdrawn from service and not driven, if a steel bullbar and No winch is fitted it is allowed to be used with a driver only. Aluminum bar and a winch, now limited to a driver and one passenger. Our brigade Hilux has an aluminium bar and no winch and is now restricted to a driver and two passengers total.

This is apparently due to OH&S issues caused by the front axle being overloaded on the Toyota specs which limit the axle load to 1180 kg maximum or 1200kg with the front tyres pumped up a bit.

Considering that the FJ Cruiser is limited to 20 kg on the front of the chassis as manufactured and it apparently shares the chassis with the Prado it is only a matter of time before the prado is limited wrto front suspension loads.

Does anyone know what is the limiting component in the Hilux, FJ cruiser or Prado which limits the weights which can be safely fitted to the front of the chassis. Is it chassis, springs, wheels, tyres, axles or what. Can the rated front axle capacity be increased easily using commonly obtained aftermarket components or are we stuck with the current hilux type problem and will we ultimately need an extensive front end upgrade with an engineers certificate to fit a bullbar, winch and auxiliary batteries.

Overload the front axle and have an accident where the axle load may have contributed and our insurance companies will have a field day rejecting claims. This issue certainly interests me as I regularly drive our Brigade Hilux with lights and sirens and own a 2010 Prado which I intend to improve/upgrade as funds become available. I am not interested in causing a serious prang in any vehicle just because it is innocently fitted with a couple of aftermarket accessories to improve its offroad abilities.

regards

Ross

[Disco4 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Disco4]

I saw the DSE Safety Alert which was posted on this weeks Worksafe Victoria Safety Soapbox.

It has maasive implications for the big fleet construction companies as well.

Interestingly again it only referred to Toyotas Products.

Another interesting bulletin came out from Toyota this week regarding paintless dent repairs.

According to my BIL who manages a large panel shop, Toyota will not recognise paintless dent repairs as apparently they have conducted tests conducted on cars repaired this way in last years storms and they are worried about retained metal strengths & microscopic cracks in the paint work which allows moisture in & allows rust to start under the paint work.

[croozza Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close croozza]

The prado does not have the same chassis as the FJ, however they do have the same driveline.

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

Considering that the FJ Cruiser is limited to 20 kg on the front of the chassis as manufactured and it apparently shares the chassis with the Prado it is only a matter of time before the prado is limited wrto front suspension loads.

Connecting a Hilux issue with a potential Prado issue is a long bow to draw...

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

So what about the 1000's of hilux and Prado's running around in the mine sites, they would have some of the strictest oh&s standards going around!!

[JoshF Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoshF]

So what about the 1000's of hilux and Prado's running around in the mine sites, they would have some of the strictest oh&s standards going around!!

I would have thought mines would have turned over 2005 vehicles years ago as they usually keep them 2 or 3 years max. Therefore these trucks will be out in the general population now.

[Rob L Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Rob L]

Actually in underground mines we only change the Bosses cars over every 2-3 years. Ours get driven till they die then get used in mock emergency scenarios. It is fun driving over a Hilux in a 60 ton bogger but does ruin their resale value some what.

[photoprado Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close photoprado]

I would have thought mines would have turned over 2005 vehicles years ago as they usually keep them 2 or 3 years max. Therefore these trucks will be out in the general population now.

Victorian DSE and CFA have just put out a OH&S Safety Alert on all post 2005 4x4 Crew Cab Hilux utes.

I thin they seem to be saying anything since 2005?

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

What's the GVM of a Hilux? The 120 is 2.9t ish? I know I put mine over a weighbridge and it came up with 2.6t with full tanks and two peoples in the front. Cannot remember off the top of my head the front rear split though.

[Muffla Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Muffla]

I asked my dealer regarding all this bullshit about bull bars on Prado's and they have NO record of it

[Muffla Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Muffla]

I don't know how true this is either but a comment I got from a guy at ARB the other day was an interesting one too.

Apparently the memo circulating from Toyota regarding warranty on vehicles fitted with aftermarket bull bars, winches etc was a scare tactic from Toyota to force buyers to use their bull bars and accessories etc

Sounds like ARB acknowledge the memo and fear they will loose business in the event that consumers believed such rumours but either way I got a laugh out of it.

I don't know who to believe these days lol

[wooley Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close wooley]

I don't know how true this is either but a comment I got from a guy at ARB the other day was an interesting one too.

Apparently the memo circulating from Toyota regarding warranty on vehicles fitted with aftermarket bull bars, winches etc was a scare tactic from Toyota to force buyers to use their bull bars and accessories etc

Sounds like ARB acknowledge the memo and fear they will loose business in the event that consumers believed such rumours but either way I got a laugh out of it.

I don't know who to believe these days lol

after the Toyota issues with bull bars/chassis cracks in the 200 series I would believe more of what ARB has to say than Toyota.

[Peterpilot Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Peterpilot]

What's the GVM of a Hilux? The 120 is 2.9t ish? I know I put mine over a weighbridge and it came up with 2.6t with full tanks and two peoples in the front. Cannot remember off the top of my head the front rear split though.

Mine was 1120Kg front and 1180Kg rear, total 2300Kg for a V6 Grande full tanks, no bullbar, no winch, no second battery and just myself in the car:

[cafiem Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cafiem]

Wasn't the bullbar issues with Hiluxs the subject of a recall last year. From memory the bullbar mounts were strenghtened?
Both our hiluxs have aftermarket bars and both have had warranty claims since without issue.

[discoveraus Member Find all posts View Profile Close discoveraus]

Hello all again,

Apparently the front axle of the Hilux is rated to 1200 kg and the rear is rated upto 1600 kg. I dont know if the gross is the sum of these or a lessor figure.

State government initiated OH&S issues are no joke and have serious ramifications for Hilux sales and yes, this will cause problems for many Hilux owners big and small if it ultimately is tested and found to be true with the Victorian government departments.

Glad to hear that the FJ cruiser does not share chassis and/or suspension with the Prado but like I said, Prado next with lots of ?????. Toyota seem to be losing the "off road" plot these days but still a better all round ride than my previous Land rover discovery 2.

regards

Ross