FJC body cracking (1 Viewer)

[bernd122465]

Come on, NYCTRD. It was difficult enough intercepting the "sky is falling" panic and rumors over on the FJ Forum, so totally eroneous information does NOT need to be posted here as well.

There is NO frame cracking or "frame buckling" ocurring on the FJ Cruiser . . . . period.

Some early build models of the FJ Cruiser have been experiencing bulging and some sheet metal splitting along the crush zone area of the inner fender apron, and Toyota is doing its best at this time to rectify the problem on those affected FJC's.

There are NO reports whatsoever about "frame cracking" or "frame buckling."

And no, the FJC is not a unidbody vehicle, nor does it even come close.




You were obviously banned life from another forum for a good reason. And, that is NOT justification for you to be "venting" with completely false information here on MUD.

So PLEASE don't be spreading completely untrue rumors here on this very reputable forum. I'd hate to see you get banned from here as well.

..x2. I agree with Steve. I for one was the person that started the thread here and at the Blue forum to inform and find out if anyone else was having the same problem as I was.

This has nothing to do with the frame ripping or bulging. The only thing ripping on my rig is the inner fender wells. As seen in the thread I started. These vehicals are not unibody design. They have a frame( no cracks or bolging) with the body mounted on them. It is apparent that NYCTRD has no idea what he is talking about.

Toyota will be replacing my inner fenders along with the front section of the engine bay. They will be taking the old parts to study. If this does not fix my problem and/or they come up with an other fix I was told they would replace/ fix the items needed to finally solve this problem.

Please don't make it a bigger deal then it really is. Don't post infomation that is incorrect. If anyone has any questians feel free to contact me and I will answer them for you.

Lets all just take a breath and relax. Its all good.
Bernd

 

[FirstToy]

in keeping w/ not making this a big deal I merged a couple of these threads- let's move on insteading of repeating the same things tho. I think NYCTRD got the message.
Also the thread Bernd started would be a good one to add to, not this one.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=171443

 

[Shadow-Warrior]

Thanks Steve

 

[ksheffield]

Wow, you ask one little question, get caught up in work for a few days and next thing you know…

Thanks for clearing the air about the cracks/rips. Like I said, I heard about it from a couple of local club folks and went to MUD for some info.

 

[FirstToy]

ksheffield,
obviously you have an eye for the hotbutton! no big deal, it is something of concern certainly valid to ask questions. Looks like Toyota is supporting owners and probably a good idea to check yours out and keep an eye on it but don't let it keep you from enjoying your truck.


oh and welcome to the new guys

 

[NYCTRD]

Wow...passionate bunch here.

First of all, I'm not "the sky is falling" kind of guy. But when I read about the history of the Prado I realized that Toyota must have a keen awareness of the issue by now.

I was comparing the relatively flexible body of the FJ as being similar to a unibody...and the fender aprons & fenders make up part of this flexible box (it obviously flexes enough to crack windshields). I realize the box is bolted to the frame and it's not truly a unibody at all.

And regarding my "banning", I eventualy provoked them to ban me because I was fed up with the thread filled with a few mods (Matt in particular) that I felt went trigger crazy...banning and threatening to ban many. Whatever.

Obviously this issue does SEEM to be REALATIVELY isolated, but think of the majority of consumers who have no awareness of this possible issue yet, are under 20-k miles or so & may well develop issues down the road well after warranty expiration.

I respect this forum as a serious forum and have not posted any frivilous info...nor do I plan to. I enjoy a good discussion. So just relax a bit...I'm not the alarmist type. I just feel this has the potential to be a bigger issue since it occurred previously on a different body (Prado) bolted to the same platform.

Cheers all

 

[FirstToy]

We don't do cross-forum politics here. We respect the decisions of other forum leaders and won't be going down that path-

 

[NYCTRD]

PS: This is probably one of the more important statements in this thread:

"but don't let it keep you from enjoying your truck."

And Bernd-While I'm new to "Trucks", I'm very competent mechanically and have built several ALFA's and Fiats in the SCCA world 25+ years ago as well as restored a few Brit & Italia cars. I just don't really keep up with it all much anymore. One of my degrees is mechanical engineering even though my proffessional background is more technology related. So please don't be so fast to discount my knowledge

I plead guilty though on being somewhat opinionated...

 

[LandCruiserSteve]

One of my degrees is mechanical engineering even though my proffessional background is more technology related. So please don't be so fast to discount my knowledge

Someone with that amount of background and knowledge should easily be able to differentiate between "frame cracking / frame buckling" and splitting of sheet metal within the actual body area.

The frame is the rigid structure (typically black in color) that runs the length of the vehicle and provides a platform for which the body to rest. The body, however, is a different structure that sits upon the frame, typically composed of sheet metal and plastic, and houses the engine compartment, passenger compartment and a variety of other components.

When titling and/or initiating a thread, one should know the simple difference between those two portions of a vehicle's structure, so as not to deliberately confuse, mislead or otherwise post totally inaccurate information.


And, to completely agree with FirstToy's advice, this is not the place to stir up inter-forum politics, bash another forum, nor bad-mouth a member of another forum. That, in my opinion, is not only unethical, but is also a demonstration of a complete absence of courtesy, integrity and dignity.

 

[NYCTRD]

My point was simply that due to the large ammount of flex in BOTH the body & frame, they act in unison much more than older, more rigid designs. I will strive to utilize proper terminology on this forum (which is obviously populated by knowledgeable mechanical sorts).

I did not deliberately try and confuse anyone...that was my bad with loose nomenclature. Lighten up on the unfounded accusations please! I have no desire to stir up ANYTHING but awareness of a problem that IMO will become bigger than some feel it will. Exressing OPINIONS should be welcome on any forum.

Now again, I agree with First Toy...let's keep this thread related to sharing knowledge on Toyota's actions and documenting instances of any metallurgical failures.

 

[FirstToy]

not tolerating any b.s. here that will take away from everyone else's enjoyment. Two warnings is plenty, this thread won't be closed b/c it's an important issue. That means the bullseye will be on 'high maintence' individuals

keep it tech, keep it on topic. it's your FJC- it should be fun guys!

 

[LandCruisers4Life]

I'm not worried about 'tears' inside the fender wells. If it happens, I'll take it to Toyota and have them repair it. What I would like to see is a Factory Recall, and that way there is no question and everyone will be fine.

MY FJ has performed as expected, and have been very happy with it even in stock form. I have taken it wheelin and have been very pleased with it's off road prowess.

 

[Jared]

Minimum amount of text as required.

 

[TomR]

What I would like to see is a Factory Recall, and that way there is no question and everyone will be fine.

I agree...I have been considering an FJ for my wife but haven't quite convinced her yet. However, it would be nice if Toyota acknowledged the issue so a prospective buyer could feel a bit more secure...it is one thing IF you already own one...another if you are thinking of buying one.

Tom R in Two Harbors, Minnesota

 

[NYCTRD]

I feel it's in Toyota's best interest to issue a repair policy for this A.S.AP. for both existing owners and potential buyers. IMO this is a design flaw and will continue poping up more frequently. It's also a very expensive fix, relatively speaking, so Toyota is now likely weighing the cost/benefit of instituting a formal fix, or just making repairs to those who request it.

I think it's important for ANYONE with either bulges and/or tears to complain and have their dealers make note of the issue while it's still under warranty. Also note if you have a Toyota extended service agreement (gold, platinum) it specifically EXCLUDES structural & sheet metal failures. Even if you're the type to just leve it alone and let it rip, or fix it yourself, it's important to let Toyota know you have the defect so the full scope of the failure is noted by Toyota.

 

[LandCruisers4Life]

When you see this thread it says FRAME CRACKS. This is not true, and the thread needs to be deleted.

 

[NYCTRD]

When you see this thread it says FRAME CRACKS. This is not true, and the thread needs to be deleted.

It says "Body Cracks" on my computer.

While there's nothing to really do at this stage but encourage people to BRING THEIR BULGES & CRACKS to their DEALER TO DOCUMENT and possibly file a report with the .gov, this is undoubtedly an issue that needs to be reported to the manufacturer.

Or do you work for Toyota?!

 

[Sporin]

Spent a LOT of time with the FJCruiser Trail Team this weekend and asked about this issue. Despite wheeling and driving their trucks HARD and nonstop for 9 months at a time they've had no cracking but have seen some deformation in that spot. They run big ARB Bumpers and winches out front and these trucks take a lot of abuse.

They said that they were under the impression Toyota had made a slight change in that part for '08 but weren't sure.

I had nearly a full day of offroad seat time in a near stock FJ Cruiser and it is a pretty impressive truck.. not perfect, or ultra hardcore, but extremely capable. Just thought I'd throw that into the fray, carry on.

 

[NYCTRD]

This issue seems to be affecting stock set ups more than modified so far. Some have surmised it's more constant ON-ROAD vibrations vs. off-road flexing causing the metal fatigue.

The extent of this issue will not be fully realized for some time (as more vehicles are affected, more people become AWARE of what to look for & more cases are documented). If you believe the posts on the "other" forum, even the newly designed fender aprons are showing signs of bulging.

I AM NOT SAYING THE SKY IS FALLING! My "agenda" is to simply have people LOOK, and get this DOCUMENTED by Toyota in case it IS a bigger issue down the road. Some posters over there are speaking of class action lawsuits, goverment involvement, etc...

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I would see this as a major problem. Many of us own Land Cruisers that are 20 and 30 years old with no body cracking at all. The fact that in the first year or two of release, enough had had this issue to raise it to the level of "problem" is concerning. I'll be curious why it happens, and what, if anything, Toyota will do to address it. Either the metal is too thin or the bending stresses are too high. Either will be effectively impossible to remedy without a complete redesign.