SW .. I didn't see that. I saw that the LC had a USA sourced transmission and the LX 570 was Japan sourced (based on the 2014 document). Interestingly, on the same site if you pull up the 2015 document it shows both the LC/LX transmissions are Japan sourced (i.e. 100% Japan). Did they change the sourcing on the 2015 LC model ? Go figure ..
article on 200 series build quality and where the engine is built for 200 series (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter SWUtah
- Start date
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Tripledave
SILVER Star
Good info.
My two cents on transmissions. Hydraulics are kinda a hobby of mine so here goes. In terms of reliability and suitability for intended purpose, hydraulic tolerances and therefore impulse passages and associated circuitry are much less likely to be a problem than mechanicals (re: blueprinted/hand assembled engine). Hydraulics in modern "slush boxes" rely on pressure of a very forgiving liquid in relatively high volumes whereas engines rely on machined tolerances of very rigid components which, in turn, rely on a very small amount of lubricant (hydraulic fluid better known as oil) to keep parts from breaking and wearing out. In other words, I'd rather my tranny be "made in murica" with looser (to be debated, I know wtf) tolerances and higher failure rates potentially than my power plant. So...... Im good with my tranny being built or sourced from USA.
Rant over.
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My two cents on transmissions. Hydraulics are kinda a hobby of mine so here goes. In terms of reliability and suitability for intended purpose, hydraulic tolerances and therefore impulse passages and associated circuitry are much less likely to be a problem than mechanicals (re: blueprinted/hand assembled engine). Hydraulics in modern "slush boxes" rely on pressure of a very forgiving liquid in relatively high volumes whereas engines rely on machined tolerances of very rigid components which, in turn, rely on a very small amount of lubricant (hydraulic fluid better known as oil) to keep parts from breaking and wearing out. In other words, I'd rather my tranny be "made in murica" with looser (to be debated, I know wtf) tolerances and higher failure rates potentially than my power plant. So...... Im good with my tranny being built or sourced from USA.
Rant over.
Sent from my extremely unreliable mobile device using IH8MUD Forum
The sticker is removed before delivery to the customer so technically once you drove the car out of the dealer lot it won't be there. The best way is to go back to the dealership and see the sticker for any new cars on the lot yet to be sold. The reference I sent out will tell you the contents of that sticker.
I am going to go on a limb here and say that it actually may be a "good" thing to have the AB60F sourced in the US. While I know there is a pervasive feeling that Japanese cars are better "put together" (and to a degree it is probably true) but what really sets Toyota apart in terms of reliability is their design simplicity and (more importantly) their Quality Control. I for one grew up in an Automotive Engineering environment and Toyota always was the benchmark for QC processes and controls (to their subsidiaries as well) and assembly. Let's face it ... today's automotive component market is globally sourced. Toyota gets parts from all over the world. In fact my brother-in-law, who runs his automotive unit in the US ships varied components to Toyota Japan and in fact the braces that hold the lift gate comes from his unit (he even identified it). Only fully assembled imported parts are listed as non-Japanese. I would doubt that each and every coil for the heated seats, switches, springs, wires, window regulators, latches, knobs, etc. all are made in Japan. It's an expensive place to build such (non-critical) things. However, the way they test the living daylights out of each part they receive and the detail in which it is assembled as a whole is what makes the whole unit stand apart.
What we possibly have in the pre-2015 LC rigs is a Tundra application based design/build/tested unit and then QC-ed and assembled in Japan.
Furthermore, GM/Aisin are in fact considered the best Automatic Transmission manufacturers in the world. GM units in fact found their applications in BMW (before Getrag and ZF took over). Historically, Europeans are good in building manuals and sport transmission applications (DCTs) and the Japanese (at manuals and automatics for low-torque applications) .. I would bet my money on a US design/manufacturer for truck transmissions any day of the week. What we now drive is a simplistic over-engineered design .. rated to pull 2000 lbs. more than specified (for the LC) yet QC-ed and assembled at arguably the best location in the world. What's not to feel good about?
What we possibly have in the pre-2015 LC rigs is a Tundra application based design/build/tested unit and then QC-ed and assembled in Japan.
Furthermore, GM/Aisin are in fact considered the best Automatic Transmission manufacturers in the world. GM units in fact found their applications in BMW (before Getrag and ZF took over). Historically, Europeans are good in building manuals and sport transmission applications (DCTs) and the Japanese (at manuals and automatics for low-torque applications) .. I would bet my money on a US design/manufacturer for truck transmissions any day of the week. What we now drive is a simplistic over-engineered design .. rated to pull 2000 lbs. more than specified (for the LC) yet QC-ed and assembled at arguably the best location in the world. What's not to feel good about?
- Thread starter
- #27
I looked at 2011 since mines a 2011. For 2011 it showed both the LC/LX transmissions sourced from USA.
Checked again 2008-2010 and 2013-15 are 100% Japan. 2011 was only year where they showed transmission came from USA. But 2011 was first year where it specifically stated where the "engine" and "transmission" was sourced. Doubt that for one year only they shipped transmissions from USA to Japan for installation in the 200 series.
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In one of our many videos for "training" purposes, it mentions the LX and LS engines gets X-ray'ed and CT scanned...
Tripledave
SILVER Star
"Oh what a feeling!"
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Sent from my extremely unreliable mobile device using IH8MUD Forum
Regarding 2011 do you think the Tsunami had a role in that? Maybe one of their plants or suppliers were affected or closed down
- Thread starter
- #32
Can't find anything like that. At the most they might of lost a couple of weeks of LX production and then a slowdown for a couple of months but nothing on the transmissions.
For what it's worth .. unless you were in the assembly line (and that too the day your rig was built) you really don't know what your unit has. All the references are HL guides as to general intent of the supply chain and I bet there is no post production audit on each unit to guarantee that. I am sure (just like every business) last minute $hit happens all the time in a very very complex supply chain. Aisin AW (as it is now called) has Japanese plants and one in North Carolina as well. Both plants make/assemble the Aisin AB60F units. Parts and assemblies are exchanged all the time. I'm sure you've all heard about the west cost port (labor) strike. If we think that none of that affected the way our units were built over the last few years (in terms of sourcing not quality) we're dreaming. The earthquake/tusnami definitely was the cause of stalling the LC line for 2012 though.
At this stage we can only be sure (and take consolation) that parts for the transmission and the engine were shipped from around the world but assembled and QA-ed at Aichi. Coupled with the fact that there are so few of these units sold that they can afford the necessary TLC (tender loving care) on these rigs. Anything beyond that is anyone's guess. In fact in the very same reports in certain years show the Transmission is US yet 100% Japanese built (go figure).
