Toyota Sovereign Bar – Driving lights vibrating loose or CB Aerials breaking

[Handyman Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Handyman]

Has anyone else experienced these issues, Driving lights securing nuts working loose even on Blacktop, and the CB Aerial breaking at it’s ferrel on gravel roads? Would have lost one of the driving lights but for it’s electrical wiring, on the trip out of Rainbow valley to the Stuart Hwy.
Just back from a trip to Central Australia and have experienced both of these issues, even when doing limited “unpaved road use”

[Guest Close Guest]

More info needed. Have you done the recall brackets? Is this a 2nd hand bar? What lights are on the bar?

[404pug Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 404pug]

Loctight onto the driving lights AND a locking nut as well. I bet it was one of those metal areials. I have found them to be good for about 30 mins of corrugations on my Sovereign bar. Get a fibreglass one. Touch wood mine has never broken. As to the bar itself, after a day or two of rough roads you can almost be certain that some of the many nuts on it have come loose, especially the ones at the outer ends. Grab the top outer end of the bar and rock it. If it moves much get the spanners out!. Neil

[Handyman Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Handyman]

I have had the Prado since New and yes the bracket recall had been done, the Driving lights are Cibie Oscar's.

The aerial was actually Fiberglass type.

You can actually see the Bull Bar vibrate/move when driving even on bitumen when you hit bad bumps; very evident by the sideways movement of the CB & external Phone aerials mounted on the Bull Bar.

The vibration has been bad enough to dislodge a captive section from the chassis and allow it to puncture the side tank of the radiator.

Also the Passenger side of the bull bar – Tube section the bottom bolt has dislodged and broken the weld in behind the vertical upright.

I don’t believe this is isolated, as the mechanic I use has a number of customers with 120 series Prado all with the same vibration issue.

I have been driving 4x4’s since 1976 and never experienced such issues for such limited gravel or 4x4 track use.

[Guest Close Guest]

It sounds like the bolts weren't properly torqued up. Your 2nd picture shows the chassis pin touching the radiator. There should be a long bolt at the front (where the recall bracket is) that connects to it. This bolt and chassis pin is what pulls the bullbar into the chassis. If this is loose (along with the other bolts), it will explain why your bullbar is shaking so much. I have not had this problem with mine.

[404pug Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 404pug]

Hmm.... after the recall mine no longer has the long chassis bolts. Should they be there or is this yet another stuff up on the part of the local dealer with the Scottish sounding name?

[Guest Close Guest]

The instructions for the new Sovereign bar calls for the installation of the chassis pins and associated bolt.

[Handyman Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Handyman]

Thanks for your feedback; amts & 404pug.

Have attached a photo of the part/s that caused the damage to the radiator, these were “floating” in the chassis and finally the one from the passengers side of the radiator was able to dislodge and become trapped at an angle between the radiator side tank whilst only held by one side of the chassis section & held captive by the other side of the chassis.

I would love a copy of the “work instruction” on the rectification/bracket replacement connected with the Sovereign Bull Bar replacement if someone has a copy. My Mechanic and I would love to know if these parts were meant to have been removed or a replacement bolt used to either secure the bull bar or these parts in place as part of the recall “work” regarding the bracket replacement.

The bolts on the bull bar were tight but have been tightened [as they could have been tighter].
The chassis mount/bushing have also been tighten as Andrew [my Mechanic] has found this can reduce issues of vibration with the 120 Bull bars, generally it’s the mount/bushing from the firewall forward that tend to require retightening &/or replacement.

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

So does that mean that these two parts are just floating around in all the 120's that have had the bull bar recall done ?? .....Cheers Steve

[Handyman Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Handyman]

G'day Steve
I am trying to work that one out; there is a "thread" @: http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread...ereign-bullbar
Which I found this morning; I am seeking clarification on some information contained with that “thread”. but don't have a definite answer yet. If the “fitting instruction” are the current fitment of the “Sovereign” they should still be utilised in the correct fitment; which it appears the Toyota dealer who conducted the recall refit on mine has not followed. I intend to have a look at second hand 120’s latter to day to see what exists in the real world.
Cheers
Jon

[peril Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close peril]

Hmm.... after the recall mine no longer has the long chassis bolts. Should they be there or is this yet another stuff up on the part of the local dealer with the Scottish sounding name?

As I had my recall done by a dealer with a Scottish sounding name and two stores, I'm following this with interest.

My bar seems solid but I can't see where these bolts are fitted (need a scematic to be sure I know where to look) so I'm assuming they are 'not' fitted on mine?

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

Handyman, those chassis pins that damaged your radiator should have been re-used when the recall was done.

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

Mate Ill be at 7hills this arvo dropping the little one off if you wanted to have a look at mine ?? Not sure how far that is from you....Cheers Steve

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

Those small antennas with the little coil just above the ferrule will always be doomed to die if fitted to an alloy bar. I went through about 3 on my 90 series with the factory alloy bar. I also tried the rubberised version and that cracked too. These should be fender or roof mounted IMO. The big GME fibreglass aerial has survived well. My big Hella 4000s have survived for 15 years on 2 Prados without ever coming loose or breaking.

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

Handyman, those chassis pins that damaged your radiator should have been re-used when the recall was done.
[ATTACH]11889[/ATTACH]

This is a diagram of the location of the chassis pins with the new recall bullbar brackets: