This could really piss you off!

[albundy]

Note the brand of vehicle

There is that Al, but of course your Nissan would never have lasted that long anyway, it would alreday be well dead.

The safari is still going strong, but your right about the terrano. Hate IFS with a passion.
Al

[churchill]

It's almost like the ball joint should be fitted the other way up when designed, it's effectivly being loaded in its weakest orientation and failure in this direction is catastrophic. If it was up the other way it wouldn't pop out with excessive wear.

My mother in law has one of these Prado's and for an IFS vehicle the front end's really clunky, it's on 200k km (japanese import so can't rely on this) and I'm wondering if this is the first signs or this problem.

How many km's has this one done?

[rokhound]

They are balljoint top and bottom, so no escaping it, It has the thick end of 300 000ks showing on the odo. Only had 30 000 7 years ago when I got it.

[slide]

Has anything actually broken for this to happen? Or did balljoints just 'pop' out of sockets?

[rokhound]

Lower balljoint failed and popped out. This then put to much pressure on top balljoint and the whole lot fell apart.
If the lower balljoint had been designed up the other way for gravity loading it may have been a better design I guess.

[gregc5]

Had exactly the same thing!!
Lower ball joint failed and took the rest of the assembly with it. Doing about 5km/hr in Countdown carpark after doing 350km the day before on the open road. Bloody scary thought.
Then two guys from the Club rolled up to take photos and laugh!
Expensive to fix too as took out ABS sensors and other things too.
Went through warrant couple of weeks before too. My mechanic took a heap of photos and sent off to LTSA - warrant was done by VTNZ.
Greg

[hosehustler]

Grunta you've been busy......I know why you're steering breaks it's because you drive like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... WewY5Y6e-8

[rokhound]

Geez thats some real old footage.
Shame there wasn't some of me and Mike heading down the side of Mt Olympus about 2 hrs earlier on the same day eh Tim?
Not much point having 4wd when only 1 wheel is touching the ground

[pjb]

How about that - I assumed all ball-joints we designed the other way up (stud pointing down through the knuckle). Pajero sure is.

[Jerry]

hmmmm
http://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index ... mId/954296
http://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index ... mId/953934

[rokhound]

That first recall explains exactly what happening Jerry.
The rear axle recall was done on my truck by toyota here in Chch (even though mine is an import) about 3 years ago.

[Jerry]

yeah I had the axle recall done on mine (import) for free as well ....
Will email them and see what they say

Aslo this isnt just a toyota thing ... theres recalls on nissans etc as well.

[mudbugga]

Rokhound if you give me your chassis number and your reg I can check your vehicle out on Toyota WASH system.
There is a recall out on those front ball joints but if only affects a very small number of vehicles.

If anyone wants to know if their Prado or Surf is in the chassis range they need to ring their Toyota dealer and ask to check it on the WASH system. (Bulletin 13-0905, campaign ID RSC 0504)

This recall affects KZJ95, VZJ95,RZJ9#,VZJ9#,KDJ9#, Surf- RZN18#, VZN18#, KDN185

[rokhound]

I don't think it's worth it. I have replaced both sides now and there was no actual damage done. Could have been a different story at anything over the 40kph I was going though.......

If anyone else feels the need to check theirs, I sugest you do.