Cracked sheet metal above radiator body bushings

I remember the FJ's doing that too.

 

Thanks for all the input, seems pretty hit or miss from this group but nobody has it as bad as me.

I don't think the dealer will be helpful as i am sure they will tell me to pound sand.

I think I am going to rip apart the truck for a few days headlights, grill bumper all completely off and have my buddy cut some 14ga plate on his laser and weld them in all of the cracking spots. I clearly need some serious reinforcement.

 

Don't reinforce it, it'll just crack elsewhere. Cut it off a build a new one. Check @Wishbone Runner s build. I did it too, but way different on a 1st gen.

 

well there's an idea....

 

So is that the core support, if so why is it moving so much. The frame has to be twisting to do that and if it is only the support cracking then as i see it you have two options. One reinforce the bottom of the radiator core support and tighten down the mounting bolts. The second one is don’t off road so hard. Get a Jeep for that.

 

lol

 

I’ve read about the radiator bushings, you have a link to the new bushings? Are they Energy Suspension?

 

Cut that shit off.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/core-support-is-tearing-itself-apart.564190/

Same issue. Still chasing the problem. Welding doesn’t help. It just cracks around the weld. Been thinking about cutting off the wheel wells and doing an engine cage.

Might try some plating too just intermittently to see how that goes. Can’t get any worse.

 

That’s where im at

 

He said stock but wheels hard. It's the second part that is important, not the first.

 

I get that, I'd still be interested in what they have to say.

 

This man speaks the truth.
In my world, when we have a 4" thick steel mainframe crack, we don't just patch it and weld it up. We figure out why it's cracking and we design and replace it with one that won't.

 

figure it out, and let me know

 

Pretty simple I think. In your case it's stress cracks from vibration and flexing.
Two solutions:
1. Quit doing whatever you are doing or
2. Replace with a more robust core support.

I can tell you from experience that if you choose option 2, you will start the chase for the next weakest link. This truck is designed to go off road, not HARD offroad. It sounds like you would be better off to keep it calm with this truck and spend a few bucks and build a purpose built tube chassis truck to go have fun off road.
When I had my Tacoma I put it in difficult off roading. However I was going slow so no damage like yours. I would say you do some high speed washboard and whoops...

 

Sounds like he needs help from @81Trekker

 

I def drive the truck, hells gate, top of the world, 70 on dirt roads. I have fun but my truck clearly doesn’t

 

who dat?

 

Yeah and it's letting you know. Very few vehicles can do that without serious mods unless they have Defender or Land Cruiser in their name. Maybe Raptor with some mods.

 

I didn’t read the whole thread but my guess is your tires are hitting the wheel wells when the truck bottoms out. If you have anything larger than 265’s your tires will hit the wells at full bump.

At this point I would just ditch the core support or you could limit your up travel but that’s no fun