Speed bump at 35mph..not good for the front end!

[Colemanfu]

Buck stops here on this one. My fault, I hit a massive speed bump but it was more like a table top type platform than the standard speed bump. I was out of town and being a tourist - did not see it. To add to the situation I was hauling my motorcycle - I think the extra wt on the back of the rig added to the stress of the front when I hit the "bump of death". That wt could have forced the front to stretch too much?

All loaded up I bet I have 4 to 4.5 inches of lift up front? This was my 1st time hauling with the OME front springs.

I would think the truck could take a hit like this but obviously not. Not sure what hurt what but.. end result sucks. The rip in the CV boot is right under the sway bar and that was undone or broke druing the hit so that could have compressed and made contact?

Here is the upper A arm ball joint? Not sure of it's name?

 

[echo4tango]

Not good at all..but its an easy fix. The hardest part is going to be trying to order all the parts from toyota...I would take the truck down to the toyota place and show them what parts you want to order. That way you wont have to wait to reorder the right parts.

 

[BlairB]

I actually had almost the exact same thing happen to my truck the other week. I broke my swaybar while wheeling and my suspension fully extended while turning up an obstacle and tore right through my CV. I ended up just replaxing the entire axel since some of the guys I was wheeling with had extra and I am going to re-boot my original one so that I have a trail spare.

For me, the sway bar acted almost as a limiting strap and when it broke my coilovers had too much travel (they are the extended travel version)

Can your swaybar or its link actually hit the boot? There is a chance it tore it but it might have just overextended. It is not surprising to see the ball joint get trashed since you are using the factory UCA's and they can only handle such extreme angles.

Also, if you are running 4-4.5" of lift in the front, I would say that could have definitely helped cause this issue.

 

[Mike07SE]

Can your swaybar or its link actually hit the boot? There is a chance it tore it but it might have just overextended. It is not surprising to see the ball joint get trashed since you are using the factory UCA's and they can only handle such extreme angles.

Also, if you are running 4-4.5" of lift in the front, I would say that could have definitely helped cause this issue.

Yes, 4-4.5" seems like a whole heck of a lot. But if you notice, he's not running a sway bar on his setup. Interesting points here with this thread. Way I see it, lifted or not, sway or not, I should be able to hit a good whoop and come out ok (not continuously beating it, that's another thing). Seems like a freak thing to be that was due to happen at some point.

 

[BlairB]

Yes, 4-4.5" seems like a whole heck of a lot. But if you notice, he's not running a sway bar on his setup. Interesting points here with this thread. Way I see it, lifted or not, sway or not, I should be able to hit a good whoop and come out ok (not continuously beating it, that's another thing). Seems like a freak thing to be that was due to happen at some point.

He actually is running a sway bar. At first I thought the same thing, but then when I reread the thread more carefully I noticed he said it broke. Also, you can see it passing in front of the shock. Its not attached to the spindle though, I assume that is the part that broke (it was on mine).

For me I can hit whoops all day long with no problems. I can not count the thousands of miles of off roading I have done at high speeds and have gotten all 4 tires off the ground more times than I should have without any issue with CV. The reason that I destroyed my CV was I was rock crawling with the steering cranked to one side, one side stuffed, one barely on the ground and when it suddenly got traction it tore through the CV. I was actually lucky not to break the axle itself.

Here is the aftermath of mine.

 

[Ruffian]

Hey guys,
My passenger side boot is leaking a bit around the clamp. I was told just to drive it until it breaks. Can I get a heads up from ya'all on what it sounds like when this finally goes? Pulled hard to the side that broke? etc.
Thanks!
Melinda

 

[Jed]

Hey guys,
My passenger side boot is leaking a bit around the clamp. I was told just to drive it until it breaks. Can I get a heads up from ya'all on what it sounds like when this finally goes? Pulled hard to the side that broke? etc.
Thanks!
Melinda

If you know it's leaking, definitely get it repaired right away. It will be a much less expensive repair if you take care of it now. Basically, the mechanic will remove the torn boot and install a new one with new clamps and fresh grease. Or if it's really just leaking around the clamp, he will replace the clamps with new ones.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say you'll wait "until it breaks". Are you talking about the boot breaking or the CV breaking? You'll never be able to feel the boot break. In order for you to know if it's broken or not, you'll have to inspect it. Or if it really splits badly, there will be grease sprayed over the place....

Once the grease gets out and water/contamination gets in, the CV joint itself will quickly be destroyed. Then you'll need new axle shafts instead of just a boot job. So I think you got some bad advice when you were told to just drive it until it breaks.

 

[4Runner8]

A Few Quick Qsuestions=

After reading thru this thread...Can you drive your 4runner without the front sway bar installed?

Do you need aftermarket uca's to do this?

and will it feel too too flexy if it has been taken off?



I ask this cause someone said he wasnt running a sway bar but i thought he was???

Anyways also my 4runner is 2wd so i wouldnt have to worry about too much travel to break a cv or cv boot. sorry for the little hijacking thanks!

 

[810moto]

i think i will hijack this real quick.

@ blair....do you have any photos of your Gusseted Frame that you care to share?

 

[BlairB]

A Few Quick Qsuestions=

After reading thru this thread...Can you drive your 4runner without the front sway bar installed?

Do you need aftermarket uca's to do this?

and will it feel too too flexy if it has been taken off?

I ask this cause someone said he wasnt running a sway bar but i thought he was???

Yes you can drive it without the sway bar but I would not recommend it at all. I am driving without one currently and it is much more dangerous. And that is with my much more firm coilovers. With factory shocks/springs I would NOT do it. You get a lot of body roll around corners, but the real danger lies in if you had to to do an evasive maneuver- the vehicle is much harder to control

No you do not need aftermarket UCA's.

i think i will hijack this real quick.

@ blair....do you have any photos of your Gusseted Frame that you care to share?

It was actually the frame/motor mount area. Here is a thread about my motor mount issue...

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/58669-motor-mount-frame-failure.html

 

[4Runner8]

Yes you can drive it without the sway bar but I would not recommend it at all. I am driving without one currently and it is much more dangerous. And that is with my much more firm coilovers. With factory shocks/springs I would NOT do it. You get a lot of body roll around corners, but the real danger lies in if you had to to do an evasive maneuver- the vehicle is much harder to control

No you do not need aftermarket UCA's.

okay well then what would someone gain in taking off their front sway bar? more flex? im about to put on SAW's and was wondering if i could do this. but i doubt i will now since its my daily driver. thanks:hatsoff:

 

[Colemanfu]

Thanks for the imput - this place is great for stuff like this. Don't sweat the hijack sounds like some common topics.

I have the OME spring up front so about 3 inches of lift but with the wt of the bike on the back and all loaded up with camp gear it made the back go down and the front go up some - so when I hit I had more than 3 in of lift up front. I do think that played a role in causing the damage. Here is a pix as an example of how much lift up front when it's loaded up - I am parked on a slight incline but that front end is jacked!

Just an update on what's been done and whats going on. 2 days after I hit the speed bump I had the front axles replaced ( I was on vacation and wanted to keep it going) -the passanger side has a very small rip - nothing like the mess of the drivers side. 200 in parts and 225 in labor -sucks, spent more on the rig than on gas, food and lodging. I saved both old stock axels - figured they may be of some use to someone or as a core for some shop and I could get some $ back.

I was running my sway bar when it happened but it broke off during the hit. You can see it missing in the 2nd pix. I think that's what tore the boot on the drivers side cause the SB was directly over the rip in the boot - it may not have tore the boot imediatley but as I continued over the bump to pull over the hanging SB may have tore the boot then?

The sway bar is and has always been super close to the bottom lip of the strut/spring and could have been detached if it made contact with the lower spring plate?

I don't know if the ball joints of the UCA are broke or if it's just the boot that is messed up. If I have to replace the stockers I may just do an after market UCA - any other options other than Camburg? The less $ Camburg uses the stock ball so not sure how to work that out if the stock ball is no good? The uniball UCA is much more $.
Meeting with the insurance guy this time Wed. and will let you know how it works out.



Manfu

 

[4Runner8]

icon makes uca's that a lot of ppl like but they are expensive. light racing makes them as well and they are like 450 for a pair. and yes camburgh as well... someone chime in if i missed one


EDIT

oh yea and total chaos makes em and they are liek 650 a pair. and SAW has em for the same price