Inspect your Transmission Crossmember

Transmission Crossmember Fractures

For several weeks I kept hearing a ticking noise every time I got on and off the gas. This past Saturday, I finally got around to searched for the issue. I thought maybe it was my transmission mount (new one was installed about a year ago) that was loose, checked the bolts and they were tight. As I was inspecting the crossmember I found several large fractures in it! So I called the dealer and bought a new one with new transmission mount bolts.
This project took me about 30-45 mins from removing the old and installing the new with the mount.

Anyone else having this issue?

Part Numbers:

• Crossmember 51203-0C030

Bolts for mount and crossmember:

• 90119-A0031
• 90080-11387

 

Am I the only one that can't see the pictures? I'm kinda surprised it only took 45 minutes to replace a crossmember though. That is impressive.

 

No pictures.

 

No pictures!? ok stand by...

 

Can you see them now?

 

It's only 4 bolts for the cross member and 4 bolts for the trans mount. Support the trans with the jack and the crossmember slides right out.

 

This is a quick replacement with hardly anything in the way. Support tranny with a Jack, a few bolts to remove, swap in the new with tranny mount already attached and button it back up.

@OP
Good catch! Interested in seeing if anyone else has had this issue

 

Those definitely look like cracks. Are they all the way through? That's wild and I've never heard of anyone else reporting this. It's probably a really good thing you caught it.

 

Yeah, all the way through. When I push down on the metal, you can see it flex.

 

Any chance the mount replacement is related to this? What was the failure of the old mount? Just old? or did it break?

 

Nice catch!

 

Short answer, no, I don't think that the mount caused it. I think that the bolts lost its torque and started backing out.

Now thinking about it. I thought it was the mount that was worn. So I bought a new one and when I was replacing it, I noticed that the bolts to the crossmember and old mount where loose. So most likely that the torque of the drivetrain putting upward pressure on the crossmember stressed the metal and it cracked. When I installed the new mount and torque the bolts, it held tight and that's when I stopped hearing the ticking noise.
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, I heard the noise again. That's when I found that the crossmember when cracked.

 

Makes sense

 

Good eye and diagnosis!

 

This makes me wonder if it's related to the bolts backing out on some of our other members....

 

Also, I can't help myself....

 

I'm willing to bet after after 14 years it lost it's factory torque. I loaded the bolts with blue thread locker and torque them to 22 lbs/ft.


Further researching this issue, Sequoia guys are having this same issue. and found a TSB (Toyota Service Bulletin)

 

I'm just glad you're able to replace that crossmember so easily. I don't think the ones towards the back are that easy, if at all.

 

Towards the back? It's just 4 bolts that go into the trans, 4 bolts that bolt through the crossmember and into the trans mount and 4 bolts that get bolted into the frame. The biggest worry is that you need to support your trans with a jack. Once you support the trans. Zip zip with an impact and the cross member slides out.

I wish I did a "How To" because I can't find any videos on Youtube to help people out with this specific problem. I did find videos on how to replace the trans mount but once you take that off, You're halfway there.

 

I went out and crawled under to check the 02 frame cross member. Looks solid with no cracks. Seems to be a clear/white bushing in the middle. The 4 holding bolts are tight.

Some 05-06 2wd models seem to be the ones that lose their mounting bolts.

 

I meant the crossmembers towards the back of the truck. I don't know if those can be individually replaced, at least not easily.

 

You only need to take 1 crossmember out and it’s the only one that supports the trans.

 

You're not understanding what I'm saying. I was saying I'm thankful the transmission crossmember you replaced was easy because had this happen to one of the other crossmembers towards the back of the truck, it wouldn't have been an easy replacement.

 

Must be nice! Hopefully I don't have to deal with this issue again.

 

Understood. Yeah, I haven't inspected the other crossmembers. Hopefully they're all good.

 

Is your truck 2wd?

 

2wd

 

Short answer is no. They're a real pain to remove. #3 (forward end of fuel tank) Was a bugger to remove when I pulled it out to clean up the rust and repaint it. I had to twist it slightly to get it out and the same when reinstalling it. #4 (aft end of tank) I didn't even try because it's tied in at 4 different points with 12 big rivets. It's the X crossmember where the Spare tire hangs.

I bought a clean used trans crossmember for 75.00 and it came with mounting hardware. The trans mount was almost 50.00 IIR..

 

After purchasing my torque wrench I can confirm I have over tightened literally everything my entire life. With my 3/4 torque wrench 22 ft/lbs feels like I could un thread the bolt by hand. Obviously not but 22ft lbs does not sound right for a crossmember!

 

Yeah, 22 seems pretty light but I was going off what the TSB said. Blue Loctite should hold ...