cjac Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 I ran across a post of someone was on a trip and the dually wheel came off the death axle, he posted some pictures of the damage. I used the search box and still can't find it. Can someone point me in the right direction. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 I wonder who started calling the dually semi-floater the "death axle?" I've yet to come across any situation where someone got killed from one. In fact, the only reported injury I've seen is from a bystander who's car got hit by a run-away tire and axle that rolled into them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 http://archive.bangordailynews.com/1991/05/14/10000-motor-homes-recalled-because-of-axle-problems/ Finding accident reports from before the internet existed is difficult but I did find this. Yes people were injured and where wheels are falling off death is a real possibility Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Guess there must be some thing to it or they would not have spent ten's of thousands of dollars to fix a problem that didn't exist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Recognizing a problem is not the same as claiming people are being killed by it. Yes there are many reports of axles and wheels coming off Toyotas. Also much professional discussion, at the time about some of it was due to owner negligence and/or abuse. Still goes on today. How many people who own Toyotas with semi-floating rear axles have knowledge of the non-system lubed bearings that must be serviced now and then? The highway safety place that finally conducted the so-called "recall" has many reports of failures and only puts partial responsibility on the actual axle design and the add-on duals. I doubt lack of info has anything to do with the Internet not existing back then. I suspect if the Internet DID exist then - we'd have even more erroneous info since bad info on the NET spreads like wildfire. The reality is - when something on a vehicle fails - there are many factors involved. Not so easy to investigate and discover all that needs to be known - including past abuse, maintenance, etc., &c. Especially on something on a small scale like micro-mini-motorhomes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Toyota continued to use the same semi-floating axle up into the 2000s in other countries with a higher gross vehicle weight rating then any Toyota RV had in the USA - even with the dually full-floating rear(in US rigs). Seems obvious that Toyota does not consider it a "death axle." Did Toyota consider the use of add-on duals a problem that caused premature failures? Yes. I assume they likely felt the same way with 20-21 foot RVs in general. Many if not most all ran over the max limits yet when they failed, Toyota got blamed. Yes, only in America - right? Kind of reminds me of the Ford Explorer and Firestone tire BS fiasco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Toyota knew there was a problem with the motorhomes and I'm sure they knew exactly what wheels were being added to them. Nissan corrected that problem in 1984 but Toyota waited another 2 years even though the axles were already available in other countries. Yes if they ignore a problem to avoid spending the money to fix it or to make sure their sales are not reduced they are culpable in the damage done. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 28 minutes ago, linda s said: Toyota knew there was a problem with the motorhomes and I'm sure they knew exactly what wheels were being added to them. Nissan corrected that problem in 1984 but Toyota waited another 2 years even though the axles were already available in other countries. Yes if they ignore a problem to avoid spending the money to fix it or to make sure their sales are not reduced they are culpable in the damage done. Linda S The only way it was Toyota's problem was with bad press. They did not build the motorhomes nor did they honor warrantees if it could be proven they were overloaded or modified in a non-Toyota approved way. How many 20-21 footers do you suspect ran overloaded all the time? I bet most of them, just as they are now. From a legal standpoint - I doubt Toyota was ever required to do anything about it. But they also had to deal with bad press and consumer relations. Did you ever read an official Toyota Coach Builder's Guide written for motorhome builders? Toyota is pretty clear about not honoring warrantees on non-approved modifications. Problem was that many small companies did it - and then went bankrupt - and Toyota was left taking blame. I can see why Toyota stopped making commercial vehicles in the USA but still does so all over most of the rest of the world. US had a lot of whiners always looking to blame someone else for a problem. Regardless of who did what - I still don't see how a 5 lug semi-floater is a "death axle." Might better put bad names on specific motorhomes with specific options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 One other factor to be considered when it comes to Toyota and getting bad press. For many people - owning anything Japanese was taboo in the 70s and 80s. When I worked for John Deere - even up to 1990 - Deere company policy was to not allow any Japanese-built company cars. Yet - Deere had no problem buying Yanmar tractors from Japan and putting the John Deere name on them. 70s and 80s and 90s still had people with WWII and Pearl Harbor fresh on their minds. Today, some of us still do. So I suspect Toyota had to "tread lightly" during the 80s and maybe even in the early 90s. Now - lots of new younger people who care little and sometimes know little about past history. Heck - I'm even seeing stuff for sale now in the USA made in Viet Nam and that is something I did not think I'd ever see in my lifetime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Toyota put a picture of a Sunrader in their 1984 brochure and National RV that made the Dolphin was a huge company. Largest RV company next to Winnebago for the years they were in business. Why you think you need to argue a 30 year old issue is beyond me. Great that no one died 30 years ago but if you still happen to have that axle now on an already very old motorhome, pretty sure if it fails the rest of the RV will completely fall apart. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 1 hour ago, linda s said: Toyota put a picture of a Sunrader in their 1984 brochure and National RV that made the Dolphin was a huge company. Largest RV company next to Winnebago for the years they were in business. Why you think you need to argue a 30 year old issue is beyond me. Great that no one died 30 years ago but if you still happen to have that axle now on an already very old motorhome, pretty sure if it fails the rest of the RV will completely fall apart. Linda S How is it when I "discuss this" you call it arguing, but when you do it - the discussion magically becomes something else? It takes at least two to argue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 A few added notes on the rear-axle topic. Might be "old news" to some here. But - digital ink is cheap. May 13, 1991: According to the administrator of the NHTSA, Toyota is not required, under Federal law, to provide or install replacement axles. NHTSA administrator Ralph Curry suggested that owners of vehicles that do not receive new rear axles should have their rear wheel bearings, rear axle, and rear suspension examined periodically by a competent mechanic. So, as it appears - the NHTSA never even recommended removing the add-on dual-wheel kits that seems a little odd. But I guess they have to be careful what they put in writing. States further: The NHTSA states the four manufacturers of micro-mini motorhomes have agreed to conduct a recall of approx. 10,000 motorhomes made 1978-1986. The motorhomes involved have overloaded rear-axles, which can result in failures of the wheel bearings or axle-shaft and separation of the wheels from the vehicle. The agency has received 406 reports of problems in these vehicles including 7 crashes with injuries and 93 instances in which the wheels fell off the rear axle. Recall involves National RV Inc., Coachmen Industries Inc., Gardner-Pacific Corp., and Leisure-Odyssey Inc. There are other makes that have gone out of business. Note - no deaths reported. Vehicles in the voluntary recall: National RV - Dolphin Seabreeze sold 1978-1986, 8000 total units Coachmen Industries - Travelmaster, Shasta, Coachmen - sold 1984-1986, 967 total units Gardner-Pacific Corp - Sunrader - sold 1978-1986, 1,410 total units including 504 18' units Leisure-Odyssey - Odyssey - sold 1985-1986, 180 total units Note: Under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act - vehicles more than 8 years old are not entitled to remedy without charge. Also: Other safety campaigns involved Sunraders with Chevy S10 wheel bearing problems also due to added-on dual-wheel kits made by Arrowcraft. Also: Huntsman motorhomes that used Ford Ranger wheels that did not fit the Toyota rear axles properly. Here are a few reports of Toyotas that are NOT motorhomes with axles and/.or wheels falling off. Just to point out that this sort of random event is not just with motorhomes, nor with just Toyotas. My 1966 Ford F100 did it twice. TOYOTA 4 RUNNER 1995 Driving At 30mph The Rear axle broke on the driver's side, causing the driver to lose complete control of the vehicle. *ak TOYOTA COROLLA 1994 While Driving, The Left side rear axle broke, causing the wheel to fly off, vehicle lost control, TOYOTA 4 RUNNER 2000 Rear Axle Broke Causing Vehicle to rollover 3 times. TOYOTA COROLLA 2001 Traveling On Straight Section Of road. rear driver side axle sheared in half, causing vehicle to roll over. TOYOTA TOYOTA TRUCK 1983 Left Rear Axle Fell Off, TOYOTA TOYOTA TRUCK 1985 Rear Axle Bearing Failure. fear of axle breakage as described in nhtsa action number pe86074. toyota states no responsibility. TOYOTA COROLLA 1980 While Driving The Left Rear axle came off of vehicle, resulting in wheel falling off (Ohio traffic crash report). TOYOTA 4 RUNNER 1992 Right Rear Axle Snapped, causing tire to fall off/accident. TOYOTA TACOMA 2002 2002 Toyota Tacoma. Consumer states in 2010 while backing out of the backyard, the left wheel axle broke *tgw the consumer stated TOYOTA COROLLA 1999 Vehicle Piece On Axle Broke off which resulted in an accident.*no consumer loss control of the vehicle. TOYOTA 4 RUNNER 1990 Consumer Was Driving 40 To 45 mph the rear passenger side rear axle came off causing the truck to rollover truck was totaled . TOYOTA PICKUP 1992 The Left Rear Wheel Completely separated from the axle assembly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.