G'day Guys and Gals!
In this video I show you all of the details regarding the Isuzu Mu-x and D-max body panel cracks. I also give you my opinion on
why I belive the body panels in the engine bay are cracking on these vehicles. I also show you how to check your body panels for
wear or damage and how we can upgrade the front body mounts to Holden Colorado body mounts to stop the factory mounts sagging.
Firstly I show you the spots in the engine bay to check for the body panel cracks. On the drivers side, check the panel behind the
airbox and abs pump for any body panel cracks or paint flaking. On the passenger side, check the panel behind the battery and fuse panel.
If you find any cracks in these locations you can try your local dealer to see if they will assist with a warranty repair. They will
most likely send of pictures and weigh the front and rear axles to make sure the vehicle isnt over weight. If the dealer wont help
Bannister Law are gaining information regarding body panel cracks and are filing a class action. More details can be found here -
bannisterlaw.c...
If you are wanting to carry out a quick repair, most panel shops should be able to carry out a patch job as long as the cracks aren't
to big. The issue with this is later down the track the cracks may appear in a different spot. This is why we need to fix the root
of the problem which I believe is caused by 2 main things.
1. Sagged Front Body Mounts
2. Incorrectly fitted bulbar
The Front body mounts on the Isuzu Mu-x and D-max are very soft and are rather small. This means that over time the body mounts can
actually sag and crease. This will put excess stress on the panels which in turn can create panel crack. To prevent the body mounts
from saging we can actually upgrade the body mounts to Holden Colorado body mounts. This is due to the colorado and the D-max/Mu-x
being very similar body and chassis construction. Once the stronger Holden colorado body mounts are fitted this will prevent them
from sagging over time and will be a lot stronger.
An incorrectly fitted bulbar can cause issues with the panel work when the gap between the bullbar and the body is not sufficient.
Becuase the bull bar is strongly mounted to the chassis and the body sits on rubber mounts or cushions ontop of the chassis
they actually move independently of each other. This means that if the bulbar is fitted to close to the panel work it can actually
contact the body panels and cause a lot of damage. You can check the underside of the guard for whitness marks or damage to see
if your bull bar is contacting the body. If you find that it is, it will be necessary to drop the bullbar down a bit to provide
some more clearance.
To carry out the holden colorado body mount upgrade you will require some tools and parts -
1. 17mm spanner or socket with ratchet
2. 7mm spanner or socket with ratchet
3. 14mm spanner or sock with ratchet
4. Floor Jack
5. 480mm block of wood
6. Holden Colorado Body Mounts - 2x Upper + 2x Lower
Once you have all of the necessary parts it is a quick and easy change over. Allow approximately 1 hour to carry out the job.
The Holden Colorado body mount part numbers are as follows -
1. GM#94777442 x2
2. GM#94764852 x2
You can reuse the body mount bolts so you will only require the 2 upper body mounts and the 2 lower cushions.
I hope you enjoyed watching this video and if you have had issues with your body panels cracking on your vehicle and would like to share you story down in the comments section that would be greatly appreciated. If you have noticed your body mounts sagging or have any other opinion about this issue please drop it down the in comments. We can try and work together to make the comments section a talking place for this issue and try to help each other under stand and come up with a permanent fix for this issue.
Thanks a lot for watching :) :)
LowRangeNick -
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Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of Lowrangenick, I cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. Lowrangenick assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. Lowrangenick recommends safe practices when working on vehicles and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of Lowrangenick, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Lowrangenick.