If you look in your manual it will say "Every 5000 miles check bolts/nuts on body/chassis". I've talked to different Scion dealers and no one says it's necessary. nAnd the Scion dealers don't really seem to care, don't think it's a big deal. They couldnt be further from the truth! Did a little more digging for info and found out the bolts that the manual is talking about are the suspension bolts!

So I went out to the car with an accurate torque wrench and thought I would see if the bolts were tight. I do have the service manual, so yes I know the correct torque setting for all the bolts for the subframe and suspension.

What I have to tell everyone is this. A lot of the bolts were loose! On one bolt in the rear (this is why I'm posting this) is the bolt that holds the hub (brakes, lug, wheel bearing) to the suspension. I got about 3-4 turns out of that bolt. I am just wondering, okay let's say I didn't check it, and it continued to loosen, it would come to a point where it would seperate from the suspension! Toyota did NOT use locking nuts on these bolts, otherwise you wouldn't have to re-torque them every 5000 miles.

I just don't want my fellow tC-ers to be in danger when I just have seen it twice so far on my own tC. It wasn't the factory, these things are getting loose on their own and I'm not driving on rough roads!

For everyone else here, please get these checked. :relief:



UPDATE: For those who are going to check on this, you'll need the right tools and the right info

Here is a link to the files you'll need to read for the correct torque settings:

1- Front Suspension - http://www.mediafire.com/?zqbexjdijm4
2- Power Steering/Front Suspension - http://www.mediafire.com/?j4eyxz41g5o
3- Rear Suspension - http://www.mediafire.com/?tcmimnzn20h

Tools needed:
Jack Stands and jack
19mm socket and 19mm wrench (boxed and open for all)
22mm socket and 22mm wrench - for the front strut mounting bolts
17mm socket and wrench
14mm socket and wrench
Torque Wrench that goes up to 177ft-lbs (for the front lower strut mounting bolts)

thats not cool at all...

I know.. at first last year I didn't think it was normal, but thought it was the factory. This year I know they're loosening on their own!

And no Scion dealer is really paying any attention to this and it's in the Maint schedule. Pass it along, would like everyone to be aware of this. Not all bolts are loose but any of them loose in the suspension isn't cool.

wow thats sucks im getting ready 2 lower my Tc ill be sure 2 check that out thanks bro!

great advice, thanks!

great, now i have something to do tomorrow. how many bolts are there, do we know?

Thanks for posting, I will have to double check mine now!

Yeah after I lowered we re-torqued but its been awhile and I am on horrible roads. The suspension has been making a tiny bit more noise but I'm thinking I need to check this out.

great, now i have something to do tomorrow. how many bolts are there, do we know?

Yeah I counted earlier, I think it was 31 in the front, some are the suspension, others are the steering rack, and yet others are the subframe and connectors. In the rear it's 12. Some you can't get to unless you take stuff off, for that I just used a regular wrench to see if they were tight.

The service manual under front suspension, and rear suspension, and power steering assembly has the images. I will try and post those up if I can convert them to jpegs.

wow, thanks for the heads-up man!!!

^^ hey glad to help. Didn't want to see fellow tC'ers end up hurt for something the dealers should be checking on.

Also updated the original post, files to the specifications are there to download. Better than just trying to yank on a bolt with a wrench (better with a torque wrench)

that sht is scary.

thx alot man.

good looking out!

ya dude i just bought the car, so im not worried, but when i take it in for service i will have them tighten them and ask whats up

what page of the manual is this on ? so i can look it up because im on 15000 miles and i never tightened anything

I've got 57K on my 05 tC, never tightened the bolts...guess I have something to do tonight. Thanks for the heads up!

This should be sticky-ed

damn i have 63k on my 05 now i gotta check this

I have 105K miles, I wouldn't doubt if I have a few missing bolts :doh:

what page is this on in the manual because i looked and can not find it

its good info, had some suspension and clutch works done though so most of mine are retightened but I will be rechecking everything now

Thanks for this. Proves really helpful. Will check this out on my car when I have the time.

good looking out! might be a good time time to replace the nuts with locking ones.

Well, I didn't sticky it, but you will now find this thread un the Tech Section with the title "Check tC Chassis Bolts!"

Good catch! :D

^nice

Hmmm very interesting!

I'm in the Tech Section, I feel like I've won an award. :) Cool.
hey glad to help everyone and I'm glad I posted this.

For who asked about the page numbers---
Page number is 26-2 for the front suspension
51-18 for the power steering assembly and 27-2 for the rear suspension. all you have to do is look at the files that are uploaded on the first post. Page numbers are there.

cheers!

SL should give u an award. lol.

thanks for the info. i'm gonna have to check on this on my tc since im at 13400 so im kinda weary now about this :(

thanks for looking out...

Recently I just got the car lowered and noticed a clanking sound about a week later... brought it back to the installer thinking it was something related to the install. Turned out it was one end links for the sway bar was missing a nut. Sways had been installed more than 15K ago. CHECK YOUR NUTS! =P

this might be stupid. but do you have a list of how many need tightened/checked and where they are located by chance? cuz im planning to check this this weekend and dont want to miss some

you said (If you look in your manual it will say "Every 5000 miles check bolts/nuts on body/chassis".) still i get no anwser what page in the manual iv looked many times? it would be a great help if u post the page number

Great share, thanks!

i need to check mine, i hear a clunking sound over bumps

3 bolts connecting my transmission the chassis were loose by 36 ft-lbs (a couple turns). Made a horrible rattling upon accelerating and going from drive to reverse and back again... sticky this thread!!!!!

I see you have a 05 and i am hoping they fixed this issue in the 08's cause i am too lazy to check it out :silly:

Wow, so that's what that sound is...

I never checked them, am going to check everything under there when I get the coils in.

thanks for the info!!

thanks for the info, I'll be checking mine. Also I'll ask my dealer the next time I go in to see if they check it.

i need to check mine, i hear a clunking sound over bumps

A couple months after i lowered my car, i heard it too! just tighten the bolts and it goes away!! and the dealership wont do anything about it cause they were after market springs. dealerships don't care they will let you drive off their lot if something is wrong with your car. I have had it happen many of times...

I'm real glad you posted this! Is it just me? But allot of the suspension bolts I have are locking bolts... About 40% of them. I drive an 06. Maybe they were changed because I bought mine used with 1200 miles on it.

Thanks a great deal! I have been recently noticed a click sound when i first take off in the morning. sounds like somethings loose! This is what i love about this site, people CARE! thanks

wow thanks, this is definitly very important informatoin!

ok just curious, alot of people have posted that they're going to check this, has anyone found dangerously loose bolts? I am quite curious especially on the one with 105k miles that's never had it checked... It also tells you to check the brake linings at 5k miles any problems with that?

has anyone taken it to the dealership to get the bolts tightened?? how much is it going to be??

sciontc_mitch: thanks for these info. by any chance, do you have the full service manual? does anyone have service manual for download? please? :)

well thanks for the info im wondering if the pop i heard the other day was due to this i guess im looking them over tomorrow to find out

much appreciated!!

anyone got this problem with 07 5spds?

anything new?

i'm sure someone must've already checked them right?

any updates?

watching

wow this looks like a bunch of work for every 5000 miles!!!! any one that has done all three parts want to share how long it took them???

Is there any proof of this? Until I see solid proof this sounds like a troll to me. Or maybe a dealer trying to get people in for service they don't need. ... Skeptical...

Is there any proof of this? Until I see solid proof this sounds like a troll to me. Or maybe a dealer trying to get people in for service they don't need. ... Skeptical...

proof? why don't you get a torque wrench, get under your own car and see if you are able to re-tighten your chassis bolts. then i guess you'll believe it for yourself.

But I don't think you can call me a troll for helping other tC owners with this situation. Service you don't need, hmm.. Most dealers won't even do this work! Even though it's in the service schedule. So hey, you don't have to believe it, it's up to you, and it's your ride. But ask others that have already re-torqued their chassis bolts, who did the work themselves and didn't pay the dealer anything to do this. guess you'd call them trolls too? :doh:

wow this looks like a bunch of work for every 5000 miles!!!! any one that has done all three parts want to share how long it took them???

hey jzibit17- no you don't have to do it every 5000 miles, more like once a year like every 15,000. All three parts took me like 2 hours, taking my time with the car up on jackstands. Then again it was a nice warm, summer day, took my time.

wow this looks like a bunch of work for every 5000 miles!!!! any one that has done all three parts want to share how long it took them???

hey jzibit17- no you don't have to do it every 5000 miles, more like once a year like every 15,000. All three parts took me like 2 hours, taking my time with the car up on jackstands. Then again it was a nice warm, summer day, took my time. So far all I've seen were people with suspension mods needing to tighten bolts in this thread.. This is also NOT in the manual, although the service manual does say 'tighten drive shaft bolt' but the tc is front wheel drive and doesnt have a drive shaft per se. I will check my car but I highly doubt any bolts are coming loose, as it has 75k miles on it and the wheels still havent fallen off. Nobody else with stock suspension/high mileage seems to have gotten back about this problem, so for now ... :blah:

At the dealership now I made sure I ask about it and the guy told it'll be fine and to wait another time cause it's a 3hour job! What a joke!

odd, i have been in and out of shops both Scion and local and this has never come up. I had my local guys look at it and there fine, good luck to those who are checking theirs...

thanks for this. ill look into mines im at 50k n nvr checked this at all.

i know this is a nub question, wheres all the chassis bolts located at? can anyone give me a full detail of their location?
Thanks in advance.

^^ check the first page, links are there with diagrams.

thats a whole lot of f'ing bolts!!

um i had 90k on my tC when i signed papers for the wrx and i never had any problems...

wouldn't this be some sort of potentially huge/severe safety issue for the Tc?

thanks for your info

Will be checking the very next chance I get to. THANKS! :clap:

wouldn't this be some sort of potentially huge/severe safety issue for the Tc?

you're saying liability for Toyota? no, because they have it listed as part of the maintenance in the book. So they have already indicated it needs to be looked at. Just because the dealers ignore it, doesn't change the reality it should be looked at.


also JOEinSD and cooldrive003, you're welcome!!

Oki so after i get my 2nd free oil change and 10,000 mile maintenance. Is the dealer suppose to do the addition maintenance or was i suppose to ask them 2 do it because thats where they would check all bolts on the chassis... Is it possible for me to still go up there and ask them 2 check it for me cuz this weather sucks...

dude..^^ I would certainly go back in and have them throw it on a lift to check. they know this is a safety thing and should gladly do it free of charge.

I hope so, ill be going Monday and checkin it out.....

if it is safety related... trust me.... they will do it for you no charge.

I found the nuts to my steering rack casing were loose and one was missing. I'm not sure how long they've been like that. The nuts grip the subframe from the bottom so it's recommend that you torque them from above, though you can sneak a wrench in on the passenger side bolts and hold the bolts from turning. On the driver's side you'll need a ratchet with an extension and a friend to put it down through the engine compartment or wheel well.

Or you can drop the subframe and torque the bolts from the top like the service manual says.

*shrug* maybe you won't find anything when you look, but it's still worth a look.

well i take my car to the dealer since i have my free oil changes but my question is when they do the next one, whats all that i should tell them to check? cuz if i tell them "can you check the bolts to my suspension and steering wheel" they might be confused since im srue there are many. is there a more specific name for all the places that need tightened?

^^ i think that most dealers won't take the time to check them all because they don't want to be bothered. Lazy, I call that! No real name other than "chassis bolts/nuts" like the maintenance manual describes them as. I doubt a dealer would take a torque wrench to each bolt and even if they did, they'd charge you $$$ for it. The other thing they could do is see if all of them are tight/not loose.

It doesn't take long to jack the car up, plop it on jack stands, and wriggle under with a torque wrench. Sure it'll be dirty and sweaty, but what's the price of peace of mind?

Thanks for the heads up! I wonder if anyone has ever gotten into an accident because of this...

I would seriously doubt it due to that being the root cause alone.
Back on older cars maybe....but with Uni-Body construction that's no longer the case.

^^ actually the problem is that the nuts are not self-locking. It's not about unibody or not. That is why it's advised to check the torque of the nuts. Which means they can loosen themselves and possibly come loose. It's theoretical that an accident COULD happen but I think the driver would have to be really not paying attention to the car, if those bolts were that loose.

^^ actually the problem is that the nuts are not self-locking. It's not about unibody or not. That is why it's advised to check the torque of the nuts. Which means they can loosen themselves and possibly come loose. It's theoretical that an accident COULD happen but I think the driver would have to be really not paying attention to the car, if those bolts were that loose.

you do have a valid point about any bolts/nuts tht are not self-locking.
That could happen on any part that is held in place that way. Just goes to show that you cant overlook any part of maintenance on a vehicle...no matter how small.

Just did this on my car and was really surprised how loose some of the bolts/nuts were...bump for a great thread...CHECK YO BOLTS SON!

damn..... this sux...now i know why i hear all kinds of crap lol.

They are self locking, by Toyota design, you just need to give them time to rust and then seize on the threads.

They are self locking, by Toyota design, you just need to give them time to rust and then seize on the threads.

as i do agree that once they rust and seize they're not going anywhere. it is incorrect to say that the toyota design is "self-locking" if they were then we wouldn't have to re-torque them, nor would the service manual be recommending periodic tightening of nuts.

unless you were making a joke as if saying toyota by design worked them to rust in place then self-lock "by design"? then im laughing.. :rofl:

I saw people asking where to find this in any official literature but didn't see an answer. This is in the 2005 Scheduled Maintenance Guide:

http://cracked.n0de.org/picdump/chassisbolts1.gif

http://cracked.n0de.org/picdump/chassisbolts2.gif

(Rinse and repeat every 5,000 miles...)