CAMPAIGN: FIRESTONE 16X6 WHEEL MAY CRACK (REPLACE)

MODELS: 1985 C,K,& P35 GMC LIGHT DUTY MODEL TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH DUAL REAR WHEELS (RPO R05)

The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, as amended, provides that each vehicle which is subject to a recall campaign of this type must be adequately repaired within a reasonable time after the owner has tendered it for repair. A failure to adequately repair within 60 days after tender of a vehicle is prima facie evidence of failure to repair within a reasonable time.

If the condition is not adequately repaired within a reasonable time, the owner may be entitled to an identical or reasonably equivalent vehicle at no charge, or to a refund of the purchase price less a reasonable allowance for depreciation.

To avoid having to provide these burdensome solutions, every effort must be made to promptly schedule appointments with owners and to repair their vehicles as soon as possible. As you will see in reading the attached copy of the letter which is being sent to owners, the owner is being instructed to contact the nearest GMC Zone Office if the dealer does not remedy the condition within five days of the mutually agreed upon service date. If the condition is not remedied within a reasonable time, they are instructed how to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

DEFECT INVOLVED

General Motors has been notified by Firestone Steel Products that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in some Firestone Steel Pro- ducts 16 X 6 disc wheels, which were installed on some 1985 C, K, & P 35 GMC Light Duty Model Trucks equipped with dual rear wheels (RPO R05). Firestone has reported that a wheel failure could develop with a crack through the fillet weld nugget between the disc and rim. This crack could propagate around the wheel eventually resulting in a separation of the rim from the disc. When the vehicle is in motion, this may cause loss of vehicle control and subsequent vehicle crash without prior warning.

Dealers are to inspect all wheels and replace any that have suspect manufacturing date codes.

VEHICLES INVOLVED

Involved are certain 1985 C, K, & P 35 GMC Light Duty Model Trucks equipped with dual rear wheels (RPO R05) and built within the following VIN breakpoints:

Plant From Through ----- ---- ------- Janesville FJ529516 FJ530047 St. Louis FS532289 FS532501 Detroit F3509360 F3509488

The specific vehicles involved in this campaign have been identified by Vehicle Identification Number Computer Listings. These listings are furnished to all involved dealers with the campaign bulletin.

DEALER CAMPAIGN RESPONSIBILITY

Dealers are to service all vehicles subject to this campaign at no charge to owners, regardless of mileage, age of vehicle, or ownership, from this time forward.

Whenever a vehicle subject to this campaign is taken into your new or used vehicle inventory, or it is in your dealership for service in the future, you should take the steps necessary to be sure the campaign correction has been made before reselling or releasing the vehicle.

Owners of vehicles recently sold from your new vehicle inventory are to be contacted by the dealer, and arrangements made to make the required modification according to instructions contained in this bulletin.

If no owner's name and address were available to GMC Truck at the time of campaign initiation, the dealer will determine the owner's name and address from the dealership sales records. Please provide this information directly on the second copy of the listing next to the applicable VIN, so that our records may be updated and the appropriate notification mailed to the owner. This second copy should then be submitted to the address listed below in the previously supplied yellow campaign envelopes.

GMC Truck General Motors Corporation 101 Union Street Plymouth, Michigan 48170

OWNER NOTIFICATION

Owners will be notified of this campaign on their vehicles by GMC Truck (see copy of Owner Letter included with this bulletin). A listing of owner names and addresses has been furnished to the involved dealers to enable dealers to follow up with owners involved in this campaign. This listing may contain owner names and addresses obtained from state motor vehicle registration records. The use of such motor vehicle registration data for any other purpose is a violation of law in several states. Accordingly, you are urged to limit the use of this listing to this campaign.

SERVICE PROCEDURE WHEEL INSPECTION

1. Raise vehicle.

2. Inspect all wheels, including spare if equipped,for Manufacturing Date Code (see Figure No. 1).

It will be necessary to remove the rear dual wheels to inspect the inner wheel on each side.

3. If a wheel has one of the following Manufacturing Date Codes or if the date code cannot be read, replace the wheel using the procedure below:

Month Day Year ----- --- ---- 7 22 85 7 23 85 7 24 85 7 25 85

4. If none of the wheels have above suspect Manufacturing Date Codes, no further action is required. Reinstall wheels as described in the 1985 Light Duty Truck Service Manual X-8532, 3E-9.

WHEEL REPLACEMENT

1. Obtain replacement wheel, P/N 14035381, and (for vehicles equipped with tubeless tires) new valve stem, P/N 273487.

2. Mask inboard and outboard sides of flat portion of wheel center section (wheel mounting surfaces) and paint with the appropriate color to match the wheel removed.

Paint is not required on the tire mounting side of rim.

3. If vehicle is equipped with tubeless tires, install new valve stem in replacement wheel.

4. Remove tire from wheel to be replaced and discard wheel.

5. Mount tube, if required, and tire on replace ment wheel and balance the assembly (reference the 1985 Light Duty Truck Service Manual X-8532, 3E-9 for instructions).

PARTS INFORMATION

Parts are to be obtained from the Warehousing and Distribution Division of General Motors (WDDGM). To ensure that these parts will be obtained as soon as possible, they should be ordered from WDDGM on a C.I.O. order with no special instruction code, but order on an advise code (2).

Part Quantity Number Description Required ------ ----------- --------- 14035381 16 X 6 Disc Wheel A/R 273487 Valve Stem A/R

WARRANTY INFORMATION

Dealers should submit an accurately filled out Warranty Repair Order on each vehicle completed under this campaign.

Labor Operation **Material *Time Trouble Number Description Allowance Allowance Code ------ ------------ ---------- --------- ---- V3030 Inspect all wheels, including 0.6 Hrs. 96 spare if equipped, for Date Code only. Includes R & R rear dual wheels.

V3031 Inspect all wheels and replace one $ 3.40 1.4 Hrs. 96 wheel only.

Add: If it was a front wheel. 0.2 Hrs.

V3032 Inspect all wheels and replace two $ 5.10 2.1 Hrs. 96 wheels.

Add: If one was a front wheel. 0.2 Hrs.

Add: If both were front wheels. 0.3 Hrs.

Labor Operation **Material *Time Trouble Number Description Allowance Allowance Code

V3033 Inspect all wheels and replace $ 6.80 2.8 Hrs. 96 three wheels.

Add: If one was a front wheel. 0.2 Hrs.

Add: If both were front wheels. 0.3 Hrs.

V3034 Inspect all wheels and replace $ 8.50 3.4 Hrs. 96 four wheels.

Add: If one was a front wheel. 0.2 Hrs.

Add: If both were front wheels. 0.3 Hrs. V3035 Inspect all wheels and replace $10.20 4.1 Hrs. 96 five wheels.

Add:If one was a front wheel. 0.2 Hrs.

Add:If both were front wheels. 0.3 Hrs.

V3036 Inspect all wheels and replace six $11.90 4.9 Hrs. 96 wheels.

Add: If both were front wheels. 0.1 Hrs.

V3037 Inspect all wheels and replace $13.60 5.7Hrs. 96 seven wheels.

CAMPAIGN IDENTIFICATION LABEL

Each vehicle modified in accordance with the instructions outlined in this product campaign bulletin will require a "Campaign Identification Label". Each label provides a space to include the five (5) digit Dealer Code of the dealer performing the campaign service. This information may be inserted with a typewriter or ballpoint pen.

Each "Campaign Identification Label" is to be located on the radiator core support in an area which will be visible when the vehicle is brought in for periodic servicing by the owner.

Apply "Campaign Identification Label" only on a clean dry surface.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE

Procedures covering this campaign are outlined in Section V of your dealership's "GMC Truck Claims Processing Manual" #SD8519.

Dear GMC Truck Owner:

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

General Motors has been notified by Firestone Steel Products that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in some Firestone Steel Products 16 X 6 disc wheels, which were installed on some 1985 C, K, & P 35 GMC Light Duty Model Trucks equipped with dual rear wheels (RPO R05). Firestone has reported that a wheel failure could develop with a crack through the fillet weld nugget between the disc and rim. This crack could propagate around the wheel eventually resulting in a separation of the rim from the disc. When the vehicle is in motion, this may cause loss of vehicle control and subsequent vehicle crash without prior warning.

To prevent the possibility of the condition occuring on your vehicle, please contact your GMC Truck Dealer on or after the date shown below to arrange a service date. Your dealer will inspect each wheel on your vehicle and replace it if necessary. This service will be completed at no charge to you.

Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your GMC Truck Dealer. It is estimated that parts will be available on December 13, 1985. The labor time necessary to inspect the wheels on your vehicle is approximately 30 minutes. Additional labor time to replace your vehicle's wheels if necessary, will vary between 1 1/2 hours and 6 hours. Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much additional time will be needed to process your vehicle.

Your GMC Truck Dealer is best equipped to obtain parts and provide service to ensure your vehicle is corrected as promptly as possible. However, if you take your vehicle to your dealer on the agreed service date, and they do not remedy this condition on that date or within five days, we recommend you contact the nearest GMC Truck Zone Office, either in person or by telephone. The Zone Office will assist you and the dealer in getting your vehicle corrected. The locations and telephone numbers of the Zone Offices are listed in your Owner's Manual.

After contacting your dealer and the Zone Office, if you are still not satisfied that we have done our best to remedy this condition without charge and within a reasonable time, you may wish to write the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 or call 800-424-9393 (Washington, D.C. residents use 426-0123).

The enclosed owner reply card identifies your vehicle. Presentation of this card to your dealer will assist in making the necessary correction in the shortest possible time. If you have sold or traded your vehicle, please let us know by completing the postage paid owner reply card and returning it to us.

We are sorry to cause you this inconvenience, however, we have taken this action in the interest of your safety and continued satisfaction with our products.

General Motors bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians, not a "do-it-yourselfer". They are written to inform those technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper service of a vehicle. Properly trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions and know-how to do a job properly and safely. If a condition is described, do not assume that the bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition. See a General Motors dealer servicing your brand of General Motors vehicle for information on whether your vehicle may benefit from the information.