CAMPAIGN: LOOSE TIE ROD CLAMPS (LORDSTOWN BUILT)

MODELS: 1990 G-VAN (LORDSTOWN ASSEMBLY PLANT)

The National Traff ic 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 determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in some 1990 G-Vans. The tie rod clamp fasteners may not have been properly torqued. This condition could allow the tie rod to loosen and eventually separate. If this separation occurs and the affected wheel hits a bump or the vehicle is subjected to moderate to heavy braking forces, it could result in a loss of steering control and a vehicle crash without prior warning.

To prevent this condition from occurring, dealers are to inspect tie rod clamps for looseness and also inspect vehicle toe-in. If tie rod clamps are not properly torqued or toe-in is not correct, dealer will re-adjust both to the proper specifications.

VEHICLES INVOLVED

Involved are certain 1990 G-Vans built at the Lordstown Assembly Plant within the following VIN breakpoints:

Model Year Plant From Through ---------- ----- ----- ------- 1990 Lordstown L7510273 L7510323

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. Dealers are to inspect and correct all affected vehicles in new and used vehicle stock prior to their sale.

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 ensure 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 cor- rection according to instructions contained in this bulletin.

If no owner's name and address were available to GMC Truck Division 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 Division General Motors Corporation 101 Union Street Plymouth, Michigan 48170

OWNER NOTIFICATION

Owners will be notified of this campaign on their vehicles by GMC Truck Division (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

1. Raise vehicle up on hoist.

2. Inspect tie-rod clamps for looseness. Also inspect toe-in. See Figures 1 and 2. Toe-in should be 0 degrees plus or minus 0.20 degrees.

3. If tie-rod clamps are not properly torqued or toe-in is not correct, if resetting of toe-in is required, re-adjust tie-rods to 0 degrees plus or minus 0.10 degrees.

4. Tighten tie-rod clamps as follows: (See Figure 3)

A. Position clamps on adjuster between locating dimples at either end of the adjuster tube.

B. Rotate both inner and outer tie-rods rearward, full travel, before tightening adjuster clamps. This will permit free movement and full travel of ball joints during operation.

C. Maintain tie-rod rearward rotated position during adjustment and tightening.

D. When tube is adjusted, an equal number of threads should show on each end of the adjuster, and a minimum of three threads should be showing.

E. Position adjuster slot as shown in View "A".

F. Position clamps. Clamps must be within 90 degree angular limit shown in View "A".

G. Tighten clamps and torque to 16-22 N-m (12-16 ft. lb.). Clamp ends may touch each other at outer end when clamp nuts are fully torqued, but the gap next to the adjuster must be at least 0.127 mm (0.005 inch). See View "B".

H. When clamps are tightened, rotate tie-rods forward and place in centered position.

5. Install "Campaign Identification Label".

PARTS INFORMATION

No parts are required for this service procedure.

WARRANTY INFORMATION

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

Labor *Time Trouble Operation Description Allowance Code Number

V6070 Set toe-in and .4 Hr 96 torque tie rod clamp fasteners

*For dealer to receive Administrative Time Allowance associated with this campaign, add 0.1 hour to the Labor Operation Time Allowance.

CAMPAIGN IDENTIFICATION LABEL

Each vehicle corrected 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 campaign number and five (5) digit dealer code of the dealer performing the campaign service. This information may be inserted with a typewriter or ball point 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 "GM Truck Claims Processing Manual" #P 8919.

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 determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in some 1990 G-Vans. The tie rod clamp fasteners may not have been properly torqued. This condition could allow the tie rod to loosen and eventually separate. If this separation occurs and the affected wheel hits a bump or the vehicle is subjected to moderate to heavy braking forces, it could result in a loss of steering control and a vehicle crash without prior warning.

To prevent this condition from occurring, dealers are to inspect tie rod clamps for looseness and also inspect vehicle toe-in. If tie rod clamps are not properly torqued or toe-in is not correct, your dealer will re-adjust both to the proper specifications. This service will be completed for you at no charge.

Instructions for performing this service have been sent to your GMC dealer. Please contact your dealer to arrange a service date. The labor time necessary to perform this correction is approximately 30 minutes. Please ask your dealer how much additional time will be needed to process your vehicle.

Your GMC dealer is best equipped to 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 service this condition on that date or within five days, we recommend you contact your nearest GMC Truck Zone Office by telephone. The Zone Office will assist you and your dealer in getting your vehicle corrected. The telephone numbers of the Zone Offices are listed in your Warranty and Owner Assistance Information 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 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 366-0123)."

The enclosed postage paid owner reply card identifies your vehicle. Presentation of this card to your dealer will assist in making the necessary correction to your vehicle in the shortest possible time. If you have sold or traded your vehicle, please furnish us complete name and address of the person you sold or traded your vehicle to and return the card to us.

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

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.