CAMPAIGN: STEERING GEAR ATTACHING BOSS MAY BREAK. GMC Truck Safari

MODELS: 1985 M15 SAFARI VAN MODEL TRUCK EQUIPPED WITH RPO N40, POWER STEERING

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 determined that a defect which relates to Motor Vehicle Safety exists in some 1985 Safari Light Duty Van Model trucks equipped with power steering. In some instances a part of the steering gear housing which attaches to the frame may break. If this condition occurs there will be some warning. The steering wheel will no longer be centered and the driver will have to turn the wheel noticeably more to the left than to the right when going around the same degree of turn. Continued operation of the vehicle in this condition may cause the remaining attachments holding the steering gear to the frame to fracture resulting in loss of vehicle control which could result in a vehicle crash.

To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring on the vehicles involved, one of two courses of action must be taken:

1. If the attaching boss has been broken/cracked, the steering gear must be replaced.

2. If the steering gear is not broken/cracked, a brace must be installed which will provide additional support between the gears and the left hand frame rail.

VEHICLES INVOLVED

Involved are certain 1985 M15 Safari Van Model Trucks equipped with RPO N40, power steering built within the following breakpoints:

Plant From To ----- ---- -- Baltimore SOP FB506710

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

Notice: Torque valves must be used as specified during reassembly to assure proper retention of these parts.

Disconnect negative battery cable.

Raise and support vehicle on a hoist.

Remove lower mounting ear bolt which attaches the steering gear to the frame rail, Figure No. 1.

Thoroughly clean the lower mounting ear of all road dirt and undercoating material using a non petroleum base cleaner such as brake kleener. Carefully inspect to see if the gear is broken/cracked. Figure No. 1, View A.

If the mounting ear is broken/cracked replace with new gear, Part Number 26000502. Refer to the GMC Safari Service Manual, X8530, 3B7-4 for removal and installation instructions.

If the mounting ear is not broken proceed to the following steps:

Reinstall the steering gear to frame attaching bolt. Torque to 82 N.m (60 ft. lbs.). Insure the remaining two gear to frame rail bolts are torqued to 82 N.m (60 ft. lbs.).

Torque the left and right hand idler arm to frame rail bolts, two each side, to 55 N.m (40 ft. lbs.).

Remove the top two steering gear side cover bolts. Reference Figure No. 2.

Run a 3/8"-16 bottoming tap into the two holes until tap bottoms in hole. One to two additional threads will be cut. Use compressed air to clean holes. Threads must be free of oil, dirt or metal chips.

Install studs, adhesive coated end inserted into the gear. Torque to 65 N.m (50 ft. lbs.). Figure No.2.

Install the new brace on the steering gear side cover studs and locate the hole to be drilled in the frame rail, Figure No. 2. Thoroughly clean the frame at this location of all road dirt, undercoating and wax. Insure the inside of the frame rail is clean.

Torque nuts on studs 40 N.m (30 ft. lbs.). Torque remaining two side cover bolts to 75 N. m (55 ft. lbs.).

Lower vehicle.

Drill a 1/2" diameter hole in the same rail using the brace as a template. Remove all drill shavings.

Depending on the vehicle RPO content the brake master cylinder, emissions canister and a power steering return line may have to be moved to accommodate a drill motor.

Install brace attaching bolt in drilled hole, nut up, and torque nut to 88 N.m (65 ft. lbs.). Use the hand access hole in the frame rail.

Spray undercoating material to all areas previously cleaned as required to prevent corrosion.

Reconnect negative battery cable.

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).

If necessary to replace gear - no power steering gear brace kit is required.

Part Quantity Number Description Per Vehicle ------ ----------- ----------- 26000502 Steering Gear As Required

If power steering gear is not cracked/broken, install brace kit:

15555223 Brace Kit 1 (AR)

Each kit contains the following parts:

15555226 Stud 2 15555225 Brace 1 2436163 Washer-3/8" 6 9422297 Nut-3/8" 2 9425082 Bolt, Hex-1/2- 13X1-1/4" 1 2436165 Washer-1/2" 2 9422301 Nut-1/2" 1 15555224 Instruction Sheet 1

WARRANTY INFORMATION

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

Labor *Time Operation Allow- Trouble Number Description ance Code ------- ------------ ---- ----- V3070 Inspect and replace steering gear. 1.0 Hr. 96 V3071 Inspect steering gear and install

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 indude 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.

Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your GMC Truck dealer. It is estimated that parts will be available to your dealer on April 25, 1986. The labor time necessary to perform this correction is approximately 60 to 90 minutes. Please allow additional time, if necessary, for the dealer 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 your nearest GMC Truck Zone Office, either in person or by telephone. The Zone Office will assist you and your 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 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 them in making the necessary correction to your vehicle 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.

Object Number: 86949 Size: MF

Object Number: 87264 Size: LF

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.