The defect
INCORRECT STEERING LINKAGE COMPONENTS MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH LIGHT DUTY STEERING LINKAGE TIE ROD AND CENTER LINK ASSEMBLIES IN PLACE OF THE SPECIFIED HEAVY DUTY COMPONENTS. THESE LIGHT DUTY COMPONENTS ARE NOT COMPATIBLE FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE HEAVY DUTY KNUCKLE ARMS, RESULTING IN AN INFLEXIBLE (NO BALL JOINT MOVEMENT) ATTACHMENT OF THE TIE ROD TO KNUCKLE ARM. THIS COULD, EVENTUALLY, RESULT IN FATIGUE FAILURE OF THAT ATTACHMENT ON ONE OF THE COMPONENTS.
The remedy
THE STEERING LINKAGE SYSTEM TIE RODS AND CENTER LINK WILL BE INSPECTED AND, IF NECESSARY, LIGHT DUTY COMPONENTS WILL BE REPLACED WITH HEAVY DUTY COMPONENTS AT NO COST TO OWNER.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|
Components: STEERING:LINKAGES
Other steering recalls in 1979
28 of the 274 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 1979 concerned the steering; CHRYSLER CORPORATION filed 640 campaigns in all.
| 79V258000 14 Dec 1979 | INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER |
| 79V257000 5 Dec 1979 | TRANSPORTATION MFG. CORP. |
| 79V266000 4 Dec 1979 | PACCAR, INCORPORATED |
| 79V221000 17 Oct 1979 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. |
| 79V215000 18 Sept 1979 | CHRYSLER CORPORATION |
| 79V189000 17 Aug 1979 | PACCAR, INCORPORATED |
| 79V180000 1 Aug 1979 | WHITE MOTOR CORPORATION |
| 79V174000 17 Jul 1979 | FWD CORPORATION |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 1979