Western Star Trucks, Inc.: Suspension
Western Star Trucks, Inc. reported this defect to federal regulators on Aug 1, 1996 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 36. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
THE EQUALIZING BEAM SHAFT OF THE TANDEM AXLE SUSPENSION WERE MANUFACTURED FROM AS-ROLLED SAE4140 STEEL RATHER THAN THE SPECIFIED ANNEALED SAE4140. THESE SHAFTS CAN FRACTURE INSIDE THE BEAM AT THE TOE OF THE WELD.
The risk
VEHICLES ARE SUBJECT TO VEHICLE TILT AND POSSIBLE ROLLOVER IN THE EVENT THAT BOTH EQUALIZING BEAMS, ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, EXPERIENCE A SIMULTANEOUS SHAFT FAILURE. AFFECTED SUSPENSIONS CAN ALSO DROP AND CONTACT THE ROAD SURFACE GENERATING SPARKS WHICH COULD IGNITE FLAMMABLE MATERIAL.
The remedy
OWNER NOTIFICATION IS BEING CONDUCTED BY NEWAY ANCHORLOK. DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE ALL SUSPENSION SUSPENSION BEAMS WITH SUSPENSION BEAMS CONTAINING APPROPRIATE SHAFTS.
2 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Western Star Conventional | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1995 Western Star Conventional | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 96V124003.
Full record for the 1996 Western Star Conventional → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →