ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Model Specific Suzuki Forum => Suzuki Grand Vitara, Vitara, Chevy Tracker (Gen. 2 Platform) 1999-2005 => Topic started by: trackinstile on September 24, 2007, 07:03:45 PM
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So, I'm comming home, at the stop sign in my development I heard a bang, then the steering wheel was shifted a 1/4 turn to the right, I'm like what on earth is going on here? Didn't hit anything, get home, and lo and behold, the crossmember on the passenger side rotted out and fell apart. Does anyone know if Chevy has finally issued any recalls on these? I've noticed a couple of other sites on the web that people wrote in with this problem. There is a number of them out there. I'm really disgruntled at this point!!!!! >:
If anyone can let me know I'd really appreciate it. Thanks, Dave
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I'm not aware of any recalls for this reason, but this point hits on the advice I gave a new forum member a couple days ago who decided he was going to use his older tracker for a snow plow and was going to buy a newer generation Suzuki/Tracker for his DD. He asked for some things to look out for when he went shopping for his new truck.
For some reason, the manufacturers, the dealerships, and a lot of owners are not compelled to protect the frame and bodies on their Trackers/Suzukis from rust and corrosion (undercoating).
You can always repair or replace a ruined transmission or engine. But the frames, crossmembers, and supports are forever and a lot more expensive to repair when their foundation is gone.
I've used the "Herculiner" product (it's like the truck bed liner stuff) on my last three trucks. Before I buy them, I eye-ball the frame and components to ensure they are not excessively rusted. If they are, I pass on the truck. When I finally buy one, I drive it home, park it on jack stands and begin sanding the corroded areas on the frame down to metal, then I wipe off the metal with Xylol and apply the Herculiner with a roller or use a small brush in the tight places. Two coats at least. I also tape off the rocker panels under the doors take my electric palm sander and rough these areas up as well, wipe them off with Xylol and Herculine them as well. I put three coats on the rocker panels to withstand thrown rocks. I also coat the inside rocker panel, floor bottom and outside frame rails and cross tubes with the Herculiner. This area is where all the rocks, salt, and crap gets thrown under the truck from the tires. After the Herculiner is applied, the surfaces are almost bullet proof to moisture, mud, salt, and rocks. I don't have to worry about them any more.
I also sand down and coat the front cross member cause the bottom of this area catches ALL the road debris, rocks, salt as well. In fact, I have only bought one Suzuki/Tracker (out of the seven I have owned) that didn't have some serious rust on the front cross member area. As you pointed out, this member carries alot of the truck. Steering, radiator support, etc. I sand and coat the bottom of this area with the Herculiner as well. I only get the bottom, front, back and sides because the top is too difficult to completely cover and has a lot of small crevices I can't get too without getting the Herculiner all over a bunch of components I don't want it on. The top doesn't catch all the thrown rocks and salt either.
Two small draw backs come to mind using this stuff. First the Herculiner, once dried, is on there for virtually ever. This is also true of your skin. You can't wash it off. You "wear it off" over a period of time and showers. So be sure to wear an old long sleeve shirt and pants that you intend to use as rags afterwards. Second, the Xylol is a very serious chemical and you need to handle it very carefully, wear heavy rubber gloves and ALWAYS apply it in a very WELL ventilated area. A quality resperator probably wouldn't hurt either. I have no doubt if I wasn't shooting blanks now, that any new kids I would sire would come out with two heads and four eyes.
Honestly, I spend about 8-10 hours per truck cleaning and applying this stuff when I first buy them. A lot of time for sure, but I still think it is time well spent. Plus I spend some quality time with my trucks really looking at the under carriage and drive train.
Oh, yea, and I don't work for Herculiner nor do I sell it. I buy it at Meirs for about $28 per quart. It comes in black, blue, red, and gray, but I can't find anyone who stocks anything other than black. You can special order the other colors, I'm sure, but I'm in it for the protection and black works for red, blue, and burgandy color trucks just fine.
So... you can order a new cross member (if your ride is in good enough shape to warrant the expense and effort) coat that baby with something like Herculiner, and it will hang with you forwever unless you wrap it around a tree.
Norm
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Good pointer Norm, I'm going to try that with my zuke.
It sounds like Suzuki has a serious design flaw.. or perhaps that cross-member should come herculiner'ed from the factory if that's all it takes to stop if from busting!! I don't want to experience that on a non-divided highway going 100+ km/h.
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Well, I totally agree, you only get one frame, and that's certainly a good idea, especially if it's brand new and not bolted to the truck yet. My problem is though, is that it rusted from the inside out, apparenty Suzuki knows that they did not have enough paint on the inside of it in the first place and aparently uses more paint on the '02 and up ones. At least that's what I've got so far, that and there is a drain hole issue as well. My wifes '01 XL-7 is in mint condition with 5o,000 miles on it. I think Suzuki took a little more time building the Vitara's and XL-7's than they did the Chevy's. (I'm not trying to start a debate here, I just so happen to own one of each and that's the way it looks to me. GM won't help, and the local Chevy dealer was of no help either. Looks like I'm footing the bill on this one. The local dealer can order it and get it within a day, except for the whole strike going on right now, no one wants to pass the picket lines. Which I can respect. Have fun, Dave
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It is a little bit ironic that they maufacture these incredibly capable small trucks... but scrimp on the metal protection.
CORRECTION: in my earlier note i stated I bought the Herculiner product at Meirs... I meant to type "at Menards". Also, just so you know, once you break the seal on the Herculiner, it begins setting up. So... have everything you want to coat mapped out in your mind before you begin so you can maximize the use of it. I put the lid back on about a half of a can of it on the first truck and came out the following day to finish up and it was getting really thick and tacky.
When you are applying it, it will dry in about 30 minutes. Really fast. Then you apply another coat. I just start with one rocker panel and then go to the second, then begin the under body and outside frame rails and by the time i've put coat one on these, the first rocker is dry and ready for the second coat, etc.
I also pulled the plastic foot panels inside the front doors, taped the area off and coated this area where I step once and awhile with herculiner as well. then I replaced the plastic. This area always gets scratched up and catches gravel and rusts, so i coated it as well. i didn't get to this part on my recent truck, but i plan to. (as soon as I get enough projects together that i want to herculine to warrant buying another quart.
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Rust? There's really only one solution that works in NY.
www.por15.com (http://www.por15.com)
Nothing else like it. It comes YT endorsed. ;D
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I've heard a lot of good things about that stuff. Have you ever used it?
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...or you could just live in the desert southwest >:D
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I've heard a lot of good things about that stuff. Have you ever used it?
I'll have a write up soon on my Sammy knuckle rebuild, and everything was POR'd and Chassiscoat'd. Stuff is as hard as a rock. Love it, love it, love it.
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Interesting thread here:
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f109493
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Hey guys I just got a recall letter in the mail today about this. So they finnaly decided to fix the problem. It says to take it to the dealer to have it inspected and they will decide if it's bad or not. Also if you had it fixed already it said about refunding....
So I hope you guys get your letter soon,
Later Mike
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I just got the same letter today!!!!! Perhaps my writing in the NHTSA or GM helped........Probably not, but I'd like to think so anyways. Fortunately I saved the receipt and the pld parts and the cashed in check so I can get my money back from all this. Boy, just think, if it happened a month later it would have been done for free at the stealership!!!!! :P Dave
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Is there a recall or bulletin number on the letters you received? Perhaps you could scan and post the letter? It may help others to get this done sooner than later. Some dealers are less than helpfull.
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Is ASMC doing the same thing?
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Well. I just got my "recall" letter today. I'm in St. Louis, I wonder if they're slowly working their way down the rust belt, or what.
I'll try to remember to take a pic of or scan it tonight to post. It's not a recall as much as a 10-year (from time when vehicle entered service) extended replacement warranty against deterioration of the crossmember.
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Glad I'm losing the whole she-bang in favor of Toy solid axles.
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Crappy quality, but you'll get the gist. If too small to read, right click, select "copy location" or something like that, and paste it into your address bar.
(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t31/poky-dot/Tracker%20Miscellaneous/PICT0653.jpg)
(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t31/poky-dot/Tracker%20Miscellaneous/PICT0654.jpg)
(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t31/poky-dot/Tracker%20Miscellaneous/PICT0655.jpg)
(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t31/poky-dot/Tracker%20Miscellaneous/PICT0656.jpg)
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I received a letter today from Suzuki Canada about this issue.
There is a prologated warranty on the crossmember: 10 years or 240000Km.
And the crossmember can be inspected free to a Suzuki dealer once a year.
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I talked to GM Canada about this and was told that they would not even consider a claim on a vehicle that did not originate or was registered in the eastern provinces or the eastern US