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Letter to the Editor

Tech-Cor Research Special Bulletin Warns Against Front Portion Frame Replacement on Ford F-150 and F-250 Pickups

This Tech-Cor Research Special Bulletin 2001-1, released by Keith Manich, Assistant Vice President, Research, Tech-Cor, Inc. affects the following vehicles and component group:

Vehicles affected: 1997-2001 Ford F-150 and F-250 light duty (LD) pickup trucks and Super Cab and Super Crew Trucks. This includes two- and four-wheel drive vehicles.

BASED ON A RECENT CRASH TEST, REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT PORTION OF THE FRAME ON THE ABOVE-REFERENCED VEHICLES SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED OR AUTHORIZED. The crash test revealed that this particular procedure performed on the above-referenced vehicles (the removal and replacement of the front portion of the frame at the factory joint located approximately at the midpoint of the front door opening) could result in damage to the fuel tank when the vehicle is involved in a frontal impact crash.

Tech-Cor, Inc. performed the above-described repair procedure on a 2000 Ford F-150 light duty (LD) pickup truck and a crash test of the repaired vehicle was conducted under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration standards for testing under the New Car Assessment Program. The test consisted of a flat frontal barrier crash at 35.1 miles per hour (56.4 kph). As a result of this crash test, the fuel tank of the test vehicle incurred a puncture by contact with a bracket mounted on the underside of the cab. The puncture resulted in a significant amount of fuel system fluid spilling immediately after the test.

HENCE, AS MENTIONED ABOVE, REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT PORTION OF THE FRAME ON THE ABOVE-REFERENCED VEHICLES SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED OR AUTHORIZED.

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