Ford V8 chassis recall for loose rear stabilizer bar brackets

[Hermes2]

This was started over in the iRV forum by NXR. Thought I'd share it here.

Class A V8 chassis owners may want to check their VIN at: https://www.ford.com/support/ and also create a My Ford account there.

Here's what is posted there for my RV....

LOOSE REAR STABILIZER BAR BRACKET BOLTS

Issue Date 2022-09-30

Description

On your vehicle, the rear stabilizer bar attachment brackets may break and separate from the vehicle during usage.

Safety Risk

If the rear stabilizer bar attachment brackets break or separate from the vehicle, the driver will not experience a sudden change in vehicle dynamics and the vehicle will remain stable. However, a separation of the attachment bracket while driving can create a potential road hazard for other road users, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Ford motor company is working closely with its suppliers to produce parts for this repair. When parts become available, ford motor company will notify you via mail to schedule a service appointment with your dealer for repairs to be completed free of charge parts and labor. Parts are anticipated to be available first quarter of 2023.

Campaign/NHTSA# 22S62/xxxxxxxxx

So, hurry up and wait... plus keep checking the brackets or wire them into place maybe...

[NXR]

I know of two people who crawled underneath after that recall was announced and found loose bolts, both with fairly low mileage. Another person found the bolts and bracket missing.

The weird thing is the defect notice says to check the bolt torque and it needs to be at least 25 Nm, or newton-meters.That's like 19 ft lbs. That seems way low given the much larger bolts, the much larger sway bars on the V8, and that the V10 uses 66 ft lbs.

Apparently the nuts are welded on and they are breaking loose so the fix is to knock the welded nuts off and use a "flag nut". The defect notice says they may have been damaged during install. Seriously? How much torque does it take to bust a welded nut loose? A heck of a lot more than 19 ft lbs, I'd think. My Suburban water uses 8 ft lbs of torque for the anode rod. I may have even used 19 ft lbs to get that anode rod to stop leaking...

https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2020/FORD/F53#recalls

The good news is the NHTSA notified Ford because only four people filed complaints. Ford pushed back saying there was no safety problem. The NHTSA took exception with the fact that while there may not be safety problem directly, parts falling off and on t the road could create a safety problem.

There is this interesting part:

In May 2021, Ford provided the general reimbursement plan for the cost of remedies paid for by vehicle owners prior to notification of a safety recall. The ending date for reimbursement eligibility is currently undetermined and will be determined when there is a better estimate of part availability.

Sounds like Ford is doing some reimbursement. Go for it! https://supersteerparts.com/products...-4139-131.html

And their bolts use 125 ft lbs.

Ray