Pierce Manufacturing will be conducting a National Highway Transportation Safety Administration safety recall covering Pierce custom chassis with independent front suspension for the model years 2001-2007. In particular, the pitman arms installed on the suspension system manufactured from Dec. 20, 2001 through Dec. 31, 2006 need to be replaced.

Pierce began a field replacement this month and anticipates completing it by August 2008. Pierce is using its dealer network to notify customers of the affected units.

In the absence of an obstacle, the condition that causes damage in the pitman arm requires a full cramp in all instances, and at slow speeds. Those conditions are:

• At full cramp, drive one wheel into and over or against a curb.
• At full cramp, drive in reverse and brake hard in a panic stop.
• Dry steer to full cramp while applying service brake.

Pierce has had only three breaks without any apparent previous hard strikes against an object (out of a total of more than 2,600 units with 5,200 total pitman arms). The breaks in the pitman arm have all occurred during slow speed maneuvering at full cramp.

“Our goal is to complete repairs in all identified units by August 2008. We see no valid reason to take an affected unit out of service,” said Wilson Jones, Pierce Manufacturing, president. “To ensure that apparatus drivers remain safe, Pierce is asking fire departments to instruct their drivers not to drive over curbs with the front wheels turned full left or right.”

When the wheels are pointed straight or the unit is driving on roads, the stress level is low, which is the reason why it is safe to operate an apparatus at normal road speeds in normal manner.

Pierce will replace all the pitman arms on the vehicles subject to the recall with new arms made of thicker and stronger material. The new pitman arms are being installed in all independent suspensions on vehicles manufactured since January.

“Pierce recommends that Pierce dealers perform the replacement work,” Jones said. “We are providing dealers with the necessary tool and replacement kits and instructions. Otherwise, Pierce Customer Service will work with fire departments to determine who will do the work.”