WARNING ALL VIPER RACERS

[Mike H]

This week i took my car from winter storage and was driving the front end was very loose. The wheel didn't respond and I took it to the dealer figuring the front end was out of alignment. Upon inspection we found the two front brackets that hold the rack and pinion to end side of the frame had the welds broken. I also found out from my race team mate that indeed all our race cars had been rewelded as one race team car had actually broke at over 100 mph. My street car has been raced in a few Viper days events. The brackets are only welded on two sides. We recommmend ALL Viper days racers have the brackets rewelded ALL THE WAY AROUND to avoid any problems as this seams to be a weak point.

I hope everyone takes this seriously as loosing steering at high speeds can be very dangerous.

 

[GTS Dean]

Yep, me too. I posted this last summer:

You must be registered for see images

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Great pics Dean. A pic is worth a million words, especially with arrows.

 

[FrankBarba]

thanks for the heads up. but anyone that races his/her car once a year or more is constantly looking under the car. either you are not aware of the time it takes to maintain your car that you race or your race shop neglected to look. the important issue is that you are safe.

 

[Mike H]

I had my street Viper welded ALL the way around the bracket, and our race Vipers we even welded a gusset to it for added strength.
Yes this needs to be added to Faq's.....and thanks Dean, the pics are great!

 

[99t1]

This happened on my 96 GTS @15,000 miles. The steering rack came loose then totally failed causing the car to go off at the Glen. No armco luckily but a wasted race weekend.

I wrote a STRONG letter to Dodge and they actually sent me (2 months later) a gusset kit designed specifically for the failure. They are very aware of this problem.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Is there a part number for this gusset kit?

 

[Double Venom]

I've been even busier than the norm for the last 6 months thusly just lurking in the corner when I have the chance. For those that remember me, know I am a safety nut. I will make the Viper group another offer. You get the car to the shop, we will stop what ever we are doing, get you in, reweld and back on the road again. Cost? We don't charge for no stinking safety fix!

Shop: London, Oh. I-70 & St. Rt.56 740-852-5280

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Great offer Double Venom! OH is a long drive from FL but I might be going to Viper Days at Mid Ohio. Maybe I can stop by.

 

[GTS Dean]

My opinion of the failure is that the bend just above the arrows was formed with too tight a radius. This leads to a stress concentration right through the root of the bend. Perhaps if the radius were increased to 3/16" or 1/4" this sort of thing wouldn't happen. My Viper tech migged the crack on the frontside, then ran a bead up the back as well.

I have not heard of ANY problems on Gen1 cars, nor have I heard of any 100% street-driven Gen2s with cracks. This phenomenon is associated with VERY HEAVY lateral G-loads from slicks or Hoosiers at the racetrack.

 

[99t1]

for Chuck 98....part numbers from repair kit sent from Dodge.

You must be registered for see images

Rack & Pinion Mounting Bracket repair & reinforcement kit is #050188Z0AA

in picture (contents of kit)
(1) Bracket-Rack & Pinion Mounting #05018819AA
(2)Reinforcements rack & pinion #050175Z4AA (right side)
#050175Z5AA (left side)

 

[99t1]

part numbers from repair kit sent from Dodge.

You must be registered for see images

Rack & Pinion Mounting Bracket repair & reinforcement kit is #050188Z0AA

in picture (contents of kit)
(1) Bracket-Rack & Pinion Mounting #05018819AA
(2)Reinforcements rack & pinion #050175Z4AA (right side)
#050175Z5AA (left side)

 

[Supercharged Vipermad]

Is this a warrany replacement? If so, does the original weld have to fail first? It happened last year to the Schley's '96 GTS and was pretty scary because the car wouldn't turn right. Luckily, he got it stopped and trailered home but I could see how if this failed at the wrong spot there could be some issues.

 

[David Jenkins]

Warranty!??? are you kidding? for you paul, it's all warranty! just got off the phone with dc tech support. pieces are on back order. #'s are 5018820AA not "z".dj

 

[99t1]

In my email to Dodge, I did not get into warranty issues at all so I don' t think it has anything to with a warranty but has more to do with screaming loud enough especially online about "CRITICAL" failures. When you turn the wheel clockwise the car should turn right.

Dodge was good enough to eventually send it and I probably should be kind to them for doing so. I wonder if this is strengthened on newer cars???

I have seen this on (2) 96 GTS at our shop but both were beaten on racecars. Has this happened to anyone not racing with a regular stock set up???

 

[GTS Dean]

I was at HMS the other day after business in Houston. There was a Sapphire Blue '01 GTS there with the hood and fascias off. I looked down behind the radiator and saw that there was a substantial amount of additional bracing on the rack and pinion support. One of the HMS guys said that all the '01 cars have the upgraded brackets on them. I also noted that the bend radius I mentioned earlier is now much larger.

 

[Ron]

*****************************

Year: 1996 Make: DODGE Model: VIPER Recall Date: 10/09/2001

Type of Report: Vehicle
Potential Number of Units Affected: 4645
Manufactured: 06/1995 - 03/1999

Defect Summary:
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES USED EXTENSIVELY IN TRACK TYPE RACING EVENTS AND SUBJECTED TO AGGRESSIVE DRIVING CONDITIONS COULD EXPERIENCE CRACKS AT THE WELDS OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL MOUNTING BRACKET.

Consequence Summary:
THE CRACKS COULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO METAL FATIGUE AND DISLODGING OF THE DIFFERENTIAL MOUNTING BRACKET FROM THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. SEPARATION OF THE DIFFERENTIAL MOUNTING BRACKET COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.

Corrective Summary:
ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES WILL HAVE A FIELD REPAIR KIT INSTALLED. VEHICLES EXHIBITING CRACKS WILL REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL WELD REPAIR PRIOR TO INSTALLATION OF THE KIT.

Check to order research. Submit below. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 01V313000
Component: STEERING:GEAR:RACK
Manufacturer: DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION

****************************************

Year: 1996 Make: DODGE Model: VIPER Recall Date: 10/09/2001

Type of Report: Vehicle
Potential Number of Units Affected: 7050
Manufactured: 06/1995 - 10/2000

Defect Summary:
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES USED EXTENSIVELY IN TRACK TYPE RACING EVENTS AND SUBJECTED TO AGGRESSIVE DRIVING CONDITIONS COULD EXPERIENCECRACKING OF THE STEERING RACK MOUNTING BRACKETS.

Consequence Summary:
THE CRACKS COULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO SEPARATION OF THE STEERING RACK FROM THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. SEPARATION OF THE STEERING RACK COULD RESULT IN UNEXPECTED STEERING LOOSENESS AND LAG.

Corrective Summary:
ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES WILL HAVE A FIELD REPAIR KIT INSTALLED, CONSISTING OF LOWER FRAME RAIL REINFORCEMENT GUSSETS AND A REINFORCEMENT BRACKET.

**************************************

<FONT COLOR="#ff0000" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by Ron on 11-22-2001 at 12:34 PM</font>

 

[TacDoc]

I too found the recall on the NHTSA.gov website. Now that it is a recall, has anyone had them put on by their dealer as a "warranty" fix??

Greg
96 RT/10 (K&N carbon fiber airbox, smooth tubes, Borla 3" exhaust, revalved Konis, Eibach springs, adj endlinks, anti-toe brackets)
00 GTS (K&N's)
01 SVT COBRA

 

[99t1]

I believe Dan is totally right about this...the "failure" seems to only happen to 96-97 cars with modified shocks and springs, running DOT racing tires (R1's Gforce, Hoosiers) or slicks ******* road course tracks with extreme lateral loads put on all the components...such loads that would probably no be achieved with a stock suspension and Pilots on the street or even autocross. Same goes for the 96-97 welded wheels...just don't use them on the track.

 

[TacDoc]

Hmm, I so far only autocross my 96, but I do it on slicks, and feel I do put a fair amount stress on the front. Some of our courses allow me to hit the mid 70's before entering a braking zone. I frequently push hard into some rather tight turns and cannot fathom the steering rack coming loose, especially with corner workers around. I think I will be dropping the recall printout by my dealer and see what happens. The problem with knowing about this is how you would feel if yours broke and you had done nothing. I do hope to do Solo I and Trials eventually and wonder how this would impact the mounts.

Greg
96 RT/10 (K&N carbon fiber airbox, smooth tubes, Borla 3" exhaust, revalved Konis, Eibach springs, adj endlinks, anti-toe brackets)
00 GTS (K&N's)
01 SVT COBRA

 

[Ron]

<FONT face="Comic Sans MS">Dan;

I trust your judgement and agree with you that we certainly have a safe, well engineered vehicle.

That said, one would have to believe that the NTSB doesn't issue recalls unless the potential fault is somewhat within the realm of "normal" usage.

Clearly if one was to drop a V10 into a Neon and the frame sagged, not an issue for the NTSB as it was well beyond the design parameters of the anticipated usage. If someone was to take an LHS into the woods hunting and the frame bent, same issue. Autocrossing a Viper and subjecting it to "aggressive driving" (on street tires) I don't think should be beyond the design nor anticipated usage of a vehicle of this type.

While I do not race or autocross, I certainly might want to sometime in the future and hope that I wouldn't have to worry about steering or differental issues if I did. Nor do I expect that I would have to wait until a crack (or worse) develops before the issue is addressed.

I would be more than happy to address the issue myself and in fact tried to order the above mentioned kit from Dodge so that I could install it at my own expense. I was told by my local dealer that it was NOT offered for sale, that it was only available to owners that apon inspection already had the rack separating. Ouch!

I have complete faith that D/C will eventually address the issue and do it in in the same quality fashion that they have in the past. In my experience, no company takes better care of the owner than D/C does us Viper owners. Because of that faith, I and my immediate family have purchased 6 other D/C vehicles over the past 5 years.

</FONT f>

 

[boosttoy]

I called NHTSA today at 18004249393 and they said that recall
01v313000 on 96 thru 2000 vipers did not exsist.They said this recall was for 2001 cars only, certain vins only.I also called my local dealer which was not aware of this recall number at all,which is supposed to be chrysler recall 999.
Later,Frank

 

[JonB]

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCRIMINATE YOURSELF in the quest for the recall. If you have NOT been racing, then don't make it so!

Admit to high-performance driving schools, if that's where you go. Admit to VOI-driver traing, Skip-Barber, Viper Days, etc.

If you RACE you pay........ but you know that........

And SLICKS really make the difference here......G-forces++

Ps....those individual p/ns are part of the kit only......

 

[Afy]

There is a recall on that.. has been since Nov..

 

[Mike H]

You can just get a welder to weld a gusset on to stabilize the problem. That is the easiest way.