I 'm sitting here in the dealership...36k miles on my 35" MTZ's and the dealer is telling me that that my front axels are grinding down and my steering gear is separating/wearing down. they have said that because I put the Truxx front end leveling kit and the MTZ's on my truck I've voided my warranty and the items aren't covered. I'm screwed! Help/advice anyone?

 

I believe this has been addressed before try searching... I believe that the dealer cannot void your warranty due to aftermarket items... read through your warranty info to make sure and than go to a different dealership... if that doesn't work... put the stockers back on and go back later...

 

It's touchy and can be hard to prove both ways. No, installing those items will not in and of itself void your warranty. If one or both of those mods caused the problem, then yes, that is completely out of the manufacturer's control and would not be covered. Good luck getting it resolved.

 

Putting 35" tires on stock axles can most certainly cause damage though. There's a lot more stress on parts when turning 35's.

 

They have to prove these items caused damage. Thgey could just as easily say that the "bug shield" you put on caused the radiator to run hot and caused valve problems. That is why there is a law stating they must problem these items caused damaged , it is "Megusison-Fergusion Act" but I know I am spelling it totally wrong. I would tell them I will be taking them to court and do so. I might also put on factory tires and remove any other non factory items and bring it to another dealer.
How hard do you drive the H3? I have 35's and do make a special effort to pull away from stops without flooring it. I can see how that would shorten the life of certain components. The 35's with wheels are HEAVY but no more so than if you have chains on the wheels.I am not sure what you changed by raising the front end. I did not have to do any changes to have the 35's fit just fine.

 

Yeah but it's going to be an easy case to make. The axles that broke are connected to the after market part. You want to play you got to pay. It's unfortunate, but the dealer is right in this case especially since the failure mode is a direct consequence of the additional stress cause by the bigger wheels.

The steering components are also affected by larger and heavier tires and wheels as well as change in angles the a lift can cause.

 

Don't get mad at the dealer, they don't warranty the vehicle, GM does.

The dealer is in business to repair and service vehicles. They only care about who is going to pay them for the repair. It is in their best interest to get GM to approve the claim because they get the work. They are on your side. If, however, they do unapproved repairs, GM will not pay them and will, in the future, restrict their ability to independantly approve warranty work.

If they have said it is a non-warranty repair, they either "think" it is or they have asked their GM rep. Either way, there is an appeal process available to you. Ask them to persue it with GM and/or you can yourself. I believe the process is in your owner's manual.

 

35's look great (on other poeples H3's) not mine. For the extra inch and a half its not worth it at all. The extra weight and rolling mass can do damage to the diff. bearings as well as the axle bearings. H3 axles arent really capable of supporting 35's just like a Dana 30 isnt up to carrying 38's. Aftermarket suspension parts will void the warranty if it contributes to front end wear or damage, thats why the only wat to level is the torsion bar adjust. yea, i was also one that wanted 35's but with the horrible acceleration with the 5cyl, NO-WAY for me.

 

Nobody working at the dealership can void your warranty. Only a GM employee can do that, hence the GM rep that visits dealerships when an issue arises.

It really boils down to the brains and/or ***** of the dealership your are working with.

We had one of our guys "half shaft" Dos Mangos, break a half shaft on his leveled H3 with 34s and after we did a trail repair with a spare to get him on the road, there were some doubters on warranty coverage in the group.

The dealer replaced the upper A arm, half shaft and ball joint all under warranty, gave him back the trail spare, and had no qualms about doing it.

I have seen 3s on stock tires have issues with the steering components, front diff, T case and axle shafts? Do 35s increase stress, yes, but not significantly.

IMHO what happens is people with the 35s are tackling the bigger/tougher obsticles, sometimes do so too aggressively, and that = damages, so dealerships ASSUME anyone with big tires is out tearing up their truck and it is not entitled to warranty coverage.
That's where they have to kick in the brain and have the ***** to submit a payable claim, and not a bunch of unnecessary info.

 

If you have access to your manuals that come with your H3, read the limited warranty and owners assistance info manual. If gm is allowed to go by this policy, then it clearly states " Any alteration or Modification to the vehicle including the body,chassis or components after final assenmbly by GM is not covered) That incudes the Tuff TRuxx
leveling kit.