1995 Toyota T100

THIS BRACKET COULD ONLY FAIL FROM DEFECT IN DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE. IT IS THE PIVOT POINT FOR THE CLUTCH PEDAL SO IF IT BREAKS YOU CANNOT SHIFT GEARS BUT WILL REMAIN IN GEAR AND NOT BE ABLE TO GO TO NEUTRAL. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD REPLACE THIS PART IF IT EVER FAILS AS IN THIS CASE IT IS A FAILURE IN DESIGN. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE EQUIVALENT PART FAIL IN ANY VEHICLE REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE OR ABUSE. THE TOYOTA DEALER STOCKS THIS ITEM SO FAILURE CAN'T BE ALL THAT RARE. THIS COMPONENT IS MOST LIKELY USED IN TOYOTA TUNDRA PICKUPS ALSO. THE DEALER ALSO STOCKS THE BRACKET OF SIMILAR FUNCTION FOR THE BRAKE PEDAL! ONCE MORE A PART THAT SHOULD NEVER FAIL. THE PROBABILITY OF DAMAGE FROM AN ACCIDENT TO THIS COMPONENT WOULD BE SMALL DUE TO IT'S LOCATION MOUNTED TO THE VEHICLE FIREWALL AND UNDER THE DASH. THE BRACKET I REMOVED HAS NUMEROUS STRESS CRACKS IN IT AND IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION.*AK

I WAS DRIVING AT APPROX 70 MPH. AMBIENT TEMP APPROX 95 F. TIRES WERE MARGINAL IN TREAD, BUT SHOWED NO SIGN OF DAMAGE. TREAD SEPARATED, BUT TIRE REMAINED INTACT. MAIN INGREDIENTS OF ISSUE. SPEED, HEAT, TIRE AGE. I NOTIFIED BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE THAT THEY SHOULD INVESTGATE THIS AS PEOPLE WILL THINK THEIR TIRES ARE OK, BASED ON A LAY-PERSONS VISIUAL INSPECTION, BUT THERE MIGHT BE AN UNDERLYING PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY THE TIRE COMPANY DISCARDED THE TIRE BEFORE I COULD GET THEM TO LET ME KEEP IT. IT WAS A CLASSSIC EXAMPLE OF THE PROBLEM AFFECTING THE WILDERNESS, AT, ETC TIRES, INCLUDINGTHE FACT THAT IT STAYED INFLATED. I SUSPECT THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD, BUT HAS NOT YET REACHED THE PROPORTION OF THE CURRENT TIRE PROBLEM, OR IT HAS NOT CAUSED CATASTROPHIC RESULTS DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE SEPARATION, OR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE VEHICLE'S UNDERCARRIAGE AND COMPONENTS (AXLES, HEIGHT OF CAR, ETC.). IT SEEMS THAT B/F TIRES SHOULD AT LEAST NOTIFY CUSTOMERS TO GET ALL OLD TIRES CHECKED, BIUT IT DOES NOT SEEM FAIR TO HAVE THEM PAY FOR RECALL OF TIURES THAT ARE BEYOND THEIR EXPECTED LIFE. HOPE THIS HELPS SAVE A LIFE, OR AT LEASTS SAVES SOMEONE SOME BIG HASSLES OR BIG LEGAL BILLS. CHEERS! TONY( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215/75/15 )