Read if you have a Titan tank or are considering one

[jettech]

I found an issue with the Titan tank that I would suggest everyone look at if they have one installed. I looked at my fuel cooler area to follow up on a post some else asked about ( on another site) regarding a clearance issue they were having when they installed their tank. Anyone who has installed the Titan tank knows the fwd brace is not the most secure setup and could be a lot better. I found another issue. The entire tank and optional skid shield shifted slightly toward the passenger side and the tank also slid slightly fwd inside the skid shield. It probably moved ¾ to 1 inch toward the passenger side in the fwd cradle by bending the cradle and causing it to flatten out the normal U shape that is supposed to retain the tank in place. It shifted fwd about ½ to ¾ inch inside the optional shield. By moving toward the passenger side it comes closer to the drive shaft, I don’t think I need to tell you how ugly that could become. By sliding fwd in the shield it causes the tank to come closer to the fuel cooler which could cause rubbing issues if it goes far enough to contact the cooler. I ended up putting a floor jack under the front of the tank and removing the fwd brace. I bent the cradle back into shape, fabricated and welded in some gussets to stop it from shifting to the right again and bending the cradle. I was able to get a cheap scissor jack between the front of the tank and the torsion bar and use it to push the tank to the rear, it just slide back inside the skid shield. Then I used a small piece of angle iron and positioned it at the front end of the tank and bolted it to the shield to keep it from sliding fwd again.

 

[Pepperidge]

that is scary...did you find any defects ex. bad welds, weak porous metal etc...?

or do you believe it to be poor design?

 

[RayMich]

Wow! That could have turned into a serious mess.

Have you contacted Titian about this?

Your fix appears to be a good one. You should sell your idea to Titan.

I wonder why they don't have a steel band that wraps all the way around the tank in order to prevent any tank movement.

I would also consider entering a comment on the NHTSA website to alert others who may not have access to these forums. I would consider this a safety recall issue.

 

[jettech]

No bad welds. the metal they make the U shaped cradle out of is just too thin to stand on it's own without the extra gussets in there for support. I'm glad I looked at it to verify the clearance issue the other guy said he was having with his install at the cooler. I'm not sure if the fwd shifting would occur without the optional skid shield as the tank would be resting on the rubber pads instead of sitting in the plastic tub which is basically what the optional shield is. But I'm sure it would still be able to shift sideways and bend the cradle. I've only got about 5500 miles on this since I installed it. Thats been all highway driving, I can only imagine how it would hold up with any amount of rough or offroad action. I contacted Titan when I first got it to make them aware of my disappointment with the front support,I'll shoot them this info as well.

 

[RYDNHI4X4]

I live here in Northern NY where there is alot of salt and sand and I haven't noticed anything yet, but I have only had mine on for a year.

 

[jim87vette]

Good catch!Wonder how much it would shift if a guy is off roading alot in rough terrain yikes!Hope no one has the unthinkable happen.

 

[jettech]

I typed up a letter last night with pictures and sent it in to Titan. Hopefully they take it seriously.

 

[jettech]

Well,they got back to me pretty quickly. It sounds like they have already addressed the poor passenger side attachment design. And this week they made some changes to the cradle because of what I experienced. Good to hear some companies still listen to the customers when they ask for improvements. Here's what they sent back to me.

Dear Bob:

It was so very kind of you to bring your concerns about the GM Cross
Bar on your TITAN Tank to our attention. It is only through the help
of intelligent, concerned customers such as you, that we are able to
make important improvements in our products.

If there is one thing we genuinely try to be good at is making timely
product improvements.

I will try to address your concerns one at a time.

First, as to the secure mounting of the Cross Bar on the GM Frame.
We have redesigned the passenger side mounting bracket so that it
pins through the "C" frame flange on the truck so that it can't slide
in any direction. This has been done and should begin shipping soon.

Second, as to the problem with the saddle bracket you encountered. We
have not seen this problem before, but your excellent photographs
brought its possibility to our attention. Therefore, this week we
have changed the specifications, effective immediately, on the Cross
Bar saddle. The saddle piece has been previously been made of 14
gauge steel. Henceforth it will be formed of 10 gauge steel. This
nearly doubles the thickness of the saddle. As you may know, 14 ga.
is 0.0747" thick and 10 ga. is 0.1345" thick. 10 ga. is slightly more
than 1/8" thick. Our tests show that this should completely
alleviate the possibility of the cradle being flattened down as you
experienced.

We would not have been able to make this important change without
your input. Thanks so very much for your help.

When the first of the new, improved Cross Bars come out of the powder
coating shop, we will be more than happy to send one to you for your
inspection.

Thanks so much for your help on this important matter. Thank you so
much for your business.

Very Best Regards,

Ken S. Anderson
General Manager
Supertanks, LLC.
dba TITAN Fuel Tanks

 

[RayMich]

Definitely good to know that some companies DO listen to their customers.

Let us know your opinion of their "improved" cross bar when you get the new one.

 

[jcool]

Wow. Good customer relations.... I like that company.... definatly would get my business.

 

[jettech]

I figured I would follow up and see if the new design was any better,here's the response I got.

>Thanks for contacting us.

We've changed the specs., but the new ones haven't worked their way
to the product yet.

Contact us again in another two months, and we may be there by then.

Thanks,

Ken

It doesn't sound like they have implemented the changes in the new kits yet.

 

[Ed HD]

That all takes time, which is understandable, I just hope they warn people of it.

 

[jettech]

I have recently heard from Titan and the new front crossbar with the improved attachment and beefed up cradle is in beta test mode and in the powder coat phase,not yet included in new kits. Hopefully I will see one soon.

 

[SfcJones]

remember guys, when something has to change, sometimes hey are forced to involve the goverment for aproval or like my company we have to have UL reinspect and approve the changes

 

[jettech]

Well,received the new crossbar this week, the thicker metal for the front cradle seems like it should be adequate to prevent the bending and shifting I experienced. Can't really say there is much improvement to the attachment to the frame. Basically all they did was add a hole in each side so you can drill a hole through your trucks frame and through bolt it. I think they could have come up with a better fix than that.