A GMC spun bearing issue has made these two trucks twins in the worst way.
Texas-based GM Diesel technician Duradoc (@duradoc) literally shined a light on the problem on social media with a now-viral video. In it, he shows the problem, one of the worst engine dilemmas you can get, shared by the two vehicles.
Duradoc published the video to his TikTok account on Saturday. It currently has over 1.8 million views.
He seems to know what the problem is
The video begins with a view of the two trucks. Both are side by side on two different vehicle lifts. The Denali nameplate—denoting the luxury trim option offered by GMC—is seen clearly on each car.
Duradoc asks, “Can y’all guess what’s wrong with both these GMs?” as he pans the camera to the truck on the right.
“On today’s episode of [expletive] up Fridays,” he continues as he ducks under the first vehicle. His camera spotlights the truck’s drivetrain, stopping near the flywheel.
Then he announces, “Spun bearing.”
He then walks over to the truck on the left, ducking under and focusing on a spot on its drivetrain. “Spun bearing,” he repeats.
What is a spun bearing?
What does it mean to have a spun bearing?
In mechanical terms, bearings are designed to support other mechanical elements with a minimum of wear and friction. In most cars, a rod bearing supports the connecting rod and the crankshaft, allowing the engine to power the wheels of the drive.
The bearing has tabs that fit into detents to keep the bearing from turning. Sometimes, these tabs can become worn and allow the tab to jump out of its detent. When this happens, the bearing can spin over the adjacent bearing and cease to function.
Per Big Bear Engine Company, “Many spun rod inserts cause catastrophic damage—as in the block and crankshaft are damaged beyond repair.”
The GMC spun bearing issue
In a September 2024 post in GM Truck Forums, user Scathatheworm claims, “There have been some issues with 6.2 engines randomly seizing and locking up.”
They state, “I am not sure how many trucks/SUVS in total are affected by this problem…because I saw it in Reddit, in other forums, [such as] Tik Tok.”
In January, “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation on Thursday into GM for engine failure in some full-size trucks and SUVs,” according to the GM Authority website.
“The complainants report a bearing failure that may result in either engine seizure or breaching of the engine block by the connecting rod,” the NHTSA report says. “The complainants report that there is no detectability prior to the failure.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to GM via email for a statement.
@duradoc f**ked up friday #gmtech #fyp #mechanicsoftiktok #mechanic #denali #l87 ♬ original sound – duradoc
Viewer feedback
Viewer Triplett Jon (@triplettjon) voiced his dissatisfaction with the brand, commenting, “It’s crazy how unreliable GM has become my 2004 Silverado has 418,000 and I’d drive it across the country tomorrow no hesitation.”
“I honestly don’t feel bad for people anymore, keep making terrible financial decisions on subpar over priced vehicles if we want this to change we have to stop supporting it,” another viewer wrote.
Another viewer simply commented, “Stop buying US-made cars.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Duradoc via TikTok comment and direct message for a statement.
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