Total newbie from Ontario

Hi guys,

This is my first H3 ever. I was looking for second car for family, mostly for weekend driving - camping, hunting and may be some recreational off-roading. Found this Hummer and liked how it feels to drive it.
So, now I am trying to learn what I have bought and how I can use and improve it )



The day after I registered it ice rain hit the Ontario, so I actually glad I have bought this car!



I would really appreciate if somebody could help me on some info here:

• Lift kits - what are available? What is the best choice to make road clearance even bigger?
• Wheels - what wheels would be good for my purposes? I believe for off-roading it is better to get steel wheels, not alloys one. Is that so?
• Transfer case and drivetrain - trying to understand how it works, what my H3 equipped with and how I can modify/improve it.

The last one is very interesting for me. So far I found that most probably I have either Borg Warner BW4494 or BW4493 transfer case, but I don't know what is the difference between them, how they operate, and so on.
Would really appreciate help in finding some info.

Thanks!

Welcome to H4O! Lots of questions there. Easiest way to answer #3 is to understand if you have an Adventure model. If you're not sure, take a pic of the center of the dash where the 4x4 buttons are located. If you have a locker, you have an Adventure model and the 4:1 transfer case.

alrock said:

Easiest way to answer #3 is to understand if you have an Adventure model.

Click to expand...

I know for sure that I don't. It is a BASE model. My plan is actually to add diff locks to it and create more off-road ready car.

Welcome!

Welcome to H40.

Lift kits are virtually non-existent. There were two - Tuff Country (I think) and Rancho. Rancho was the more desirable but no new kits are available and used are nearly impossible to find. To get ground clearance, go with bigger tires, up to 35" and remove those nerf bars.

Upgrades to 4WD parts usually include a GM 4:1 transfer case and a rear locker. Different opinions exist as to whether locker or transfer case is more valuable, and it will depend on your own needs. Rear locker is typically Eaton electric but you can explore other options.

Stay with aluminum wheels. I think many liked to wheel with steel because they were cheap and if they were damaged they were cheap to replace. Aluminum are lighter and will help your performance, on and off road. Those particular wheels that you have are liked by many so you could consider storing those or selling them and getting the standard split spoke wheels. Or just keep those. I have a set and may put them on in a few years.

Welcome from sunny Southern California, there are hours worth of reading here so enjoy your new H3.