How to build an H3

So I'm curious. I've been bouncing around ideas on how to upgrade my H3, those thoughts include Bebe type modifications (but I'm keeping the doors, it's too cold and wet up here to live without them) to make my 3 more capable.

I know what I think, but what do you all think? what would you do to an Alpha to make it better?

clearance...IMO, with 112in wheelbase a torsion bar crank is not enough.

I know you mentioned a 4 link rear in another thread and it was a thought of mine too but after the spring over I have found no need for it. The spring over works great.

For the rear seeing you do SAR I would get some air bags with the daystar air bag cradle, it wont limit downtravel but will handle heavy loads.

for the front...strength! I think the stock travel I have is fine up front. but regear and strength.

Other then that I would say reliability and ability to grab off the shelf parts as much as you can (exceptions are control arms and driveshafts) but bushings, u joints, axle shafts, etc. When going all custom it would be nice to know whereever you are you can order a part vs. calling up someone who has to make a part and ship it out.

Seeing you say "bebe" type mods I am take it going all out. I just installed a "rubicrawler" in my brothers JK and man is it nice to have 2.72:1 for mud and long hill climbs, 4:1 for rocks and down hill decent and double low 10:1 for extreme ****. I know you do mud so that would help you a lot. Either modify a rubicrawler planetary gear box into a 4l60e tailhousing or go with Northwest fab black box. Black box requires driveshaft and crossmember mods while a rubicrawler doesnt require that but would be tougher to make.

Rancho in the front and spring over in the back i would say would be the most bang for the buck, like Squeaky is set up and he's wheeled the crap out of it. it's the way the desert proving grounds truck was set up that was here from GM in march of 08

Bang for your back I agree with neo. I can do stuff I could only dream of in the past...a lot better then before

I agree that the Rancho/SOA is the best bang for the buck.... however, I'm less concerned about that than hearing the bang when my front differential goes because it's such a cute, tiny, little thing.

I don't haul trailers, and 400 lbs of SAR volunteers really doesn't make much difference to spring rate (never mind the time I made a very portly friend walk when I was hanging up in the snow) because all of the other gear I haul, I haul all the time so it's within the calculations.

4 bar rear is a better solution because it allows great articulation while also allowing you to keep power to the ground. Also, I plan on making a new gas tank that fits where it should have been all along - where the muffler is... that also will give me at least a 30 gallon capacity

For the front, I think doing a front a-arm swap from a 2007 up truck with coil overs will do great things for increased travel.. also, it will allow me 7" of lift so I can run 38s. As for the rear axle, the 8.6 is a lot stronger than most think - so it'll get better axles, but that's about it. The front will probably get a reverse cut 44 or 9" Ford. I'll maintain the H3 axle lengths and 28 spline axles because with cryogenic treating, I can get 20% more strength - which puts me into the dana 60 area of strength. I'll also get more bullet proof cv joints (thus, if I break one, I can buy an off-the-shelf CV to get me home).

From an articulation standpoint I don't think it will get much better then a spring over. 12in of travel is easy to get. You may get 14 with some more up travel but you start to run into mounting problems.

I get the traction issue, a 4 link you can tune the suspension with adjusting link lengths, separation, roll center etc. The tuning is much more available then leafs. You can tune it to get traction. For me traction is no issue in the rear. It is in the front. I'm curious and stoked to see what you come up with. Will you remove all oem bracketry or modify parts to work with it

Neo said:

Rancho in the front and spring over in the back i would say would be the most bang for the buck, like Squeaky is set up and he's wheeled the crap out of it. it's the way the desert proving grounds truck was set up that was here from GM in march of 08

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Wait! it looks like the spring perch and shock mount is the OEM Spring Under setup!!

How was this done? I never realized that was a possibility!? I thought you had to order new spring perches!

i wish i knew, that was the one time Hummer made a showing at Easter Jeep Safari and then got canned a year and a half later

Ok so I'm pretty interested in this too. Let me know what your plans are. As far as the the spring over. How hard is that to do?? That looks perfect

As a point of discussion, we have completely taken the H3 front suspension apart and looked into coilover conversions. One of the topics that was raised on the forum was questioning the strength of the frame and shock mounts to handle the force of now supporting the weight of the vehicle. Take a look at the front coil mounts on a F150 or a 2007+ silverado and I think you will be impressed with the H3 shock mount.

http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/s...silverado-bms-suspension-system/photo-02.html

Is the concern that the front end weight is put on the crossmember of the torsion bars and that the H3 front mounts arent made for that seeing they dont hold much weight?

06 H3 said:

Is the concern that the front end weight is put on the crossmember of the torsion bars and that the H3 front mounts arent made for that seeing they dont hold much weight?

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That is what was said before but the more we have looked at the frame the more comfortable I am with the shock mounts supporting a coilover.

atvspeed4 said:

That is what was said before but the more we have looked at the frame the more comfortable I am with the shock mounts supporting a coilover.

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that is quite helpful, thanks. from what I've seen, I'm only moving the front mount of both A-arms forward - that gives me a huge range of options, then, to find A-arms, spindles, etc.

I'm also planning on updating the front differential to at least a 1/2 differential (haven't looked at the heavier ones yet) - it would certainly be more robust than the AAM 760; I'd then make adapters to use the H3 CV joints.... of course, some modification would be required since the trucks put the differential on the opposite side (actually, on the AAM 760 - it wouldn't be a deal killer because you'd simply bolt the long side to the opposite side (yep, I checked) - I'm hoping that one of the potential IFS differentials will have the same capability.

Neo said:

Rancho in the front and spring over in the back i would say would be the most bang for the buck, like Squeaky is set up and he's wheeled the crap out of it. it's the way the desert proving grounds truck was set up that was here from GM in march of 08

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So I have a few question. First what angle does the drive shaft have to be to meet the axle? Second does the leafs NEED a saddle to lay on the axle? In this photo dosen't look like it has it and one more thing, will the OEM shocks do or you need the rancho shocks? I got a lift kit today and all I want to use for the rear is the sway bar links.