Priority replacement question

Hey guys, my 2006 H3 is getting very close to the 155,000 mile mark and components are starting to show and act their "age"... Got 3 issues as of right now... Brakes, shocks and leaf springs... priority #1 is definitely going to be replacing the brakes, gotta be able to stop when the snow hits... but after that I'm not sure if I should replace my shocks first (Gunna get Bilsteins because my Pro-Comps aren't doing so hot and are too short.), or should I hold off on the shocks and get new leafs... (Current leaf springs have little gaps starting in between the leaves, are starting to flatten a bit and have a little bit of rusting thanks to Michigan salt... I understand that the GM replacements aren't the best, OEM usually isn't, but at the mileage I'm at, I'd rather go the cheaper route, plus the nearest spring shop is North of Detroit, about 3.5-4 hours from me... Where can I get new leaf springs online? (I've looked but not sure how trustworthy some site are...) Don't dare go to a stealership and ask, probably say $1000 for em' which is a big he!! no in my book...:wink: And salvage yards around here don't have H3's and refuse to allow me on the property unless I'm buying a full vehicle... (Ridiculous I know...) Any help would be appreciated, can't afford to get rid of it and don't want to, even when the engine goes I just have it planned to swap in a beefer engine... soo I plan on keeping it for the long haul, unless an H3T comes along at a dirt cheap price, then maybe I'd think about selling it. :wink:

Rust on leafs shouldn't be an issue. Unless they are sagging. I would do the leafs after breaks then shocks.................Semper FI to Michigan weather! Been here for 46 years minus a couple deployments.........

I don't know of any ready to go leaf spring replacements but custom ones are always available. I had mine rebuilt and improved for about the same price as new, meaning it wasn't necessarily a bargain, just the choice I wanted to go. Heck, if your original leafs lasted eight years and 155,000 miles, or close to that, I suspect a replacement set may outlast the vehicle.

Honestly, I would do shocks and springs together even if it means waiting a bit longer, unless you've got unsafe conditions like wheel hop, etc. If that's the case, go shocks first as they control wheel motion. Springs are more about holding the truck up in the air.

Parts.com could be a good source for OEM springs as it's a network of dealers so the shipping might be reasonable as the selling dealer could be close.

I got my leafs from gmpartsnow.com. $8 shipping. . And I think they were $150/side... For an extra $25, you might as well get the bushing for the shackle that are pressed into the frame. Don't forget new u-bolts and nuts. I just did all this to my truck this past weekend. It wasn't all that fun but I'm glad it's taken care of. I actually broke a leaf so rebuilding/re-arching wasn't an option for me. You may have trouble with the bolts being seized in the bushing sleeves. Just use a sawzall and cut em. Grab some new ones from the store and lather them in anti-seize before you slide em in.

USMC_TOP said:

Rust on leafs shouldn't be an issue. Unless they are sagging. I would do the leafs after breaks then shocks.................Semper FI to Michigan weather! Been here for 46 years minus a couple deployments.........

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Yeah Thanks USMC_TOP, wasn't sure if the rust would effect anything, but my driver's side is sagging just a bit more than my passenger one... plus the rear end has no cushion anymore... feels and drives like a chuck wagon... :huh:

alrock said:

I don't know of any ready to go leaf spring replacements but custom ones are always available. I had mine rebuilt and improved for about the same price as new, meaning it wasn't necessarily a bargain, just the choice I wanted to go. Heck, if your original leafs lasted eight years and 155,000 miles, or close to that, I suspect a replacement set may outlast the vehicle.

Honestly, I would do shocks and springs together even if it means waiting a bit longer, unless you've got unsafe conditions like wheel hop, etc. If that's the case, go shocks first as they control wheel motion. Springs are more about holding the truck up in the air.

Parts.com could be a good source for OEM springs as it's a network of dealers so the shipping might be reasonable as the selling dealer could be close.

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Thanks alrock, yeah anything I put on it now will probably outlast the hummer... :giggle: Soo 8 years/155,000 miles out of em' means I'm doing good? And the way it drives, it's a little on the rough/hard to control side, especially on rougher roads, around town it's livable, minus the brakes doing below sub par right now... May do the springs first, my mom said that she'd help me money wise on the brakes/shocks... Just hate how all this stuff has decided to give out right before the snow gets here and all at the same time... :sigh:

digglesworth said:

I got my leafs from gmpartsnow.com. $8 shipping. . And I think they were $150/side... For an extra $25, you might as well get the bushing for the shackle that are pressed into the frame. Don't forget new u-bolts and nuts. I just did all this to my truck this past weekend. It wasn't all that fun but I'm glad it's taken care of. I actually broke a leaf so rebuilding/re-arching wasn't an option for me. You may have trouble with the bolts being seized in the bushing sleeves. Just use a sawzall and cut em. Grab some new ones from the store and lather them in anti-seize before you slide em in.

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Thanks diggle, were gmpartsnow.com easy to deal with? Or were they a customer's worst nightmare? The bushings, are they listed on the site as well? (Looking at it now, found the springs.) Are they leaf spring bushings or shackle bushings? (Probably a stupid question) Also, is there a certain U-bolt I need, length wise... or are they universal-ish? :giggleAnother dumb question...) Sorry for all the questions... just want to make sure I'm gunna be getting the right stuff, plus you just changed yours out not too long ago soo the experience/parts are fresh in your mind...

I had to cross-reference part numbers. I looked at some other websites with diagrams and part numbers and just searched the part numbers on the gmpartsnow site. They were great. Everything in stock, which is pretty much everything, ships same day if you order before 3 or 4 eastern time. I ordered the leafs, then placed a seperate order for the u-bolts/nuts. I forgot the other bushings so I called them and placed a seperate order but they added it to the shipping of the other order so I didn't have to pay another $8. I got all the parts in like 2 days. They didn't have all the u-bolt nuts so those shipped out next day, not same day.

Thanks again guys... Turns out, my brakes are still good soo I'll be replacing them this next spring... Figured out the cause for the erratic-ness while braking, it was from my front driver's side Axle shaft seal that had leaked most of it's fluid out... replaced em' today and took it out for a drive and it's driving like a dream... well a dream that consists of having 315's, too short of shocks, and not soo good leaf springs... but it is braking better, minus the nose dive from oem bump stops on a leveled H3... :wink: But thanks for your help guys... That's why I love being a part of this forum and family. :cheers:

Bump stops are a 15 minute job, and only $40 from Trail Duty. Com.

I have a set if anyone wants to buy them.

Larry_Musgrave said:

Bump stops are a 15 minute job, and only $40 from Trail Duty. Com.

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Thanks, Larry, yeah got a set of 1/2" bump stops sitting in my tool box, tried to get them in about 4 times now with no luck, suckers are pinched in the stop seat thing tight... eventually they'll get put in. :giggle:

a big screwdriver works good. pry those suckers out. May have to use 2 screwdrivers... I use a drop of dish soap on the new ones. Smear it around the lip and it'll slide in. You gotta get the lip under 2 of the tabs. Gently push up on the lip right under the 3rd tab. Do the same with the 4th tab. Once they're in, spray a little water on em to rinse the soap of. Try and spin it in the cup. If it spins easily, rinse more til it doesn't seem slippery anymore. I change mine between the oem for wheeling and the trail dutys for the street.

The out part, get destructive.