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Kyle's h3 build

SuperBuickGuy

SuperBuickGuy

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,403
Location
Woodinville, WA
sway bars are awesome for towing... I removed mine completely and honestly I haven't noticed the difference on road; but the difference off road is quite positive

And
GM didn't put sway bars on most of the pickups/blazers/suburbans until recently - heck, most solid axle cars didn't have them either...
 
Kyle

Kyle

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,707
Location
Santa Clarita, CA
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I still have to adjust them but dam are these things bright!!!
 
J

jakesz28

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,056
Location
Cabool MO
I'm all for disconnecting on the trail. But to drive around disconnected on the highway is at some risk. I was disconnected for a week in Moab and the drive to the trails was a little scary but doable if the drive slow and carefully. ATVspped4 I would have to say on the trail you will do better with the back disconnected too. I did fairly well in Moab being disconnected, I remember one small climb that two 4 to 1 locked h3's needed help getting up and my base model drove right up. They were connected and I had front and rear disconnected. Did it make a difference? I think so.
 
SuperBuickGuy

SuperBuickGuy

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,403
Location
Woodinville, WA
jakesz28 said:
I'm all for disconnecting on the trail. But to drive around disconnected on the highway is at some risk. I was disconnected for a week in Moab and the drive to the trails was a little scary but doable if the drive slow and carefully. ATVspped4 I would have to say on the trail you will do better with the back disconnected too. I did fairly well in Moab being disconnected, I remember one small climb that two 4 to 1 locked h3's needed help getting up and my base model drove right up. They were connected and I had front and rear disconnected. Did it make a difference? I think so.
Click to expand...

absolutely right - don't do what isn't comfortable for you and you need to do what works best for you - and includes how you drive, where you drive, and what style of driver you are (eg. binary driver or careful, slow and cautious). I won't disconnect the front sway bar - but, I live and wheel in Washington; and that's far different wheeling than Moab or Rubicon.


*binary driver - is either full throttle or off and usually wheels in sand.
 
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S

Sethmark

Well-Known Member
Messages
230
Location
SC
That pesky articulation limiter.

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From my own experience, I would never run without a light swaybar front and rear.

First of which is it keeps the body in check. That means that when things get hairy body doesn't flop around unrestricted. I've seen plenty of slow speed rollovers where you're stable until the body shifts because the coil spring pushes you away. Sway bars stop that.

The second reason is because she creates additional downforce on the tires. By virtue of making each tire want to be in the same plane as the other so when one stretches down the other is compelled to follow. Gives the high tire more traction.

Yes. The front sway bar in the h3 is pretty heavy. But the rear isn't.
 
06 H3

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,498
Location
Meridian, ID
Taking this from another thread, this is where Mel told serge sway bars are needed and I understand that especially when your suspension is completely designed from the ground up like serges rig. Jeeps that don't have suspensions built from the ground up can still get away with stock sway bars... Our rears are as thick as their fronts. Our fronts are way to thick and limit everything, they don't allow flex but do control body roll. They control everything too much so disconnecting helps and is worth a bit of body roll IMO
 
S

Sethmark

Well-Known Member
Messages
230
Location
SC
I don't have any trail time in the hummer, but the rear is plenty light for usage based on the articulation tests I've done. The front is too heavy and could benefit from disco'ing or moving to a torsion style bar. .

But there's too much body to leave it unchecked. In my opinion, of course
 
SuperBuickGuy

SuperBuickGuy

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,403
Location
Woodinville, WA
Here's my line of thinking:
Forward motion is created by using all available traction, traction is created by equal force to all wheels so that all available traction can be used. A 4x4 doing it's best impression of a teeter totter is going to be traction limited. I've been on enough of a sidehill to set the roll over sensor off - and no rear sway bar - so I'm not sure I can see the point about slow roll-overs; to me, that's completely driver error because the vehicle isn't failing mechanically - thus the roll could have been avoided if driver had properly assessed the situation (even if it means saying "no" - I know heresy)

My issue with the rear sway bar is it unloads one tire, which reduces traction - I think it's pointless to undo the front sway bar because it's an open differential so maintaining a tripod with two fronts and one rear is advantageous because the front two will still keep pulling when there's no easier side and the rear can be locked or employs the LS. If you can keep all 4 wheels equally on the ground, physics says you'll have better forward progress. Further, having max traction means you don't have to resort to momentum as quickly when you're in a dicey situation.

Yes, if you the highest hill you climb is a mall parking garage - sure, leave it on... but these things are heavy enough already that to reduce weight, get better articulation, and to maintain maximum traction removing the rear sway bar is the right thing given what I use mine for - lots of off road and DD.

...and to complete the circle - the rear sway bar is going to be installed on my K20 diesel truck. It could use the stability, especially when it has a camper on it.
 
S

Sethmark

Well-Known Member
Messages
230
Location
SC
I've had the privilege of flopping that jeep on its side around 20x. Lots of them were driver error. I had a habit of pushing to the edge of adhesion and beyond.

What i learned was that the car needs to be stable, especially if slinky. A simple pump of the brake in an off camber situation can make a spring squish just enough to send you over. The body gets a little momentum and plop. A sway bar helps that.

Leaf springs are, admittedly, a little different than coils. The leaf is trying to pull back on droop, where a cool is always trying to push. But the body has to be restrained at the edge of traction and balance. Even shifting in your seat can be a real surprise.

As for traction, every situation is different. I don't wheel mud and rarely sand. I was all about the nastiest rocks in the country...
 
Kyle

Kyle

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,707
Location
Santa Clarita, CA
build thread update coming soon, Hint: rigid Industries lighting, CB radio mounted, bumper mod, exhaust mod pics. will post them up later tonight.
 
Kyle

Kyle

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,707
Location
Santa Clarita, CA
thanks guys! happy to be back and yes mods are already on there way! and zach ill make sure to have you in the passengers seat!
 
Kyle

Kyle

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,707
Location
Santa Clarita, CA
Okay time to update with some pics! I had the whole car tinted, cranked the T bars, bed lined all the chrome and rims and installed a 32inch light bar on the front. Also have a 50inch sitting in the box waiting to go on, just have to order the brackets! Also waiting on my 35's Cooper STT Pro's. Also installed a CB radio antenna on the rear tire carrier, Ham radio antenna will go right next to it as well.
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