Recent H1 Open Top Rollover

[BigDogoffroad]

A buddy sent me this thread. I love finding threads about myself online. I'm new to this forum, but I've been into Hummers for 12 years. I put together a trip to the Moab/Durango area every April and the guys we wheel with are very experienced drivers. The goal for this trip was to "trail test" (read: beat up) the new steering system I had just designed to retrofit the Alpha/HMMWV ECV Sheppard M83 steering gear to the older Hummer frames.

I feel bad for the truck, I wonder how much damage it took.... :shame:

Funny you should ask. The damage was really quite minor despite how the film crew made it look. I scratched my brush guard, bent the roll bar (and damaged those flimsy pieces above the doors that hold the velcro on), deleted the gap in the rear 1/4 panel, broke off one mirror and slightly bent the tire carrier.

Makes sense, I watched some of the other videos. zero throttle control going up potato salad and even the escalator.

Ok bro, I'm sure you would have done better. There were 40-50mph winds and I couldn't see ****.

Steering system will be around 2-3k, and the modifcation that is done, sounds to be drilling and welding certain parts to make it work. When it is actually getting the steering system installed, ill get him to send some pictures. Sounds like since he didn't break any steering components on the trip, that it should hold up very well for us.

Steering mounting kit including all hardware and outside frame reinforcement plate is only $850. Other parts needed will be the Sheppard M83 steering gear, Alpha/ECV pitman, Alpha/ECV idler, drag link, and steering shaft. You can use your stock PS pump.

ouch - looks like that truck was put together really well.
Glad nobody was hurt - has their been a debrief from the owner since this video?

Thanks. We were all fine. The film crew have been with us for this event for the last several years and the downhill cameraman who got the best footage loves the risky angles.

Without signing up on that forum and reading the whole story.........

3 things: Awesome spotters. That dude obviously has more money than brains. And I bet he drove it home.

My "spotters" were the guys sitting on the hill eating chips. They have a combined 25+ years of Hummer experience. I hardly ever need a spot but I did holler up and ask them if I was ok, they said I was fine and I proceeded.....proceeded to roll over. I couldn't see and didn't see the 7' deep hole my tire was about to drop into.

He should have had two less on the camera crew, and had some actual spotters.
Not sure what kind of line he was trying to run either.

See note above

One tap of the skinny pedal would've prevented that.

Ok bro, you try it. The front tire fell 7' vertical before touching the ground.

Hmmm, there's got to be a reason the truck is eating up steering parts.

I would be more afraid of cracking the frame with the upgraded steering kit. I mean frames already crack with the stock steering setup I wonder how the frame will hold up to this new setup.

The reason Hummers go through so many steering parts is complicated. If you have a Rock Ram you will go through a LOT more steering parts because the hydraulic cylinder will destroy your tie rods and once those are loose they will ruin your idler and pitman also.

This was my previous truck from our 2012 trip. I have sold that one and built this new one (although they do look similar). It's always good to have your local heavy equipment rental company handy when your wheels falls off. This is downtown Moab directly in front of McStiff's.

That actually really sucks, he completely rebuilt that truck only to have it roll on its first run. It looks like he didn't really sustain any major damage but you know H1 guys they are like master mechanics they know how to fix their stuff. I think he also ran another trail after that lol

Yup, I drove out of the hole I rolled into, then did Jeep Eater, then went for dinner. This was the first day of a 3 day trip. Truck drives fine......much better actually than any other Hummer I have ever wheeled after a hard day on the trail.

 

[cdarveaux]

Well I'm happy to hear there was minimal damage, and yea it looked nasty in the video but good to hear!

 

[icentropy]

Thanks for the info...the steering is a real weak link in our trucks, especially with bigger tires and hard wheeling. In the long run $3k isn't that much.

The rear steer kit is tempting, though I am still a bit nervous about that one without trying one out -- I also have some safety concerns that need to be put to rest.

The rear steering is fun. That right there is the biggest selling point. Yeah it's handing in tight spots, honestly 90% of the time i use it is just to mess around driving down the road at a 45° angle just to make my self giggle. If/When i build another truck, it's gonna have it for sure. There's a lot of things that set apart our trucks from the common lifted 4x4s but I'll tell you the rear steer add-on...makes you feel like you're learning to drive all over again. There are some things i'd change but without serious re-engineering of the controlling mechanism it wouldn't be easy and it wouldn't be as friendly to use off-road. On-road if your real careful you can play with it up to around 20mph. after that i gets too touchy. at 5-10mph you can just have fun and mess around. I do want to make a better locking mechanism for it. Some kind of cable system where i can insert a pin from inside the cab. With it's small issues though, it's still the best accessory ive ever had on a hummer.

 

[3Hummers]

Any word on when the mini-scorpion will be market ready?

 

[PreferredChassisFab]

Any word on when the mini-scorpion will be market ready?

Dave for you anything can be made to happen. Be quiet don't tell Luis...


Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

 

[PreferredChassisFab]

FYI this unit could be made available for sale. I could convert it to conventional driver controls. Never been titled and only 300 miles on the clock. Was PCF's show vehicle.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

At least it died with its boots on - Snohomish County search and rescue have an H1 that was given them awhile ago. About 2 years ago, while responding to a mission with ESAR (kids), it got broadsided by a drunk driving a suburban and it's now totalled. Every time I go to our home base, I visit it and say a bad word about the person who destroyed it

*** and don't ask, it's really totalled and it can't be sold anyway.

 

[icentropy]

*** and don't ask, it's really totalled and it can't be sold anyway.

awwww, i was just gonnna ask....

 

[3Hummers]

FYI this unit could be made available for sale. I could convert it to conventional driver controls. Never been titled and only 300 miles on the clock. Was PCF's show vehicle.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

Is this the one that got started for a customer that never finished the build?

 

[PreferredChassisFab]

Is this the one that got started for a customer that never finished the build?

No, the one pictured is the robotic Scorpion MKIV-A that has been the robotic test platform and show vehicle, was in the DARPA unmanned vehicle races. That customer build still sits unfinished.

 

[Pappibri]

A buddy sent me this thread. I love finding threads about myself online. I'm new to this forum, but I've been into Hummers for 12 years. I put together a trip to the Moab/Durango area every April and the guys we wheel with are very experienced drivers. The goal for this trip was to "trail test" (read: beat up) the new steering system I had just designed to retrofit the Alpha/HMMWV ECV Sheppard M83 steering gear to the older Hummer frames.


Funny you should ask. The damage was really quite minor despite how the film crew made it look. I scratched my brush guard, bent the roll bar (and damaged those flimsy pieces above the doors that hold the velcro on), deleted the gap in the rear 1/4 panel, broke off one mirror and slightly bent the tire carrier.



Ok bro, I'm sure you would have done better. There were 40-50mph winds and I couldn't see ****.



Steering mounting kit including all hardware and outside frame reinforcement plate is only $850. Other parts needed will be the Sheppard M83 steering gear, Alpha/ECV pitman, Alpha/ECV idler, drag link, and steering shaft. You can use your stock PS pump.



Thanks. We were all fine. The film crew have been with us for this event for the last several years and the downhill cameraman who got the best footage loves the risky angles.



My "spotters" were the guys sitting on the hill eating chips. They have a combined 25+ years of Hummer experience. I hardly ever need a spot but I did holler up and ask them if I was ok, they said I was fine and I proceeded.....proceeded to roll over. I couldn't see and didn't see the 7' deep hole my tire was about to drop into.




See note above



Ok bro, you try it. The front tire fell 7' vertical before touching the ground.



The reason Hummers go through so many steering parts is complicated. If you have a Rock Ram you will go through a LOT more steering parts because the hydraulic cylinder will destroy your tie rods and once those are loose they will ruin your idler and pitman also.


This was my previous truck from our 2012 trip. I have sold that one and built this new one (although they do look similar). It's always good to have your local heavy equipment rental company handy when your wheels falls off. This is downtown Moab directly in front of McStiff's.



Yup, I drove out of the hole I rolled into, then did Jeep Eater, then went for dinner. This was the first day of a 3 day trip. Truck drives fine......much better actually than any other Hummer I have ever wheeled after a hard day on the trail.

Nice... Its guys like you that help find our rigs weaknesses. "If one does not push it to the extremes one will never find all of the weaknesses"... Nice rig by the way....:thumbs:

 

[alrock]

FYI this unit could be made available for sale. I could convert it to conventional driver controls. Never been titled and only 300 miles on the clock. Was PCF's show vehicle.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

The irony is that the "auto pilot" in there could probably do a better job wheeling than I can!

 

[twinmill28]

The irony is that the "auto pilot" in there could probably do a better job wheeling than I can!

oke: