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5GN-H3T - My '06 SAS

5gn-h3t

Well-Known Member
Messages
616
Location
Northeast Pennsyltucky
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I've been working on this a LONG time and I'm finally getting the time, money, and motivation to finish it.

Since I started this project - I moved, got married, had a baby, wife got laid off, I've switched jobs, etc., etc. Now, I AM GOING TO FINISH IT! Come hell or high water.
I drove it once, it was in the way of the garage door. Moved it under it's own power with no brakes, no steering, no shocks, and most of the suspension tacked on. It was interesting. :) I'd really like to drive it again, like, daily.

Right now I'm looking for some help from my fellow SAS-ers. Can anyone post some pics of their track bar mount (axle side)? I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advance.
 

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4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
Nice. I use a trackbar bracket from Artec. I do some minor cutting to fit up against the cast-in spring perch (GM housing). I got one lying around...I'll post up some pics tomorrow.
I've tried no less than five or six different brackets, and the Artec seems to fit the best.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,350
Location
Meridian, ID
I'll grab some in the morning i have used two. My first housing I used a ruff stuff bracket which was more custom then ruffstuff. 2nd housing I used a TNT bracket modified it as well but not as much as I did on the ruff stuff one
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
Also., be very careful moving the truck without a trackbar. There's nothing to keep the body from shifting sideways and collapsing the entire suspension.. This will bend your coil springs, brackets, and possibly cause some serious body damage.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,350
Location
Meridian, ID
Ratchet straps work in a bad situation! Lol 2am phone call broken track bar bracket on top of a mountain in Frazier park...off I went with 6 ratchet straps...5 miles later he's off the trail and on a tow truck.
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
Sorry...not Artec. TNT is the one I use...
https://www.tntcustoms.com/jeep_parts/trackbar_bracket_axle_bracket

You need to chop it up a bit, so it fits the GM housing. I notched the backside of it to fit the spring perch on the pumpkin.
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Here's some pics of it after its welded in place and painted. I also added a triangular gusset to the under-side outboard end of it, to help control the side-to-side stresses it will see...
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This bracket is the only one I've found that puts the track-bar in the right spot on the H3. This bracket will also allow you to run a straight track bar which is much easier to adjust than a bent one. I usually use the top hole as it puts the trackbar nearly level, and virtually eliminates bump-steer. I use an inboard trackbar mount on the drivers-side frame rail (ballistic or ruffstuff).
 

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5gn-h3t

Well-Known Member
Messages
616
Location
Northeast Pennsyltucky
They're so worn down that they're probably 35-1/2's but yes they are. Haha. Got them cheap off craigslist. If it ever gets moving again under it's own power, new rubber is a high priority. Right now, not so much.
 

GreatDaneHummer

Well-Known Member
Messages
994
Location
Chicago
Any chance I can ask a huge favor and get a picture of how they mount up on the stock hummer next to it? I would love to see what kind of clearance issues there are in the front of that? My "35's" are actually 33.1" right now... pretty sad how much smaller the Mickey Baha Claws actually run.
 

5gn-h3t

Well-Known Member
Messages
616
Location
Northeast Pennsyltucky
I can't take them off until I put the transfer case back in, but I will as soon as I can.

From previous experience - They won't ****ing fit! Lol. Even if you cut the hell out of everything, once you flex it out things will get really bad.
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
Yes. You must get rid of the forward brake line t-block. This is a brass fitting that is bolted to the drivers-side frame rail right next to the lower radiator hose. For the life of me...I don't know why this is here, as all it does is make the rear brake lines longer. The steering box bolts to this area, so the t-block must go.

There are (4) lines that connect to it...RR and LR. First thing you must do, is label the ports at the master cylinder and also the (2) lines that run aft to the rear axle. You must keep these brake lines organized, because they will need to be reconnected to the correct ports at the master cylinder. After you get everything labeled...remove the t-block and the (2) lines that connect the block to the master cylinder. This can all be discarded.

When done...you will have (2) brake lines open-ended where the t-block used to be...and they run the entire length of the truck to the rear axle. Take some time to straighten them as best as you can...they are very hard to bend. Next remove the plastic clips from the frame rail...all the way back to the tranny crossmember. This is necessary because the upper 3-link mount gets welded to the inboard side of the frame rail, and the brake lines must be bent (by hand) to clear it.

Now you must bend both of those brake lines up at the firewall and route them to the master cylinder. They will be slightly longer than what you need so I find it works best if you put a service loop in them right at the master cylinder, (I run them past the ports then put a tight 180 bend in them). The original fittings (formerly at the t-block) thread right into the master cylinder. Make sure you get them connected to the correct ports. Check to make sure the brake lines do not rub on the steering shaft, or any other items.

Bleeding is pretty standard except you must have the ignition on to bleed them, as the H3 uses an electric brake booster. The factory brake lines are plastic coated and they are a total beyotch to work with. I use a small piece of 1.5" DOM to form the bends, as my tubing bender does not fit them. Forget trying to cut and re-flare them...it works much better to save the factory ends and fittings, and reshape the lines to suit. If you do end-up mangling the brake lines beyond repair...you will be forced to replace the entire line with an aftermarket piece. These plastic-coated GM lines are impossible to modify.

Here's the t-block and lines to the m.c. that must be removed...
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4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
I looked everywhere but, I cannot find any pics of the re-route. Perhaps gfbh3t could post a pic of his master cylinder? His came out really nice, looks factory.
 

5gn-h3t

Well-Known Member
Messages
616
Location
Northeast Pennsyltucky
Lol, I cut all that off a long time ago and didn't label a damn thing. Luckily, I have another H3 I can look at for the correct routing.

I wasn't sure if the lines had enough length to make it to the master cylinder. I'll try like hell to keep them nice and neat without kinking anything. Thanks again.

And with needing ignition on to bleed - MAKE SURE YOU UNPLUG THAT PUPPY BEFORE YOU TURN THE KEY ON WITH NO BRAKE LINES CONNECTED!!! Crazy noises followed by whatever fluid is left in the system. The little things you forget about after spending a bunch of time doing other stuff. I've had so much **** apart over such a long period of time that I've started marking tight/torqued bolts with a white paint marker so I don't miss anything. Loose bolts look just like tight ones!
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
Here you go. First make some bulkhead tabs (or buy them). Then weld them to a convenient place on the frame. I like them tucked back behind the coil springs, and protected by the bucket mounts...
 

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