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H3 SAS down under....

GreatDaneHummer

Well-Known Member
Messages
994
Location
Chicago
Is this suspension setup part of vehicle laws in Australia? Can you run a standard 3 link down there? I like to watch some videos by Ronny Dahl and he explains some of the crazy laws they have down there about vehicle modifications.
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
The choice to use radius-arms was the fabricator's suggestion. He had done several Yotas with a similar setup, and was pretty confident it would work for the owner.
They do have some crazy laws regarding mods. The vehicle must pass a road test with a government inspector. Of course all systems must be working with no dash lights, etc. This same truck underwent a SAS and a motor swap at the same time so I'm sure it was a bureaucratic nightmare.


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cwedge411

Member
Messages
6
Location
mass
Will any of this stuff be available for purchase after testing?

Latest update from down under...

The radius arm SAS rig is up and running. Owner and builder are pretty happy with the results. Although not as flexy as a 3-link, it gets the job done. Shock & spring valving is good enough that they have decided to run without a front sway bar. The truck handles, and brakes very well but, still has enough travel to tackle most off-road obstacles they would encounter. Best of all...the front axle won't snap if you look at it wrong, and it now has gearing to work with larger tires. The 2" stretch on the front axle allows it to sit this low. This is possible in large part to using a Toyota steering box with a forward facing pitman arm. These pics are with 35" tires, and 37" are coming in the near future. The larger tires will probably require a height adjustment, so the SOA might be needed, along with a front coil-over adjustment. Here are some poser shots...

View attachment 21833
View attachment 21834
View attachment 21835

As predicted, this rig is all droop, and no up-travel. It has 5.13s, a 4:1 low, and retains all the factory traction aids. This "creeper package" more than makes up for the limited flex. Although these pics might seem extreme to the typical Hummer guy, this is a very mild build in the Jeep world. I have no idea what the KING reservoir is that is hanging down on the tie-rod in the last photo.

The truck is currently coming back apart for a V8 swap. The owner ran a turbo on the 5-cyl. for awhile but, it smoked the #5 piston. Given the rarity and cost of rebuilding a 5-cylinder in Australia, the V8 upgrade was a no brainer. His swap will be different from state-side swaps because the 5.3 LS is a rare critter down under. So he will be swapping in an LS2 6.0L from a Holden (GM truck). Tranny has been rebuilt with the V8 input shaft and Corvette servos. He plans to run a manual torque converter lock-up (on a switch), along with an aftermarket converter. Stay tuned for more on this build.
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
Here's an update from down under....

Since the initial build, the Aussie rig has been converted to V8, broke a stock 3/4-ton GM stub axle, and broke a Mile Marker hub. It has recently undergone "PHASE II", and it now rolls on 37"s with RCV shafts, drive flanges. The owner reports that it is slowly getting tuned to become the rig he always envisioned. Next mods are tweaking the rear suspension. He plans to scoot the rear axle aft about one inch and also re-do the bump stop situation. This is mostly to get the 37" tires to clear during full compression. The rig has gotten enough attention that it will be featured in a couple Aussie magazines very soon...

RCV shafts are anything but easy to install. Lots of cussing and grinding. (Notice this is the passenger-side knuckle and it has no steering arm...RH drive has all the steering backwards)...
June-3.jpg

Because RCV does not offer outer stubs in the stock 19-spline configuration, you must run their flanges or adapters (for Warn lock-outs)...both at additional cost...
June-2.jpg

Not bad for a low-sitting radius-arm rig. This truck still uses a spring-under rear axle. I guess that King shock is some sort of steering damper. Not sure I would put it on the drag-link but, I'm sure he has his reasons. These guys building this are NOT dumb-asses. Very nice work...
June-1.jpg

For those of you currently doing the SAS (Tapped, Torres, etc.)....this build shows you the kind of persistence needed to complete a custom SAS on a H3. Some people think that you're done as soon as the tires come down on the shop floor. In reality...that's the starting point. It takes lots of experimentation and trial & error to arrive at the finished product. Some would argue that its never finished!
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
Just got an update from down under. The owner has been tweeking and adjusting the suspension, and has finally achieved the SASH3 he always wanted. Its been around a year or so, and this is typical for getting an entirely new suspension dialed in. To recap, he is running a stick-built radius arm front suspension with King coilovers and hydraulic bumps. He tried 350# springs and they worked well except for "jumping". So he settled on stiffer #400 springs, stating that it handles great without a front sway bar. The front axle is a THORparts built GM Dana 44, ARB locker, RCV shafts & drive flanges. Steering is RH drive cross-over with a Toyota FJ-80 box (I think). Front axle is 2" forward of stock. The rear axle is a stock 8.6 10-bolt with an ARB locker and spring under leaf spring location. (Rancho springs perhaps?).

This truck also runs an AP 4:1 transfer case that he purchased from me, along with the SAS stuff. It does get wheeled regularly, and severly. It has passed Australia's crazy government road-test criteria, with no dash-lights or drivability issues. It has also been converted from a super-charged 3.5L five-cylinder to an 5.3L Alpha configuration...which is a big deal to do legally in AU. Hats off to a super looking build. Best of all...the guy pops up in my mailbox from time to time, giving me updates on what worked and what didn't.

Here is a pic next to a stock-ish H3...

comparison1.jpg
 
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4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
Got an email the other day from down under. The owner bent the rear axle housing which caused one of the rear axle shafts to break. This guy must really be pounding his H3!!! He ended up finding a stock replacement shaft in Australia but, I am trying to get some chromoly shafts made here in the states. Speak up if you are interested.

Because the axle housing needed repair, he decided to do the spring over and incorporate it into a truss. This will prevent any further issues. Here's a test flex photo...
trussed rear axle-1.jpg
 
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atvspeed4

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,173
Location
massachusetts
Got an email the other day from down under. The owner bent the rear axle housing which caused one of the rear axle shafts to break. This guy must really be pounding his H3!!! He ended up finding a stock replacement shaft in Australia but, I am trying to get some chromoly shafts made here in the states. Speak up if you are interested.

Because the axle housing needed repair, he decided to do the spring over and incorporate it into a truss. This will prevent any further issues. Here's a test flex photo...
View attachment 23467
Glad I'm not the only one to bend housing/ break a rear axle shaft this month! Lol
 

atvspeed4

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,173
Location
massachusetts
So you interested in chromo shafts?
No thank you, after we also broke a 35 spline alloy front stub in our Dana 44 we decided focus on upgrade to 14 bolt semi float with alloy shafts.

If you need help sourcing the stock replacement alloy shafts just shoot me a PM. I can order a run of them on Monday. The shop that manufacturers our ifs diffs offered to make us stock replacement alloy shafts but with our bent housing and two broken main leafs we decided to go the 4 link 14 bolt route
 

jakesz28

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,041
Location
Cabool MO
With work and everything I hardly get a chance to stop in here. I sold my Dana axles before moving a couple years ago. But I still want to do this to my H3. I guess I just need to bite the bullet and buy the wife another driver for the country roads in Missouri and winter use.

This is looking good. I go back to Australia in a month or 2 for work and may get a chance to play in the bush.
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
Been awhile but, I received an email from the Aussie the other day. After sourcing his Dana 44 and some other SAS stuff from THORparts.com, this rig has gone thru numerous upgrades over the last couple of years. Originally a radius-arm rig with a Toyota box, it is now a true three-link with full hydra steering. Also upgraded to 16" travel coil-overs. He sent a link to his latest trail test...pretty awesome flex...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZnqcyVt5IE&feature=youtu.be
 

RamRod

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,914
Location
AB, Canada
I am guessing that the area he is in in Coffs Harbour, which is home to some of the hardest tracks in Aus!

That's a rad setup!

The area is also home to:
 

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