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Hummer h2 build ideas

GreatDaneHummer

Well-Known Member
Messages
994
Location
Chicago
I have spent about $8,000 on parts for an H3 SAS and I am still not finished gathering parts. If your going to do a SAS to an H2 like how another guy did Dynatrec 60 front and 80 rear get ready to drop a good $30k plus if someone else is doing the work. Just my guess but hopefully he will chime in with some idea what he spent at ORE. Torq will charge $10k for each axle without suspension parts but their 14 bolt is comparable to Dana 80's front and rear.


Okay cool thanks for the info do you know how much it would cost to do that?
 

Bmonts h3

Well-Known Member
Messages
161
Location
Mobile,al
Thanks for all the good info guys the SAS is definitely out of my range but is there any modifications I can do to to stock front end to make it more capable and durable?
 

Mb30sdl

Hamster that pokes Bears
Messages
1,586
Location
Irvine,ca
It was a good chunk of money. But I had no budget to speak of. Custom 3/4 link suspension, Dana 60/80 with all of upgrades possible, competition racing suspension coilovers and atlas TC. Then I had to do custom exhaust and 2 front driveshafts ( one for crawling and second for hi speed with limiting straps), rear was split in half with carrier bearing to increase break over angle. Airbags in the rear to level out while towing. Best thing was f450 front brakes, first time I stepped on them I thought I will do a "stoppie" it is that much better compear to OEM bs.
If u planing to rockcrawl with decent size tires (37"+)don't waist your time with dana44.

Plus I am not Chris, I don't like doing same things more that once.
 

GreatDaneHummer

Well-Known Member
Messages
994
Location
Chicago
This really should be in the H3 area but I will give it a shot if no one minds: I will start by giving the same advice I was given from CJ at Thorparts; wheel with what you have and then you learn what to upgrade and if you even need to upgrade. From my limited wheeling I have never really had the amount of broken axle parts as some guys that take the H3 to its limits ie: 06H3. Watch some of his video's and you will see why he went to a SAS Dana 44 in the front. Even that didn't hold up to his wheeling and he has now decked it to the 9's with RCV shafts etc. Head out with some hummer buddies here and you will get tons of advice. You will also be very surprised at how capable the H3 is right from the start even with a good set of 33" tires and some skid plates. You run in mud I am assuming down there so a new front greasable drive shaft is far better than the OEM mud catcher.

For me I like big tires, I have 35" Pitbull Rockers and I keep dreaming of 37's or even their 39.5 Bias. I know that I can't regear better than 4.56 and that will not cut it with the 3.7L that I currently run. If you SAS you can do a nice 5.13 or 5.38 gear and run 37" tires all day long.

Thanks for all the good info guys the SAS is definitely out of my range but is there any modifications I can do to to stock front end to make it more capable and durable?
 

Mb30sdl

Hamster that pokes Bears
Messages
1,586
Location
Irvine,ca
Just like GreatDane said, Chris's rebuil/upgraded his h3 too many times for my taste to end up for with 1/2 of what I did at once. I learned after first 6" fabtech kit, do it once but do it right. It's more expensive (ORE took whole year to finish it plus ~6 month for Dynatrack to get axels ready) in my case my time worth a-lot more that ORE charged. But a I always had second truck to off-road.

u learn a-lot doing it yourself, but I have been a car mechanic back in my youth so all of repairs and maintenance I do myself, having 6k facility helps a-lot.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,350
Location
Meridian, ID
According to one of your videos you had ABS issues with dynatrac? You spend all that money to have issues. I spent less then 1k on abs and never had an issue.
 

GreatDaneHummer

Well-Known Member
Messages
994
Location
Chicago
Both of you just show that there is more than one way to skin a cat. From low dollar to high dollar to SAS to Bebe's super IFS rebuild in the end we are all big fans of Hummers and are enjoying them the most when they are not on the street. I for one choose the Dana 44 direction because Thorparts makes it pretty easy to do, keeping ABS etc in place and I do not wheel as hard as many on here so I can run 37" tires all day long and never worry about braking anything with my local off road parks. I run in a lot of mud like Bmonts 3 so my needs are different than both of you guys out in California. Mud seems to be more forgiving of hard torque impact unlike rock crawling. I just need to figure out how to seal up my truck more so I don't have mud flowing in the doors like last time...lol:shame:
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,350
Location
Meridian, ID
Big talk Serge, I haven't seen you out wheeling since your SAS you spent all that money on. pick any trail anywhere and you see that my "1/2 of what you did" truck walk laps around you.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,350
Location
Meridian, ID
Like Great Dane has said there are many ways to skin the cat, I just never felt the need to put down the other ways people do it.
 

Bmonts h3

Well-Known Member
Messages
161
Location
Mobile,al
Same boat Great Dane do they make better door seals? every time I get in water and I stop moving I get it all in my h3 I like to mud ride after a heavy rain lol
 

Zach

Mall Crawler
Messages
4,812
Location
So Cal
Thats a BS I am running 20x12s with 38/15.5 for years now ( sometimes with trailer on same wheels)never had any issues on or off road. They do look much better vs. SMALL 18s. And I do off-road more that 80% of people on this forum.

Seem to recall you breaking a wheel in Moab. Must be the cheap Chinese wheels[emoji33]
 

GreatDaneHummer

Well-Known Member
Messages
994
Location
Chicago
Nope they absolutely do not make any better seals etc.. I am thinking of doing what the Jeeps do:

1.) Remove the interior and bedliner coat the entire thing.

2.) Clean up the underbody again and recoat it again to make sure its sealed up from rust.

3.) Make a removable drain plug below both the driver and passenger floor boards.

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Make sure you get that new front axle installed. You can reach out to CJ at thorparts to get that adapter etc. The factory ones leak in the seal eventually letting muddy water in killing your front drive shaft / entire day. Mine went out when I was wheeling at The Cliffs off road park and had to get towed all the way back to Chicago lol.

Same boat Great Dane do they make better door seals? every time I get in water and I stop moving I get it all in my h3 I like to mud ride after a heavy rain lol
 

Mb30sdl

Hamster that pokes Bears
Messages
1,586
Location
Irvine,ca
According to one of your videos you had ABS issues with dynatrac? You spend all that money to have issues. I spent less then 1k on abs and never had an issue.

Well technically it was my fault. To keep ABS and e-brake I had to donate H2 axel. Because I didn't want to chop-up my own axel I got another one from '07. My '08 has a smaller size tonering so when I installed '08 sensors tonering was shewing on the sensor. '07 sensor fits fine but it doesn't communicate with '08 computer. So I will install '08 tone-ring when I have a chance.
 
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Mb30sdl

Hamster that pokes Bears
Messages
1,586
Location
Irvine,ca
Seem to recall you breaking a wheel in Moab. Must be the cheap Chinese wheels[emoji33]

It probably was, but they gave me new one no questions asked. The post was about tire sidewall and running 17' with 40s on GMC, 20 with 38s on H2 or 17 with 37s on H3 I don't see much difference.
 

GreatDaneHummer

Well-Known Member
Messages
994
Location
Chicago
I really like the Spyderlock Beadlock wheels. I would like to get a set after I change to a solid axle. They are just kind of on the pricey side of wheels. My Black Rhino wheels are pretty sick looking for fake beadlocks. 06H3 can you fit 42" tires under your rig if you wanted? Would the rear end fit them without major rubbing?
 

Mb30sdl

Hamster that pokes Bears
Messages
1,586
Location
Irvine,ca
Big talk Serge, I haven't seen you out wheeling since your SAS you spent all that money on. pick any trail anywhere and you see that my "1/2 of what you did" truck walk laps around you.

Chris that was not a "putdown" I wish I had as much free time as u do to do my own builds. I do admire other builders here too, but I don't see myself making as much money doing it. And it always comes down to money. Money vs. time to make it, at this point in my life money is my choice.
The problem is I do run mid size company and work ~60-80hrs weeks for past 20 years so. When I get any free time I need to spend it with family.

H2 was never build as a dedicated rockcrawling rig (cost of H2 built was worth about 2 weeks of my work, so it was a well worth tradeoff). My builds are designed to be between overlanding and mild rockcrawlung. H3 can't pull 4K trailer off-road, but I do this all the time with 2 kids in those f.. huge cars seats and wife on the back seat. Try it with an H3.

just because this forum is slow on runs or when we do one it's mostly easy stuff ( when I did post few times about doing run there was not much interest) so I tend to go by myself or other people to harder trails. We did JB not to long ago with my bro and John. But u know all this yourself. I do some runs with LandOps light off-road with HAM and geocaching with overnight camping.

and yes when I am by myself, with 1 more person or i don't know trail I will take T just cause it's smaller.
 

GreatDaneHummer

Well-Known Member
Messages
994
Location
Chicago
Mb30sdl doesn't just rockcrawl he crushes rocks with that thing haha. :horns: I would love to see what it weighs on a truck scale. Now that it is regeared are you getting decent gas mileage again? Are you still running 38's or did you move up to 40" tires also?
 

Mb30sdl

Hamster that pokes Bears
Messages
1,586
Location
Irvine,ca
Mb30sdl doesn't just rockcrawl he crushes rocks with that thing haha. :horns: I would love to see what it weighs on a truck scale. Now that it is regeared are you getting decent gas mileage again? Are you still running 38's or did you move up to 40" tires also?

That is true, when we did LCC jeep in ftont of me was saying I was swallowing rocks.

last weight in was at 7600lbs

gas mpg didn't change much it was 10/11 when it was stock, 9-10 with fabtech lift and same now.

still 38s I have 8 or 9wheels ( 5 truck and 3 trailer) 6 of them getting low on tread an 2 of them have sidewall cuts for ~10k now.
when they are done I'll swich to 40s
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,350
Location
Meridian, ID
Fair enough, I took it as a putdown and reacted that way. I do have free time as I don't have kids or married. So to me I currently can experiment with different setups and builds. It may not be that way in 10 years from now...

I admire each build whether it was done high dollar or low buck.

[emoji482]
 

Bmonts h3

Well-Known Member
Messages
161
Location
Mobile,al
Is this a good winch for my h2?
 

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Bmonts h3

Well-Known Member
Messages
161
Location
Mobile,al
Thank you citi boy I'm going to go with this one I just bought an iron bull bumper it's going to be 4 weeks for them to build it do you know if this one would fit in there bumper? The guy wasn't for sure if it would but he said as long as it's close to the warn winch design it should work I'll upload a pic of the bumper.
 
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