Front Diff help!!! 08 Alpha, Rancho lift

lfootmatt · Jan 11, 2022

I need a source for the outside front diff bushings. These are the ones on the bracket bolted to the diff on the outsides where the CV joints enter the diff.

Thanks,

Matt

alrock · Jan 11, 2022

https://www.outfitterdesign.com/do-it-yourself-front-differential-bushing-kit.html

scoreh3 · Jan 12, 2022

The Outfitter Design bushing are really nice.

lfootmatt · Jan 12, 2022

I'll give Outfitter Designs a call. There's another post here that says they're not compatible with the Rancho lift.

Thanks guys!

Matt

JPaul · Jan 12, 2022

I don't see why they wouldn't be compatible with the Rancho lift, the Rancho uses the OEM brackets and diff crossmember. Looking at that pic I see no reason it wouldn't work. I bet OD will know for sure since they definitely would have heard if that was an issue, and I think they even have a H3 with the Rancho in their stable.

4speedfunk · Jan 13, 2022

Might look around for Colorado/Canyon offerings too. That way you can get extras (C/Cs have four bushings).

If all else fails, make your own. Years ago (before OD was around), I used some aftermarket urethane bushings on a customer’s H3. I cannot remember the exact application but, I think they were for a small leaf spring…Toyota maybe?

I recall they were too long so I cut the length down. I used a torch to melt out the original bushings then cut out the thin sheet metal sleeves with a sawzall. Then they popped right in without any drama. I posted this mod on H4O but it was so long ago, it might be hard to find on here.

Alpha X · Jan 13, 2022

lfootmatt said:
I'll give Outfitter Designs a call. There's another post here that says they're not compatible with the Rancho lift.

I believe the two outer bushings from Outfitter will work. The bushing located in the center is the one that may not work with a Rancho lift kit. Hopefully someone else will chime in and confirm this is correct.

lfootmatt · Jan 13, 2022

I have an email into Outfitter Design. Hopefully they will sell me a partial kit. Seems a waste to pay that much when I can't use 1/3 of the kit!

lfootmatt · Jan 16, 2022

Outfitter Design may make good stuff, but they do not answer email inquiries. If you want $200 from me you'd damn well better reply.

Disappointed! On with the hunt for bushings.

Matt

Alpha X · Jan 16, 2022

lfootmatt said:
Outfitter Design may make good stuff, but they do not answer email inquiries. If you want $200 from me you'd damn well better reply.
Disappointed! On with the hunt for bushings.

Have a little patience. I'm happy with all of the Outfitter products I have purchased.

atvspeed4 · Jan 17, 2022

lfootmatt said:
Outfitter Design may make good stuff, but they do not answer email inquiries. If you want $200 from me you'd damn well better reply.

Disappointed! On with the hunt for bushings.

Matt

Sorry for the late reply we have been slammed with inquiries and no inventory so it has been a tough ride the past year. Hundreds of general questions about the H3 platform and then normal product questions have been coming in for some strange reason in a volume we are not used to.

The rancho does not use a stock crossmember. They use their own crossmember design along with their own bushing and rely on their taller and more supple crossmember bushing to compress at an angle to make it work. Years ago when 'Squeaky' had a rancho lift I helped Chris make a one-off crossmember bushing out of the same material we use for the outer bushings and identically matched the dimensions of the factory rancho crossmember bushing. When Chris installed the outboard bushings and our crossmember bushing it would not work and had to cut the crossmember bushing at an angle to get the diff to bolt in at the crossmember. Since then we have not offered a bushing for the rancho.

The issue with us selling just the outboard bushings is you are going to have different durometer material holding the diff at one out of three mounting points which isnt good.

lfootmatt · Jan 17, 2022

atvspeed4 said:
Sorry for the late reply we have been slammed with inquiries and no inventory so it has been a tough ride the past year. Hundreds of general questions about the H3 platform and then normal product questions have been coming in for some strange reason in a volume we are not used to.

The rancho does not use a stock crossmember. They use their own crossmember design along with their own bushing and rely on their taller and more supple crossmember bushing to compress at an angle to make it work. Years ago when 'Squeaky' had a rancho lift I helped Chris make a one-off crossmember bushing out of the same material we use for the outer bushings and identically matched the dimensions of the factory rancho crossmember bushing. When Chris installed the outboard bushings and our crossmember bushing it would not work and had to cut the crossmember bushing at an angle to get the diff to bolt in at the crossmember. Since then we have not offered a bushing for the rancho.

The issue with us selling just the outboard bushings is you are going to have different durometer material holding the diff at one out of three mounting points which isnt good.

Thanks for getting back to me! I was afraid of such an issue. Currently there seems to be no solution to this problem. All I need are the outer diff support bushings. Looks like I'm going to track down brackets at this point.

Thanks!

Matt

lfootmatt · Jan 21, 2022

Scorpworks to the rescue! Called them direct, Dwaine had 1 set of brackets on the shelf. He's building the set today and will ship. $100 a side + shipping and core deposit. He confirmed that H3 customers doomed his products by never returning the cores. He sounded surprised when he found a set of diff brackets on the shelves. He also provided that the GM factory bushings in current replacement parts are even worse than the originals, if you can find them. You cannot, I tried.

Driver's side easy, lots available. Passenger side, gone, I found 1 in Australia, and no, I'm not kidding!

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Matt

lfootmatt · Feb 4, 2022

Orphan trucks suck! Still waiting on parts, next day has turned into 3+ weeks! Supposedly back in town next week. Kids truck down over a month now with a bad CV joints and these stupid diff brackets/bushings.

Jeepwalker · Feb 4, 2022

You see your CV boot is bad, right? Easy fix if you get on it right away before dust gets in there.

Hey, are they using salt down there now in the mountains? I'm surprised how rusty it looks underneath for an AZ vehicle.

Hope the new bushing comes quick ...

lfootmatt · Feb 15, 2022

Yeah, the CV joint is already shot, boot on the other side is bad too.

I found this Rancho lifted, girl driven, never off road, H3 Alpha in San Antonino, TX, got it cheap too. Promptly drove it to Lawrence, Kansas to our oldest boy. Its never been to AZ. It pains me to think of the road salt destruction to a pristine H3 Alpha. I grew up in Kansas City, see through body panels are standard issue in KC. I'll never buy a used vehicle form the rust belt; AZ is tough on all things rubber and plastic, but the lack of rust is well worth it!!!

Hopefully his NIL deal for a truck comes through soon. Then the H3 will be coming back to AZ for his little brother to drive.

Diff brackets arrived today! Hopefully Scorpworks came through with quality parts.

The closest Rt side bracket was in Australia.

Later,

Matt

Front Diff help!!! 08 Alpha, Rancho lift

lfootmatt

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alrock

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