M
MUTAINT
Guest
YEP, I'm a H3/H3T spare parts "Whorde". The attic over the garage is getting pretty full, looking at a barn with a loft for the back 40!:shifty: (I like the "shifty" guy also)
I'm glad somebody is watching my back. I invite all questions and constructive suggestions.
I just know it works for me and has for many miles.
You all are sharing in the ongoing preservation of the species Hummer sub species H3/H3T!
I hope a source for racks can be found since SOME people are hoarding:shifty: I really like this guy.
Are there any of these left? I'm in the process of replacing my steering rack due to this failure so I'd love to make the new one stronger in the process. Also, does anyone know of a thread somewhere that gives some instruction on how to replace the rack and what is needed to do it? Thanks!
Hunner. You should sell a kit for your double bracket setup.I thought about it. Basically it's just a stock bracket and a spacer piece of channel. However, as I usually say, it really needs to be custom ground to match the frame cross member in case there is some variation on different vehicles. I would hate to have someone use one and it put some pressure on the rack. I ground on mine until it just slipped in there and was touching the rack and cross member. There is an overlap where it appears there are two halves to that cross member and a weld to go over. Then you have to drill a gnarly hole and line it up square when it comes out the other side of that. The pass side sleeve/bushing fix probably is enough, but for people that really work the H3/H3T they may want to consider that.
It was strange when I ordered a bracket for that it was a mirror image of the normal one? Maybe for a right hand drive? Parts guy was puzzled as well.
You can see how concerned I was about fixing this after a failure. I even double nutted it and of course Loctite and torqued it. I did use an OEM rubber bushing there for some wiggle room as I was also concerned about stressing the rack at mid point. This was on my 06, I have not done this on my Alpha, yet.
My diff is leaking too from the driver side...I need to change out the axle seal, I have them but havent gotten to it yet. My leak isnt too bad though. Your lucky that you have your own personal team of mechanics at the dealership.If there are any left, please put my name on one. I just put my truck on the rack at work yesterday and saw the busing worn out (2nd rack in 52K miles), so I will be ordering a new one and putting this on. also noticed diff fluid leaking form the passenger side CV axle. Good times!
Thanks!
jason
TrailBreaker
My diff is leaking too from the driver side...I need to change out the axle seal, I have them but havent gotten to it yet. My leak isnt too bad though. Your lucky that you have your own personal team of mechanics at the dealership.
Thank you for putting me down for one! My steering is leaking and the rubber bushing has basically torn itself apart so I'll have to see what else needs to be replaced along with the rack. At first I thought it was the lines from the pump but when I saw the bushing torn up and read all the posts of people having the same issue, I knew it was the rack. Thanks for the info on the steps you took, I've always wrenched on my vehicles but never had to change a rack before so the more info I have the better.I got two left. I put you down for one. I will notify you when I get them.
Thanks
why are we up this early??:shifty:
Did your rack break?
I can help a little.
FIRST!! tie off the steering wheel so it cannot turn. F5 says there is a hole in the steering column that I have not looked for yet that you can pin it. I intend to look for that today for future reference. If you disconnect the steering shaft from the rack the wheel will spin freely and screw up where it was centered. Then stabiltrak looses it's mind. There is a way to correct it that I had the dealer do after mine spun.
The bolt at the connection to the rack is threaded, twice. When you back it out make sure you don't take a BFH to it, just pull it out some and unthread it on the second side. Oh, and it is a tiny little thing that is your life line to steering. I have to check that but it was like 11 mm, I think.
The rack comes with the tie rods already attached in a big ole long box.
The inner connection is "staked" or de-tented to prevent it turning.
If you remove them you cannot do that again. The piece of metal breaks off. You can however use thread locker and if you get the right combination of a crows foot you might can get in there and torque it. GM makes a special fitting that slips over that, but I don't have one. I found that when you get it goodntite the detent lines up and that is as far as it will go.
I have not tried to install the rack with them attached. If you have some help holding things I guess that can be done.
It is very difficult trial and error to try to set toe in on the H3 by jacking it up and adjusting and lowering and checking. When you jack it up to adust it the camber will change only while it is up not really move any fasteners but the wheels toe in also. It would take a long time doing that and driving it to come back to alignment. If you have a couple of those dollies like at Harbor Freight for both front wheels, you can emulate the rotating plates on an alignment rack. Then using a calibrated stick or tape measure set your toe in fairly close. Then a trip to have an alignment done would be best.