06H3's H3T Build

[06 H3]

I know, I know…it starts out innocent.

To be honest, I already questioned why didn’t I buy 37s and so it will naturally force the “bigger ifs front diff” I have a disease….

So I’m about a week out from flying into socal.

I already have a steering rack clamp/bushing kit at my buddy’s place, thanks @alrock I have lower ball joints, and upper control arms en route. The front lower control arm bushings are discontinued/MIA everywhere but Siberian bushing but they are out of stock. Rearward frame side LCA bushings are in stock but I don’t want do 1 and not the other. They are bigger bushings so I’ll gamble that they are ok and deal with that at home.

I have a BCM arriving to my house this week, I have a clone tech 2 also arriving. I’ll bring my laptop to act as a pass through for the tech 2 so I can program a BCM. On my laptop I have HP tuners so I can disable pass lock if I have issues.

My buddy said the CV boots are torn. The local junkyard has 2 H3s in there now. I’ll go see if they have decent CVs. I don’t want to spend money on some aftermarket crappy ones, I’d rather use some oem ones from the junkyard.

I guess I could order tie rods? He said there’s some play in the steering but I’d assume with 135k miles it’s the bushings/clamp more so then the tie rod ends but maybe I should quickly order those too.

I also forgot I have an AAM11.5 rear axle he’s been storing for me for over a year so I’ll bring that home with my empty truck bed.

 

[3Hummers]

Projects. I have way too many. Sounds like you have a good one on the way.

 

[06 H3]

I hope so! Too many projects is never a bad thing.

 

[06 H3]

Took home a complete ifs frame section home with diff, rack, etc….

This will allow me to build parts without down time. It will also allow me to learn more about ifs geometry, axle plunge, etc.

 

[alrock]

Gee, they even wrote your name on the windshield!

 

[06 H3]

My wife and daughters were all tired last night and so I spent my new years pulling the CVs off the front frame half because the ones in the T have bad boots.

These aren’t oem from what I can tell. I forgot how to tell if they are oem. I think they lack the ridges on the inner part.

Then bounced back to the H3 for my steering project

I gotta bump the H3 thread on that project.

At the airport now….its on the lift and ready for me, first time I’ll ever work on something on a lift!

 

[alrock]

Yeah, that's not the shape of the axle shafts of OEM CVs.

Now that you're working under a lift, I think I see your next home mod

 

[06 H3]

Garage is only 10 feet tall….but it is nice! I have never worked on a vehicle on a lift before.

Upper control arms, lower ball joints, CVs, all fluids, t bar crank are done! Off at the tire shop for 35s and an alignment now. Didn’t get the steering rack clamp done yet. I needed to get to the shop. I don’t think I need an alignment after the clamp but who knows…I mean tie rod length isn’t changing and position of the rack shouldn’t be changing.

The CVs were HAMMERED. They literally didn’t have boots on them.

 

[06 H3]

Air bag light is gone. I guess it knew u was coming to town? lol my buddy tarped the roof when it rained and aired it out when it was nice so I think it’s happy for now.

TMPS light was blinking so I’m thinking dead sensor

There’s my updates.

 

[rascole]

Nice, projects will keep stacking up.

 

[06 H3]

Here was Friday nights camp near el mirage.

POS duralasts….was using them to get home before doing bilsteins but they didn’t even make it 5 miles of dirt roading….time for a SAS! JK.

Saturday morning hit the 395, followed my buddies through Randsburg

Dimensions are so similar. Both on 35s.

We said our goodbyes, they all continued on to Death Valley and I hit the road, I got home around 11pm last night.

I need some more parts to really get it 100% dialed but it’s home.

It drove so well I kinda want to leave it stock LOL.

Phenomenal fuel mileage in my opinion, especially for 70-80 mph.

Cleaned it out…got the car seats in it today and put a daystar dash panel on it.

There’s plenty more to do but that’s it for now.

Lastly, driving home on the 395 I got pulled over….I was shocked because I wasn’t speeding. Sure enough the CA tags were expired since 2024. I explained to the cop I just bought it, and the state of Idaho won’t register it till I get it to the DMV in person. Sure enough, he let me go and said he’s going to cite the previous owner LOL!!!!

I hate to sound petty but that’s karma. The guy lied and had brand new tires in the sale ad, but it had 13 year old bald tires (he bought it in 2019) so he put older tires on it. The roof marker lights he claimed to know “nothing” about I found a partially cracked one under the back seat. The ad was a total lie so this guy is getting a citation and probably 2 years of registration costs for something that isn’t even his anymore. Sucks to suck and when he complains and wants me to pay for it I’ll tell him he can buy me OEM marker lights and we will call it good.

Lastly, I didn’t get pulled over for speeding or anything, the cop literally said he noticed I had old tags, so I have very little to do with why I was pulled over

 

[rascole]

lol, karma for sure.

 

[alrock]

Glad you got her home safely. I think I still know some sources for Putco chrome to properly set up that pavement princess.

 

[alrock]

Well Chris, if you need some ideas for how to build this H3T, take this AI-generated image as a template.

 

[3Hummers]

Chris, I have two lifts. I will never lay on concrete to work on a car again.

 

[Real4WD]

Congratulations on picking up the H3T. I recently bought one as well and it has been amazing to drive. Regarding the airbag light, the best approach is to diagnose it with a clear strategy rather than guessing at with parts. The first thing to do is use a higher end scanner that can read more than basic powertrain codes. (A scanner over $100, ideally a $300+ one) Once you plug it into the OBD II port, you can look for any U, B, or C codes. These will point you toward whether the issue is within the airbag circuits themselves or something on the Class 2 Serial Data Network involving other modules like the BCM or PCM. If the only codes you see relate directly to the airbag system, that gives you a narrower path to follow and may indicate a specific sensor or circuit problem.

The H3 has several components tied into the airbag system, including crash impact sensors, rollover sensors, the passenger presence sensor, and the seat belt pretensioners. Even a loose or corroded connector can trigger the light, especially in the driver or passenger doors where impact sensors are located. Something as simple as the door connector that goes inside the driver or passenger side door not being seated properly can set off the light because there are impact sensors in the H3's front driver and passenger doors. So, doing a visual inspection helps. It also helps to check fuse number 27 in the fuse box, labeled SIR for Supplemental Inflatable Restraint, since a blown fuse there can cause an issue right away.

On the H3, there is actually a dedicated unit for the airbag. This is called the SDM, otherwise known as the Inflatable Restraint Sensing Diagnostic Module. It's basically a control module that is in communication with the BCM and PCM, and it is located directly under your center console lid where you store stuff. If you've taken your H3 apart before in the interior, you've probably seen it bolted down to the metal floor of the H3. It communicates with the BCM and PCM and plays a central role in the system. Before replacing it, it is important to rule out simpler causes and understand that although the SDM usually does not require SPS programming, it does need a restraint learn procedure performed with a Tech 2, MDI, or another advanced scanner. Because of that, replacing the SDM should really be a last step, only after other possibilities have been eliminated.

What concerns me most is the water leak you mentioned near the OnStar microphone. Water dripping into that area can reach the BCM and potentially cause shorts or corrosion. If that is happening, then the problem may not be in the airbag system at all, and the BCM could be the real issue. A scan will tell you a lot here, since BCM related codes would shift your focus in a different direction. The H3 does not always display BCM issues on the gauge cluster unless they affect major functions, so checking things like the TPMS sensors can give additional clues. If all four TPMS sensors are working but the BCM cannot read them, that strongly suggests a BCM related fault.

Overall, the best move is to start by scanning all the modules, paying attention to both SDM and BCM codes, and then working outward from there. Combine that with checking the basics like fuses, connectors, and areas affected by the water leak. With a careful, step by step approach, it becomes much easier to narrow down the cause, and I am happy to help as you go.

Sounds like we're doing very similar things though. I recently purchased an H3T and I am planning on turning it into a daily driver with less offroad mods and more utility/functionality

View attachment 34259

Where did you purchase your H3T from? I bought my slantback cover off of a lady in Colorado who got her H3T in a divorce. Same color, same options lol.

 

[Real4WD]

Congrats on the new rig! Have fun.....

 

[Acer4LO]

Where did you purchase your H3T from? I bought my slantback cover off of a lady in Colorado who got her H3T in a divorce. Same color, same options lol.

Haha, I could see why you think they are similar. However, this one is not from Colorado. It was originally titled in Michigan, then spent most of its life in New Jersey before going to Ohio where I bought it from.

 

[06 H3]

Small boring updates….I finally washed it and clay bar’d it. It looks much better! Still need to wax it but I will wait for some warmer weather before waxing it.

I tried this cerakote trim restorer.

Cerakote Ceramic Trim Coat Restoration Kit, Faded Plastic Trim Restorer with 200 Wash Rating - Walmart.com

Buy Cerakote Ceramic Trim Coat Restoration Kit, Faded Plastic Trim Restorer with 200 Wash Rating at Walmart.com

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Historically I used the thick black dye applicators but on project farm (the best, most thorough and fair tests on the internet in my opinion) had this product clean house compared to everything else. It’s weird because it’s just a wipe that has zero dye, so you question how it will do but you can see what it restored compared to the right side of the bumper. Project farm does long term testing and said it held up for well over a year and still didn’t need a reapplication.

The tape on the back window kept my daughter busy while I taped off the sections to wipe down.

The backup camera was garbage because the P.O. had overspray from painting the rear bumper all over the camera so some rubbing alcohol fixed that.

I also got my bilsteins installed. Here is a video on my findings.

@EndeavoredH3 said his bilsteins pre rancho lift would hit the metal droop stop. Looking back, there is give in the bushing and since it’s a little over 1/2in short, I could see the slop in the top shock stud bushings getting you to full droop, the weight of the front end can probably deform those bushings at full droop. I also feel there is not nearly enough rebound control. I have some ideas for better, revolvable shocks. That’s why I think these things hop on steep climbs.

Either way, this is an exercise I want to practice, maximizing every possible inch of travel is important. I did that on the rancho kit back in the day and I have part #s under the “rancho redux shock” thread.

I need to change a leaf spring bushing that’s literally 100% gone and then I’ll take it offroad for the first time.

I added a daystar dash panel, I found one in the junkyard from another H3, so I grabbed that.

Other than that I have just been driving it.

My wife commented, that she thinks the H3 rides better. I think it’s an interesting point, many believe a solid axle inherently drives worse and avoid a SAS because it rides bad. While it’s not a competition, having a stock front end a highly modified front end, I can give an honest comparison now.

Ride quality, I do think the H3 has a softer ride, it is very smooth. It didn’t start out this way. As I learned, I had numerous geometry changes to allow for a softer suspension. In the beginning I felt stiffer springs made up for sway but changing geometry helped that.

Steering angle is much better on the H3T. Steering feel is similar, as both my H3T rack and h3 steering box have some play, overall I’d nod steering to the H3T for sure. I’m hoping my new steering setup on the h3 levels the playing field.

Sway, the H3T wins, my h3 sway bar rates are lighter. I could put big giant thick sway bars on them like stock but being being about 8-9in lower, with thicker sway bars, the H3T has less sway, I have a geometry fix for that I am working on the h3 to make it a more level playing field while keeping the same sway bar rates and coil spring rates.

I guess what I’m getting at is the age old debate on SA vs IFS is over in my mind, with technology advancements and more knowledge you can make both do great things. I was shocked to feel my h3 ride smoother than my T. Everyone assumes a solid axle rides like shit but it feels better in my opinion.

 

[atvspeed4]

Sidewall also plays a huge part in that. When we put the 37x12.5r16 on our company truck the ride was so much smoother than stock. Your H3 has us all beat in the sidewall department LoL