Georgia Trail Riders Forum

MEMBERS DISCUSSION AREA => General Discussion => Topic started by: Metro on October 23, 2008, 12:19:05 AM

Title: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: Metro on October 23, 2008, 12:19:05 AM
Well if all goes as planned I will have this H3 by Friday afternoon:
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/cto/861746458.html
I know it's not a jeep but having a family and the fact that 99% of the time I am in my vehicle I am not wheeling, I wanted something with a little more room and nicer interior than an XJ.  I loved my Grand but after driving it and working on it for 4 years, I wanted something different.  I would loved to have had a JK Rubicon Unlimited but with my wife not working and having my daughter too, I wanted to keep my payment a little lower than what  a JK Rubicon would have put me at.  The H3 seems like a good fit.  This one does have the adventure package which gets you the stock rear locker, 4:1 transfer case, bigger tires (it actuall has 285/75/16s on it, the ad is wrong), and skid plates.  Another thing I like about it is that I can crank the front torsion bars up for free and fit 35" tires on it.  That will probably be the first thing I do to it.  I know IFS isn't great for wheeling but it does ride nice.  Let the Hummer hating begin...

Someone already purchased my WJ so I will have a little cash to get the mods going.  I am pretty sure 35s will be the first order of business.
Title: Re: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: Will on October 23, 2008, 01:34:54 AM
Sounds good to me man. As long as you get her on the trails at least once  ;)   I didn't know you could get those things with a 4:1 t-case.
Title: Re: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: RotorHead on October 23, 2008, 07:31:36 AM
Congrats Seth. It should look pretty sweet with 35's on it. I've seen a couple of really sharp H-3's around lately with lots of mods. I wonder how hard it is to do a straight axle swap for the front. That would be cool. I think that is the only thing that hurts them off road.
Title: Re: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: BigJerm on October 23, 2008, 07:45:42 AM
Cant even lie... i looked at getting an H3 before I got my first JK. Did you get new or used but either way congrats! If I had younger kids I wouldn’t want the JK Unless I had the hard top/full doors anyways.

Cant wait to see it on the trails. We had a guy in an H2 Wheel with us once at Morris Mountain, never an H3. I think it would be kind of cool for you to get out in stock form first, ill sure still be stock and we can do a real stock vs stock comparison on the JK vs. H3.
Title: Re: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: Trailabite on October 23, 2008, 07:46:50 AM
Man, I thought these things were more expensive than that. I looked at an H1 back in 96/97, it was used, it had no carpet, no dash pad, no A/C, no radio, it was all metal except for the seats and steering wheel, it sort of looked like the inside of a tank. The sticker price was $42k.

Looks good! Just in time for RR!
Title: Re: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: Matt on October 23, 2008, 08:25:47 AM
You dont have to have a jeep to enjoy some trails. I drove the durango for a year and did everything I wanted to with it, Daniel keeps up in the ranger to with IFS. That thing on 35s will be sweet. You dont drive like a maniac off road all the time...
Title: Re: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: IFSSUX on October 23, 2008, 10:03:07 AM
dont bash IFs so much. my taco has the stock IFS and i have been places you wouldnt dream of it going. if you pick your lines right and watch your weight shifts (and it will shift weight more without that front flex) you can go alot of places and have alot of fun.

as far as the H3 on the trails who wants to watch me bash a lexus? :)
Title: Re: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: Trailabite on October 23, 2008, 10:50:35 AM
dont bash IFs so much. my taco has the stock IFS and i have been places you wouldnt dream of it going. if you pick your lines right and watch your weight shifts (and it will shift weight more without that front flex) you can go alot of places and have alot of fun.

as far as the H3 on the trails who wants to watch me bash a lexus? :)

ME!
Title: Re: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: Ben H. on October 23, 2008, 11:41:56 AM
I like it Seth. A couple of things though, Hummers are have notoriously weak tie rods, you might want to look into replacing that. Also, when you crank the torsion bars, its going to ride much worse. And finally, that 5 cylinder is going to feel like a slug compared to your Jeep.
Title: Re: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: Will on October 23, 2008, 12:25:17 PM
I like it Seth. A couple of things though, Hummers are have notoriously weak tie rods, you might want to look into replacing that. Also, when you crank the torsion bars, its going to ride much worse. And finally, that 5 cylinder is going to feel like a slug compared to your Jeep.

Do they have the same steering as the H2s?

I've seen plenty of videos of the H2 tie-rod snapping. Think of the TJ tie rod with all that weight on top  :o 

There's probably a big weight difference though too. Not bashing your Hummer Seth, just the H2. Still, sleeving your tie rod wouldn't hurt, especially if it looks a little small.

/>
Title: Re: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: Metro on October 23, 2008, 03:29:44 PM
I like it Seth. A couple of things though, Hummers are have notoriously weak tie rods, you might want to look into replacing that. Also, when you crank the torsion bars, its going to ride much worse. And finally, that 5 cylinder is going to feel like a slug compared to your Jeep.

Yeah I have read a lot about the tie rods bending very easily. I have read that there is a redesigned factory part that is a little thicker now.  There is also a company that makes very beefy ones but they are very expensive and the next weakest link is the steering rack.  Consensus seems to be to just carry spare tie rods with you when you wheel.  I would imagine it is worse with 35s but I don't think I can resist 35s.  I have red the front differential housings aren't that strong either.  It would be cool if someone came out with a JK D44 swap kit for the front.

I know it is a slug with the stock tires, I am sure it will be worse with the 35s on there.   With the 33s it has, it is supposed to do a little better than my jeep did on gas 16-19. 
Title: Re: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: Ben H. on October 23, 2008, 10:48:10 PM
Oh, I forget one thing. You need to do a name change: white05h3.
Title: Re: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: Will on October 23, 2008, 11:58:50 PM
We have to do this with it  :D

Title: Re: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: StevenH on October 24, 2008, 05:31:11 AM
as far as the H3 on the trails who wants to watch me bash a lexus? :)
You wont do it  :D

Cool on getting an H3

Title: Re: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: IFSSUX on October 24, 2008, 08:30:06 AM
only reason i didnt take it out on river rock is you basically begged me to leave it sitting there because it was too nice. whats wrong with a truck with solid axles, sounds alot like a jeep just i have a big L stuck on the front :P

and about that hummer, i would love to see someone do something like that in person. who in the hell comes up with ideas like riding on 2 wheels down the road. must have HUGE balls.
Title: Re: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: BigJerm on October 24, 2008, 08:46:46 AM
and about that hummer, i would love to see someone do something like that in person. who in the hell comes up with ideas like riding on 2 wheels down the road. must have HUGE balls.

Or small brains!
Title: Re: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: IFSSUX on October 24, 2008, 11:26:21 AM
big balls and small brain are about the same thing right? you can only think with one of your heads at a time....
Title: Re: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: Krawler00 on October 24, 2008, 08:39:01 PM
Seth, congrats. I am not a huge Hummer fan except the originals.  ;) I do like the H3 since they are smaller and look more Jeeplike than the other. I think you will be suprised offroad with it. Just watch the over hangs and such. How is the ground clearance? 35's and 3" done!
Title: Re: Picking up an H3 on Friday
Post by: BigJerm on October 25, 2008, 10:11:55 AM
Man to bad you cant score one of them new H3 Trucks. I just saw a commercial and I like it!