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Its for sale again! The famous low buck SAC white H3 from CO

ReconH3

Guardian Angel
Messages
2,288
Location
Raleigh, NC
They provide enough info to show some serious concern on two issues.

1. Bump Steer!!!. The reason for the bump steer is the track bar. It's nearly half the size of the tie rod. To avoid bump steer, the track bar and tie rod need to be as close to the same length as possible, and parallel. The one on this H3 definitely doesn't meet this. Hence the bump steer. The bent tie rod does nothing to help out. These are all fixable things, that in good hands, could be worked out.

2. The hack job for the steering box! There was no need to do what they did. If you have just the slightest front collision, the frame is going to buckle right there. The hack job pitman arm is also a bad sign. Will need some serious patch work to make it secure again.

It has potential, but would need to be worked on before risking any type of use.
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,250
Location
Tardville
Wow. Now thats more like it. Lets see...

First off it is NOT a spring-over on the rear axle...must be some re-arched springs to get the rear that high. I cannot see any ABS lines or sensors. That steering box pic is worth a thousand words...pretty massive chop thru the frame. No clue what the knuckles are from...never seen anything quite like em. Over-all...not too bad. It needs some work but, nuthin a weekend with a welder and a couple hundred bucks couldn't fix.

Flex?...you must be kidding?
 

ReconH3

Guardian Angel
Messages
2,288
Location
Raleigh, NC
One more thing. The lower shock brackets are welded onto the knuckles. I would understand if he had no room on the axle tube, but he has a ton of room. The knuckles are forged parts. If the welder doesn't do it right, it will weaken the part. It also creates unwanted stress on the knuckles.
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,250
Location
Tardville
Hey Recon...how bout some pics of your front ABS rings? I'm struggling with that. I'm trying to find a tooth count & diameter so I can make some rings for my D44 hubs. Any info appreciated. Date with the torch is fast approaching.

Also...track bar? There's no track bar on this white rig...its leaf sprung. Its got a cross-over link (from the box to the PS knuckle) and a tie-rod (back to the DS knuckle)...but no track-bar (like yours). Not sure I've every seen a leaf-spring rig with track bar, although I'm sure it wouldn't hurt. I guess you just depend on the leafs themselves to keep the body centered on the chasis?
 
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ReconH3

Guardian Angel
Messages
2,288
Location
Raleigh, NC
Hey Recon...how bout some front ABS pics? I'm struggling with that. I'm trying to find a tooth count & diameter so I can make some for the D44 hubs. Any info appreciated. Date with the torch is fast approaching.

Won't be able to till after new years. :( I have the factory rings. They machined the axle end yoke and press fitted it on. Then made a small bracket for the OEM sensor. The front is actually a no brainer. If you swap the rear like I did, it's more complicated.

501b659a-cfb1-b195.jpg


This pic is off my WJ. My H3 is nearly identical. Only difference is that I run regular u-joints.

standard.jpg


This is what it would like after press fitting the factory tone ring to the axle.

"Ex Umbris Venimus"

Sent from my iPhone
 
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ReconH3

Guardian Angel
Messages
2,288
Location
Raleigh, NC
Also...track bar? There's no track bar on this white rig...its leaf sprung. Its got a cross-over link (from the box to the PS knuckle) and a tie-rod (back to the DS knuckle)...but no track-bar (like yours). Not sure I've every seen a leaf-spring rig with track bar, although I'm sure it wouldn't hurt. I guess you just depend on the leafs themselves to keep the body centered on the chasis?

YJs have track bars. This one has one from the top of the DS spring hanger to the PS frame. Look carefully and you'll see it.


"Ex Umbris Venimus"

Sent from my iPhone
 
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bebe

Moderator
Messages
1,375
Location
Dayton, NV
That thing is a mess.

It needs a lot of work by a competent fabricator.

If you were to put wider tires on it - it would make it worse, not to mention, it would tear that steering hackjob to shreds. They did a u-bolt flip on the rear, which was a waste of time.

Flex? Not likely....Spring over front and a spring under rear.

Did you see the shims on the front springs? Wow.
 

Flash

Well-Known Member
Messages
195
Location
Michigan
Given the present condition and the work required to make it right - how much is a "fair" price for this rig? 12? 15? 18?
 

Hunner

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,334
Location
Arkansas
I will risk weighing in with my opinion only on the part I know about, but open to a difference of opinion.
I think the "bent" tie rod end in this case was an attempt to keep the Heims level at rest so they would have full articulation from that point. Looks sort of goobered up on the end like they welded that nut on there? I don't see how they can lock them that way but maybe in this case they did not think that was required. It's harder to do but threading the tube will allow using a nut to lock the adjustment. The Heim is at an angle because the wheel is slightly turned in that picture. If the rods were straight the Heim would almost be maxed out at rest, and max out the limited articulation of the Heim. Then upward force on whatever is next on that setup would take more abuse. The ends can be adjusted separately if they did that at both ends as he describes. Does that sound right?
If done right, a bend solves some problems with high angles and in an application I am familiar with does not cause bump steer using the other OEM components of an H3 set up.
Man, are we a bunch of armchair critics? ha ha
I can hear the wheels of design churning, at least for those that crave a solid axle.
I'm using shaped tie rods and I do not have bump steer.
DAH_5085-1.jpg
 
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bebe

Moderator
Messages
1,375
Location
Dayton, NV
Given the present condition and the work required to make it right - how much is a "fair" price for this rig? 12? 15? 18?

They want 20K and it would take 3-5K in shop time to fix it.

If you really want an honest opinion from guys who do this stuff in their sleep - post it over on Pirate in the General 4x4 thread (not the Hummer section). It can be picked apart and put back together correctly in 20 minutes.
 

bebe

Moderator
Messages
1,375
Location
Dayton, NV
I was contemplating a similar type of rear shock mount .... in lieu of attaching next to the springs.

We looked at it for a friends rig - It is easy to do, but you would need to get either a shorter shock or SOA the rear. When you move the shock to the top of the axle you are decreasing the stroke or the shock by the height of the axle. (did that make sense?)
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,250
Location
Tardville
YJs have track bars. This one has one from the top of the DS spring hanger to the PS frame. Look carefully and you'll see it.
My bad. Now I see it...Photo 003...at the very top. Thanks for the ABS info too! Did you cut apart the unit bearings and somehow salvage the tone rings out of em?

Ya know...this truck is really cobbled-up but, I think all of the issues could be fixed without too much drama (or money). I would put some GM knuckles on it with some high-steer arms. That would relocate all that bent steering stuff up above the leaf springs, and also straighten out all the angles. That steering box/pitman mess has to go. So do those 2500HD leafs! But the shock-hoops, shocks, and basic concept really doesn't look that bad. We got some good ole boys here in the midwest that drive around much worse rigs than this.
 

ReconH3

Guardian Angel
Messages
2,288
Location
Raleigh, NC
Thanks for the ABS info too! Did you cut apart the unit bearings and somehow salvage the tone rings out of em?

No clue. I was fortunate enough that Dyantrac did it for me since it was a first time thing for them. :D When my project was started, GM had no plans of getting rid of Hummer, so many companies started looking into getting in. Especially because most Hummer owners were willing to pay that extra "Hummer" tax. The profit margin was much higher than let's say the Jeep market.



"Ex Umbris Venimus"

Sent from my iPhone
 

WarMongur

Well-Known Member
Messages
264
Location
Ladera Ranch, CA
We looked at it for a friends rig - It is easy to do, but you would need to get either a shorter shock or SOA the rear. When you move the shock to the top of the axle you are decreasing the stroke or the shock by the height of the axle. (did that make sense?)

Yes, that was one of the obsicles I saw :)
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,506
Location
Meridian, ID
It sold. I wanna get him over on H4O

So far he said the abs and traction control is not working. If the hubs are unlocked on the street he has to be in 4Hi locked.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
 

Portager

■ ☼▐▐▐▐▐▐▐ ☼■
Messages
1,506
Location
Silverado
So far he said the abs and traction control is not working.

Apparently when you go low buck, you sacrifice anti-lock brakes and traction control. Not a bad deal unless you need it.

There aren't any do-over’s or reset buttons in life.
 

Bigunit

Hammer Down!
Staff member
Messages
6,561
Location
Arizona
Let's get him over here. Let him know that I will give him a free special edition "Bigunit autographed" H4O sticker just for registering as a forum memer - I know, it's an amazing, hard-to-resist offer :), but what can I say, I'm shameless.
:shame:
 
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