SO.... is there really no way to fix the steering rack issue on the H3?

[backcountryislife]

So... I'm about to be on steering rack #4 for this summer.

There's GOT to be a way to fix this issue, or at least improve the durability.

What does the 2500 run? Could that be fitted to the H3 perhaps?

I'm a bit on the high side, 24" up front... but not rediculous.


I do wheel at least 2-3 days a week, and usually on pretty tough stuff. Me going through 3 racks in a season is likely similar to most folks tearing up one a year... I've put on about 900 miles offroad this summer so far, so I don't think I'm really going through them "quicker" than others... I'm just going to increase the incidence by how much I wheel.


Yesterday I was on a hard local trail, buddy bent his sliders, I snapped my rack, and the other guy was in a buggy... so he doesn't count.

(as the photag, I never seem to get good pics of me )



Problem is.... this is my back yard, I'm not going to stop running the trails by my house, so I need to figure out a way to make this stronger.

(btw, I was on flat ground, no front articulation, bounced back into a rock that pulled the wheel from my hands & snapped the rack... kinda random, not even on a feature)

My forearms are FRIED right now, and I've got bruises on my legs from where I had to lever the wheel into them for the rest of the trail to keep the wheel from spinning each time I hit a rock off center.

Seems like my only option right now is to lower the front... but there's got to be another way to go about this.

I'd assumer that a lift (rancho) would drop the rack mount so that it's horizontal instead of having a down angle, but is there another way to do that without lifting so much? I do NOT want to go up 4" (or, if you figure you'd eliminate the T-bar crank, even the extra 2" it would give me fron here) I want to be relatively low, as I've already dented my back rear from a tippy trail we've got with trees on the downhill side.

I know this has been discussed before, but I've never found any real fix, just to replace the junk part with another junk part... that's not going to fly for me anymore, something has to change.

 

[cgalpha08]

As far as tie rods go, bullet proof steering makes a set for the h3 thats stronger than oem. Hunner also has a steering rack sleeve that solves some issues. Not sure if those are your problem areas.

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[backcountryislife]

Nope... not for me unfortunately.

Steering rack itself snaps in 1/2. Cast aluminum where it should be solid steel. As smart a design as using aluminum for a front diff:giggle: :wink:

Hunner didn't have any mounts last time I snapped, I've doubled up the stock ones though... and they're only 2 months old, so not sure how worn they'd be.

 

[DJinCO]

For your situation I would wonder if a Jeep would hold up to that much heavy duty off-road. What I mean is are you going beyond the design limits of the H3?

Our HUMMERs are great, but everything has limits to what they are designed to do. Could you be asking too much of your equipment?

If you are, then perhaps you should build a specialized vehicle that is able to exceed your expectations. The Blaster in your photos looks like something that might be what you need.

 

[backcountryislife]

For your situation I would wonder if a Jeep would hold up to that much heavy duty off-road. What I mean is are you going beyond the design limits of the H3?

Our HUMMERs are great, but everything has limits to what they are designed to do. Could you be asking too much of your equipment?

If you are, then perhaps you should build a specialized vehicle that is able to exceed your expectations. The Blaster in your photos looks like something that might be what you need.

Oh most definitely... that would meet my expectations for sure...but is well outside my budget.

There are a few reason I prefer the H3... for what I do, a Jeep would be better... but the only reason I say this is the solid axle. I'm pretty careful about angles & force though, not snapping shafts or hammering through stuff, I'm just having issues with the steering. I don't hammer my way through stuff like my solid axle buddies do... I just know how it will end, so I take it slow, and make my way smoothly when possible. Yesterday I was on a rock in the back & didn't know it, let of the brake & rolled back more than expected into a rock with the right rear, and it yanked the tire hard... It didn't like that I guess

Give me a 4 door JK though (Rubicon only) & I'd take it without question but that's not going to happen soon. What a jeep needs to keep up to the H3 is much more costly. A stock Jeep would cost me a fortune. The grass always seems greener, but I'm pretty realistic about how well both work.

Improve a few little things (spring hanger clearance, shock mount, and steering) and the H3 is a serious contender, it's no joke, just need to refine some things.:fxd:

 

[06 H3]

you have really put your H3 is some tough spots, I like it!! Really pushing it to see where it can go. I honestly have no clue how you can beef it up. Maybe bebe has some ideas...

 

[backcountryislife]

She mentioned a 2500 she put in on pirate, but I can't find the thread.

 

[06 H3]

I know she uses one right now but my thought would be that there isnt enough room in there. Has the rack failed each time in the same spot? I wonder if the solution atvspeed is coming up with for tie rods will allow less stress on the rack. Would ram assist help? I am not too familar with ram assist just throwing ideas out there.

 

[atvspeed4]

Ive been thinking this through for a while now. The tierods I hope to have finished some day wont really help too much as they follow the same geometry as the stock tierods but alot stronger. As for the steering rack, I really hope to use a full size rack and weld mounts in but I need to figure out what model has the rack we need. I hope to install a body lift and 37's but will not do it until I figure out the steering rack, tierods and the custom front diff.

 

[backcountryislife]

Yup... if I had a diff & steering I could trust, my next set of tires (likely after or during next season) would be 37's.

 

[06 H3]

I can probably fit 38s if I trim and 37s easily. I just wont do it until I can have every component handle the stress...hopefully one day

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[Hans3T]

I've got a hankering for 37"s too...mayhaps a seperate discussion thread is needed for such a topic? :hmm:

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[backcountryislife]

Steering, clearance, and diff... other than that... throw em on!

I can get 37's for $190, so pretty sure it'll be worth the upgrade when I need tires, just gotta make sure the 3 can hold up to them.

 

[alrock]

I do think that at 24" you are too high and this is contributing to your issues. At that height the tie rods are at a more severe angle to the track and when you hit something hard there is much greater force directed directly upwards against the rack vs. just pivoting as it is supposed to. I ran 24" for a long time and it led to premature wearing out of the inner tie rods vs. where it meets the rack. I'm now at 23.25" and have not had that wear and tear. But I also never broke a rack in the 5+ years I've had the truck and it's seen a trail or two.

 

[cbetts]

I do think that at 24" you are too high and this is contributing to your issues. At that height the tie rods are at a more severe angle to the track and when you hit something hard there is much greater force directed directly upwards against the rack vs. just pivoting as it is supposed to. I ran 24" for a long time and it led to premature wearing out of the inner tie rods vs. where it meets the rack. I'm now at 23.25" and have not had that wear and tear. But I also never broke a rack in the 5+ years I've had the truck and it's seen a trail or two.

Ditto on this. 24" is WAY too high. I also bumped back down to 23.25" on mine. First steering rack was replaced at 82K due to minor leaking at the boots. Granted, I am not doing hard core trails like you but do I also think you are cranked too high for wheeling. It looks good in the city but not as functional on rock.

CORRECTION - I am at 22.75"

 

[IndyHummers]

This thread makes me think about bringing my height down also. Did you guys realign after that or no?

 

[alrock]

Indy, yep, I realigned. It's a bit easier to do as I have the Firestone lifetime alignment so no extra cost to go in there for another alignment.

 

[cbetts]

Yep! Anytime you alter the geometry, you should get it realigned. The Firestone lifetime alignment is well worth the money.

 

[Hunner]

I think I might have touched on this before as to my experience with this. I tried the 24 and it even looked to be too great an increase in the already steep angle of the tie rods and CV. My rack broke on my 06 and that was when I discovered the pass side bushing was allowing the rack to leverage on the two bolt mount on the drivers side which is secure and that breaks the rack.
If you have any up and down and back and forth movement the rack will probably break.
How some people that wheel have not destroyed one is a mystery or the details and levels of their front end are not clear.
In most cases closer to stock height will put less up pressure on the rack end.
Sounds like you need to fix the pass side and put in a center bracket like I did on the 06 for some extra security. It's cheap and a secondary way to eliminate movement.
I came back to about 23.5 which makes a lot of difference out at the end of the axles.
I think stock varied but was around 22.5, have to look that up.
The reason I got involved with Bullet Proof on fitting the tie rods to the H3 is that it was concluded that the OEM tie rods when maxed out on articulation increased the leverage on the rack and rods.
I think I had 25,000 or so on the 06 without another failure and installed them on the 08Alpha at about 10,000 miles and now have 52,000 on that without a failure.
I sometimes take the road less traveled and have tested my set up and I am satisfied it has worked for me, so far.

 

[backcountryislife]

Hey Hunner, what do you think about giving the stock tie rods (16mm) a bend like the bullet proof ones have?

I had my guy install the 2nd bracket... but looking at it now... it looks like he forgot to do it, awesome.

This time I'll have 3 new brackets, so I might just use all 3 of them & mount the piss out of the thing.

 

[bebe]

Hunners reinforcement is a good way to go. Bending the OEM TRE's will only weaken them, and shorten them, and mess with the geometry.

 

[alrock]

Those Bulletproof ones are apparently designed to flex and that bend helps. The steel of the oem ones won't flex and regain their shape like the Bulletproof ones

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[atvspeed4]

Those Bulletproof ones are apparently designed to flex and that bend helps. The steel of the oem ones won't flex and regain their shape like the Bulletproof ones

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I cannot see the bulletproof tubing flexing. That design with the thick tubing wall, short length and alloy they are made from would not allow flexing.

 

[alrock]

I cannot see the bulletproof tubing flexing. That design with the thick tubing wall, short length and alloy they are made from would not allow flexing.

I will send you the pics of them flexing under stress when mounted

 

[jakesz28]

Hunner do you have your shims,yet? Or are you getting them soon?