body armor for the H3

[06 H3]

I know I have recently learned the positive effects of keeping a vehicle light but I really want to throw some armor on the rear end of the vehicle. I spoke with Bspec a while back and he was impressed at how the H3 did on Mottino wash. He also wasnt sure that the H3 could do isham canyon at first but he thinks I have a good shot at it, with a decent chance of body damage. This goes for a lot of the trails I do in so cal. They are very tight trails and the things I like to do are like the sluice box, tall jagged rocks just waiting to tear up body panels. I have learned the fenders can take a ton of abuse...They just fold to the impact and pop back out, they arent metal so they dont rust which is nice too. I was thinking about bedlining them and just let the abuse begin and touch em up. To avoid the rest of the body becoming a total dried up raisin like this



My main concern is the rear quarter panel on off camber obstacles such as the back window and right by the roof line. I dont care about the doors as they are replaceable but the body that is permanent I want to keep straight.

Again, these are all ideas but I was thinking of doing a rear exo only to keep weight down



The dark grey and black is basically a design like this that drills into your body with rivets and counter sunk bolts



the white is tube to protect the upper rear body panel and taillight

the red is mounting brackets for a plate to prevent broken windows like my buddy did in his ZJ at the hammers.

I would then tie it into the other side with small diameter tube under the rack and gusset the **** out of it. My biggest concern is if all the tubes are connecting back to the body mounted tube and 3/16 plate is that it would rip it off the body.

First I would need to buy a tube bender and Id like a notcher to make life easier. The main thing holding me back is weight, I dont want to add more weight but I dont want my body to turn into a raisin as I start to tackle the tougher trails.

I could also do a lower exo...more for body protection then eventually do an interior roll cage for my safety.



some of the **** my buddies run isnt necessarily tough but they have older non daily driver jeeps that are dented to hell. So what do yall think?

 

[Kyle]

just copy serge. lol

 

[ReconH3]

I was planning on doing a combo of tubes over fenders Aussie style, and riveted/siliconed on panels like on most Jeeps. As functional as exoskeletons are, I don't like them because they of how they raise the center of gravity.


"Ex Umbris Venimus"

 

[3Hummers]

I would have to spend some time under the 3 seeing how you could solid mount the exo cage while not increasing your width much if any. Weight and width on a tired old I5, need to consider that also.

 

[chad]

i think its a cool idea, last year i scuffed the crap out of mine on a rock in the middle just behind the rear window and on the rear fender. car slipped a little and got it pretty good. some protection with your idea and i would have slid right on with no problems, the door would have take a hit too but i had it off at the time. i'm curious to see how it turns out for you.

 

[06 H3]

This is still all a thought so I may drop the idea...

Weight and COG are my concern. I've just done some things to help my COG now to hurt it. It's just all a trade off, because I know **** is going to start to break. Doors are easy, take em off and make a full door to protect the b pillar and door sills but it will still be lighter then the regular doors.

My buddy has a ZJ so we have similar size rigs and he's beat to hell. I'm at the point now where I have done a lot of trails in so cal and the step up is hammer trails and these one off extreme trails like isham canyon.

To make this decision even more crucial is that this is a DD so I can't go too crazy.

It also has to be kept tight to the body because we are already wide, why make it worse. Maybe I'm best to just start running these trails and see what areas are vulnerable

 

[Mb30sdl]

just copy serge. lol

Yea this seem very familiar:giggle:

 

[06 H3]

Lol

 

[Mb30sdl]

U have to watch wight or upgrade suspension, I am setting up mine for 9K 40/60 with long travel airbags for extra load.

 

[06 H3]

Yea I think air bags will do good things for hamster

The advantage you have to the weight is that you have a motor and trans that can be built to handle all the weight and I don't.

Maybe I should just do the slider bar angled up to the window for protection. Low weight with added protection

 

[06 H3]

I'm coining up with some better ideas ill post them up after. Low weight not a full Exo but can help protect vital areas

 

[06 H3]

Ill draw it up later but basically use angled steel in the roof line to the faded gray trim drill out holes install nurserts in the body and weld a bar across like a slider bar above the door for off camber obstacles where the roof line contacts the rock. I see that happen a lot on tough trails

 

[06 H3]

Recon, this is my favorite so far...The hybrid cage.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/jeep-cherokee/1086898-hybrid-cage-build.html

I am 6'5" and even keeping it tight to the headliner, it can be tough especially if I rollover I can hit my head on the cage. Also, the A-pillar piece would require to chop up the dash. The B pillar would go through the roof A pillar by the windshield on the outside down the inside of the fender. I think its a best of both worlds. Then on the top cage on the roof use that a base for a new rack.

Im not doing this soon, I still need more tools and know how but am planning especially because I am tackling tougher and tougher trails.

 

[hockeymanam]

06 H3. I think that looks awesome, but before i do mods like this i will have a second "real" DD. something decent that goes point A to B and better than 13mpg

 

[MTUH3]

Just Line-X your truck. Boom, Done

he he

 

[06 H3]

Thanks, I am far from it but a buddy of mine suggested I take some type of action towards safety. Before I redo my front suspension, put bigger tires on etc. I need to do something, Im trying to find a balance. Internal is probably best but I think I am too tall for an internal cage unless I ditch the headliner (which I dont wanna do.) I feel like this is a nice alternative. The problem I see with the exo cage is lack of bracing from the roof to floor and seeing I could fit tube from the roof to the floor behind the driver/passenger seat and behind the 2nd row would add a ton of rigidity and I dont have to worry about hitting my damn head on metal pipe.

After seeing the post on the rollover in moab on wipeout hill and having my own experience of nearly going over I think it needs to be considered. At first I wasnt really convinced that I almost flopped until multiple strangers, my brother, his friend and seth said my front end was up in the air and going over but the only reason I stayed planted was that I had people holding onto a strap in the front. My inclinometer said 49 after I hit the ground, before that I assume I was around 52. Scary ****...lol

After I get a tube bender, notcher and become more serious I will then start to look closely at an internal cage.

I saw a few pics from recons cage but not much.

 

[06 H3]

line x the whole thing?

It still goes to work and school! lol

http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/0606or-2006-hummer-h3-race-truck/photo-gallery/

This is pure badass...but its not driven daily lol