Desert builds....?

[MTUH3]

Toyota trucks seem to be the market. That is what I get told a lot.

What are the differences in dimensions of the Toyota parts? If they are close in length, will they work if the uniball or hiem spacers are changed to match the H3 dimensions

 

[Gunick]

I would not be afraid of keeping the TB set up for high speed. The more suspension guys I talk to, the more they say the torsion design is much better than most get credit for. What would be the cats ass is to convince Icon to make one of these for the H3.

View attachment 12640

They have adjustable Hiems to adjust the camber as you change the ride height. Also cutting down the upper hard stop on the frame and going to a strap will help. The uniball and clearancing some of the knuckle to U/LCA will help get travel too. Then, IMO, it is down to dialing in the shocks and using jounce shocks.

We should start a campaign on the Icon facebook page until we get what we want

This would be awesome, and like you said.. H3's dont push large enough profit numbers when it comes to aftermarket R&D. If we can do just this though (focus our attention to one company) we could very well have a good thing in the making.. all it takes is one company to put in the work and to build quality suspension components and I'm sure we would all jump on it.

 

[06 H3]

Icon is the **** but they are pricey. You have to be willing to fork over some cash, not saying that to anyone in particular but to everyone. If you wanna play you gotta pay. To keep up with the big boys, if its long travel you will fork out some money or if its a solid axle swap you will too. The only low buck ways to do it is do it all yourself and pay up for the necessities like the 2 links in my long travel ifs low budget thread.

 

[4speedfunk]

That Toyota thread is pretty awesome. Its cool to see someone stick build knuckles....lots of time & calculation getting those built. I've never seen that before but, when you consider the expense of casting...its certainly cheaper. I think upper and lower A-arms would be cake compared to fabbing a knuckle.

 

[RamRod]

I would love the comfort of a truck set up for the desert.. I think most of us here would... my biggest problem is I don't have a desert around

an Arctic Truck however would be much more suitable for me a my geography:

 

[06 H3]

I just re read that thread. Its very interesting. A part of me thinks there was a lot of calculation into it but another part of me wonders if there is as much calculation in it as we think...He went to a SAS swap and got rid of it due to the ****ty handling at 60 mph. he claims it took complete concentration to drive, so it makes me wonder if all his geometry was bad. At the end of the day you can make a solid axle vehicle drive down the road at 80mph without fear. So lets say for arguments sake the geometry was way off then goes and builds IFS which is even more complicated. Then he ripped off the a arms and re did them, I wonder if it was more trial and error or calculation or both? Not sure...Comparing custom parts from me doing a SAS to an IFS like this it would be similar. There is less custom **** to this build then I thought. Some of it could of been avoidable like the knuckles if he did what bebe did.

I was thinking we could possibly get this much travel. You gotta go inwards not outwards so its not ridiculous, well outwards a tiny bit and the rest in ward. Bebes front diff is 29 7/8. If you use a currie housing which is 14 1/2 wide. Instead of mounting the sub frame on the bottom side of the frame rail you weld two cross braces into the frame and the subframe off the cross brace. That would allow you to have a narrower subframe. Then use an H2 shaft with a custom intermediate shaft which is longer (allows for more travel) This is all theory though, there are obviously other obstacles though. Oil pan, steering rack mounting etc. I know bebe did it right, her setup seems to work, If I went with a setup like her but instead of a chopped up diff you go with a currie centersection to be narrower and have the chance for more travel.

Or solid axle it. Im in a thinking stage while I drive my 2wd H3 with the front diff in a million pieces right now. Or get 2 H3s...one with IFS and one with a solid axle :shifty:

The biggest thing that bugs me is that all this thought is in theory and not under my truck. My dad always told me to make theory into real world applications and right now with being away from home for 12-13 hours a day with school and work and no DD it makes it tough...I guess I will keep planning for summer to make some change.

 

[MTUH3]

All you need is to find a front frame assembly from a scrapped truck

 

[Gunick]

I just looked over bebe's thread on RD and its an awesome build. This topic came up for a few reasons 1. i just havent seen too many builds for this specific purpose and needed to know why. 2. Baja is right around the corner and ive followed SCORE and NORRA since i was a kid, my family has camped in baja every year for 20 years, and now that i have the H3 ill be heading back down there for the races. 3. Hummer is new to me, ive been around toyota my whole life and got into building race cars, so learning what the H3's limitations were was very important for me when deciding to have a build for desert. I appreciate everyones input as its super helpful. Im very interested to see where else this conversation goes.

 

[ReconH3]

You could also look at cantilevering the rear, it will give more suspension travel without a crazy long travel shock, but the gas tank will get in the way of that idea.

My cantilever system gives 14" of travel with 8" shocks, and it's nowhere near the fuel tank. You can see it in this pic.

"Ex Umbris Venimus"

 

[Gunick]

My cantilever system gives 14" of travel with 8" shocks, and it's nowhere near the fuel tank. You can see it in this pic.

"Ex Umbris Venimus"

i absolutely love this setup... How difficult and costly was this?

 

[bebe]

I just looked over bebe's thread on RD and its an awesome build. This topic came up for a few reasons 1. i just havent seen too many builds for this specific purpose and needed to know why. 2. Baja is right around the corner and ive followed SCORE and NORRA since i was a kid, my family has camped in baja every year for 20 years, and now that i have the H3 ill be heading back down there for the races. 3. Hummer is new to me, ive been around toyota my whole life and got into building race cars, so learning what the H3's limitations were was very important for me when deciding to have a build for desert. I appreciate everyones input as its super helpful. Im very interested to see where else this conversation goes.

If you want exact specs and advice from someone who has done it for a decade, call Sam at Samco Fab in Reno/Sparks (775) 856-4100. He won't BS you at all. He knows exactly what it will cost.

And guys, all the custom stuff is expensive. I don't care who the Manufacturer is unless it's YOU. Just go to the Camburg, Brenthel, or Dixon Bros site and price the Chevy truck suspensions. There are a million more of those made than H3's.

You need to want that suspension more than $$ in your savings account.

 

[bebe]

I'm sorry, I need to be blunt..... you asking those of us whom have spent the time effort and $$ what the cost is very uncomfortable. It's pretty personal. It's more appropriate for you to be asking the builder what it costs. Call Mel or Jerry or Tech Tim.

I don't mean to be snippy about it, so I'll apologize in advance.

 

[ABNTROOP]

:roll:

 

[Gunick]

Look I fully understand that in order to do something of that nature it cost money, please don't insult my intelligence when it comes to this:thumbs:. positing information and showing pictures could be as personal as giving ball park figures. People come to the forums to share info, when people ask what things cost on builds I've done I'll let them know. I don't mean for anyone to take it the wrong way, just looking for information in guiding me along my way. I understand if it struck a nerve, my apologies... But I do appreciate all info received this far!

 

[bebe]

Again I apologize, but you Matthew and Gunick, could at least try to insert your foot into my shoe for moment.

The vendors who help us don't want us to say, they ask us to keep it confidential. I know you all would like a ball park on these builds, but like I have said before...a lot. A whole lot. Like 30K. (It makes them absolutely NUTS when we quote prices online, because invariably someone calls and says "But Bebe said you'd do it for $XX" and all the dude is trying to do is make another happy customer, and he then has to describe why what he did for me is different than what he's going to do for that guy").

And again, if you want to know what it costs call the vendor. Everyone is going to want something different, everyone is going to be on a different budget, everyone's circumstances are individual.

So don't let the fact that my build or Recons build are outrageously expensive, dissuade you from doing your own. For me it was the best 30K I've ever spent. And it was cake for me to hand over my credit card.

Since 2009 I have dodged the question...so there you are. You have your answer. Oh but wait - you didn't ask me :giggle:

So sorry, move along....nothing to see here

 

[ReconH3]

i absolutely love this setup... How difficult and costly was this?

The genius behind this is Mel Wade at Offroad Evolution in California. Give him a call and he can give you the down low. He's a great guy to talk with.


"Ex Umbris Venimus"

 

[ABNTROOP]

Naa, :no: don't need to put myself in your shoe. It's not personal, it's just dollars and cents and who did what to where. Anything above that seems silly, and comes off as king of the nerd sh!t. :roll:"Look at me and what I have, but I can't tell you how to do it, or get it. Sorry, state secret, could put my throne in jeopardy" lmao! :giggle:



Used to seeing this mentality a lot with the exact same excuses in the replica film prop community. Surprised to see it here.. Moot point anyway, as most of us live in the real world without bottomless credit cards LMAO!
amazed that there are other rigs on here with other owners who go above and beyond to share their knowledge. It's these members who will have attracted me to this community and encourage me to stay.

 

[Gunick]

Naa, :no: don't need to put myself in your shoe. It's not personal, it's just dollars and cents and who did what to where. Anything above that seems silly, and comes off as king of the nerd sh!t. :roll:"Look at me and what I have, but I can't tell you how to do it, or get it. Sorry, state secret, could put my throne in jeopardy" lmao! :giggle:



Used to seeing this mentality a lot with the exact same excuses in the replica film prop community. Surprised to see it here.. Moot point anyway, as most of us live in the real world without bottomless credit cards LMAO!
amazed that there are other rigs on here with other owners who go above and beyond to share their knowledge. It's these members who will have attracted me to this community and encourage me to stay.

And please don't take my question as a. What did you personally spend, I guess I should've re worded it like a what's typically the cost for a build like this... And that's the price range I figured for a build like yours bebe and I fully respect what you've done and how open you are with info as most aren't. It's enthusiast like you that help new owners like me so thank you! And recon I appreciate the tip on who to talk too I'll be sure to further look into it! This is by far the best forum for info like this, and the friendliest .

 

[bebe]

Naa, :no: don't need to put myself in your shoe. It's not personal, it's just dollars and cents and who did what to where. Anything above that seems silly, and comes off as king of the nerd sh!t. :roll:"Look at me and what I have, but I can't tell you how to do it, or get it. Sorry, state secret, could put my throne in jeopardy" lmao! :giggle:



Used to seeing this mentality a lot with the exact same excuses in the replica film prop community. Surprised to see it here.. Moot point anyway, as most of us live in the real world without bottomless credit cards LMAO!
amazed that there are other rigs on here with other owners who go above and beyond to share their knowledge. It's these members who will have attracted me to this community and encourage me to stay.

Forgive me if I don't remember, but have we met?

 

[ABNTROOP]

No, we haven't. The unfortunate part of not knowing people face to face is that, at times, assumptions are made. Sometimes those assumptions are incorrect. Between the way you phrased certain things and your avatar, it left an impression. If that impression is incorrect, I apologize.

 

[Gunick]

So what LS setup would you guys recommend for desert build or would stock suffice? I'm gonna run either fox or beilstein 5160's in back with a jounce setup

 

[bebe]

LS as in motor? Anything will work, big block or small block. Are you going to keep it street legal?

Send it to Jeff at MJ Motorsports in Modesto and he will turn it into a stoker for you. A lot of the Desert Racers use him. Builds a very reliable motor.

 

[Gunick]

Leaf spring! Haha sorry for the confusion, I'm gonna continue to run the i5 setup.

 

[bebe]

Have Deaver make you a set of Rod Hall Springs (06Chris may still have his) or you can add a second main leaf like I did and leave it spring under. I would fun the Fox 2.0 remote res JK shocks. They fit with minor modifications to the bar pin mount.

 

[06 H3]

Hans3t has my springs now. For jumping and high speed they kick ass.