H3 Straight axle Swap

[4speedfunk]

Thread Hi-jack!...

I'm sure this is different from Dana60's but, good info all the same if you are considering a SAS. This is a custom passenger-drop hi-pinion D44 housing in an H3T. Coil sprung, 3-link suspension. Steering is typical cross-over, low-steer using a p.s. GM/Jeep flat-top knuckle. The box is a Nissan Delphi unit (from an Xterra), rebuilt & ported by WTO for ram assist, custom pitman arm. It uses a stock GM p.s. pump. Frame rails have been plated with 1/4" steel and there are sleeves and an inboard plate where the box attaches. There are two ways to connect to the steering column to this box. You can either grind flats on the input shaft of the box to accept a stock Hummer intermediate shaft...or build a new shaft with the correctly splined u-joint to fit the Nissan shaft (without grinding). Since this truck has a body lift...I'm leaning toward the new shaft, because I can build it to account for the extra length that the body lift requires.

Now if I could just get Borgeson to return my emails! Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?...

 

[Cajun_Tiger_Hummer]

Sexiness!!

 

[06 H3]

I came back to see how you are doing! How's that beast of an h3. Do u have any shots of your exhaust? Curious if my v8 swap will cause my upper link to hit the exhaust.

I've seen all your heights so I measured mine from the ground to the top of the gray (once black but mines sunfaded lol) plastic I'm at 77in tall that's with 37s.

Recon 79 is with 40s or when you were on 37s?

 

[GreatDaneHummer]

Never did get to see the steering box mounting? Anyone ever see how he mounted it inside the front frame?

 

[Dana60H3]

I mounted a GM Saginaw box inside of frame rail. Sleeved the mounting points thru the frame.
I thought I had a pic already on here but looks like I don't.
I do have these pics that show front compressed with the New Axle. I'm getting ready to mount my Bump stops so I'll take some pics of that with the steering box mounts as well.

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[Dana60H3]

I also ended up installing ABS sensors on the axles to enable me to shift my transfer case into neutral. With the ABS and stabilitrak disconnected you can't shift the T case into neutral. I was also unable to shift on the fly I would have to turn off ignition to shift transfer case. Here are some pics of mounting the front sensors on the Dana 60 front.

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[Dana60H3]

Also forgot to mention I had to grind down some of the inside of the rotors for clearance of the ABS sensor. Can be seen in the pic of tone ring welded on rotor.


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[06 H3]

Looking great! How was setting up rear abs? I assume it's similar to my brothers JK I did, he's running the late model 10.5, you have the 11.5 but I think the rear brakes and hubs are the same

 

[Dana60H3]

Looking great! How was setting up rear abs? I assume it's similar to my brothers JK I did, he's running the late model 10.5, you have the 11.5 but I think the rear brakes and hubs are the same

I mounted sensor in similar location as the 10.5. Thru the backing plate machined the hubs like the front for tone ring.
I saw there are some companies that make a mount for the 10.5 for the JK sensors. I did it similar to those ones.


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[GreatDaneHummer]

Are those RockJock Currie Dana 60's?

 

[GreatDaneHummer]

On the front is that a Jeep tone ring then with the Hummer ABS sensor mounted above it or did you have to custom machine and put on the tone ring? Thanks for answering all these questions.

 

[Dana60H3]

Yes the front is now a RockJock 60. I originally had a 90's Dodge Low pinion 60 I ran for the first 2 years. The problem I ran into was I was setup for 4" Up travel and 10" down travel. It was too much for a low pinion housing with the proper caster angles. I was blowing out front pinion seals about every time I went out so I opted to suck it up and build a Rock Jock. I ordered the housing 69.5 " WMS to WMS to match the width of my rear AAM 11.5. Which enabled me to turn full lock with the 40's with no rubbing. I also had them move the housing over 2" to the center and rotate it up 9 degrees to better line up with the transfer case and give me more room to weld in my passenger side link bracket. I was able to salvage some of my parts (mostly brake and hub parts) when switching to the High Pinion. I can run all day on the trails and still do 80 on the highway with zero driveline vibrations now. I used DeLUX fab tone rings and sensor blocks.
For both the front and the rear. Yes I had the hubs machined about 1/8" or so to fit them on there. The bare housing cost was reasonable but upgrading to 3.5" axle tubes adding Reid racing knuckles, C's to keep all my Kingpin parts and 35 Spline axles started to add up. But I've put about 2000 miles on it since December and couldn't be happier.


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[MaxPF]

Yes the front is now a RockJock 60. I originally had a 90's Dodge Low pinion 60 I ran for the first 2 years. The problem I ran into was I was setup for 4" Up travel and 10" down travel. It was too much for a low pinion housing with the proper caster angles. I was blowing out front pinion seals about every time I went out so I opted to suck it up and build a Rock Jock.

I run a early 90's Dodge kingpin 60 (well, 61 specifically). I don't understand how you were blowing out pinion seals I could see u-jount issues, but not pinion seal issues.

 

[Dana60H3]

I run a early 90's Dodge kingpin 60 (well, 61 specifically). I don't understand how you were blowing out pinion seals I could see u-jount issues, but not pinion seal issues.

My first driveline was a regular double Cardan joint and when maxed out it would blow out U joints. Then I went with a 1410 High Angle driveline and never had another ujoint issue. I went thru 3 pinion seals and bearings at that point because it would not break the joints. When I took the axle out you could grab the yoke and rattle the pinion around. I run it pretty hard thru the desert also and that seemed to be when it would give up on me.



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[06 H3]

I'm curious if you cut and Turned the Cs if that would have solved it

 

[Dana60H3]

Yes that can be done for sure. I thought about that but figured the few inches I gained by having the reverse rotation housing would help not to have to rotate the pinion so far up and start running into a problem with up travel driveline angles.
Starting with a new housing also gave me an excuse to put in some upgrades.


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[MaxPF]

My first driveline was a regular double Cardan joint and when maxed out it would blow out U joints. Then I went with a 1410 High Angle driveline and never had another ujoint issue. I went thru 3 pinion seals and bearings at that point because it would not break the joints. When I took the axle out you could grab the yoke and rattle the pinion around. I run it pretty hard thru the desert also and that seemed to be when it would give up on me.

Ahh. What is happening is that the torque fluctuation is rocking the yoke on the splines, loosening up the pinion nut. When I recently had to do some work on my 14b yoke I found it was not a slip fit onto the pinion splines, but rather a press fit. Makes it a PITA to assemble, but it doesn't come loose.

 

[06 H3]

I'm building a D70 front end with all factory 60 outers. D60-D70 it's all the same to me just was cheaper since I got a D70 housing for free and all D60 parts for 300 bucks, hubs shafts Cs, knuckles etc. I can set the pinion angle and caster to whatever I want. I'm not sure what I'll do it but I figure it will be steep. One thing I like about my HP44 is that its a straight shot to the diff.

 

[Dana60H3]

I'm building a D70 front end with all factory 60 outers. D60-D70 it's all the same to me just was cheaper since I got a D70 housing for free and all D60 parts for 300 bucks, hubs shafts Cs, knuckles etc. I can set the pinion angle and caster to whatever I want. I'm not sure what I'll do it but I figure it will be steep. One thing I like about my HP44 is that its a straight shot to the diff.

When I had a Dynatrac build years back for another project it had a pretty good rotation on the housing and they had me upgrade to a high pinion seal to keep the pinion bearing lubed. You might want to figure out at what angle the fluid isn't reaching the bearing. It had a separate fill port and I'm guessing some sort of seal on the pinion gear further down. Just a thought.


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[GMotley1]

Based off your experience with the build, would you take on a build for someone? I want you to build my h3

 

[4speedfunk]

Yeah, and make sure you use a high pinion cover too...the fill hole is higher up on the HP so you can get the fluid level up to the pinion bearing. If you use a low pin cover...overfill it on a hill.
I also run a pinion bearing slinger on the hp.

 

[Dana60H3]

Finally put a hole in my transfer case. In the process of putting in a 6L80E transmission and 4 speed Atlas transfer case in.

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[06 H3]

Badass! What’s the plans for shifters? I have a damaged factory case, an NP205 sitting on the table and a doubler that’s supposed to be shipping out next week.

Also, what’s your plans for the trans shifting and controlling?

 

[Dana60H3]

Well like you said before only place to put the shifters is in the console. I’ve been in contact with Jim at Zero gravity performance and picked up a PSI 6L80 tap shifter and conversion wiring harness. Shipped the computers out today to him. He gave me some detailed diagrams of what electrical connections need to be made and where.
I’m going to high low shifter on the passenger side of the console. Basically making a whole
New console.

 

[Dana60H3]

I’m going to end up using a gear indicator from PSI as well.


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