H4O first ever run Gold Mountain in Big Bear Sept 17TH

[Sierra H3]

Yep, I agree. The electronic locker is simpler. But, I called Eaton about two years ago and they told me that they did not have a front locker upgrade kit. They also added that if one was to be offered in the future, it would only be done through GM. We all know what happened to those plans. So, I took a look at ARBs website and found out that they were designing an H3 front locker. Sure enough, they came out with it about a year later. I read a couple of threads where H3 owners went to considerable efforts to upgrade an H3 with an electronic front locker sans kit. The complexity of tackling it without a manufactured kit lead me to conclude the ARB product would provide the least path of resistance to getting a front locker in place on the 2008 Alpha.

Thanks for the compliment Portager, it will be fun to see the difference when I finally move up to 35s. A couple of years ago, I had several upgrades on the chalk board. But then the job imposed furloughs, etc. that took much of the toy money away. Still have one of the "CB Photo" winch mounts in the garage that has yet to be used. I was exploring the idea of going with a hydraulic winch that I could use to drag trees and brush around on our mountain property as well as for occasional trail use. Still have a pile of dead trees as big as a house that needs to be broken apart and burned in controllable piles up there.

 

[Ron B]

I perfer electronic lockers all the way vs air. Just +12V and you are locked, the hummers are bad enough with leaking CTIS lines no need to add another air circuit onto the truck to troubleshoot airleaks I think ARB makes a electric locker as well?

As for the rear shaft, I was talking with Mike about it down at Tustin, he showed me the "fast" way to do it.

-Chock wheels
-Stick t-case in neutral
-Jack problem corner of the truck up.
-Remove wheel and shaft retainer plug and bolt.
-Remove radius arm crown bolt
-Remove upper half shaft crown bolt
-Swing around the geared hub and lower control arm
-unbolt half shaft [it should spin free]
-replace shaft [it should slide right in with no interferance
-use jack to raise lower control arm to reseat the ball joint, then replace the radius arm.
-replace crown nuts and cotter pins on radius and ball joint
-Replace retainer bolt and plug and reinstall wheel.

Probably a 30 min job unless something screws up.

Good to know for next time. :bc8:

funny -- finished changing it just that way a few hours ago (took 40 min because I forgot I took the e-brake apart on the trail). I knew the procedure but was trying to not pop the ball joint and radius rod. Haven't done the rear in a while, replaced the front last summer and they slip right in with ucp removal so my fading memory though the rear could do the same. I even used bfh on the geared hub. Noticed I need new ball joints.

 

[Ron B]

I think the halfshaft that I lost on the trail was on it's last leg for a while. I had this weird driveline clunk that I was trying to track down for months. The clunk has gone away with the new shaft.

Also...I was watching a video someone posted here and noticed my front tires doing some "interesting" wandering. Figured my idler/pitman were shot. Well...they may be but the idler bolts were almost falling off and the steering box was loose! Oy! That's what I get for not looking too closely at critical components after getting my truck back a few weeks ago from the welder.

 

[alrock]

So it ended being a good "shake out" run for you

 

[3Hummers]

Sounds like he almost "shook out" a couple of parts.

 

[Zach]

At least you got your clunk fixed. And shook down the other issues

 

[Ron B]

As David said, I am lucky more didn't go wrong because of the loose steering box and idler.

When I was futzing with my truck I thought because of having a detroit I had to jack up both sides of the vehicle -- that was a lot of the time wasted on the trail. Not easy to jack up the rear of an h1 on uneven rocky ground, and also being able to jack up the a-arm independently. So much easier in my garage! Need taller jack stands!