Search and Rescue H3 Alpha build

[RamRod]

I like it!

Good work!


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[SuperBuickGuy]

light... still not done because I don't have the switches... but at least I can use them now

it's funny, the light is so bright, that the camera darkens the photo enough to make you think it was dark.... more like 4 pm

 

[4speedfunk]

So do LED lights need a relay like traditional lights? I figured since they had such a small current draw, maybe you could just hit em with a single +12v and a switch.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

So do LED lights need a relay like traditional lights? I figured since they had such a small current draw, maybe you could just hit em with a single +12v and a switch.

the lights were direct wired (I'm still waiting on my GM switches) - 14 ga wire and the wires didn't get warm (one for the bar, one for the other 4 lights). That said, I bet the GM switch is good for maybe 1 or 2 amps and I really don't (since it's taken 2 weeks and counting) want to have to seek out new switches because of internal arcing by running the lights directly through the switch.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

time to permanently wire the lights

GM put parts of the wiring harness in the car - so the dealer could simply wire in additional lights (very expensive, low illumination lights) but the wire works great for LED lights
on the bottom of the screen, you will see several wires that are blunt ended... those go through the firewall


that spot is right against the firewall on the left side


truly it's just a matter of wiring it all together


didn't get a picture - but I bought GM switches to fit in the factory holes in the dash.... all wired, and bright as day

which is good, since the power's been out since 5 pm.


I also finally found the trailer wiring harness.... not on the top left side of the dash.... behind the radio... bastards.... but I found it, and used the power to run the lights

 

[Kyle]

lights look great!! i still wonder about having to run a relay though. when i bought my rigid industries lights they came with a wiring harness that directly connected to the battery and was switched, no relay. whats the current draw on all the lights? there led they can be that much!

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

I don't know about whether or not it needs a relay, but I know that best practice is to use a fuse and a relay....

I bought some skids - finally got around to putting them on




and I replaced the upper control arms (@100k)... wow what a difference that makes... and up next, I'm building some adjustable/replaceable ball joint upper control arms using the old ones as templates.

and wish me luck - tomorrow is SAR 4x4 practice, I'd like to keep my "it didn't break" record intact

 

[06 H3]

good luck!

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

rock sliders and u-bolt protectors installed so that I can do this:




it was a good day - except for the rancho shock on-the-fly adjustment... that roundly sucks, but I'll be doing some vehicle lightening on it tomorrow and solve the problem (remove it).

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

this is the view from where we were today


Mt. Pilchuck in the distance

 

[RamRod]

Good to know about the Rancho system, had been tempted by it before!

Looks like a fun run with a virw

 

[Dixie_Flatline]

Enjoy this thread, lots of creativity and stimulating projects.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

Rancho is sending me the manual adjusters - one interesting thing I learned, they'll buy the air-control system back if you have a receipt (I don't) and don't like it. I thought that was a nice customer service gesture. Eventually I'll get pictures of the issue when I do the repair.... knobs are supposed to come tomorrow.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

well, sometimes experiments don't work. In this case, the Rancho 9000 shocks have the ability to adjust on the fly via an optional controller. The controller works by putting air pressure against the adjustment piston at the bottom of the shock, thus changing the valving. Except.....
It looked a bit vulnerable when I installed it and I thought I'd solved that issue by being careful on the wiring and tube running.... even had a protector to keep the elbow from getting knocked off.... problem is the part isn't terribly robust.


so I got new knobs and pulled the controller system off....

 

[06 H3]

cant you turn it around? have it facing towards the axle?

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

no, it interferes with the bracket

 

[RamRod]

The only time I adjust mine is when I am going to be towing something, so when I am getting the hitch hooked up I then just reach under the T and spin the dial to full steam and it takes just a sec... then I usually forget about it when I unhook and wonder why things are riding so much more rough...

 

[06 H3]

my little buttons are sheared off...damn rocks!

 

[RamRod]

They'll send you new ones for free if you tell them how you broke yours trying to adjust them

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

I have no complaints about Rancho's customer service.... though I still need to figure out the clunk from the rear.... I think it's the shock moving about.

 

[RamRod]

How close is your shackle to the frame? I figured out my rear end clunk is from an overloaded rear lol

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

According to Rancho, I need to measure the sleeves in the shocks - some, I guess, were too short; thus the oversized diameter wasn't the issue, the issue is the bolt doesn't clamp on the sleeve thus allowing the shock to move up and down on the bolt

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

My project list follows my life - God, wife, friends, SAR, everything else. Thus, today's job was SAR
When I haul people, I've run out of room to haul 4 people and their backpacks along with my required stuff.... so a shelf was needed


plus there's that stupid step.... wtf GM was thinking is well beyond my 160 IQ


remove tie-downs


make legs by welding the bolts from the tie-downs to the tube


and look at all that extra space


actually, it is... I moved stuff from the back seat to the rear cargo area.... what about other people's backpacks? - I have a rack and they can walk if they don't like it (simply because I rescue people doesn't suggest I like people) :no:

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

well, some needed maintenance occurred.... I replaced the upper control arms, the dealership (I bought it from) replaced the rack....
and now
I've noticed a few things - squeeks coming from the pulleys (replaced) squeek coming from the alternator, deep knocking from either the water pump or the clutch fan (removed the belt to make sure it wasn't engine related), a smell of antifreeze (which is really annoying since I just replaced the pump on the BMW, and the Land Rover seems to have the same issue), and a vibration through the steering wheel from the PS pump.

So I've either replaced, or will have replaced all of that by the end of next week. I figure it's just normal maintenance on a routinely 4x4'd 100k mile vehicle. I also flushed the brake system (and it made a difference, which actually concerns me a bit since it really shouldn't have made a positive difference in pedal feel).

Anyway, I figured people would be interested

that is all

 

[redcon1]

I just got some nice Ideas from this thread!! Thanks!