• Welcome to H4O! For a reduced ad experience, please login or register with the forum.

SO.... is there really no way to fix the steering rack issue on the H3?

backcountryislife

backcountryislife

Well-Known Member
Messages
858
Location
Dumont, CO
atvspeed4 said:
So im assuming that we should stop our development of the steering rack brace and solid bushings?
Click to expand...


Heck no! I may be "the guy" struggling with it this summer, but that's just showing folks that there is an improvement to be made, and that having a badazz clamp & solid mounting on the rack will likely at some point save THEM from the headache I've been going through, and give them a more bulletproof setup, which is what we all want.

I've still got to look out for reaper too... I'm his recovery vehicle (won't be putting an "H3 recovery vehicle" sticker on, but I MIGHT get one that says "DAN's recovery vehicle"!:wink:

I may be the most vocal (imagine that :D) but I'm not the only one that will benefit from this development!
 
reaper

reaper

Well-Known Member
Messages
527
Location
Denver, Colorado
We need to fix the damn rack!!!!! I think all of us h3 owners are lined up waiting. I'm putting my new one on with nothing but the hunner sleeve and the stock mounts. Hopefully she'll hold until y'all get something awesome ready. I'm going to need something reliable to recover backcountryislife's jeep with.
 
AbsntMnded

AbsntMnded

Well-Known Member
Messages
132
Location
Pennsylvania
I know, I know...adding more info to an already lengthy thread, but has anyone talked to theses guys yet?
http://www.ultimatepowersteering.com.au/hummer-h3-8-07-4-10/

I'm not sure if these are for sale yet and they are in Australia. These may just be stiffer bushings, but it's the first I've seen any attention paid to the driver's side bushing. These are probably not better than a solid bushing, but it's something else to ponder.
 
H3slate

H3slate

Brush raked
Messages
983
Location
Tualatin, Oregon
AbsntMnded said:
I know, I know...adding more info to an already lengthy thread, but has anyone talked to theses guys yet?
http://www.ultimatepowersteering.com.au/hummer-h3-8-07-4-10/

I'm not sure if these are for sale yet and they are in Australia. These may just be stiffer bushings, but it's the first I've seen any attention paid to the driver's side bushing. These are probably not better than a solid bushing, but it's something else to ponder.
Click to expand...

This was brought up on page 20 by Chook. The company said that the kit would be available within a month and us North Americans could purchase it from their website using paypal.
 
Bigunit

Bigunit

Hammer Down!
Staff member
Messages
6,561
Location
Arizona
It's not about the bushing, it's the mount that is the real problem.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapataint
 
Chook

Chook

Well-Known Member
Messages
706
Location
Brisbane (Australia)
AbsntMnded said:
I know, I know...adding more info to an already lengthy thread, but has anyone talked to theses guys yet?
http://www.ultimatepowersteering.com.au/hummer-h3-8-07-4-10/


I'm not sure if these are for sale yet and they are in Australia. These may just be stiffer bushings, but it's the first I've seen any attention paid to the driver's side bushing. These are probably not better than a solid bushing, but it's something else to ponder.
Click to expand...

It's my vehicle in the video. Warwick got a set of aftermarket bushes that were close and modified them to fit. He then took measurements off mine and send them away to get a specific set made for the H3

I spoke with Warwick last week & he confirmed they are currently in the production queue making them. He asked if I could come back once he receives them to do a trial fitting to make sure they fit well before he starts shipping them out to customers. I said I would be glad to, let me know as soon as I come in & I will bring my H3 over.

FYI. I originally thought my problem was the passenger side but he showed me that the real problem is the drivers side as they take all the torque (The Passenger side is just a holder). These are polyurethane. They are the same material used in other aftermarket suspension components (Upper/Lower Arms, Leaf springs, Shock absorbers, Sway bars, etc.) to upgrade from OEM Rubber. I mentioned to him that some folk are looking @ Aluminium and or welding them solid, he mentioned that NVH might be an issue if you mounted them so rigidly. The poly bushes are stiff but not rigid.
 
Last edited:
Hunner

Hunner

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,334
Location
Arkansas
That is probably true but if the "holder" allows the rack to move laterally and up and down it only intensifies the other end movement and stresses the rack to what I believe causes them to break with the amount of leverage the long end has down to the drivers side.
I for one want to try the bushings.
 
Chook

Chook

Well-Known Member
Messages
706
Location
Brisbane (Australia)
Hunner said:
That is probably true but if the "holder" allows the rack to move laterally and up and down it only intensifies the other end movement and stresses the rack to what I believe causes them to break with the amount of leverage the long end has down to the drivers side.
I for one want to try the bushings.
Click to expand...

Yep....... Warwick said the sequence of events that would happen is the drivers side bushes wear first, when they become loose they place stress on the holder on the passenger side bush, the wear on the passenger side seems more pronounced because it is lateral. If not addressed at this point the rack can get out of alignment (or hang) and then when you add a sudden shock (gutter, rock, pothole, etc.) it will break the rack. I showed Warwick the photos of the other failures we have been having and he said that the driver bushes failing was the start of the problems (although he did add that the lift & larger tyres could push the rack outside its engineering limits)
 
J

jakesz28

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,056
Location
Cabool MO
Chook, how far are they (ultimate powersteering) from Melbourne? I'm going to be in Melbourne on Monday. I will be there for about two and a half weeks. I plan on getting hold of them for a couple kits before I come back to the US. Let is know if they contact you about the test fit of the other ones.
 
Chook

Chook

Well-Known Member
Messages
706
Location
Brisbane (Australia)
jakesz28 said:
Chook, how far are they (ultimate powersteering) from Melbourne? I'm going to be in Melbourne on Monday. I will be there for about two and a half weeks. I plan on getting hold of them for a couple kits before I come back to the US. Let is know if they contact you about the test fit of the other ones.
Click to expand...

1200 Miles away......They are in Brisbane (1/2 way up the east coast of Australia) but Melbourne & Brisbane are 2 of our largest cities and have a guaranteed overnight delivery service.

Warwick said within the Month for the new ones, but did say that if you needed them urgently, he could get the ones that are close & modify them like he did to mine (as seen on his website)

If I were you I would send him an email, tell him what dates you are in Melbourne and that one way or another you would like a kit to take home and I am sure he could arrange it easily.

Cheers,
Chook
 
J

jakesz28

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,056
Location
Cabool MO
I already sent him an email. Hope to hear from him Monday. Its going to be a long day for me. 30 hours travel time and straight to work Monday when the plane lands.
 
Chook

Chook

Well-Known Member
Messages
706
Location
Brisbane (Australia)
Its 10 am Saturday here now.......... They are only open M-F and they close @ 3pm on Fridays.......Not sure when you emailed him but that might help explain.

I know how you feel, its worse heading East BTW. When I travel to Boston the best I can do is 30 hrs & its gets there around midnight. By the time you collect your bags, get your hire car & check in to your hotel it is easily after 2am and then straight to work that morning.
 
Last edited:
J

jakesz28

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,056
Location
Cabool MO
Well I got a response from them saying 3 to 4 weeks. I had to come home early but I'm going back in two weeks. Hope to get a couple sets in my next trip.
 
A

atvspeed4

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,214
Location
massachusetts
I have updates!

As far as the tierods, the only thing we have left is to have the adjuster sleeves turned. We have pricing from one shop but still need two more bids. As for the steering rack clamps, we have been waiting for over a month from this one machine shop for pricing and we finally spoke to them today. They said that they are really really busy but have numbers for us, they just need time to get them together.

Soon... ugh
 
reaper

reaper

Well-Known Member
Messages
527
Location
Denver, Colorado
Yay!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm back to stock, am waiting for the next round-- was considering looking into options myself but will wait to see what you have. :)

Can you share what your design is? I think I missed that if you posted it, this has been all over the place.
 
reaper

reaper

Well-Known Member
Messages
527
Location
Denver, Colorado
atvspeed4 said:
Here is the link to the page that I posted up pics. http://www.hummer4x4offroad.com/for...o-fix-the-steering-rack-issue-on-the-H3/page7
Click to expand...

Ok, thanks, page 7 of 9000. :) Yeah, I want that... what about an additional one for a center mount?

As far as the tierods, the only thing we have left is to have the adjuster sleeves turned.
Click to expand...

What are you planning for the tierods?

Get 'em done, we're all waiting! I have multiple broken racks inherited from backcountryislife if you need any spares for fitting.
 
A

atvspeed4

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,214
Location
massachusetts
We really do not see a need for a center mount once the driverside is held solid and the passengerside is clamped solid. We might take you up on a broken steering rack soon to measure up the solid bushings for the driverside!

For the tierods we are using a off the shelf outer tierod, a 1144 stressproof 1" hex adjuster sleeve and a machined inner ballsocket.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top