To keep my h3 or trade for another???

[hockeymanam]

So i have a 2006 h3 I-5 to what i thought was an adventure for the longest time but i do not have that locker button next tom my traction control. So i guess both of my diffs are open which sucks. I have put tires, bilsteins all around, and a lot of little things into this hummer over the last year. I love to take it offroad and wheel with my buds but i feel like my h3 will soon fall behind with not having lockers. Should i spend alot of money and try to lock the front and rear or invest in a alpha off road editon that already has front and rear. Only bad part about that is I will miss my leather. What are yall's thoughts????

 

[reaper]

Alpha with leather, keep your tires and trade them with the dealer. And think about a T while you're at it!

 

[3rdH3]

Get an Alpha/Offroad with leather. I have one and I think most do have leather. If you want front and rear lockers you will have to get an 09 or 10. The 08's only have a rear locker. If you decide to buy, good luck. I am sure others will chime in about the pluses and minuses of installing lockers. If you do a search, you will find answers to a lot of your questions.

 

[alrock]

If you're having others do the work then you'd be looking around $800-$1200 for the rear locker installed, $1400-$1800 for the transfer case and I think around $2000 (?) to get a cast iron front diff with a locker. It's a chunk of change to modify your non-Adventure to the Adventure specs.

You can move some of your stuff to a new vehicle, like tires and wheels, so that wouldn't be a loss. You would also gain the 5 year/100K powertrain warranty, which is a big plus.

BTW, not putting in a locker and 4:1 transfer case increases the wear and tear on the vehicle, leading to more wear and tear in the long run.

 

[kflips]

Alpha with leather, keep your tires and trade them with the dealer. And think about a T while you're at it!

What he said

 

[cgalpha08]

As others have said...alpha offroad. you will not regret having the POWER in your hands haha, oh and the front and rear lockers and low range t-case lol

 

[twinmill28]

Training time is over--the easy decision is to get rid of the 06 and get a deuce. Strip your 3 and sell all the stuff for fun money for the deuce. It's a decision you'll never regret.
Plus you won't need to worry about missing the leather!
It's a no-brainer

 

[bebe]

I think doing the math to see which is the better option, which way you'll come out ahead and be happiest.

 

[Steve #1]

Your H3 was working for you until you found out it didn't have a locker so now you NEED front and rear lockers and a V8?

You may be right.... I'm always getting left behind because I don't have a locker.

[video=youtube;3tVvs_GD_Yc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tVvs_GD_Yc&feature=share&list=UUgt97Ux8z1 KUZWwfw9BdZGA[/video]

Or maybe not.

 

[reaper]

The biggest thing you're missing is the 4:1 transfer case. It is incredible... add that and a rear locker and you'll be amazed at the difference. But if you can affordably bump to a v8 that has the same you really can't lose.

 

[telemike]

Find a 2007 adventure with 3.7 I5, I did.

 

[Portager]

I'd do the math, but I think you can trade yours in on what you want cheaper than you can upgrade it. It depends on how much they give you on the trade-in.

Personally I wouldn't upgrade an 06 3.5L that much.

I’d look for an 09/10 Alpha Luxury with the off road package (of course I’m biased since that is what I did). The only one I've seen without leather was custom ordered that way. The T is great if you need a bed, but the length is a disadvantage on some trails. Except it is great on steep hills and highways.

 

[hockeymanam]

Thanks guys for all the advice... Honestly being a college student Im barley swing the payments now so an 09 or 10 is not in the budget neither are and swaps on my 06!! I guess this is a problem i will adress in the future! But until then Im going to wheel the hell out of my rig until something stops it! I havent been stuck yet nor have been let down by my H3. Thanks again guys you have helped me learn some more thing about hummer!

 

[06 H3]

Personally I wouldn't upgrade an 06 3.5L that much.

lol, me, bebe and craig are a little bit beyond that point.

Even with the less powerful motor, all 3 of us have, especially bebe, have put our trucks through hell and back. I never have ran into an incident where I didnt have enough power on the trail. Even without the 4:1 I can still do it, just with a little bump. I would say that the 3.5 sucks on the street but not really for off roading.

 

[reaper]

lol, me, bebe and craig are a little bit beyond that point.

Even with the less powerful motor, all 3 of us have, especially bebe, have put our trucks through hell and back. I never have ran into an incident where I didnt have enough power on the trail. Even without the 4:1 I can still do it, just with a little bump. I would say that the 3.5 sucks on the street but not really for off roading.

Agreed, but shoot I wish I would have swapped for a v8 before starting down my upgrade path. By now though there's no going back!

 

[Portager]

lol, me, bebe and craig are a little bit beyond that point.

Even with the less powerful motor, all 3 of us have, especially bebe, have put our trucks through hell and back. I never have ran into an incident where I didn’t have enough power on the trail. Even without the 4:1 I can still do it, just with a little bump. I would say that the 3.5 sucks on the street but not really for off roading.

Okay, let me put it this way. If you didn't have an H3, would it be cheaper to buy a 06 base and upgrade the transfer case and front and rear differentials to cast iron lockers or buy a later model year with the off road package? My experience is the cost difference between a base H3 and one with the off road package is much less than the upgrade. Same goes for the Alpha IMHO.

 

[06 H3]

Obviously go for a new one. It is cheaper but that's not his scenario. He already has an H3. If he was selling it no matter what and replacing it with a new one then look for the adv. package.That isn't the case either. He asked should he sell it for a adv package.While it may be cheaper from a part to part standpoint you already invested time and money in a vehicle you know the history of and if it isn't giving you problems don't get rid of it. You may end up replacing it with a lemon. Especially since your in college it's tough don't cause stress on new payments. There is no way I could sell mine and pick up a new one. Too much money....IMO just build what you have and remember rigs are built not bought

 

[bebe]

lol, me, bebe and craig are a little bit beyond that point.

Even with the less powerful motor, all 3 of us have, especially bebe, have put our trucks through hell and back. I never have ran into an incident where I didnt have enough power on the trail. Even without the 4:1 I can still do it, just with a little bump. I would say that the 3.5 sucks on the street but not really for off roading.

I have a little programming help and gears, so my I-5 is running 240 horse. But it won't even tow my ranger (UTV) with getting cranky

Agreed, but shoot I wish I would have swapped for a v8 before starting down my upgrade path. By now though there's no going back!

When our little motors go kaput - an upgrade to the V8 would be pretty simple, and right around the same price of an I-5 replacement, you can get a ton of low mileage V8's for $1500.00, all you need to do is start looking for a GM "Tuner".

Okay, let me put it this way. If you didn't have an H3, would it be cheaper to buy a 06 base and upgrade the transfer case and front and rear differentials to cast iron lockers or buy a later model year with the off road package? My experience is the cost difference between a base H3 and one with the off road package is much less than the upgrade. Same goes for the Alpha IMHO.

The difference between an '06 H3 and an 09 Alpha here is about 15K. I picked up an 08 for 16K but most of the Alphas I see are still running 30K. So yes, doing a t-case, front and rear locker upgrade would be much less than that. You could even do what I have done for that kinda money. (If you had a fabricator who would work for cheep )

 

[Portager]

I'll have my wife learn to weld.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Steve #1]

Thanks guys for all the advice... Honestly being a college student Im barley swing the payments now so an 09 or 10 is not in the budget neither are and swaps on my 06!! I guess this is a problem i will adress in the future! But until then Im going to wheel the hell out of my rig until something stops it! I havent been stuck yet nor have been let down by my H3. Thanks again guys you have helped me learn some more thing about hummer!

Keep what you have and if down the road you find you need a locker to keep up, you can add one. Until then learn to get the most out of what you have. As you can see in the video I posted, the traction control works but you do need to use it correctly.

 

[06 H3]

I have a little programming help and gears, so my I-5 is running 240 horse. But it won't even tow my ranger (UTV) with getting cranky



When our little motors go kaput - an upgrade to the V8 would be pretty simple, and right around the same price of an I-5 replacement, you can get a ton of low mileage V8's for $1500.00, all you need to do is start looking for a GM "Tuner".



The difference between an '06 H3 and an 09 Alpha here is about 15K. I picked up an 08 for 16K but most of the Alphas I see are still running 30K. So yes, doing a t-case, front and rear locker upgrade would be much less than that. You could even do what I have done for that kinda money. (If you had a fabricator who would work for cheep )

Are you talking about the 5.3 swap or 6.2? I want the 6.2 I dont need it, but want it. lol You can probably beat mustangs on the road too.

I'll have my wife learn to weld.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

You dont need too, When I say "built not bought" it isnt about you having to do every transformation yourself but more of starting with a slate that you can customize to your liking. While its nice to start off with more options I wouldnt say he needs a 09-10 alpha to do crazy stuff. For me, I have enjoyed the process of having a non adventure package for one main reason, seeing the transformation and improvements. I started with the most basic H3 drivetrain wise (disregarding lux package) and it is fun to modify it and add OEM things like a locker and see the difference. So if you have the cash and want to do it upgrade. If not dont feel like you cant go out there and have a good time, I sure am!

 

[bebe]

Are you talking about the 5.3 swap or 6.2? I want the 6.2 I dont need it, but want it. lol You can probably beat mustangs on the road too.

A 6.2. Of course

Think of all the vehicles/platforms they come in and how many are produced annually. Parts are cheap, plentiful and you can build the hell out of it too.

However, if you plan on staying street legal in California, the BAR will only let you use a 5.3, but those have been around even longer and have many more options

 

[cgalpha08]

Next gen Lt1 is out....6.2l v8, 450 bhp stock.

Cant wait!!

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

 

[bebe]

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/chev...eneration-small-block-v-8-a.html#post14937831

 

[skeptic]

If your deciding between upgrading your '06 or trading it for an Alpha w/offroad package, trade it like most others have said. Since it sounds like money is a big concern, IMHO you should be deciding between just keeping what you have for now vs. trading it for a newer I5 w/luxury and Adventure packages. Quite a bit cheaper sticking with the I5, the '07+ have slightly more power than you have already and can be helped with things like a PCM4Less, and gets you locker(s). Compared to what you have now, an '09 gives you slightly better power, front and rear lockers, some factory warranty depending on mileage, and moves the power window controls up where they make sense.