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Wild West Offroad is up for doing the H3 Trail IFS Kit

bebe

bebe

Moderator
Messages
1,375
Location
Dayton, NV
Just got off the phone with Tim Lund of Wild West Offroad

He is ready to do the kit

Front Diff 44/AAM925/D60/Ford9"
A-Arms
Bulkhead
Steering Rack relocation
Tie Rods
1 ton Chevy running gear
ARB front locker

give him a shout at tim@wildwestfab.com

Someone needs to get their rig there soon, and it may be there for a while :) Local is best, but not a must.

I have no idea on cost, but I would say starting at 15K.

Who is going to be first??? Serge? Alrock? WeeOne?

This is Tim - he announces/MC's at KOH every year...he's the Tall guy in the Kilt :) I'm sure he's at least a head taller than Chris :giggle:

Tech Tim.jpg
 
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06 H3

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,506
Location
Meridian, ID
Yea...I figured. Well if any variations need to be made I can do the basics with a grinder and welder.

The main thing that would limit me from building a custom ifs like you have is figuring out geometry, building my own a arms and the machining of the axle. If I get those taken care of I can do the rest, ill take a full package of course but because I am not the average t bar crank H3 I understand if I can't.
 
bebe

bebe

Moderator
Messages
1,375
Location
Dayton, NV
06 H3 said:
Yea...I figured. Well if any variations need to be made I can do the basics with a grinder and welder.

The main thing that would limit me from building a custom ifs like you have is figuring out geometry, building my own a arms and the machining of the axle. If I get those taken care of I can do the rest, ill take a full package of course but because I am not the average t bar crank H3 I understand if I can't.
Click to expand...

I'm sure you two can work it out. He's a super good guy. I'm kinda crazy about him - he's always been supportive of me at my Land Use Crusades at Events. :) He gets it.
 
06 H3

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,506
Location
Meridian, ID
awesome! I will be contacting him to ask a few questions...I am glad I have put off the solid axle, Idk I just cant come to terms of putting one up front. This may be my answer :cheers:
 
Portager

Portager

■ ☼▐▐▐▐▐▐▐ ☼■
Messages
1,506
Location
Silverado
This would be the ultimate upgrade! I'm just a few $K shy! .... OK about $14K!

but if you did that lift where would you find a challenging trail?
 
06 H3

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,506
Location
Meridian, ID
King of the hammer trails :)

I certainly don't have 15k it would take me a while to put up 1-2k but remember coilovers and shock hoops alone will throw you at 1k. Chopped up axle would probably be 1k. Not sure what a arms cost. Heim joints add up quick id say in the few things I mentioned theres 3-4k and theres more. 15k is a lot and I'd bitch about price but the only thing holding me back is the fact that this guy is trying to help us. All the other guys could give a rats ass about us.

I'm at a crossroads because I'm getting ready to save up for a solid axle or custom ifs. All I need is parts I could build the rest. My stock parts haven't blown up yet but I'm getting there due to trail toughness.
 
0

08H3

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,370
Location
United States
If they (or anyone else) would built a bolt in D44 replacement, I'd be all over it. While I'm not denying it may be worth the 15K, I personally wouldn't be willing to put that much into it when a solid axle could be done for cheaper if I really was set on a trail rig. Nice to see someone taking an interest in Hummer, though.
 
bebe

bebe

Moderator
Messages
1,375
Location
Dayton, NV
You'll spend the same on an SAS, unless you use junk yard parts and do it yourself. The good axles start at 5K. There are almost as many new components in an SAS as there are in this budget build, and a lot of those parts you already have and don't need to change (steering, linkage, tone rings, ABS, Knuckles etc.)

This group been wanting a kit, it's here, the technology and parts are finally here. This is the starting price for someone to do it for you. If you want the kit, the a-arms and drop basket need to be jigged and made. Everything else will be a component of the kit. Shock hoops, UCA relocation brackets, steering rack brackets etc. I can list everything you'll get if you want. Or you can go back to my build thread and tally them up yourself. I have over, well over 11K in mine and we did a ton of the labor ourselves. Parts alone are the most expensive part and I got awesome deals on the tires, coil over shocks, bump stops, limit straps, axles, stub axles, wheels etc. Jeff thought we saved over 10K in labor by doingwhat we could ourselves and sourcing parts.

For some perspective, a Rancho lift is 5K? And all you get after is a lifted truck with no more capability than you have already. The same weak and limiting components you had before. This kit can give you the ability to re-gear up to 5:38's!!! The performance benefits are immeasurable compared to what you have now.

Honestly once he gets into the first build, I think he will see that you can save 2K on axles alone by using a 1 ton from O'Reillys, and that a junk yard D44 can save you 2K on a center section. So now we're down to what? 11K?

I get it, it's a lot of money, and I did it so that I could keep up with the other rigs I wheel with up here on the Rubicon and Fordyce. Two of the toughest trails in North America save JV/Hammers. I had a real reason for the Modifications I made. You may not and that's fine. But I wanted to be able to do any trail I could drive to and not have to baby it, worry about breaking and fret about getting home. I've been broken on trails and had a choice, build it better or don't go to those trails anymore.

Let me know if you have questions...I'll be happy to answer them!
 
telemike

telemike

Hummer Enthusiast
Messages
466
Location
Greensboro, NC
Bebe is a true pioneer. Buying a used H3 for $20k plus the kit is still cheaper than a new JKU Rubicon

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
 
ArtHummer

ArtHummer

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,220
Location
Gaithersburg/MD
15K for the first pilot version is maybe allot. But come to think about it... This will include allots of amount of labor, and it is nice that some one putts an effort toward it. Second, you have a choice to stay with factory junk and replace it every time it brakes. How much will the dealers charge to fix it everything when it will blow up? Third, hopefully when they will develop a kit you can just spend money on parts and do the labor yourself.
I think the kit will worth it in the long run, plus it will give you allot of confidence to go over ruff stuff.(Rancho lift will not give you that for 5K)
 
RamRod

RamRod

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,914
Location
AB, Canada
Sorry for being the ignorant one... Why would there a reason to go with a full custom IFS?

My limited knowledge tells me that everyone wants solids axles up front.... have IFS setups gotten advanced enough to provide serious competition to SA's?

I wish I could see some of these KOH trucks up close but I am limited to what I can see on YouTube or the TV....

Thanks for answering a D/A's questions!:shy:
 
bebe

bebe

Moderator
Messages
1,375
Location
Dayton, NV
RamRod said:
Sorry for being the ignorant one... Why would there a reason to go with a full custom IFS?

My limited knowledge tells me that everyone wants solids axles up front.... have IFS setups gotten advanced enough to provide serious competition to SA's?

I wish I could see some of these KOH trucks up close but I am limited to what I can see on YouTube or the TV....

Thanks for answering a D/A's questions!:shy:
Click to expand...

There are quite a few Ultra 4 rigs in your area if you want to see them on trail, but that's not what this build is about.

This is a budget IFS. I say budget because a real IFS built for racing START at 50K and go on up to $250K.

Why IFS? Well, it's way more comfortable, far more versatile (street, trail, rocks, dirt, etc.) and does all types of trails well, very well.

IFS is the new SAS according to many, and we are just now getting to a point where budget builds are possible with a little ingenuity. To the point of it being close to the same price. The number of build threads are increasing on major sites like pirate, and on Race Dezert that all you see, straight axles to them are "Rock Donkeys". The number of IFS rigs competing in events like king of the hammers is increasing every year, and the winners of these events are the IFS cars. Straight axles are no longer King.
 
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