Squeaky SAS thread

[derian06]

The bumpstops? 2x4x 3/16

Do you think that would be thick enough for rocksliders?

 

[frumaker]

I would go at least 1/4 for sliders


FRU

 

[jakesz28]

Looking good.

 

[06 H3]

Went offroad for the first time yesterday will get a full report going soon but it went well. Yesterday proved the whole point of my build. I drove 21 miles south to work Saturday morning got off work drove 21 miles back north passed home and continued another 30 miles to Gorman. Wheeled it and drove it. A versatile vehicle.

I will post more later and talk about it in depth

 

[digglesworth]

Did you make the sluice box your beeeeeotch?

 

[06 H3]

Yes I went all the way through! Everyone knows I have a tough past with that box.

 

[3Hummers]

Can't wait to see your truck and work in action Chris. Very impressive job grasshopper.

 

[Highatop]

Very cool. Nice job, really digging that flex...

 

[06 H3]

thanks guys, so heres the update. As stated before I went up to gorman. I drove to work and then from work I went to gorman.

When I got there I had to install my driveshaft, I have been having issues with it and I had it rebuilt. I kept blowing caps off the U-joints, bizarre I know. Anyways I had it looked at, rebuilt and so far its been much better on the drive home I had much less vibrations then I did before. I am still awaiting the new adapter CJ is working on though. On top of that I had a very rough idle. I ended up just running it as is. Today I got home and found out that when it rained water got past the coil pack into the spark plug chamber (if thats what its called) I changed out the spark plug and I dont have the pulsing idle anymore but its still a tad rough and the CEL for cylinder 5 misfire is off but I am gonna change the coil pack for good measure. Now on to wheeling. Its just gorman. Nothing major. Just a fun place to test out a vehicle in a controlled setting, where tow trucks can easily access you and plenty of help around.

So I did the sluice box, anyone that knows my history of the sluice box, its been a rough one. Its just tight, not a lot of room for a big vehicle. I have ripped off my bumper in there, I have dented in my door in there and would also pop out before the end because it was a guarantee for damage. Yesterday I decided its time to make the sluice box my bitch. I went all the way through. I hit my fender but no door damage!! Woohoo! Those big ass fenders are like fluffy pillows they just absorb the impact keep you away from sheet metal and then pop back out and leave nice scrape marks on em. I have a video of me in the box and some pics. At the end of the video you see the fender dented in. I pushed on it and it popped out. Now I just have a scrape.











heres the video, its crappy! I have no idea how my buddy shot this video with a damn iphone. It seems like its from a flipphone back in 2001 but here it is.

[video=youtube;nLxU5Vtwqo4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLxU5Vtwqo4[/video]



Afterwords I went to the big rock pile hill and messed around. I didnt get any pics of that. In the past I got the H3 up it with the rancho/spring over combo and but only when it was dry. I failed when it was muddy. Seeing it just rained I did it in the mud this time and walked it. It took me a few minutes max.

Then I did the slab at gorman and went over to the flexout stairs.





Overall it was a great day. I was only up there for a few hours, from about 5 to 730-8 then headed home because I had a half marathon today but it was a great break in. I definitely need to relearn how to drive it. I was also nervous because I have no skids done yet. I will be adding those before my big trip at the end of November. I am happy to say shes slowly getting back on the trails. I was doing a ton of wheeling every year with many trips out but it came to a halt after breaking front diffs then the rebuild but hopefully this is the start of picking up the frequency of wheeling again.

 

[cbetts]

Ah, yes . . . our favorite rock! We have both left some paint on that one.

I never got that high on the steps in my truck. Looks great!

 

[Ghostbuster]

Wow. That is amazing.

 

[ReconH3]

That is so badass!


"Ex Umbris Venimus"

 

[Panzer07]

Dude that's some serious flexing and looks so bad ass.


Torres

 

[06 H3]

thanks everyone! Now its buttoning up things before I can get really comfortable. Skids are one, re routing Power steering lines in a better location. Little crap just adds up the time.

Yep, Craig, that is the rock! lol, good memories in that that box.

 

[ReconH3]

I ran around for quite some time with no skids till I could find someone competent enough to make them, so I feel ya wanting to go out wheeling but having to be careful to not damage anything.

 

[cbetts]

I am thinking your next obstacle to overcome is the v-notch in LCC . . . :thumbs:

 

[amrg]

Man great work! Nice to see the transformation, been following for several years now!

 

[06 H3]

Yes v notch is next!

I plan on building some skids soon. I have some ideas

 

[JonBishop]

Test it out at LCC!!!! Lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[06 H3]

Heres another update: I have logged just under 4500 miles on it since the end of august/beginning of sept. Just a few days ago I hit the 4k mark but I have been driving a ton! Also I am getting much more comfortable with it off road. Since the gorman trip which was my last update on here I have been wheeling locally a ton. I hit up drinkwater flats 2 times last week then I hit up rowher flats yesterday then my buddy convinced me (it didnt take much convincing) to hit up drinkwater flats again after rowher flats.

So here is my most recent update for off road capability.

It kicks ass!

Rowher flats and drinkwater flats are nothing crazy. They are just local places near the house where I can go for a couple hours. They have steep hill climbs and at the top of rowher flats there is a rockpile you can play on. These 2 local trails and gorman are close so I can test out the new setup. Now I am confident to start venturing out and playing on tougher trails and further away from home.

Hillclimbs in an H3 have also been bouncy, there is always a lack of front end traction. I have talked about this before and I believe its the torsion bars. FJs are IFS also but have less hop and they have a spring up front. Anyways that bouncing is gone on the stuff I used to bounce on. I can take the harder, steeper, and less traction lines and not bounce at all. This thing is a damn billygoat on hills. In rocks its amazing. Also in the rocks my brother has smacked down on his control arms and bent them before. I smacked down on my control arms so hard I thought I broke something but all it did was leave a little scratch. 2in x.25 wall DOM tubing is the way to go for playing in the rocks.



Messing around....



my brother







Last week at drinkwater





We had also saved some dudes skin out at drinkwater last week. After my brother and I getting up the first big hill then my brothers friend getting up the hill with his TJ on 30s, side story: he tried previously and it took him 20 min or so (panzer remembers!) but this time we gave him my brothers stock JK coils, stock shocks and homemade sway bar disconnects, he made it with much less struggle this time. After the 3 of us made it up another guy tried to get up the hill and he almost rolled it. His 65 year old mom jumped out. As hes rolling back he turns the wheel and almost goes off the trail. Those 2 trails have had a ton of deaths recently and I think its because its close to a lot of peoples home and Forest service has stopped grading them out, Couple that with inexperience and disaster strikes. Its easy to get to and close to home for inexperienced people. Anyways we got him off the trail safely.

Fast forwarding back to yesterday we went to rowher and then last night I went back to drinkwater there is a very steep optional hill further up the trail, 150 yards long. Extremely loose, silty, ton of loose rocks. I have made it up half way in the past, my brother has made it 3/4 of the way up and my buddy who is up there all the time has never seen a 4x4 make it up to the top. Hes only seen dirt bikes and UTVs make it. So I gave it a shot. 4lo 1st gear lockers on front and rear. This hill can not be done with a steady throttle. Its just impossible. Bouncing, wheelspin and throttle is a must. So I make it up half way easily no bouncing just climbing. After that I am revving this ****er at 5500 RPMs in 1st bouncing and spinning my way up. At one point I started hopping a bit but I kept forward momentum next thing you know I made it!! My buddy who is one of the biggest fans of the hummer gets out and is jumping up and down freaking out. He has never seen a 4x4 make it up this hill and I was the first. It was insane. Even though I am far from it I felt like a rock bouncer. LOL This thing is a billygoat. It just crawls...off road its a monster, onroad its a caddy. I have never thought in a million years I would say the SAS rides nice but I had my mom driving with me and she said is it me or does this thing ride smoother? A lot of people think its rides nicer on road then before.

Best of all I am driving this thing to school today.

 

[4speedfunk]

Awesome. I've been saying that same thing for awhile. Glad I got somebody to back me up! Damn shame these trucks weren't made this way from the factory.

 

[06 H3]

yep, I agree I hate to be cynical but even if they were like this stock we would be upgrading components like the jeeps. Here is the story of the joys of a Daily driver and the joys of stock factory parts, my brother was doing the same wheeling as me. His steering is way cockeyed. His steering wheel was 45 degrees off. He bent his drag link yesterday. Nothing major but its got the sad face now. Mine on the other hand is ready to go. The way the Jeep JK ABS and traction control is setup is that if your wheels are straight but your steering wheel is off it thinks your drifting constantly applying the brakes. You cant drive over 20mph. He has a test right now. I didnt have work today and my classes are later on today so while hes showering, getting ready and studying I am in the driveway doing a quick alignment. He left the driveway, clean, smelling nice and ready to ace that test, I on the other hand am filthy. Disconnected the drag link lengthened it to make up for the bend. He realizes hes gotta match his tie rod. I made him a 1.5in .25wall 1 ton tie rod after he bent his stock tie rod. Now he bent his drag link, guess what hes gotta order now. lol A beefy drag link. Solid axle steering isnt like IFS steering, there is no fuse. Its all gotta be beefy.

IMO, every rig getting beat on hard will eventually be running 2x.25wall DOM links, all steering should be 1.5in x.25wall Its tough stuff. He bent his lower control arms, he then bought a rear long arm. Before he bends his front I told him order up some johnny joints, I have extra 2x.25wall DOM tubing from my SAS and I will build him a long arm or better yet he will and I will assist him.

The only difference between us and the jeeps is that they slowly replace all those parts one at a time. We gotta do it all at once.

 

[Panzer07]

That's so legit...and cool u guys upgrading tommy's jeep.


Torres

 

[LagunaH1]

Congratulations, you have successfully converted your Hummer to a Jeep ;-)

All kidding aside, I'm really impressed with your ability to tackle such a large project and get things working. Really great job Chris!

 

[3Hummers]

Awesome Chris. A transport will be showing up soon with an 08 Alpha on it. Seemed like you might be running out of things to do with your spare time.