New to the forum...not a H3T owner yet. I have a few questions regarding the appropriateness of the H3T as an expedition rig--and what I'm going to have to do to it in terms of upgrades to make it work...

Engine--I would prefer a manual transmission however am concerned about the ability of the I5 to move the H3 after I add the additional weight of a front winch bumper (200lbs) and winch (70lbs), a rear bumper (100lbs?), full skid plates; as well as its ability to overcome the added wind resistance of a lift and larger tires (34 or 35") at highway speed. As a daily driver the I5 would be fine but when fully loaded with extra fuel, water, gear, and family I think that it would struggle. Based on this I have to concede the 5.3L V8 with the 4spd auto.

Differentials--I have read a few negative things about the diffs in the H3 after the addition of a lift and larger tires--they don't seem to be strong enough. With this in mind, should I forgo the off road package (e-lockers front and rear) for the stock diffs and then swap them out with the ARB lockers front and rear?

If I do forgo the off road pkg can I have the transfer case in the stock model re-geared with the low crawl ratio of the adventure/off road package?

Suspension--don't just want to key the torsion bars--who makes a good stout 3-4" lift that is capable of handling the extra weight of bumpers/winch and skid plates? Does anyone make aftermarket UCA/LCA for the H3?

Who makes sliders and skids for the H3T?

My main interest in the H3T is the increased cargo capacity of it's truck box over an SUV. Plus, the addition of an auxillary gravity fed fuel tank to extend range would be a cinch--no more red jerry cans on the roof rack (plus the added bonus of lowering the C of G)! The wheelbase length concerns me a bit, but much less so than that of an F150 (which is the other candidate).

Current rig is a 2007 FJ Cruiser (no unintended acceleration issues). 3" OME soft lift in the front (preserves articulation), 2" OME heavy lift in the rear (for cargo capacity), front and transfer case skids, 33" E load rated Wrangler MTRs--the new Kevlar ones--they are awesome at 18psi off road or 40psi on the highway (I don't recommend them in the winter though, on packed snow/ice they suck). The SWB of the FJ is great off road. I wheel with a buddy in a Rubicon Unltd JK and he gets hung up all the time. Stock the truck was way too low in the front and Toyota delivers these things with Dueller HT tires---P rated tires!? Not so durable off road or aired down. They lasted 60,000km (40k mi). Guess its a sign that most of these vehicles are sold to soccer moms and mall parking lot 4x4 clubs.

Thanks all.

 

Felix, great questions. Are you replacing the FJ? You wheel it and should wheel your H3T too! I would tell you to get the offroad package it comes with the lockers yes, the diffs are newer on the the 09/10s and beefier so to speak than the standard H3 diffs from previous years. The Alpha would be better for the larger tires and extra weight you plan on adding to the rig, and would still tell you that the automatic is the way to go over the manual, the reliability of the manual could be questioned, but more importantly the guys that I have talked to that wheel their rigs with the manual say they regret having it and its a PIA.

Great white north...? Canada?

 

Hello Felix, I have purchased my H3T as soon as it hit the showroom floor. I bought the first one without knowing anything about it. I have already made modifications on it and too wanted to get sliders. The only ones I found that look like they would be worth it are Rocky Road Sliders. I have not purchased them yet, but they look like a great quality product and well worth the money. On another note with the manual/ automatic transmission, I have an automatic with the I5 and it has only failed me once off-road only because I got sucked into a Deep rut and was on the frame. Other than that, it's very dependable and should get you through anything. I dont haul anything with it but I have a winch bumper on it and 33" tires. I havent nothiced much of a difference at all. Hope this helps!

 

Thanks guys. I do wheel the FJ and will be wheeling the H3T if I get one. IH8MUD but love rock crawling, the desert, and the mountains. I live in central Alberta and there aren't too many trails around here. In the last 18mo I have been to Moab 3X. The last trip was last August--my 7mo pregnant wife was a real trooper...she only got out to walk when the inclinometer started hitting 30 degrees (yes, degrees--not %). We hit Fins N Things, Hells Revenge, Top of the World (where I destroyed my running boards on a descent consisting of many 18" steps). After the White Rim Road (a favourite, especially in the summer heat as it is deserted) and a half day in Needles (Elephant Hill and the Colorado River Overlook) we moved on to Ouray, Colorado. Black Bear Pass is awesome--the descent into Telluride is mind boggling--an off camber 10' wide ledge blindly curving around a cliff face at a 20 degree decline complete with unending 6-12" steps--all perched on a 2000' drop into Telluride. After the ledge a series of switchbacks drops you to Bridal Veil Falls--one of which required a 7 point turn in my SWB FJ. After a few more 12'ers we headed to Mesa Verde then Vegas.

Back to business...

I did run across the Rocky Road Sliders--they are definately on the list (and reasonably priced too). The Alpha with the Off Road pkg seems the way to go. I do have concern over adding 200lbs to the front end with an ARB bumper and a winch (will likely go with the M8000 with synthetic line--as it is already sitting in my basement waiting the line). I don't have much experience with the torsion bar IFS--usually when adding a heavier bumper and winch set-up one would add heavier rate springs to compensate. How do I do this with the H3? Sway-A-Way used to make heavier rate torsion bars for the H3 but their website lists them as discontinued. Will cranking the adjusters just add "preload" to the existing torsion bars? Won't this tax them beyond spec?

I will also be adding a proper lift--Rancho or Tuff Country 4". Any thoughts on either of these... It appears as though I add the lift, then crank the torsion bars a little to compensate for the added weight of the bumper/winch. Is this correct?

 

With the torsion bar crank, Yes. You can use the stock keys to raise the front end. I bought aftermarket keys anyways because of the material they are made of. They can withstand a lot more pressure and are a lot stronger. I did this before I put the bumper on and raised it 2 1/4" It threw off the alingment quite a bit so i had to get it re-aligned. The front end sat up a little higher in the front at this point. After I put the bumper on, it sits dead level and had to get yet another alignment which was covered under the warranty. Everything else suspension is stock including the springs. The stock bars have a lot of play in them yet. I don't really see the need to do any other mods to it because it will still fully extend and contract as it should. I'm going to order the rancho 4" lift sometime in the future because a friend of mine has tuff country for a jeep and parts break constantly. Im pretty sure if you get the lift you won't have to mess with the torsion bars. Those kits are designed for the weight of the bumper. If you do, the torsion bars are easy to adjust. Just make sure you crank each side the same and take accurate measurements.

 

I am in the market for a "T" also. I already had 2 08 H3 Alphas. 1 with the OffRoad package, winch bumper, winch, 315/75/16 MTZs, RR Skids, GM skidplates, Hunner Edition shock skids, Etc and the other without the OffRoad Package with the same equipment (We wheel the **** out of them).

I would say get the H3T Alpha OffRoad.
1. It will already have higher rate torsion bars due to the V8 (less turns to raise the vehicle)
2. You will already have the 4:1 transfer case.
3. It will already have Front and Rear e-lockers (Eaton)
4. Your T will come with the stronger Cast Iron Front Diff with the OffRoad package.
5. You will need the V8 if you plan on adding "Expedition" type weight.
6. You will have some breakover issues but the Front and Rear lockers will pull or push you thru/over most of it (I have wheeled with a few "T" owners).
7. Keys are a waste of money, spend that $ on a Trailduty.com front shocks and 1/2" extended jounce bumpers. They greatly improve the on and offroad ride quality.
8. I have wheeled with guys that have the 4" Rancho Kit. They had 315s also. I got thru everything they did and both of mine still fit in the garage with racks on them.

Since you already have an FJ I won't go into the benefits vs draw backs of having IFS in the front. Just carry a spare 1/2 shaft, it takes about 1/2 hour to trail swap an H3/H3T 1/2 shaft.

I am looking (hunting) right now for a (09 or newer) Locking Front diff with 4:56s and a Rear with the same (Alphas come with 4.:10s). This way I can still have my 315s, better highway milage (no trans hunting for gears) and low end grunt!

Good Luck on your search, Alpha OffRoad Ts are hard to find!
If you have any other concerns or questions fell free to ask here or PM me!

 

TAINTER glad you beat me to posting... how far are you willing to travel to get an H3T Alpha with the goodies you want I can keep my eyes open for one if you want

 

I would say if you prefer the manual go for it!

From everything I have observed from real world driving you get a nice boost in mileage (which translates directly into increased range) over the automatic with the 5cyl, certainly this is true also when comparing the V8 as it has the same tank size as the 5cyl. I can actually go from Calgary to Vancouver on a single tank of fuel... although I do fill up in Hope as a precaution because the last thing I want is to get stuck in traffic going into Vancouver!

The second thing to consider is that if take a look at the specifications; the manaul 5cyl has a larger payload capacity than the V8.

If you are building a true "Expedition Rig" I would be leaning towards the manual for the increased range and payload... although if you want a highway cruiser or something for long hual towing then the V8 would be better. Just my 0.02$ on it anyway.

I personaly run 35" tires on my manual right now, I really don't have an issue with power aside from a little more shifting on hills at highway speeds. Not so much a lack of power, with the larger tires it makes 5th gear just tall enough to be a pain around the 100km mark... for 120km+ 5th gear is great.

It has more than enough power for off-road and city driving, even with the larger tires most of the time I am using 3rd gear with low range for extreme grades. Even with extra weight I am sure it would be totally fine.

I always get a laugh when people say "Oh the 5cyl is so under-powered" truth be told if I was buying a car for drag racing I probably wouldn't have bought a Hummer.

 

Hey DAGKANA, It's me "Mutaint" form the other HUMMER forums. Thanks for the offer! If I find something in your neck of the woods I'll ask you to check it out. Right now, my "hunt" is at low speed due to a career situation. Once back in the working world the "hunt" will be at full speed ahead.