H3 Base Model good enough for off-roading?

Hi folks,

I got invited by a friend to head out to the woods with him off-roading. He's got a lifted toyota 4x4 pick-up with all fancy lockers and mudders.

I only have the base model (without the rear diff. lockers). Would I still be ok? Or would I have problems when things go serious?

Thanks in advance.

It all depends on how serious stuff gets. He obviously has an advantage over you, but a good driver can make up for a lack of equipment. Yesterday at a Hummer event put on by the Portland, OR dealsership, I watched several H2s and H3 barely make it out of a little mud hole, while I rolled right through and up the other side with barely spinning a tire. They also had a section set up with holes stratigecly placed so that you will get a tire or two off the ground at the same time. Everyone needed to use thier locker, and the base and lux models without them just went around. I eventually did it in high range with just a little more speed and made it through without using the locker.
Go out and enjoy yourself with your friend. You should be ok

Linus is correct. You can take a base model off road and will be fine. There will be some obstacles you won't be able to do since you don't have a rear locker. However, you can still try them (thats why you have tow hooks on the front and rear). If you find yourself in a situation where the wheels are spinning just keep in low lock and the shifter in low 1 and not drive. Then apply some steady rpm's and the H3 should eventually walk right out of the situation. The advantage of a locker is that it locks the rear diff so you get the one tire grabbing and pushing the vehicle out a lot easier. If you plan to hang onto your base model for a while and want to off road with it more, upgrading the tires to a more aggressive off road pattern and up to 33 or 35" tirs will help a lot!

Also, you should have a spotter. Someone that will help you manuver through the course so you know what you can and cannot do. In addition, take off mud flaps, side steps just to be on the safe side. You need to have that ground clearance and with side steps will end up tearing them up.

Mike

I have a Locker question.

Supposedly I got the Base model with no added features. I was told that my H3 doesn't have a locking rear differential, but in the cabin, I have a button that "locks" the 4 wheel drive mode. I'm assuming that is only to switch from all-wheel-drive to 4-wheel drive?

Or, is that the magic button to "lock" the rear differential?

My Rodeo has a rear limited-slip differential. Is that the same as a locking differential? Do I, indeed, have a locking rear differential?

Help!

If you had the rear diff lockers you would have a button on the right, second in from the end, with a picture on it of a rear axle

Does it have a little padlock symbol on it?

quote:

ORIGINAL: HummerGuy

Does it have a little padlock symbol on it?

I think it's a rear axle with an X in it, over the differential if I remember correctly.

Well, I guess that means I should invest in a good Winch :)

quote:

ORIGINAL: HummerGuy

I have a Locker question.

Supposedly I got the Base model with no added features. I was told that my H3 doesn't have a locking rear differential, but in the cabin, I have a button that "locks" the 4 wheel drive mode. I'm assuming that is only to switch from all-wheel-drive to 4-wheel drive?

Or, is that the magic button to "lock" the rear differential?

My Rodeo has a rear limited-slip differential. Is that the same as a locking differential? Do I, indeed, have a locking rear differential?

Help!

If you don't have the "Offroad" Pkg, you don't have a rear locker. You're correct about your "lock" button; it locks the center differential between the front and rear.

Limited-slip: when a rear wheel spins, a limited-slip diff sends all the torque to the opposite wheel. L/S is much better than an open diff but L&R are not positively locked like in a locker, and can be "confused" in some traction conditions. Not nearly as robust as a locker either. (Not to be confused with the ABS-controlled traction systems on most current 4x4s.)

Locker: A locking diff engages pins that physically lock the differential so L&R both must turn together.

You can do a lot of trail driving without a rear locker, but for serious 4x4ing and rock crawling, a rear locker is has become almost mandatory and front lockers are becoming common mods.

I wasnt sure if locking meant that the rear wheels locked after limited slip, or lock all the time. Thanks for the clarification! Now I know that I am indeed in need of a good winch to pull my pathetic non-locking rear end out of the mud!

Another option is to have your dealer install the locker. It would cost more then a winch, but would be more useful in more situations. Nothing sucks worse than pulling out the winch cable and finding an anchor just to move about 2 feet.

So you don't need a different rear axle? It's just an add-on? I wonder how much that would cost.

quote:

ORIGINAL: HummerGuy

So you don't need a different rear axle? It's just an add-on? I wonder how much that would cost.

Need I say more???

Nope. That says it all!

there are multiple possibilities if you want a rear locker. Buy the parts and have an off road shop or any qualified mechanic install it (cheaper than the stealership) or get an aftermarket locker, I always used arb air locking diffs, you can also look into Detroit, Gleason and TrueTrac differentials. They are all good.

I've been thinking about this and honestly I don't ever remember needing the lockers on my other trucks, just practice using BTM (brake throttle munipulation) and you will keep up with any h3 adventure.

I suggested the rear locker because all of the parts are off the shelf, and there shouldn't be any modifying necissary like there would for an ARB. All you would need from the dealer is the differential, switch assembly and a wiring harness, or you could make your own. The benifit to making your own would be to have the ability to lock the diff in high range, assuming the switch assembly doesnt require it to be in low. As for differential options, this would probably be the cheapest, but still more expensive than a winch. As for TBM, I've never had good luck with that. I still wind up having no forward motion, but now with added brake wear.

Linus,

Those are all great points, but there is one major factor that was overlooked. Price... I would venture to say that something like an ARB would be half the cost (if not even less) than what the dealership would want for the unit & install. The ARB should require no more mods than the factory unit either .. both will need some form of activation be it electric or air, and both will need the locker installed into the diff., and both will need a switch. The only difference is that the ARB will require a compressor. But if the ARB comes out to 900.00 all said and done vs. 2000.00 or more, that is something to take into account. There may be other aftermarket lockers that are electric that could work, and probably for less money.

An aftermarket locker would have the advantage of being able to be used in both high and low. It is likely that the stock unit could be rigged to work both ways too, but not too likely that the dealership would install it that way.

I loved my arb air lockers. Never had ice up problems from moisture in the lines like some have and the compressor, which I thought sucked because of the added expense turned out to be the best thing I ever added in my trucks. I ran the compressor to a 10 gallon holding tank and was able to run my diff, air horns and rear air bags for towing with it, plus I added a air coupler for a hose at the rear bumper so I could inflate tires and run small air tools if trail repairs were needed. Personally I wouldn't pay the stealership to do ANY work out of warrenty, sorry but those that do are nuts! They charge a higher hourly rate than most lawyers do, ridiculous.