'06 H3, torsion bar leveled, 35" tires on stock rims

After adjusting the t-bars, adding the tires, and alignment, truck drove fine.

After a couple months I noticed a slight pull to the right while driving. The pull got progressively worse so took it in for an alignment. A couple days later the pulling returned.

At this point I noticed a slight knock coming from the front end every now and then, this progressively got worse also, mostly taking turns or going over bumps.
Noticed that if I cranked the wheel one way or the other, I could get it to make the knock noise. This leads me to believe a CV joint??

Its been a little over a month since I started to hear the knock, but now it's gone. The truck stills pulls to the right but has also started to drift back and forth going down the road. The front, driverside tire is showing considerable wear on the inner portion of the tire.

Thoughts? I'm going to need new tires soon but don't want to purchase them until I get things figured out. I would like to do the work myself instead of bringing it somewhere, but not sure exactly whats wrong or how to identify where my issue is.

Any help is appreciated

 

Go under you H3 on the passenger side and grab the rack and see if you can mover it by hand. If you can do this without much strength and see the rack moving then it's the bushing mount and start from there.

 

i wasn't able to move the rack by hand, but when I turn the wheel the rack moves in the bushings. Everything else under there seems to be nice and sturdy and couldn't find any sloppy parts. Maybe the rack itself is bad?

 

sounds like it's your steering rack passenger side mount bracket and bushing. Bad OEM design - well-documented as a common issue/problem with the H3/H3Ts. Do a Google search for the Scorpworks steering rack bracket, get one, install it on your rig & problem solved once and for all. That's what I got for my H3T and H3 - it's been tested for thousands of on- and off-road miles now, including some of the most challenging trails in the US in Moab, UT. I've had ZERO issues with this product. Do your research before you spend your hard-earned money but one of these after-market brackets will most likely save your steering rack from failing due to the OEM bracket bending and the bushing wearing out, allowing too much movement lateral and up & down movement of the steering rack.

 

there is a spacer kit which drops the front diff "front" mount one inch,$40 bucks This cuts the angle you get when cranking up the torsion bar about 1/2. 20 min install and works flawless. you dont lose any ground clearance. your CV joints will be happier. and the other comments are good advice as well.

 

A couple of companies for you to check out on a steering rack mount and bushing replacement kit. Both are comparable in price and quality! We went with the Outfitter Design kit. Can't go wrong with either kit.

Outfitter Design HUMMER H3 STEERING RACK REINFORCEMENT KIT $198.00
Hummer H3 Steering Rack Reinforcement Kit - OUTFITTER DESIGN

Mayhem Metalworks STEERING RACK MOUNT KITS H3 $200.00
Steering Rack Mount Kits. H3 / Chevy Colorado / GMC Canyon

 

I still have my HUMMER and I put the Scorpworks steering rack bracket on my HUMMER and have to say - IT IS AWESOME at its most awesome! In fact, it was designed by Mr. Awesome himself - Jesse James' bud from Monster Garage, Rock-em-Sock-em Robots episode Preferred Chassis Fabrication - Monster Garage "Meet the Pro". Cool stuff / cool product.

 

Since this thread is about noises :P , I get a noise from the front end whenever Im driving and hit a pot hole (also comes more often when Im blasting through the desert). The noise comes a few seconds later, and its usually a loud pop. Is it possible for the ball joint to be somehow coming out of its place and back in? I checked the boots and the tires, I cant seem to find any play or leakage, or Im doing something wrong while checking.

Im currently on 50K miles on this truck, moderately wheeled. Running 35s with 17" wheels with 10mm offset. The shocks are probably on their last legs since they allow my UCA to drop onto the metal stop making a loud bang (its usually after this bang by a couple of seconds I get the pop). Could it be that the shock is also moving in the shock tower?

Any feedback is appreciated.

 

also if you are running 35 ,s and cranked up height, Did you add the 2 inch shock extenteders/or longer shocks? that likely is the klunk sound?

 

The combination of my 35s, heavier wheels and used shocks that are towards the end of their lives is causing the loud clunk (as the UCA drops all the way down and smacks the metal stop under it as the rubber stop inside the shock can no longer support enough). However, its the loud pop that happens several seconds later while driving is the one Im concerned about...