The weight of my new front bumper and winch is exceeding 400 lbs. As you might expect the normal slope of the front end is more pronounced. I plan to adjust the torsion bars and get a new alignment asap, but I wanted to ask... Is that kinda weight to much for the front end? Can the existing bars handle it or do I have to get heavier duty ones?

I am sure that many will say to get them anyway, but right now the $$ is not there for new bars. Shocks yes, tbars no.

Thanks,

Rob85635

 

Lets see a picture of your bumper.

I would say 400 pounds is a bit much to have on the front on an H3.

I would look into some HD t-bars maybe the Alpha V8 bars?

 

I agree with Dan....

Alpha t-bars, Samco Fab t-bars....or....Phil @ Trail Duty can hook you up with some reasonably priced HD bars as well.

What did Sewie do to compensate for the weight on his truck? Samco bars?

You can crank the stock ones, but they WILL eventually fail.

 

As you can see the side picture gives the best picture of the current slope on a flat surface. These pictures are all as the H3 came off the line (well, that is to say the rock slides and easy off step ups are OEM parts I added) except for the new bumper and winch. I have not touched the T-bars, shocks or other suspension at this point. I can measure the differences in front and rear if anyone needs to know exactly how much further down the front end is.

Do you think those stock t-bars would be better or as good as the Samco? And the price? And would they fit stock since the H3 Alpha has a different engine?

Do you really think they will fail? I have gotten mixed messages from non H3 owners about T-bars in general, none seeming to indicate they thought failure was inevitable.

What can I do or can I not do to still insure the manufacturers warranty will still hold without hassle? Right now its an 07 that just rolled over 10,000 the other day. I don't drive it a lot and I have an extended 10yr 100,000 mile warranty. Anyone know if adding new torsion bars will void something? Will failing to do so and it failiing result in the dealer saying they won'f fix it?

I am aware of the Pittman Act and from my understanding you can mod a veh and still have the warranty remain so long as you do not do anything that causes a direct failure of another part because of the part you put on. Am I understanding this correctly?

Thanks for any advice,

Rob85635

 

Well Rob, let me ask you the obvious question to help you and others understand the "mysterious" rocket science of T Bars.

How much stress do uo think your T Bars are under right now, before adjusting them???? How about the exact same amount they would be under after you crank them 3-6 times??? T Bars got no brain, they do not care where they are adjusted, low or high, they are still all that is holding up your front end.

Many dealers will adjust the T Bars for you, all it takes is a 1 1/16" socket and a wrench. You DO NOT need a levelling "kit" to adjust your T Bars to reaise the front to your desired ride height, do not go passed 24.5" from the center of the hub to the fender lip, and you will be fine. If your front suspension has an issue requiring warranty attention, the extra weight of your front hardware will cause much moregrief than a T Bar adjustment? Adjust and drive before you make a final decision as to T Bar upgrade.

Yes the Alpha Bars can fit a non Alpha H3without modification just fine.

 

Rob, when I say fail.....I do not mean fail as in SNAP.

With increased load, over time the bars will weaken and require another adjustment to compensate for the droop...

So on and so on.....

Just like any spring, over time it will loose some of it's elasticity and not work as efficiently as it once did.

Until...... you eventually get to the point that you can no longer adjust the bars enough to compensate.

That is where the HD bars with a higher spring rate come in.

Thinksaggy *** springs on the rear of some old work truck.

BTW: That is one serious *** bumper.....! ! !

 

I must apologize sir and ask your forgiveness for my ignorance on torsion bars. I am 41 years old and the H3 I have is the first off road vehicle I have been able to own. I am ignorant of a great many things related to off road vehicles and I am still a bit foggy as to what a t-bar does, all I know for sure is I can adjust it for a better look without damage. To answer your question, I have no idea how much stress the t-bars are under, I am sure you can enlighten me, that is why I post here.

From reading Gunners post it sounds like the T-bars are more like springs and not bars.

Remember, not everyone in here has the knowledge that you experts do, so take it easy on us. We have to learn to crawl before we walk, just like you did.

Rob85635

 

The "twist" of the torsion bar IS the suspension on your H3. Just like your strut/spring was on the cars you're used to. Cranking them to compensate for excessive weight will fatigue the spring, causing you to have to adjust often, and possibly lead to breakage (I have seen broken torsion bars-none on an H3). Sway away torsion bars online are about $600, but I would check into getting some for an Alpha (made to hold the extra weight of the V8, I've heard numbers in the range of 17% stiffer, but haven't personally checked). I haven't specifically priced the Alpha torsion bars, but the H3 bars can be had online for about $100 a piece, and I dont think the Alpha's would be that far off. I would definitely add something to compensate for that cow catcher you got on the front

 

Thank you so much. I now understand exactly what I am dealing with. I will look into the Alpha bars since I would bet they are cheaper.

Thanks again.

Rob

 

According to GM, the Alpha V8 weighs 100# more than the I5, the cast iron diff is 50# more than the aluminum. Not gonna get much increased spring rate with the Alph T Bars, but possibly something is better than nothin?

Rob....just a bit of razzin. This question topic has been asked 2473.5 times here, it really is not rocket science. However, some people will ask it on four forums and still not get it. Adjusting a T Bar does NOT stress it. A spring is a spring. It will do the same thing regardless of its position. It would be like installing a shackle extension on the rear leaf, the rear leaf is now in a different position, but it not holding any more weight,and the truck isthen lifted higher in the rear.

Pleanty of people on here with winch bumpers that wheel their trucks like mad, have not heard of a broken T Bar yet?