Ok need some more help before I make this 06 to 07 trade.
[*]An independent front SLA torsion bar suspension and "Hotchkiss" design multi-leaf, semi-elliptic, single-stage leaf spring rear suspension. The standard suspension provides excellent on-highway comfort and outstanding off-road capability, while the optional Off-Road Adventure package delivers more extreme off-road capability.

What does it really mean? How much will I be gimped for offroadingif I don't go with the adventure package?

 

You'll be missing the rear Eaton locker. If you don't go adventure, wanting to get it geared up for offroading will cost you about 2.5-4k later on. There are very few parts for offroading a H3 atm that aren't GM.

 

At this point, why not wait till the end of the Summer and look at an '08 instead? There will likely be a V8 version and maybe some other nice new options too.

Theadvantage of the Adventure package is the locking rear Diff andlower range 4WD gear ratio.Unlike the bigger tires, these are parts that are too expensive to add later. The locking Diff will help keep you from getting stuck and the super low range will help you to stay in control when drivingdown extremelysteep hills.

On the other hand, you can save some money and go further by just sharpening your off-road driving skills and buying a good portable winch.

 

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the rear locker is a nice thing to have if you do serious offroading/rockcawling. Not needed at all if you do mild/hard trails or mud. The traction control in the h3 is so far advanced that it basically like having a locker front and rear if you think about it. Unlike most open type diffs that sends power to the tire with the least amount of resistance (the one spinning....useless) the traction control in the h3 will sence tire spin and in milliseconds transfer all power from the spinning wheel to the wheel with most traction....front and rear. Where a locker sends 50% of the power to each rear wheel, the traction control on ALL h3's sends all the power to the wheels that actually have traction....awesome technology that actually works. So saying that a base h3 cannot keep up with an adventure off road is completely FALSE, a good driver in a base (especially one that knows how to use BTM) will run circles around an average driver in an adventure.

 

You can sharpen your off road driving skills all you want you will still be more likely to get stuck if you do not have the Advent. Pack. I want sharpened skills and the Advt.pack.[/align][/align]Sorry to say the traction control willNOT send power to both front wheels- that is why they make lockers or posi's. I do not understand why people say this. If you do not have the Advt. Pack. you really only have 2 driving wheels when going forward and the opposite 2 when going in reverse. You have 3 powered wheels if you have the locker. Sorry to say we do not have the same level of traction as the Rubicon but if you want to dream don't let me wake you up.[/align]

 

Hummer calls their system "automatic, full-function, single-wheeltraction control". The way the system is set up, even if just one wheel (even a front one)has traction most of the torque will be sent to that wheel by automatically braking the other spinning wheels as needed. This results in all wheelsreceiving torque as needed andturning atclosely the same speed. To understand it better, some people call the system "ABS in reverse" because instead of releasing the brakes on a skidding tires it applies the brakes on a spinning tires. The netbenefit of this system really is to approximate the performace of a fully locked truck without the complexity of the additional mechanical hardware.

The advantage of mecanical lockers is that they always keep the wheels turning at the same speed. This can help you to carry momentumat very low speeds because it doesn't require a wheel to lose traction before the system kicks in to regain traction. You'll notice the benefits of mechanical lockers mainlywhen climbing over slippery logs and rocks, not so much in ultimate traction butbecause you will be able to drive more smoothly up and over such hazards.

Either way, the H3 is very capable and fun to drive off-road because it is just built that way. Adding the Adventure package will make the truck even more capable but it's still not immune from getting stuck,that's why my comment about "driving skills and a good winch".

Regarding the Rubicon, I've never read any post here where someone has claimed the H3 has more traction. The Ruby also has the advantage of asolid front axle but you can get them stuck too. That's probably why the sage advise is "the best off-road vehicle is any rental car"!

 

Just to let you know there I think there is a huge difference in the gear ratio in the transfercase for 4low lock between Adven and nonAdven. I can tell when I lock it down it's def doesn't feel as solid. It's a lot faster as well.