Hummer Builds

vintageracer

To Infinity and Beyond!
Looking thru the forums "I" rarely see many H2/H3 Hummer builds. Yes I know that Hummer is an "Orphan Brand" with the newest Hummer now 8 years old however the H2/H3 Hummer's "appear" to be a quite capable vehicle for an overland type of build.

This leads to my question.

Why so few overland Hummer builds?
 
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BPD53

Guest
Looking thru the forums "I" rarely see many H2/H3 Hummer builds. Yes I know that Hummer is an "Orphan Brand" with the newest Hummer now 8 years old however the H2/H3 Hummer's "appear" to be a quite capable vehicle for an overland type of build.

This leads to my question.

Why so few overland Hummer builds?

Because they are not as cool other brands. My experience is only in regards to the H3.

IMHO they need a couple mods to make them worth their weight. The plastic shift fork in some of the transfer cases are known to break. The steering rack bushings are junk and need an upgrade. Front differential crossmember bushings need upgrading.

The aluminum front differentials in most models have been known to break when a locker is used. I'm sure excessive throttle and 35"+ tires doesn't help. I've personally never witnessed a broken front aluminum differential but you know how the internet is. The elocker in them was an older locking pin design that was inferior in my opinion and are prone to premature wear. Eaton now has a locking collar design that is more durable.

MPG is weak. A front axle disconnect would help slightly.

The front driveshafts are a weak link if the torsion bars are cranked too much.

I found them hard to see out of, but it could be just me.

The good points are numerous:

Front and rear lockers in certain models - selectable- not that G80 junk
Cast iron front differential in certain models
4:1 transfer case available
5.3 V8 - good reliability and easy to find parts
A slight tb crank and you can fit 35" tires without a lift kit
Good recovery points from the factory
Decent aftermarket support
Pretty easy to work on
Decent room for gear
(I like their outward appearance too)


I don't see many around my neck of the woods, but they make a great vehicle when properly set up. I've spent a lot of time messing with them and they can be worth owning. I recommend them and love seeing them amongst a sea of common Expo vehicles.

I think the reason you don't see many is because only a fraction of the H3s were worth building IMHO. Most of the bad aspects can be upgraded/fixed with aftermarket or upgraded parts though.

Now I can sit back a watch all the H3 guys get mad for pointing out some of the shortcomings. Don't feel too bad you H3 guys...the 1st Gen Colorado has a lot of the same issues and mine is fine after I fixed the problems I mentioned.
 

Explorerinil

Observer
Looking thru the forums "I" rarely see many H2/H3 Hummer builds. Yes I know that Hummer is an "Orphan Brand" with the newest Hummer now 8 years old however the H2/H3 Hummer's "appear" to be a quite capable vehicle for an overland type of build.

This leads to my question.

Why so few overland Hummer builds?
I agree there isn’t many builds, I view the H2 has a big clumsy heavy SUV with not much good going for it. There are tons and tons of better options out there. I see tons of H2’s on used car lots marked down and they can’t sell them... I would take one if you gave it to me... just my opinion
 

AlexCold

Observer
I'm a bit biased as I work for GM and have used H2s and H3s off road. I'm not a fan of the ergonomics of the H3, Windows are too small making them harder to see of of than H2. The H2s are great off road. Driven them with only Fox shocks as an upgrade and they were awesome desert running and rock crawling.

They get terrible mileage, and tie rods are an easy problem to solve. I've never bent any though.
I'm
How discounted are these Hummers?
 

Explorerinil

Observer
I’ve seen h2’s from slightly less than 10k to 23k for the last 09 model. Look online you can find tons from 10 through 20k.
 

CampStewart

Observer
Around my area most Hummer owners are thought to have a lot of negative narcissistic personality traits. I don't know what they sell for, but their asking price seems very high for an aging used GM vehicle.
 

dman93

Adventurer
If it weren’t for the image thing, plus visibility and space efficiency, I think both H2’s and H3’s are very cool, and it seems GM did offer some pretty offroad-worthy options not available on regular pickups and SUV’s. A friend has a 5 cylinder H3 which I’ve driven briefly; he’s a hardcore and very hands-on car and bike guy, and it’s been very good to him, but he doesn’t offroad it. The Fast Lane Truck YouTube channel is building up an “expedition” H2. Also, Roger Mitchell who has written a lot of California 4wd trail guides seems to have an H3 judging by pictures in his more recent editions.
 
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BPD53

Guest
If it weren’t for the image thing, plus visibility and space efficiency

What image thing are you referring too?

I agree with the visibility thing and the space efficiency aspects, but I always thought the H3 looked pretty good myself.
 

TACMEDIC

New member
I am a Hummer H1 fan. Although the size does provide some challenges being so wide, but I have learned to limit my adventures.
 

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Tex68w

Beach Bum
I believe he means the image in regards to how those that owned them were perceived. Soccer moms, pretentious d-bags, spoiled rich kids, that kind of thing.
 

owlxxx

Observer
My '06 base model 5 speed manual did pretty dang good. I did snap the tie rods at about 85000 miles but it was a 20 minute repair(replace)on the trail. I always kept a set onboard($30). I sold it @ 106k miles and never had a single issue with it. Other than the tie rods i broke doing a bit of rock crawling for the last 45k miles, it was extremely dependable. But the weaknesses described from previous posts are correct.
Screenshot_20180304-114234.pngScreenshot_20180302-205942.png
 

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