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37s with an I5 auto How bad can it be?

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,505
Location
Meridian, ID
I know what a regear is worth. I helped my brother regear his jeep. I may buy 37s and an extra set of rims and use em for trail use only until I can regear which means cut it all off.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,505
Location
Meridian, ID
I know this is the most crazy question ever and you may not be able to give me an answer seeing 37s went with a lot of other change but do 37s make a difference from 35s on the trail?
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,505
Location
Meridian, ID
Don't pick too much - I don't have much left :)

I take it you're tempted to throw that Chevy D44 under your truck? Well, don't worry... the anxiety passes after the first bracket is lopped off the frame :p

lol, I know...Its just making that first cut!

So many questions to be had and seeing there are less then 10 of them around, all with different setups its hard to get definite answers. Its not like the yota guys where millions of SAS' have been done.

Ride quality, how low can I keep it, steering feel, driveability, etc. etc. Its a DD so its gotta stay nice.

4speed answered alot of these questions already. If I had a V8 I would of thrown 37s under it and wait till the front end explodes.

5 cyl. With gm cat back

Ok, that makes me feel a bit better. Do you live in a hilly area?
 

humvee

Well-Known Member
Messages
507
Location
Doha, Qatar
Just finished tuning with PCM... You will feel improved performance because they play around with your parameters to suit the bigger tires, but as for actual hp, there's only so much that they can do.

I now have a PCM tune on my 3.7L i5, with 35" tires, borla catback & airdoc intake... 0-60mph is 12 secs... and the truck struggles to pass 87mph (leveled with LED bar on top of the boxy design)... So for on road driving, I don't think you'll be happy at all with 37's. I know I'm not.
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,250
Location
Tardville
What ever happened to that Dana 44 IFS setup?

That was 4digr's stab at the IFS build. Its a Ford hi-pin Dana44 IFS pumpkin with a bolt-on tube on the driver's side...not the best plan IMO. I think he would be much better off to use a solid axle pumpkin where the tube is permanently affixed to the case. After all...the bolt-on tube is already the achilles heel on the AAM-7, and I don't see the point of replicating it. The nice thing is that the seal and support bearing were already in place on the passenger-side of the casting (vs. trying to engineer all that into a SA case). He did get this swap completed, and he drove the truck around (and wheeled it) for a considerable time. It was a single-track, 4.56-geared, diff and he did not have a lift. The drivers-side half-shaft was a stock H3 unit. But the passenger-side was some sort of custom hybrid unit....looks to be a Flanged 1/2-ton GM inner CV.

He came up with a "kit" of sorts and was trying to pitch them to a few guys on the forums (before H4O). I had the cash ready to drop...but after looking closely at it, I decided it was not up to par with what I wanted. Specifically I was not impressed with the way it was mounted to the truck. Read further into that thread and you can see the rather crude way he "clamped" the pumpkin to a custom crossmember with a U-bolt. Although he insisted it was solid...that scared me off the deal, and I went in another direction. Realize this is a proto-type build and I think the design could be refined but, I didn't want to be the guy to tinker with it. Whatever the case...my hats off to 4digr for getting it done. Its especially note-worthy that he did this swap without a lift-kit, and there are pics of his stock-appearing H3 to prove it. IIRC...I think this IFS rig was pulled from the truck, and the stock one re-installed...not sure why. I believe 4digr is no longer involved with Hummers, haven't heard anything from him in a long time.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,505
Location
Meridian, ID
Yep and bebe looked into ifs solutions, 4speed did, atv did and so did I. I looked into a isuzu trooper diff it was pass drop and narrower then ours which would help. Originally the research I found was that the R&P was bigger then ours but it was a mistake. It's the same size but they did offer 5.38s for them until they stopped making them. The power of a regear shouldn't be underestimated. If I could id be running 37s.

I love ifs and with the conversations I have had with 4speed he does too and after seeing these ifs rigs at KOH it's the future, it's even here now just at a price. I love the faces on people when they tell me IFS can't go places then follow them. For me it's worked great when it works. Which is 99% of the time.

After running at trail like clawhammer I realized 35s for a trail like that are ideal rigs at 105 wheelbase and under. At 112 37s would help, so would a front locker which is the the garage.

Lastly the 3 things I don't like about the ifs. No regear, R&P strength (halfshafts are plenty strong) and I see it but many others disagree. H3s on steep climbs just have no front end traction. The winch helped a bit but on climbs I'm hopping for traction while others aren't. The halfshaft angles are full droop so I wonder if it's the front or if the rear springs are too soft and allow more weight transfer then it should.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,505
Location
Meridian, ID
Hubs tie rods halfshafts and now with the new steering rack brackets it's fine but the pumpkin explodes.

Viable regearable solutions where I can walk into orielly at 8pm in Oklahoma and find a part is where it's at. Halfshafts R&P and seals need to be stockable items. Stub shafts would be nice but I'm not sure it's possible so those id have spares
 

skeptic

Well-Known Member
Messages
737
Location
Orygun
Based on my experience with an '09 H3T on 35s, I wouldn't go 37s for a DD. In this case I'd probably just opt for the easy solution which may even be cheaper than a re-gear. Stick with 33s or 35s for DD and normal trail stuff, then pick up a set of dedicated 37s for those times when you are hitting a trail you really want/need 37s for. It would also let you go with a really aggressive, non DD friendly tire for the 37s and a less aggressive tire for DD duties.
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,250
Location
Tardville
Hey 06H3....I just came from my buddy's axle shop. Guess what he had sitting in a box?

A Hummer H1 IFS pumpkin (AMC-20) with 4.56's and a locker in it. It was in his shop getting a re-gear to 3.73s. The customer was running it in a tweeked out sand buggy with an all-alum. small block. It was installed upside down (just like we talked about) and he was running it in the front with IFS. I guess H1 diffs are pretty popular for custom IFS builds, and they work good in either low or hi pin installations.

My buddy went on to suggest a Ford 8.8 IFS pumpkin from the rear of an Explorer. He said these are very strong, cheap, and have gobs of aftermarket support. This is an alum. diff but he says they are very strong and work great in front or rear builds...lots of buggy guys use them. They have large webbing on the exterior and a 3-point mounting system, so I'm sure you could rig something up similar to 4digr's build. These diffs use a "plug-in" type half-shaft similar to the H3 so you would have to make custom ford/hummer half-shafts. But at least its another option to look at when considering a scratch-built IFS. More info....

http://www.swaptastic.net/ls1_miata/rear_end.html
 
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06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,505
Location
Meridian, ID
outstanding! I may try that. I will probably hold onto the solid axle though, I may be moving my issues to the next weak point. If I am I may be able to atleast help others out who are more into moderate wheeling and want the I5 to not be so miserable with 35s. Junkyard has 50% this weekend too. I have work but if I can get it covered I would go.
 

rsc

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,087
Location
Tulsa
Viable regearable solutions where I can walk into orielly at 8pm in Oklahoma and find a part is where it's at. Halfshafts R&P and seals need to be stockable items. Stub shafts would be nice but I'm not sure it's possible so those id have spares
I already live in Okie-homa and don't have much faith in walking into O'Reilly's at ANY time of the day and finding much of what I need! But I get your point. ;)
 

Medic_Morgan

Well-Known Member
Messages
392
Location
San Diego, CA
outstanding! I may try that. I will probably hold onto the solid axle though, I may be moving my issues to the next weak point. If I am I may be able to atleast help others out who are more into moderate wheeling and want the I5 to not be so miserable with 35s. Junkyard has 50% this weekend too. I have work but if I can get it covered I would go.


Which one? I'll be in your neck of the woods this weekend at Six Flags and might have to stop by if their is a 50% off sale!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

07Custom

Well-Known Member
Messages
338
Location
Albuquerque, New Mexico
I'm driving around with ~37s and they aren't half bad from what I've experienced in my cousins full size Bronco. I hate that truck (bronco). I gotta say that the leaf sprung SAS is a rough ride and as we all know my steering set up is less than desirable.

I'm getting a ABS kit from CJ when my taxes come in. I really wish I used my truck to its potential. Front/rear lockers, solid axle, SOA. I'm wasting potential!
 

MaxPF

AGNTSA
Messages
1,394
Location
The dark side of the globe
I'm driving around with ~37s and they aren't half bad from what I've experienced in my cousins full size Bronco. I hate that truck (bronco). I gotta say that the leaf sprung SAS is a rough ride and as we all know my steering set up is less than desirable.

Sounds like your springs and/or shocks are too stiff.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,505
Location
Meridian, ID
I agree plenty of people tell me their ride quality is the same or better then with the stock ifs. Regardless of the rig...sounds like some suspension tweaking is needed
 
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