Cutting front facia for better approach angle?

[JoeFireGuy]

Friends,

I've been staring at the front of my rig and I can't stand the lil triangular plastic extensions in front of the tires! I found, and can't seem to find again, pics of a H3 with those trimmed. Is there a suggested way to remove them cleanly? I'm an ace with a saws-all!

I was thinking that after cutting and sanding, I'd coat the grill and other front area with bedliner of some sort. That may mask any rough spots.

Thoughts?

Thanks for looking,

Joe

 

[06 H3]

Yea, I havent done it yet but have been planning it. My brushguard with winch mount is fairly light compared to a full bumper and to get a better look and off road performance I was gonna cut them.

 

[Hunner]

I'm not sure you will need to do that for approach angle, that high up, but if you just want to whack it off, ha ha, here are some images which sort of show what if would look like. Chopped up mostly. I was trying to mod the lower part that drops down. I never could get a reasonable quote to make a new light pod out of metal. I never wanted it bad enough to make a mold and glass one up.
I did mod all that metal hanging down, which can get hung up, I did on a beach when I flipped up a chunk of concrete with a metal post in it and had to use the hi-lift to get off of it. I cut off some of that plastic and metal and flipped the brackets. I ended up just putting a stock facia back on but the plastic will bend or break out of the way. Think before you whip out the sawzall!!!
Anyway here are some images of what you will see back in there.
I think you will find that you will loose support for the fender liners and have to finish the cut ends somehow so it does not look like a bad chop job.
http://www.hummer4x4offroad.com/for...unner-EXtreme-exploratory-bumper-thread/page2

 

[ReconH3]

I was going to do that originally until found out I could use the HMMWV winch mount in the place of the whole bumper. Now I have what I always wanted and then some. When I was going to do it originally with the OEM bumper, I was going to use portions of the removed triangles, to fill the gaps from cutting them off. Then I was going to have the whole thing recoated in something like plastidip or bed liner.


"Ex Umbris Venimus"

 

[08SolarFlareH3]

Might want to message him, pretty sure he has done what you are looking to do
http://www.hummer4x4offroad.com/forum/member.php?897-R-code17815

 

[4speedfunk]

Use a cut-off wheel on that fascia. It cuts like buttah.

 

[spillKill]

it looks kool with those wings cut off i think i might look into doing that!

 

[algin5109]

it looks kool with those wings cut off i think i might look into doing that!

U do it I'll do it. I'm saving for a thor parts bumper anyway.

 

[spillKill]

Well I'm still thinking how I could do it and it look clean!! Haha

 

[JoeFireGuy]

SolarBro,
Those are the pics that I was thinking of! Thanks for the link, I sent him a message.
Finger Lakes, huh? I was born and raised in Woodstock...
Thanks

 

[autumn walker]

Doubt you will gain any appreciable difference in approach angle. This would be more for style points than anything.

 

[06 H3]

Doubt you will gain any appreciable difference in approach angle. This would be more for style points than anything.

Approach angle? No probably not but it will save you from things like this...Click the tube chop link its just cutting out everything except 11:40-11:50 so you see what I am talking about.

[video]http://www.tubechop.com/watch/967404[/video]

This is the original video
[video=youtube;9SAKHG1Zu70]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SAKHG1Zu70[/video]

I am lucky I didnt lose any plastic here, a different approach would have done the same thing

[video=youtube;ngP1vtuK_ys]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngP1vtuK_ys[/video]

 

[ArtHummer]

First time I read the name of this post I thought you want to cut the front shorter to increase the true approach angle like this guy did on his H1. Would be nice to see some one do it on the H3... Maybe ReconH3 with his mad truck??? I think there are few inches you can cut of the front of H3 frame.

[video=youtube;jbA1N0N7wMU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbA1N0N7wMU&feature=share&list=PLFFBA96A7F 49AA9B1[/video]