Adding lockers and 4:1 tcase to an Alpha?

[Airborne]

I am in the market for an Alpha in the very near future.

I was leaning toward the 09-10 models with the front and rear factory lockers but I am finding that they are harder to find with low miles. There are several out there with low miles but no lockers...

What would be needed to add the 4:1 t case as well as a front and rear locker to an Alpha?

Should I stick with the eaton, or go another route?

Thank you in advance

 

[GreatDaneHummer]

You could install ARB air lockers which most would agree are very good for about $1000 each plus install. I believe last I asked about the 4:1 transfer case it was $1600 or $1700 for the case not installed. The T Case you might be able to do yourself but the lockers I personally would feel better letting a pro do it. I push my skills only so far.

 

[4speedfunk]

IMO any money spent on an AAM-7 is wasted money. Just drive it. Wheel it. When it breaks, fix or replace it. I would never tear into a fully functioning H3 axle.
Eaton or ARB...doesn't matter. The locker is not the weak link...it's the housing and the ring & pinion. No amount of money, lockers, or pixie dust will ever change that.
T-case upgrade is easy and makes a big difference, especially if you are running 35" tires. The lower gearing compensates for the larger tires.

 

[alrock]

You are probably looking at 2500 to 3000 to add the transfer case and the rear Locker to a standard H 3. Money well spent. The front Locker doesn't add that much to the H3for the reasons for 4Speed stated. The cast iron front diff in the Alphas with lockers is something of a Holy Grail to find. They are virtually impossible to find on the aftermarket

 

[4speedfunk]

Cast iron front axles came in non-Alpha H3s too. Any 09-10 5-cyl. Adv. Pak should have the cast iron, locked, 4.56 geared version.
Also, the 09-10 rear axle (8.6 10-bolt) has a larger inner pinion bearing than previous models.

 

[Airborne]

The t case is must for upgrades it sounds like, as well as a rear locker. Which makes me think that I could save some coin and go with an '08 Alpha with an off road package.

Would there be anymore benefits to go with the 09-10 Alpha vs the 08 that I may not know about?

So CJ is it just the adventure/off road packages that have the cast iron in the 09-10? I remember reading somewhere that the alphas had a few more upgrades besides the torsion bars being beefier, I might be off though.

 

[5gn-h3t]

'09+ will have an extra dome light. '10 will be flex fuel. '09+ with off-road package will have a factory front locker.

 

[5gn-h3t]

Hill start assist got added in there somewhere too.

 

[4speedfunk]

So CJ is it just the adventure/off road packages that have the cast iron in the 09-10? I remember reading somewhere that the alphas had a few more upgrades besides the torsion bars being beefier, I might be off though.

Great question. I cannot say for sure. All of the 09-10 models I have worked on, have had the Adv. Pak. option...and they have all had the cast iron pumpkins (L5 and V8). I cannot speak for 09-10 base models. I have yet to work on one.

I'm not aware of any Alpha-specific upgrades, other than the torsion bars. As far as I know, its strictly a motor/trans swap. Alphas use all the same radiator, suspension, brakes, etc. The Alpha t-case is slightly different externally, to allow room for the crossover pipe of the exhaust. But, mechanically speaking...the two can be swapped from one to the other. If you put a 5-cyl. t-case into an Alpha, you may have to modify the exhaust where it crosses over. Internally, all BW3393/3394 cases use the same ratios (2.64:1 or 4.03:1). There are subtle differences inside, such as the chain snubber that was added in 08 and the dreaded plastic vs. aluminum shift fork. Not sure when that last item was upgraded, if ever. My 2008 5-cyl AP came with a plastic shift fork.

Some people think the Alphas have different half-shafts but, I personally don't think so. After all...all H3's use the same A-arms, knuckles, and diffs, so technically a different length shaft is not really a valid argument. All H3/Colorado/Canyon shafts interchange with each other and if there is any difference in plunge, its probably a non-issue. I know of several cases of half-shafts pulling out of the pumpkin during sharp corners...on both Alphas and Base models. If a shaft pulls out...its probably more of a quality control issue. I think any change in half-shaft length may have been an attempt by the manufacturer to make them easier to install, and probably has nothing to do with the operational length. You can get ten aftermarket shafts from different sources and probably get ten different lengths, diameters, and plunge ratings. I personally think the whole half-shaft topic has been overthought. Half-shafts are like spark-plugs.

Buy em.
Stick em in.
Wheel em.
Break em.
Repeat.