Regardless, I think it's funny how all of us keyboard commandos can arm chair quarter back this guy's folly.
Okay, tough guys.....how would you have handled it differently? He didn't get on the gas that hard. If you ask me (and no one did) this is a design defect, not driver error.
How many of you guys have actually, really wheeled with IFS Chevies recently? How many of you know that this is an extremely common failure point for ALL Chevy makes, not just the H2 and H3? How many of you have bothered to poke your head under a brand new, Duramax equipped, 4x4 Chevy or GMC 3/4 or 1 ton truck? Go do it and then report back to this thread.....
What you are going to find is a set of tie rods that are designed for a Caprice. That's right, car sized components on a 1 TON 4wd truck! GM should be ashamed. They are about the size of your pinky finger in diameter. The FJC's tie rods are bigger for a vehicle that weighs 2/3rds or less of the Duramax 1 tons. Some engineer was asleep at the wheel.....this isn't driver error, it's blantant under-engineering of a part that needs to be stronger. The H2 and H3 are no different.
Before you bash some poor bastard that just broke his junk on the internet, just try and realize that many times it's an engineering problem....not necessarily a driver error one (unless you want to attempt to say that a vehicle with such a weak front end design has no business on the trail in the first place and that a buyer of such a vehicle is at fault for pushing it beyond it's design parameters.....in which case, you might be able to sucessfully make the argument).
Once again you are on target, shows that guys that really do wheel, know things.
GM's tie rods are under engineered period. FabTech makes a great set for the H2, but there is nothing yet for the H3, except for a national back-order.
Those that don't get it-
For anyone that thinks I'm a troll -search my posts. I don't put down FJ's, I even like and wheel with them. Some of the owners don't seem capable of much of a clue though, they are probably owners that don't wheel much anyway. If they did they would know conclusively what their vehicle will and won't do against other four wheel drive vehicles, and we wouldn't see so much baseless crap. 5150 get's it.
My presence on this site doesn't mean I hate FJ's, actually it's the opposite. Many people here including moderators can't believe that. Their own impression is the only thing that matters and they haven't even looked through my posts either.
Just because I like and drive Hummers, doesn't mean that I don't like other four wheel drive vehicles.
I listen to all the put downs of Hummer here, and don't attack the FJ. I sometimes do point out the stupid in some of the drivers though.
__________________
Hey, careful, man, there's a beverage here!
Well, I don't own an FJC either, nor do I own a Hummer. Frankly, I don't see either being a vehicle I would buy to build any time in the future and as a DD, there are far better suited choices. That's not to say I don't like either....I considered both before buying my wife a commuter car (instead of a new 4wd toy to build into a family rig) and decided instead to build our 99 4Runner eventually for family wheeling duties when I don't want to take my buggy.
Funny thing is: JLam (your old moderator) invited me and several Hummer people to this forum from a Hummer site. I'm not a troll, but if my help isn't wanted....you can just ask me to leave. This site will certainly be worse for wear and by contrast....I'll have lost little other than easy access to some AZ folks I've wheeled with on the board. I'm sure I can contact them via other means though.
How many of you guys have actually, really wheeled with IFS Chevies recently? How many of you know that this is an extremely common failure point for ALL Chevy makes, not just the H2 and H3?
Sean
OHH OHH ME ME!! LOL...
DAMN AXLES!!
you are absolutely right...underbuilt just to get them out there...
__________________ .::I'm no Expert, I only play one on the Internet::.**
MODS: Chrome valve caps BEAATCHES!!!
Before you bash some poor bastard that just broke his junk on the internet, just try and realize that many times it's an engineering problem....not necessarily a driver error one (unless you want to attempt to say that a vehicle with such a weak front end design has no business on the trail in the first place and that a buyer of such a vehicle is at fault for pushing it beyond it's design parameters.....in which case, you might be able to sucessfully make the argument).
2 unasked for cents,
Sean
Here is where I disagree with ya Sean, in theory anyway.
Not all four wheelin is equal. Crawlin, muddin, expedition, it's all a little different.
If you use buggy crawlin standards as a flat standard for four wheel drive, no IFS belongs here at all (including Hummers and FJ's). Last time I checked, my buddies were all breaking the sh!t out of their Jeeps regularly also. Nature of the beast. H1's are famous for repair, and they were designed to be able to cross almost all terrain.
A. (the guy who broke his H2) told me he has crossed that area a dozen time since with absolutely no problems since. He told me "rookie mistake" too much throttle and weak tie rod in rocks = carnage.
Run what ya brung! The vehicles on these forums are dual purpose, not meant for Area BFE, any more than your buggy should take the boys to football practice in town.
Peace.
__________________
Hey, careful, man, there's a beverage here!
Here is where I disagree with ya Sean, in theory anyway.
Not all four wheelin is equal. Crawlin, muddin, expedition, it's all a little different.
If you use buggy crawlin standards as a flat standard for four wheel drive, no IFS belongs here at all (including Hummers and FJ's). Last time I checked, my buddies were all breaking the sh!t out of their Jeeps regularly also. Nature of the beast. H1's are famous for repair, and they were designed to be able to cross almost all terrain.
A. (the guy who broke his H2) told me he has crossed that area a dozen time since with absolutely no problems since. He told me "rookie mistake" too much throttle and weak tie rod in rocks = carnage.
Run what ya brung! The vehicles on these forums are dual purpose, not meant for Area BFE, any more than your buggy should take the boys to football practice in town.
Peace.
And I agree with you to an extent. However, people absolutely LOVE to throw out the comments like mine b/c I "rockcrawl" and so there's no way what I'm saying can possibly translate to all wheeling. That's sorta true, but sorta not.
Think about it for a moment. I live in AZ. Naturally, in the SW USA there is a lot of rockcrawling due to the climate and terrain....there are also alot of regular 4wd roads that have portions that include at least some minor rock crawling to traverse the trail.
That said, I defy you to find me a regularly traveled official trail just about anywhere in the US that doesn't have some rocks that you have to cover, so the knowledge gained about required equipment has to apply.
I just went up to Big Bear, CA. I wouldn't call the trails up there anything more than a normal 4x4 trail....not specifically "rockcrawling" like one would consider say, the trails out at the Hammers. Moab, by and large is not really "rockcrawling" either...it's a world to itself but there are rockcrawling trails there like Helldorado in the aforementioned Area BFE.
The simple fact of the matter is that no matter how you slice it, rockcrawling is going to put more stress on your components than ANY other type of 4wheeling out there....so yes, I believe it is THE standard to compare to b/c eventually, no matter where you wheel, you'll come across rocks that you have to get over or around to continue on.
If you wanna pre-run....face it, a 2wd is a better purchase. Long travel IFS with custom 911 CVs, etc. is far out of most of our budgets. Further, a dirtbike will smoke all but the professionally built prerunners....for a fraction of the cost.
If you wanna mud....purpose built mud buggies have the edge and building requirements are completely different and very specific to the sport.
If you wanna do expedition type runs....you're really doing very little more than driving remote, un-maintained roads. It is paramount to have reliabilty more than capability.
I know my comments were not particularly favorable to GM's product and I hope I didn't offend....my intention was not to offend, but to make the point that is obvious....the parts were under-engineered.
Yes, guys with Jeeps break parts too....but they get much further down the trail *most* of the time than any IFS will if the trail is very difficult.
The above is outright incorrect. MOST of these threads are NOT started by any trolls....
Truth be told, they are started by bigoted FJ owners who knock most anything that isn't Toyota....and we even have threads knocking other Toyotas saying the FJC is the best.
.::I'm no Expert, I only play one on the Internet::.**
Linear Mode
