heres a vid of a blown front end
 

so i went to a local single dealer only sponsored hummer happening today out in tahuya, wa. and an older couple who from what i could tell were noobs and were following the guides instructions, blew their front end.
the guy just didnt know what he was doing and i think the guide should have pulled the plug on this guy b4 it was too late. anyways you see a front end go from working to dead in about 5 seconds. heres the link
https://migglet.homeserver.com/yay/bitesdust.wmv 35 meg vid download right click save as

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

link wont work for me.

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

I right-clicked the link and saved the file, then opened and watched without problem.

but, after loooking at the video, I'm bit confused as what happened there; I wish the camera was closer...

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

:redx:

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

Newbie driver + crappy spotter = blown front diff

So no locker and no traction on opposing front and rear wheels. And the spotter has him gas it. :rolleyes: :rant: The TC system will shift power to the wheels on the ground and the sudden amount of torque blows the front diff.

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

right click save as

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

thanks for explanation Sewie - I wondered how the differential is actually being damaged. I suspected that it may be due to excessive general "strain" but wasn't sure about what precisely is the cause - so it is the sudden torque increase that does it... now, what happens there in detail - the gears teeth are stripped/broken, or the gears dislodge, or/and the housing cracks too? Is the rear diff prone to this type of damage as well? Curious.

Also, beside using common sense while off-roading, any practical tips to avoid blown front diff? thanks

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

True, the spotters on a dealer sponsored event shouldn't have let the guy do what he did. However, the diff is a piece of crap and this should not have happened. It wouldn't have happened on an H2, JK or other so why does the H3's blow up so darn easy?

My wife's H3 doesn't see much offroad as we use the H2 for that. However, if we did take it offroad under more severe conditions, I'd upgrade to the Alpha cast iron case and aftermarket gears with better hardenging

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

Sometimes all of the above. :mad: Here's what's left of my last one.

Attachment 45176

Attachment 45177

Attachment 45178

In this case, the gears stipped first, then the case cracked. I had to get dragged a couple miles off the trail (Fordyce) and eventually the carrier blew apart. When the tech at the dealership took it out it basically fell apart into what you see in the first pic.


Not as much. It's a cast iron diff with a bigger ring gear. I've chipped gears in mine and I know some people have had issues with the locker, but its not nearly as common as the front diff issues.


LIMIT WHEELSPIN!!! Gassing it like in that video is the last thing you should do. Use your locker if you have one if you get a rear tire off the ground. Use lots of BTM. Try not to bounce the front end. Basically, try to keep it slow and steady.

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

Yes the aluminum diff is crap. It is undersized for the size and torque of the H3 and should have had a cast iron housing from the start. The housing issue has been addressed with the Alpha and hopefully (if rumors are to be believed) the next Alpha will have a bigger diff.

But this issue is not isolated to the H3's. In fact H2's had issues with their housings cracking in the early years. It was a defect rather than a design flaw, but they still broke. And unless you're referring to the JK Rubicon, you'll break diffs and axles on a JK. The Dana 30 and 35c are not exactly bulletproof. And you can even blow up a 44 if you try hard enough. ;) If you play, you pay. Eventually you'll break something.


Done. :jump:

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

Sewie, any plans on swapping on the gears for aftermarket? Some 4.88s with 35s sound really nice....Hehe

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

excellent post, THANKS!

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

Was that Hummer of Bellevue? I thought I'd gotten on their mailing list (Vic Alfonso sucks for hummer events). I've been trying to get into a recent hummer happening but can't seem to find one/or the time doesn't work for me.

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

Can't get 4.88's for that housing. Plus, you'd be making the ring gear even weaker. Maybe down the road I'd change them out for something stronger. But as long as the truck is still under warranty, I won't be changing them.

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

oh yeah i should have hit you up with a pm, i will next time for sure. yes it was hummer of bellevue

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

:iagree: Sewie
Many other owners of 4x4 have inadequate parts and weak designed links. The H3 is promoted as a better choice for offroad. Pilot errors are the exception to the rules....
Lesson learned. Dont spin your wheels:popcorn:

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

it is amazing that H3 can get through trails (such as this Fordyce creek) where even "off-road only" specials can easily break down...

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

That is a funny video. Your girlfriend sounds hot ;-).
What was the big deal with the obstacle anyway - besides the crappy factory tires and idiot driver I don't see why it would be so difficult.

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

i blame the guy telling the guy what to do . it was a hummer happening, and the guy had no offroad experience in a base model with no locker. like someone else posted, he had the front end stuffed and cranked and just gunned it. thats the recipe for disaster. if you have the wheels turned and apply too much force you can do damage.

Re: heres a vid of a blown front end
 

Damn! Watching that pisses me off. :rant:

Rank amateur, bad spotting, and weak ass diff, whole thing is stinking embarrassing.

Hummer..........put the right equipment in the vehicle for the ability you claim is there!

A better driver, a better spotter....maybe, but that kind of, and that much damage over that small of an obstacle.......unacceptable.

Many of those that buy these rigs don't know what they are doing anymore than this guy. Damn thing broke WAY too easy.

I am careful and have babysat my rig over much more difficult obstacles than that.......but seeing how easy that broke....pisses me off!

The reason I haven't already upgraded my front axle housing is the rumor that something bigger might be coming.......I'll do it then, and there really is no "top end" performance to lose on the H3, so two locked 4.88's would be a winner in my book.

A damn engaged rear locker might have saved that guys front diff too. He wasn't getting much help from the rear axle and that's obviously not good in a climbing H3! :rant:

This video makes me feel lucky I haven't taken mine out yet. They are weaker than I even thought they were.