Hummer H3 Lift Kit - Cruising Altitude

Rancho Suspension's reaction to the new Hummer H3 was fast and furious. Within just a short time of the H3's release, Rancho unveiled the industry's first suspension system for said vehicle. Shortly thereafter, the accolades began rolling in--not the least of which was the '05 SEMA award for Best New Off-Road/4-Wheel Drive Product. Naturally, we were eager to install the kit and see what all the hoopla was about.

So we made arrangements to visit our friends at Attitude Performance in Arlington Heights, Illinois, while they installed the kit under a project vehicle belonging to Real Wheels Accessories. The install was eye opening--not to mention quicker than we expected. What follows is an overview of the major components and how they all fit like a glove.

Here's all the parts contained...        read full caption Here's all the parts contained in the H3 kit. You wouldn't know by looking at it, but there's some cool ideas lurking in that pile o' parts. Also shown are the RS 9000X shock absorbers and the RS 9000 RCX Remote Damping Control System that allows for in-cab control of the shocks.	One of the neat things about...        read full caption One of the neat things about this kit is that the front differential is relocated without having to remove it from the vehicle. Nor does it have to be cut, ground, or flambéed. This speeds the installation process significantly. The differential is lowered (and the pinion angle corrected) via three brackets. Shown here is the passenger-side drop bracket (which is the same part number as the driver-side bracket). Both left and right brackets attach to the frame and the front differential assembly.	The second part to the front...        read full caption The second part to the front differential lowering (and pinion angle correction) procedure is to install a new rear crossmember in place of the stock rear crossmember. Directly in front of that, a new front crossmember (shown) is installed in the stock front lower control-arm mounts. In order to install the new front crossmember, both stock lower control-arm front mounts must have a small amount of material filed away.
New bumpstop brackets compensate...        read full caption New bumpstop brackets compensate for the increase in front suspension height. They install to the bottom of the original frame brackets after the hole in the bottom of the original bumpstop bracket is enlarged and a new hole is drilled. The original bumpstops are then used in the brackets.	Here you can see one of the...        read full caption Here you can see one of the new steering knuckles (on right) pictured next to the stock unit. The stock hub and bearing assemblies are simply transferred from the stock knuckle to the new knuckle. Rancho says that the new CNC-machined cast-ductile-iron knuckles are the industry's highest quality design. Because of the way they're designed, no modifications are necessary to the steering system with this kit. Rancho says that this not only eliminates installation steps, but also maintains the OE steering integrity.	Here you can see the driver-side...        read full caption Here you can see the driver-side front suspension in its almost completed form. Notice how the lower A-arm attaches to the new crossmembers. Also visible is the new, longer sway-bar end link.