H2 wheels and tires installed today...I'm happy with them...pics inside

[shiner2001]

Put a 4 inch lift on the day before Thanksgiving and have been rolling around on stock tires and wheels until today. Finally got my 315-70-17's and Hummer take offs on today. Pretty satisfied with the stance, but will probably switch over to GMC center caps when I can find some for a good deal.

I had a bit of a surprise when I went to pull off the front passenger tire today...

Not sure why, but all four u bolt nuts were barely more than finger tight...they could have been broken loose with a 1/4" ratchet with hardly any effort. No idea why they had loosened so much, but I really hope it was just me not tightening them up tight enough when I installed the lift and not something else causing it. Loc-tited the snot out of them and got after them with a breaker bar to tighten them back up. Needless to say, I'll be keeping an eye on them. It was only like this on the passenger side.

Anyway, that was my afternoon. Couple hours and a lot better looking ride! It will get a treatment of matte black paint whenever the weather and my schedule cooperate long enough for me to give that a try.

 

[brian wafer]

looks good you want too recheck your ubolts a few times!!!they do work loose!

 

[Bowtie85]

Looks good

U bolts prob just come loose from everything settling, and shifting where it needed to go.

 

[bailey9r]

any comparison on the weights? Is that (so I hear) a lot heavier than aftermarket wheels? just wondering what it would do to performance and mpg. Anyway looks damn good as is!!

 

[shiner2001]

I kinda figured that was the case with the U-bolts as well. Gonna make sure I keep the appropriate sized wrench in the truck with me for a while for sure.

Sidenote, and probably for another thread, but I'll mention it here since it's visible in the pictures above. I have noticed a fairly drastic difference in my turning radius from the left to the right sides. My turning radius full-lock to the left is considerably tighter than full-lock to the right. My first assumption is that the dual shock steering stabilizer that you can see from the front view above is not installed correctly and one of them is limiting my ability to turn full-right. I honestly don't remember if it changed when I put on the lift or not. I did add a dropped steering arm with the lift and my steering wheel is in a noticeably different position while driving straight than it was before. Not sure if the lift was the culprit or not. Any ideas there?

 

[shiner2001]

any comparison on the weights? Is that (so I hear) a lot heavier than aftermarket wheels? just wondering what it would do to performance and mpg. Anyway looks damn good as is!!

I wish I would have weighed one of these before I put them on, but I didn't. I'm curious as to what my mileage difference will be, as well. Thanks for the compliment, though!

 

[Big Ray]

I don't care what anyone sez, those H2 rims just look good on 'burbs & Blazers....

 

[ChrisPerry]

My turning radius full-lock to the left is considerably tighter than full-lock to the right.

This is a common problem when lifting a GM truck with the stock push-pull steering. You can adjust the drag link to center the steering wheel.

I did add a dropped steering arm with the lift

Do you mean a drop pitman arm or a raised steering arm? I'm guessing it's a raised steering arm, if so is it a 2.5" or the 4" arm.

 

[shiner2001]

This is a common problem when lifting a GM truck with the stock push-pull steering. You can adjust the drag link to center the steering wheel.

Do you mean a drop pitman arm or a raised steering arm? I'm guessing it's a raised steering arm, if so is it a 2.5" or the 4" arm.

Sorry, brain fart. I meant raised steering arm, 4" from ORD. Still using stock pitman arm. Concerning the left/right discrepancy, is there a fix for that if it's something besides my stabilizers limiting it?

 

[ChrisPerry]

Sorry, brain fart. I meant raised steering arm, 4" from ORD. Still using stock pitman arm. Concerning the left/right discrepancy, is there a fix for that if it's something besides my stabilizers limiting it?

You can lengthen the drag link a little, that will take up some of the left turn and give back a little of the right.

EDIT: see my post below for the better way to set the steering

 

[magik235]

Your H2s look good.

 

[ChrisPerry]

Drive the truck forward and backward in the driveway to be sure the wheels are pointed straight forward. Being careful not to turn the wheels, disconnect the draglink from the pitman arm. Turn the steering wheel one way to full lock, count the revolutions as you turn it back the other way to the opposite lock. Now center the steering wheel half way between the two extremes. You can now adjust the draglink length until you can reassemble without moving the other components. This will make sure the steering box is properly centered.

 

[blazinzuk]

You can get the steering even. I have a 4" steering arm and a 2" dropped drag link on mine and it turns tight both left and right.

 

[shiner2001]

Drive the truck forward and backward in the driveway to be sure the wheels are pointed straight forward. Being careful not to turn the wheels, disconnect the draglink from the pitman arm. Turn the steering wheel one way to full lock, count the revolutions as you turn it back the other way to the opposite lock. Now center the steering wheel half way between the two extremes. You can now adjust the draglink length until you can reassemble without moving the other components. This will make sure the steering box is properly centered.

Makes perfect sense to me! Hopefully that will get the steering wheel back to correct. I pulled it off today to recenter it, but didn't realize that the horn wire pass through would prohibit me from doing that, even though the shaft is splined. I guess that can be taken care of under the hood and is secondary to my need to get my steering back "even." Thanks for the guidelines, Chris.

 

[USSkoval]

I did add a dropped steering arm with the lift and my steering wheel is in a noticeably different position while driving straight than it was before. Not sure if the lift was the culprit or not. Any ideas there?

Centering the steering wheel will take care of that. Chris' directions below are great.

Drive the truck forward and backward in the driveway to be sure the wheels are pointed straight forward. Being careful not to turn the wheels, disconnect the draglink from the pitman arm. Turn the steering wheel one way to full lock, count the revolutions as you turn it back the other way to the opposite lock. Now center the steering wheel half way between the two extremes. You can now adjust the draglink length until you can reassemble without moving the other components. This will make sure the steering box is properly centered.

BTW, the wheels look good. I also like them "centercap-less".

 

[shiner2001]

Centering the steering wheel will take care of that. Chris' directions below are great.



BTW, the wheels look good. I also like them "centercap-less".

Great instructions indeed. And thanks for the compliment. I agree about the fronts without the caps since the lockout hubs kind of "top them off." I like the back with the caps better, I think. Up until yesterday the plan was to blast and paint them, but since the truck will wind up black instead of white and still have other chrome (bumpers, lights, etc), I decided I'd leave the wheels chrome too.

 

[max 02]

I agree about the fronts without the caps Up until yesterday the plan was to blast and paint them, but since the truck will wind up black instead of white and still have other chrome (bumpers, lights, etc), I decided I'd leave the wheels chrome too.

Good choice, They look good like that!

Just nead to get the different center caps for the back.

 

[Safari-K5]

any comparison on the weights? Is that (so I hear) a lot heavier than aftermarket wheels? just wondering what it would do to performance and mpg. Anyway looks damn good as is!!

I have a set of h2 takeoffs with the stock tires on them awaiting the completion of my build. i will weigh one tomorrow and give you a rough estimate. but from picking them up i would say they are very very light for a 17 inch 8 lug wheel. i would say about the same as a 15 inch rally with same size tire at 34.5 inch

 

[bailey9r]

I have a set of h2 takeoffs with the stock tires on them awaiting the completion of my build. i will weigh one tomorrow and give you a rough estimate. but from picking them up i would say they are very very light for a 17 inch 8 lug wheel. i would say about the same as a 15 inch rally with same size tire at 34.5 inch

hmm interesting, I guess folks saying different were comparing them with big tires to stock with little tires overall. Makes sense as factory would want the best mpg possible even on a hummer. Thanks for the info

 

[shiner2001]

I have a set of h2 takeoffs with the stock tires on them awaiting the completion of my build. i will weigh one tomorrow and give you a rough estimate. but from picking them up i would say they are very very light for a 17 inch 8 lug wheel. i would say about the same as a 15 inch rally with same size tire at 34.5 inch

I'll do the same with my factory steel 16" + tire and let yall know what it weighs.