Welcome to thenewh3.com - Information on H2 hummer accessories

For those who think an SUV should be more than a luxury car with four-wheel drive, General Motors offers the new Hummer H2 -- an SUV that recaptures the go-anywhere, do-- anything spirit and delivers with truly impressive capabilities.

A cooperative effort between GM and AM General (manufacturers of the original military Humvee and its civilian sibling, the Hummer Hi), the Hummer H2 uses truck- and SUV-- chassis components for civilized road manners, but adds some specialized components and technology designed to make it a world-class off-- roader: The result is a vehicle that is second only to the H1 in off-road prowess, but at less than $50,000, costs half as much.

Despite GM's marketing endeavors, there still exists the notion that the Hummer H2 is a reskinned Suburban with big tires and some military-looking bits bolted on. Not true. In fact, it has very little in common with the Suburban other than the drivetrain and some chassis parts; most of the components used in the Hummer H2 are model-specific. It's even built at its own plant - a 630,000-square-foot facility in Mishawaka, Indiana - right next to the AM General Hummer H1 plant. To quote GM, "The H2 is essentially a GM-designed vehicle developed with live-in help and guidance from AM General."

GM does not own AM General, but it does own the Hummer name. It also shoulders the responsibility for design and sourcing of components and tools, production engineering, marketing and distribution of the Hummer brand, which is now under the GM umbrella, like Chevrolet and GMC. AM General, meanwhile, contributes its manufacturing, engineering and assembly expertise. That's important, because although the H2 maybe a mass-produced vehicle (40,000 H2s will be produced annually, as compared to only 1,000 H1s), AM General will remain in the mix, making sure that the Hummer reputation for off-road capability will not be diluted in the H2 or future Hummer products.

RUGGED CONSTRUCTION

Almost every aspect of the H2 has been engineered for maximum off-road capability. The frame is a fully welded, ladder-type design which consists of three pieces: a 2500-series Suburban front section, a new, mid-frame section and a 1500-series five-link rear section giving the H2 an upgraded 8,600-pound gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr). The chassis has a comparatively long wheel base and short overhangs for better approach/departure angles than any other GM full-- size truck. To put things in perspective, the H2's wheelbase is 7 inches longer than a Chevrolet Tahoe's, while its overall length is 9 inches shorter. In addition, the chassis was designed from the outset so that all drivetrain components could be packaged flush with, or above, the frame rails to protect them against underbody impacts. Further protection is provided by underbody armor, which protects the engine, transmission, fuel tank and other areas.

POWERFUL DRIVETRAIN, SOPHISTICATED 4WD SYSTEM

From a mechanical standpoint, the centerpiece of the H2 is its integrated drivetrain, four-wheel drive, traction control and anti-lock braking systems (ABS), which conspire for maximum control off-road.

The venerable Vortec 6000 6.0-liter V-8 is the base (and only) engine, and produces 316 hp at 5,200 rpm and 360 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. This power is routed to the wheels via a 4L65 E-four-speed automatic (a heavy-duty variant of the 4L60-- E transmission used in GM light-duty trucks), a two-speed, electronically controlled full-time Borg-Warner transfer case and a pair of heavy-duty axles with a 4.10:1 final-drive ratio.

The transfer case has three modes of operation, which are controlled by dash-mounted buttons: HIGH RANGE OPEN uses a 40/60 front/rear torque split; HIGH RANGE LOCKED ties the front/rear output shafts together for a full-time 50/50 torque split; and LOW RANGE LOCKED provides 50/50 torque split and a 2.64:1 gear reduction in the planetary gear set. A neutral position can be summoned by simultaneously depressing the 4LO LCKKED and 4H1 OPEN buttons for 10 seconds. This allows the H2 to be flat-towed behind another vehicle.

Anytime LOW LOCK is selected, the slower of two throttle progression curves is automatically activated using the H2's Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) throttle-by-wire system. This curve, designed primarily for rock crawling (where sudden throttle inputs are undesirable), opens the throttle more slowly for a given amount of throttle-pedal travel, and limits the throttle plate to 75 percent of its maximum opening. Low lock also gives the driver the option of locking the Eaton electronic rear differential by depressing the REAR DIFF LOCK button, but the vehicle must not be moving when this selection is made.

Traction control and ABS are nothing new, but the ABS/TCS system in the H2 does have some unique features. For example, anytime the transfer case is in a locked mode, the driver has the option of depressing the TC2 button, which relaxes the standard traction-- control mode somewhat to allow some wheel spin on surfaces like gravel, sand and mud. And in the normal traction-control mode, as many as three wheels can be on a slippery surface, and enough torque will still be supplied to the remaining wheel to propel the vehicle up a 10-percent grade, according to GM.

Likewise, the ABS system has been designed to function equally well on- and off-road. Using separate logic schemes, the Bosch ABS system can detect uneven or "deformable" surfaces (such as sand and gravel) in addition to smooth, slick surfaces such as wet or icy pavement to arrive at the best braking solution. The system includes GM's standard Dynamic Rear Proportioning (DRP) feature, which monitors wheel speed and automatically modulates the pressure applied to the rear brakes to balance front/rear braking loads.

DRIVING IMPRESSIONS

Our first drive of the Hummer H2 took us from downtown Chicago, Illinois, to the AM General proving grounds in South Bend, Indiana. The program provided adequate time to drive the H2 solo on Midwestern highways and backroads, and once at the proving grounds, we had plenty of opportunity to drive the H2 off-road. We also had the chance to test the H2's towing capabilities pulling a 27-foot Sunnybrook Lite model 2706 travel trailer.

For a vehicle with serious offroad intentions, square edges and the biggest tires available on a GM light-duty truck (LT315/70R17 BFGoodrich tires are standard), the H2 rides and performs well on-road, and its cabin is comfortable and roomy (although total cargo capacity is somewhat limited at 86.6 cubic feet) with great ergonomics. There is some tire noise transmitted into the driver's compartment, as well as some wind whistle, but other than that, the driving experience is on par with other large premium SUVs.

Off-road, the impression is that the H2 can go anywhere, and based on our experiences in South Bend, it can. AM General's proving grounds not only include an obstacle course, but some of the most tortuous backwoods trails a deviant mind could muster. Extreme grades (some up to 60 degrees), ruts, mud, water crossings - you name it, the H2 not only handled it, but did so easily. The various four-wheel-drive modes, traction-control systems and locking rear differential can make even novice off-roaders feel like seasoned veterans.

The H2 has a maximum tow capacity of 7,000 pounds. It handled the 4,948-pound Sunnybrook effortlessly, and the vehicle's short rear overhang prevents bouncing and the dreaded "tail wagging the dog" syndrome. Performance was about par for such a combination; towing, the H2 managed a 23.6-second 0- to-60 run, with a 40-60 mph time of 13.7 seconds. Solo, the H2 managed 0-60 mph in just over 10 seconds.

If you like to camp in out-of-the-way places, and you need a vehicle that can take you there without drama, the Hummer H2 may be just what you've been looking for.