Leveling your Hummer H3 may help in improving its stability and overall performance. But what are the steps to install a leveling kit on this vehicle? We researched for your convenience, and here’s the information we gathered.
First, ensure that you’re safe and your workstation has preventive measures in place. Then, gather your equipment, materials, and the correct leveling kit for your Hummer H3. After completing the preparations, proceed by following these steps:
- Park the Hummer
- Modify the fan shroud
- Replace the bolts
- Install and secure the body spacers
- Apply the finishing touches
At first, it might look like a relatively straightforward task to complete. But failing to follow certain details may lead to an increased risk of harm while you’re driving the Hummer H3. So, keep reading as we discuss this procedure in greater detail.
Safety Precautions To Follow
As with relatively any DIY automotive job, you need to prepare for this upcoming task by ensuring your safety. Some of the safety measures you need to follow are:
- All automotive electronics should be off unless otherwise needed. Accidentally touching metal parts while the engine is on and the battery connected may create sparks.
- Tie your long hair. Long locks may become lodged into corners, gaps, and other objects, which may lead to accidents and injuries.
- Keep small children and pets away from your workstation. Pieces of equipment and different parts might become health hazards to kids.
- A fire extinguisher should always be nearby. A flame may still ignite, despite you following the procedure properly.
- Wear safety equipment. Gear like a respirator, a good pair of goggles, and long-sleeved clothing can help prevent harm to your nose, mouth, throat, eyes, and skin.
The Things You’ll Need
- Car ramps
- Hammer
- Needlenose vice grips
- Floor jack
- Jack stands
- Impact drill
- Socket wrench set
- Extension bar
- Breaker bar
- Panel remover
- Flathead screwdriver
- Pen or marker
- Tape measure
- Compatible leveling kit
Take note that a lift kit is different than a leveling kit. However, certain lift kits may also work as leveling kits.
DIY Instructions To Install A Leveling Kit On A Hummer H3
Take note that installing a leveling kit on a Hummer H3 can be a laborious and time-consuming process. Plus, this procedure typically requires sufficient confidence and automotive know-how to complete with minimal risks of errors.
At this point, you can request help from automotive professionals to help you with the installation. But if you want to continue, bear in mind that each leveling kit you find on the market often has different installation instructions.
So, you should read the instruction manual of your chosen kit before you begin the installation procedure. Nonetheless, continue reading this section for you to gain insight into how to complete this task:
Step #1: Park The Hummer
Place the car ramps in strategic locations (preferably on flat and level ground). Drive your Hummer H3 onto the ramps for the vehicle to gain additional ground clearance. Once parked, engage the vehicle’s hand or parking brake.
Step #2: Modify The Fan Shroud
Ensure that the vehicle’s engine is off and cold (or at room temperature). Open the hood and locate the radiator fan.
Take note that using a leveling or lifting kit on a Hummer H3 will lift the fan shroud but not the fan. So, failure to modify the shroud leads to the fan hitting its surroundings, which will break it eventually.
Generally, you only need to rotate the circle part on the shroud that’s surrounding the fan. But certain Hummer H3 models will have engine fan shrouds that you need to trim. If so, cut the bottom part of the fan shroud.
Tip: If you rotated the fan shroud, drill a hole at its top part. Next, place a bolt to block the circle part from moving, which might happen as you’re driving.
Step #3: Replace The Bolts
Remove the engine cover by unscrewing the bolts that secure it. Pull out the cover and set it aside afterward.
Moving forward, locate and remove the body mount bolts on your Hummer H3. Be wary, as you should only remove six bolts at a time.
For example, if you’re going to start the installation on the right side of the vehicle, remove the six bolts in that area. Removing all the bolts may result in leveling and stability issues, which might also put the Hummer at risk of irreparable harm.
Note: Raise the vehicle further with the help of the floor jack if you have trouble accessing some bolts. Make sure to place jack stands underneath the vehicle if you’re going to use the floor jack.
Remove the sleeves from the factory bolts you removed. You should be able to remove the sleeves with your hand. If not, the sleeves might need some hammering to loosen them.
Next, apply a sufficient amount of thread-locking fluid to the bolts in the leveling kit. Then, slide the bushings and sleeves to those bolts.
Step #4: Install And Secure The Body Spacers
Install the body spacers (included in the leveling kit) in between the Hummer H3’s lower frame and the holes for the bolts.
Next, install the bolts while ensuring that they go through their body spacers. Once you complete the installation of the bolts and spacers for one side, repeat this same part of the procedure for the other side of the Hummer.
Step #5: Apply The Finishing Touches
After the body spacers are secure, lower the Hummer to level ground. Check for inconsistencies or other issues with the installation. At this point, you should fix these concerns before driving the vehicle to prevent unwanted on-road hazards.
Check out this Hummer H3 suspension leveling kit on Amazon.
You can also watch the video below to see a visual guide for this procedure. Plus, the person in the clip gives additional pieces of information on how a lift kit works:
Here’s another video you can watch for another Hummer H3 lifting kit for you to compare the different installation procedures:
How Much Does It Cost To Install A Leveling Kit On A Hummer H3?
If you want to skip the DIY installation procedure and take advantage of professional services, you may need to spend about $280 to $450 for this task.
Bear in mind that the overall expenses may vary depending on certain factors, such as the difficulty of the installation job and the automotive shop’s location.
What‘s The Best Hummer H3 Leveling Kit?
It’s safe to say that there’s not one leveling kit on the market that can provide all benefits to Hummer H3 users. However, some options supply more advantages than others. Some of these ideal candidates are:
1. Rough Country Lift And Level Kit
Although marketed for Chevy Colorados and GMC Canyons, this lifting and leveling kit should also fit Hummer H3 models from 2006 to 2010. The system comes with a reasonably straightforward installation procedure, allowing DIY beginners to reduce their risks of making costly mistakes.
Check out this product on Amazon.
2. Supreme Suspensions Rear Lift And Level Kit
As the product’s name implies, this kit only fits the rear areas of your Hummer H3. So this kit is ideal if you need to adjust your H3’s rear end. Also, the two torsion keys and lift shackles should provide an additional 2 inches for ground clearance at the rear side of your vehicle.
Check out this product on Amazon.
3. WULF Front & Rear Leveling & Lifting Kit
Interested buyers following strict budgets might take a few steps back after seeing this kit’s price tag. Despite its expensive costs, this leveling and lifting kit comes as a complete height adjustment system for the Hummer H3.
It also comes with shock absorbers and black shock dust boots for buyers to gain extra value from this product.
Check out this product on Amazon.
4. TSS Front & Rear Leveling & Lifting Kit
This particular kit should fit Hummer H3 models from 2006 to 2011. The package comes with steel torsion keys for the vehicle’s front and adjustable powder-coated steel shackles for the rear.
Check out this product on Amazon.
Final Thoughts
Installing a leveling kit on a Hummer H3 often requires you to pay attention to the details of each step. So let this post be your guide for your upcoming leveling kit installation procedure for your Hummer H3.
Still, you can take advantage of automotive technicians to help you with the leveling kit’s initial setup, albeit with a price.
If you want to learn the answers to other vehicle concerns, check out these other great reads: