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Steering wheel of Hummer H3 has backlash.

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 3:54 pm
by collega
Hello, everybody!
Last couple month I have steering wheel backlash on Hummer H3. Truck is wondering in highway and regular traffic. Suspension components in good conditions.
What it could be how costly and problematic to fix this problem? Is it rack and pinion?
Any ideas?
Thank you.

Re: Steering wheel of Hummer H3 has backlash.

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 5:29 pm
by ddgermann
Kind of sounds like your steering box is shot if the other physical components are ok. Not a problem I’ve heard before with the H3.

Could be kind of dangerous if it’s the gear.

$2500 -$3000 should take care of it. I replaced the steering gear on my H1 and it was in that neighbourhood so cannot imagine it’s more for an H3. Never had anything like this with our H2 or H3.

Maybe someone else here has seen this on the H3.

Re: Steering wheel of Hummer H3 has backlash.

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 9:34 pm
by collega
I doubt that it’s steering box- different symptoms!

It’s more like rack and pinion and it should be so costly!

It’s 3-4 hours of labour plus part(rebuild one costs about $300-400).

Re: Steering wheel of Hummer H3 has backlash.

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 9:39 pm
by collega
I doubt that is steering box- it’s different symptoms! As for me it’s more like steering pinion rack. And it shouldn’t be so costly. It’s about 3-4 hours of labour plus $300-400 price for rebuild part!

Re: Steering wheel of Hummer H3 has backlash.

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2019 2:43 pm
by Roy
other possibilities are...
steering wheel itself has become loose,
connection to box/rack may be loose
you say suspension is ok, but how are the inner and outer tie rods...
I myself have done very little rack/box replacements. Not a common issue.
wandering on the road can also be a bad alignment....
 
Do some more checking and reply with findings....

Re: Steering wheel of Hummer H3 has backlash.

Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 11:12 pm
by collega
Theoretically when truck is wondering on the road it could be bad alignment, but in this case it shouldn’t be steering wheel backlash like I have. It’s not a lot, but when truck is not moving you can turn steering wheel back and forth without turning wheels of the truck.

You said that it could be steering wheel became loose itself is and not fixed well. If it’s like that so it shouldn’t be very expensive to fix it?

I don’t know.

Re: Steering wheel of Hummer H3 has backlash.

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 1:35 pm
by citiboy
Check the upper and lower steering intermediate shaft. I just replaced both on my wife's H3 a month ago. Look for a bad u-joints especially on the upper intermediate shaft.
 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-NEW-Intermediate-and-Lower-Steering-Column-Shaft-Set-2006-2010-Hummer-H3-H3T-/321835850981
 
Image
 
 

Re: Steering wheel of Hummer H3 has backlash.

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 3:00 pm
by collega
How much did you pay for that repair?

Re: Steering wheel of Hummer H3 has backlash.

Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 9:19 pm
by citiboy
No labor cost as I did the repair myself. Just the parts cost me $224USD for both.
 
Steering Lower Shaft
 
Steering Coupling Shaft

Re: Steering wheel of Hummer H3 has backlash.

Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2019 12:28 pm
by collega
It’s not so bad, especially if you can do that job yourself.

In my case I don’t know how to do it, so I need to pay maybe extra $300.