Quadsteer

vertikal · December 18, 2009

Just wondering how many of us are driving /owning these QS's , I probably shouldnt,but if going less than 30 mi on interstate I leave mine in 4 wheel steer,just about all the time really...with warranty from dealer i purchased from it's $100 deduct for any warranty work....times are tuff but thats about two tankfull of gas in it (cost) so I use it, makes short order of wally world parking lots...Best Quad moment....Had about a 70 yr old man pull me over(thought he was lost) in neighborhood, he just could believe his eyes he said, and had to see what was going on with those back tires.....only regret is ive the 3:73 rearend...desperately need the 4:10 for pullin' cap.

xanth · December 18, 2009

Just wondering how many of us are driving /owning these QS's , I probably shouldnt,but if going less than 30 mi on interstate I leave mine in 4 wheel steer,just about all the time really...with warranty from dealer i purchased from it's $100 deduct for any warranty work....times are tuff but thats about two tankfull of gas in it (cost) so I use it, makes short order of wally world parking lots...Best Quad moment....Had about a 70 yr old man pull me over(thought he was lost) in neighborhood, he just could believe his eyes he said, and had to see what was going on with those back tires.....only regret is ive the 3:73 rearend...desperately need the 4:10 for pullin' cap.

Had a 2004 Sierra Denali for a few years, loved the quadrasteer. Leave it in 4WS 24/7, no real reason to take it out, except for car washes and such.

Would still have it except needed a 2500HD

KMGZ400 · December 18, 2009

i would love to have a QS vehicle, i could have gotten a QS 2500 burban for dirt cheap a few months back.. but i was hesitant becasue i didnt know anything about the QS system and how reliable it woulb be after 100k miles... i really want to drive one and see what its like

sk · December 18, 2009

I probably shouldnt,but if going less than 30 mi on interstate I leave mine in 4 wheel steer,just about all the time really

Why shouldn't you -- it was designed for that. It won't hurt it any to have it engaged all the time. Besides, on the interstate it makes lane changes easier. And if you ever pull a trailer behind a QS truck you'll be amazed. At slow speeds (when the tires turn in opposite directions) the trailer backs right where you want it. At highway speeds (when the tires turn in the same direction) the stability in crosswinds is amazing. And when you change lanes pulling a trailer the truck and trailer go right where you point them. And one other benefit: your tire wear is better with the rear steer engaged (it reduces scrubbing on both the rear and front tires).

After towing with a QS truck you'll never want to go back to 2WS. This was one of the problems with GM's marketing -- they targeted the "soccer moms" who hated parking large trucks at the mall but they didn't really concentrate on the commercial market. If they had put a heftier version of this (which Delphi already had designed, by the way) in a 2500HD and showed contractors what it could do pulling trailers they would have sold a bunch more.

SS Crew · December 18, 2009

Leave it in 4WS all the time! I never took mine out of 4WS unless I wanted to see how much it really made a difference. If you tow, use the tow setting, but change it back to regular 4WS when you get done or it'll scare the crap out out you when you take an off ramp at 60mph on to the next freeway interchange. I guess it changes the phasing of the rear wheels when your towing, but without a trailer it feels pretty squirley (sp).

I got pissed when mine blew a head gasket at 101,000 miles due to stretched head bolts, GM would have fixed it if I was under 100,000, but since I was over I was S.O.L. I really should have just gotten it fixed, I really miss it.

I didn't know how much it made a difference until I bought a new crew cab truck without QS; I felt like an idiot chasing my boat down the launch ramp!

SpeedyV · July 6, 2010

Bringing this back from the dead...just purchased my '03 1500HD w/QS. I haven't pulled anything with it yet, but I'm already enjoying the turning radius when maneuvering in town!

DTyrrell · July 7, 2010

Why did they get rid of Quadrasteer?

jro909 · July 7, 2010

Why did they get rid of Quadrasteer?

very expensive, and very expensive to repair...

SS Crew · July 7, 2010

Why did they get rid of Quadrasteer?

Because they didn't market it correctly. They marketed for those who tow, not for the everyday driving that allows the truck to maneuver like a vehicle with a much shorter wheelbase. When it first came out it was a $7000 option, when I bought mine in late '03 as an '04, the cost was only $1800 - well worth it. But all the dealers that had bought them when they first came out got burned, as they couldn't get rid of them with that $7000 option. Naturally they didn't order any more unless it was for a customer, therefore there weren't any on the lots to test drive and most people didn't even know about them. Another thing that killed them was that they looked pretty stupid in stock form - big ol' fenders in the back with skinny tires and the stupid farmer John lights. My wife was really pissed when I came home with my truck, she thought I was kidding when I brought it home. $5000 later with the addition of 20" wheels and tires, the SS front fascia, a Gaylord tonneau, painted mirrors and tailgate handle, and Escalade door handles, my wife really enjoyed driving it, and yes it did make backing up a trailer a lot easier. In fact when I got rid of it and got my 2007.5 GMC 2500 HD, the first time I launched my boat I looked like an amateur, chasing my boat down the ramp. I was really hoping that GM would offer that option on the HD line with the Duramax engine later down the road, but it just didn't happen. But if they did they would have cornered the market.

wtbrowne · July 8, 2010

QS added about 285 lbs. of unsprung weight to the truck which negatively affects ride, handling, fuel mileage and performance. GM might have worked those issues out in time if the option had been a big seller, but it was not.

SpeedyV · July 20, 2010

Why did they get rid of Quadrasteer?

x2 on the lack of solid marketing.

Before I bought this truck, I did some research on Quadrasteer. There are almost no complaints out there about this system, but it seemed like anyone that has ever owned one loves it or misses having it.

Now that I have it, I think it lives up to the hype. This would have been a significant market differentiator if they had brought this to the HDs.

SS Crew · July 21, 2010

QS added about 285 lbs. of unsprung weight to the truck which negatively affects ride, handling, fuel mileage and performance. GM might have worked those issues out in time if the option had been a big seller, but it was not.

I can tell you never did drive or own a QS truck. You couldn't notice the extra weight, the handling was much better than a 2-wheel steer truck, as far as gas mileage and performance - the 6.0 (I had an 04 2500) was a dog engine, it wasn't until I had a Wester's tune put on it that it really showed its potential.

Like I said in my previous post - if GM had offered the QS in the HD trucks they would have cornered the market in the towing department and won them over in the everyday convenience of maneuverability of a large truck turning like a much smaller one.

SpeedyV · July 21, 2010

...it wasn't until I had a Wester's tune put on it that it really showed its potential.

Not to go too far off topic, but it sounds like you were pretty happy with that tune. I'm thinking of going with BlackBear or Nelson...but regardless, what kind of tune did you go with? 80% reduction in torque management? 87 or 93? My plans are to add a cat-back and tune when $$ allow.

SS Crew · July 21, 2010

...it wasn't until I had a Wester's tune put on it that it really showed its potential.

Not to go too far off topic, but it sounds like you were pretty happy with that tune. I'm thinking of going with BlackBear or Nelson...but regardless, what kind of tune did you go with? 80% reduction in torque management? 87 or 93? My plans are to add a cat-back and tune when $$ allow.

I went with a 91 Hot Tune and told him to remove all the torque control management that he thought was safe. The truck was by no means a hot rod, but it made a significant improvement. I also put a Corsa Sport exhaust on mine. Corsa didn't make one for the 1500 HD / 2500 trucks, but a 2500 HD set-up will fit, but your muffler guy will have to change some of the hanger locations.