I was just reading how poor sales have been for Gm's Delphi division and their Quadrasteer option which they expected to sell very well. But you couldn't just order it, you had to have aa certain engine, you had to buy a convenience package which included cab lights (how dumb was that) among other things and you had to order their AutoRide, or AutoTrac (or something similarly named) transfer case. Plus the cost of almost $5,700 just for the steering rear end made a half ton pick-up run into the mid $40K's, which I'm kinda thinking was too much. So now GM has deleted alot of the 'must have' options you have to take with the 4 wheel steering and dropped the price to $1,995. This seems like an idea who's time has come. The technology of the 80's when this was tried last time wasn't advanced enough to make this work, but it should be now. Has anyone heard of Ford offering a similar system on the F-250 and F-350 pick-ups ? It weighs quite a bit so the lighter weight of the V-10 as opposed to the oil burner seems like a natural. Would any of you pay an extra $2,000 for safer towing and better steering ? Does Ford have anything like this on their shelves ? Has anyone here driven the 4WS GM's ? For towing it looks positively awesome, and the extra weight shouldn't make that much difference on the V-10 equipped Fords. I also take a certain amount of glee in seeing GM have to slash prices just to sell the Quadrasteer. Long live the Blue Oval, Long live Ford, all hail the V-10 !!!

 

I drove one and it made a 30' TT pull like a 5th wheel, IMO the best thing to ever thought of for towing. Also the truck I drove was easier to park you could slip into spaces I would not dream of trying.
I did not try backing up with it though. Also we were on a muddy location and the normal 4X4 trucks could not climb out of the rut that were there going right to the ditch, the 4WS walked out of them, the rear turns opposite so the whole truck rotates out of the ruts.

I am not a Chevy fan but with the miles I tow my next truck is more than likley going to be a Cheb with the 4WS if as you said they bring the price down. Like you I can not see why you need to spend 6 billion on crap options to get what you want.

 

According to GM you won't have to buy the cab light package in order to get 4WS anymore, and the have cut the price down to less than $2,000. I too have heard all the hype over the 4 wheel steering, and I tell ya, it sure seems like an awesome accessory, especially if towing. The tester I read said at 60 miles an hour going down the road with a 30' trailer behind he whipped back and forth into different lanes without jack knifing the trailer. Any of us who tow know how scary that can be, so I'd be all for checking the 4WS option box, if only it was on a Ford. If only,,,, I was wondering if Ford was going to jump on the bandwagon and offer 4WS, it seems like it could only increase sales. And if GM can cut their price by over $3,000 and still make a profit, why can't Ford offer a similar option ? It doesn't make sense.

 

I am not convinced on the durability of 4 wheel steering yet. I don't think I would feel safe with the 1900# tounge of my 5th wheel on a rear end that had that many moving parts. Sounds like a formula for disaster.

Just my opinion and probably ignorance.

 

Why? The front steers and I have never had a problem and trucks a whole lot larger than what we drive don't have problems either. On a 5th wheel I don't see it a great an advantage as with a TT though. I sold my 5th because I hated loosing my bed, I love the way it towed but just felt I gave up to much. Now with a RWS option the TT pulls as wel as a 5th, still gives up some ride quality on bouncy roads.

 

I have never seen one up close to be a good judge of their durability it just seems that it would not be as strong or more prone for breakage. I've also wondered what kind of tire wear you would get. It seems it would be hard to keep them aligned properly.

 

In some of the early magazine articles (2 years ago) for the quadra steer system there was a picture of the left rear tire of a truck that was turned out slightly. Close examination of the fender of the truck appeared to be of a white Ford SD. Many thought it was going to be introduced by Ford at that time. It's possible that there were some Ford test vehicles with this system and that it's just a matter of time.

Ford may be waiting to watch consumer response. They seem to do that with several items, body style, motor type options, etc. Rumor at Ford was that they had the SD body style drawn years before it came out, Dodge released their design of the "big truck" look, Ford watched and waited, then released the SD. Dodge also had the V-10 before us and used an outside company for a reliable diesel motor before Ford did the same. Ford just perfected all of it.

 

Normally rear axle weight ratings are double what they are for the front. That may be just because no-one ever hauls anything on the front axle, but when I have my weight distributing hitch hooked up I know it transfers some weight from the rear to the front. But it's not like having a pick-up bed with 4 tons of sand in it and most all of it sitting above the rear axle. I hadn't really considerd rear-steer axle durability until another poster here voiced concern, which if I think about it, makes sense. Sure front ends have gotten to be pretty durable lately, but they don't haul a bunch of weight directly, so that seems like a valid concern. I tow with my V-10 van, so I've never even considered a fiver in the past few years. And prior to that I too never wanted nor could afford to give up pick-up bed space, so a conventional travel trailer has always been my choice. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out, as of right now I don't guess Ford is too worried about losing sales to GM with the rear steer equipped trucks. But at $2,000 it may make the difference and Ford may have to address the lack of not having this as an option. I gotta think that even towing a fiver would be vastly improved with rear steer. So I have revised my new and improved tow vehicle; Ford E-series, 7.0 liter V-10 (with hydraulic start-up assist), 3 valve, 425 horse, 495 foot pound (Kenne Bell supercharger option at the factory to deliver 550 hp and 675 ft lbs), 5 speed automatic, 4.10 rear-steer rear-end, all wheel drive, 15 passenger (with easily removable banks of Recaro-type bucket seats), quadruple factory 10" flip down DVD equipped LCD TV's, dual fuel capable with stability control, traction control (switchable), 2005 van. NOW that's what I'm talkin bout !!! Hooty Hoo ! The world's ULTIMATE urban assault vehicle, and oh yeah, city/highway fuel economy rated at 22/30 with regular 85 octane minumum fuel. Ok Dearborn, are ya listening ? I'm ready to place my order.

 

Imagine a truck with 100K+ miles on it, and how much the steering wanders, shakes, etc. etc.

Now, imagine a 4WS truck with that much mileage on it, and how much it would wander front AND back! Is that safe? Sounds like a recipe for disaster...

Unloaded, not much tongue weight, it may feel like a great thing, but I can't help but be suspicious of it's longevity when you're filling the bed with some serious weight.

 

An 19 wheeler has more weight on the front than we will ever have on the rear. Yes it bigger but it can be made to work.

If you guys think GM is putting a truck on the road that will kill people in a few years because it will start to wonder I think your nuts.

I have driven trucks with 200+ K miles on it and it did not wonder, it is up to the owner to maintain his truck and to not do so is asking for trouble and yes RWS will need some more work including alignment at times but IMO it is worth the trade off.

 

I assume you are talking about an 18 wheeler? Yeah, look at the size of the I-beam, and then realize - HEY! this ain't front-wheel drive! True, there are heavy-duty axles that can be made to work.

That's not what I'm disputing - I just think it's a heck of a lot of extra trouble waiting to happen. Besides, it's a Chevy

 

18? don't they have a spare? So 19.

Which is the whole reason many here are bad mouthing it with no knowledge. I will say I think Ford make a better product but I pay for what I drive and can only guess that Ford is paying you, if not why the big defense? I am not brand loyal and will not pass up something that could make my life easier just because Ford does not make it.

"To eliminate fears that something could go wrong while driving, four fail-safes are built into the QuadraSteer system: 1) The system's defaults result in a mechanical or motor-controlled return to center and front steer operation only; 2) The motor returns the wheels to center and holds them there in two-wheel steering mode; 3) The motor returns the wheels to center and shuts down, relying on the centering spring to maintain tire center; and 4) The mechanical centering spring returns the system to center. "

 

I will say this if you guys drag a TT trailer and pull with a RWS truck you will change your mind as to how well it works.

 

I'm not bad mouthing it because it's a Chevy idea. I'm saying it's a nightmare, having double the tie-rod/alignment/wheel bearing problems. And two more u-joints.

Is it at least a Dana gear?

Being a non-towing sort of person (except my Honda NX 650 once in a while on a jet ski trailer), I see it as a nightmare, not an answer to my prayers.

art k.

 

Yeah but you winn not admit your wrong about the # of tires