GM Quadra Steer
 

Or however you spell it... I know most of you remember this, what ever happened to it? When it came out I was still too young to drive, so I don't remember if it ever got real popular. I still see them every once in a while, do any of you guys remember these?

I remember them, actually a good idea on a truck (IMO).
Option wasn't available in the right combinations though (if memory serves me correctly it only came on 1/2 tons with the 5.3l engine or some other weird config).
That and they didn't have enough angle on the thing, and manual override of the function would be nice too for when you are wheeling.

It was a horribly unpopular option......it had to come on a heavy half ton so it wasn't the option that most guys wanted.....and at first it was like a 5 grand option.....if i recall it got cheap later on (1500-2000).....

I saw one once turn around in the guys driveway....it was pretty frickin awesome

It cost so much because it was tacked on with a bunch of other very expensive options, probably in an attempt to hide its cost. It would have been much cheaper if it was its own option.

I still see them every once in a while, and thats what got me thinking about it... I haven't seen one in action though, I think it would be pretty cool... Especially if I could get it on my truck now, lol... You know how ridiculous it looks to try a make a U-turn in a lifted F-250... its a huge PITA

Don't they change the way they steer at speed? I think the wheels all turn the same way at highway speed. It would malfunction if I had one and wouldn't switch and flip me over in the highway LOL.

I don't think the quadrasteer operated like HiCAS (Nissan's 4 wheel Steer), or Honda's solution, with changing direction at higher speed. I am almost certain that it only operated at low speed to improve parking.

No...it did.


At low speeds they turned opposite the fronts...

At high speeds they turned the same....

if memory serves me right the 4-wheel steer option cut into payload capacity..

thus most truck buyers werent interested in it...

Just looked at my 2003 Chevrolet Pickup brochure. At highway speeds all 4 wheels turned the same direction. At lower speeds, they turned oppositely. My father has been selling Chevrolets for nearly 16 years. I remember he had a demo 1500HD when the quadtrasteer came out. It was badass, real easy to drive. Took a little while to get used to though, the overall feeling was much different. Towing with it was a breeze though, with the boat on the back turning was so much easier.

the quadra steer was a good idea for people that did not know how to drive, but as previously stated, it was a very expensive option, and it was canceled because no one bought it, and when it screwed up, as most of them did, it was even more expensive to fix.

kinda like the GM 4-6-8 fuel management option offered on Cadillacs in the 70's.
very expensive to buy and maintain, almost impossible to fix once it broke, and in general way ahead of it time due to lack of technology.

It went the way of the Honda 4-wheel steer in the Prelude.

Gone.

For all the reasons mentioned above.

It's bad enough maintaining balljoints, tie-rod ends, and all the other stuff to do with steering and alignment, then double it, add some electronics, and what do you have? A nightmare when the vehicle goes off warranty.

I remember seeing a commercial for it, where they were backing a trailer in a tight spot on a farm between fences. I thought: Move the damn fences :-X14

Actually everything I've heard about quadrasteer is the exact opposite of that. From everything I've seen it was very reliable. Ball joints and tierods aren't nearly as big of an issue because the quadrasteer axle doesn't move the the wheels nearly as far or as much as the front wheels.

As far as it being an option for people that don't know how to drive, I guess the wide track front axle that ford offers to help reduce turning radius is also for people that don't know how to drive?

It was not ahead of its time either, since other makes had electronically controlled 4 wheel steering for many many years prior.

It went away because the only way to get it was with a package that included other very expensive upgrades, so very few people bought it.

what did it do when you cut the wheels all the way one way and nailed it from a dead stop??

I want to build a mild late 80s Chevy or Ford 4x4 with 4 wheel steer one day...

Sounds to me like it was just a "band-aid" for people that didn't know how to tow, and no matter how reliable it is, is not gonna last as long as an old fashioned solid axle.