What ever happened to Quadrasteer ?

Greetings Fellow Silverado fanciers,

In 2003, GM stated that they expected to have Quadrasteer in all their GMC/Chevy trucks by 2005 - then they came out with it in a couple select models - and that seems to have been it.

GM hit the PR hard about why everyone would and should have quadrasteer eventually - yet it seems like they've pretty much now downplayed it almost entirely. Obviously it added to the cost - and made it a bit stiffer - but still - it seems like GM has abandonded the concept that was to be their biggest truck "thing" in the last decade.

Anybody know what the scoop is on Quadrasteer?

AFAIK it was unpopular, and has since been discontinued.

On a side note, my last vehicle was a Prelude with 4WS, and, man, a car with 4WS is awesome to drive, and I bet the QuadraSteer Silverado was no slouch.

I saw an interview with the guy who was in charge of the silverado at GM and I think he headed the development of the quadrasteer project. He said everyone at GM loved the feature and most people who bought it really enjoyed it, but they could not sell enough of them to justify keeping the feature.

Personally, I think the biggest mistake was that the quadrasteer was not a feature that could be added to a normal silverado. The trucks had a special bed with fender flares on it. That meant the trucks had to be special made. In other words it was not a feature that could just be added at the factory or that the dealer could add.

If it was just an add on, I think they would have keep it around. But since it required the truck to be specially made, it was probably not worth the extra expense.

Quadrasteer is amazing IMO. I love mine. I can park this behemoth anywhere, turn completely around on the street in front of my house (my wife's Passat can barely do it!), it corners better than my friend's normal Silvy at high speed, cornering with a trailer is way easier, I could go on and on.

Unfortunately, it's been discontinued. Delphi is no longer even manufacturing the units. They used to give out free stickers, and when I wrote to their PR people, I was informed that the program had been completely halted. Makes me sad. I love it enough that if I ever run this one into the ground, I'll probably hunt down a later model (I think 2005 was the last year) instead of buying a NEW truck.

Personally, I think the biggest mistake was that the quadrasteer was not a feature that could be added to a normal silverado. The trucks had a special bed with fender flares on it. That meant the trucks had to be special made. In other words it was not a feature that could just be added at the factory or that the dealer could add.


The bed is not really special, it just has special skins on the side. They are made of the same plastic as the Saturns, I think. They are basically just to comply with the law that the fender has to extend far enough to cover the wheel, because the axle is slightly wider, and the wheel will obviously flex out when turned. On the inside, the bed is the same as any other. The system itself just bolts up, the problem is the computer and harness. I've read on some Quadrasteer forums where guys were trying to add it to a normal truck, and apparently it's just a matter of hooking the Quadrasteer module into the vehicle speed sensor, and steering position sensor, and then wiring up the switch in the dash. I don't know if the guys doing it ever actually did it, but there was a whole discussion of the tech requirements, and it definitely seemed doable. Point is, you are right, it is dumb. If it's easy enough that there is a way to rig it up, how hard would it have been to design it from the start as a plug in type of deal. The bedskins and axle just bolt on in place of standard stuff.

I guess if Quadrasteer was a "small thing" it might make sense that it would get phased out so easily. However it wasn't a "small thing" - at least not if you measured it byt GM's proclamations or its quadrasteer advertising budget and efforts. When GM first announced the quadrasteer - it claimed that in less than 18 months of introduction - every GM full sized truck would be quadrasteer.

How could they have been so far off? So blatantly bad. They took a "corvette" idea - and made it into an "Edsel" activity. The concept was excellent - yet GM seemed to fail to have any sense of implementation of it to the markets. Maybe I should say it another way - how could they take a great idea and screw it up so bad - and still get paid big salaries for it? I believe we'll see the quadrasteer process come again in the future - but from the foreign makers - and it will be a big hit. My single biggest pain with my Silverado - is a 46 foot turning radius - its the Number 1 negative.

White Lightening

It was gay, that's what happened to it.:grinyes:

well, the foreign equivalent of "quadrasteer" was on the twin turbo 300ZX's in the early 90's.....they called it HIKIS or something like that....pronounced hi-kiss. from what i heard from people who owned the cras with it, when it worked was badass, but bad about going out. personally never saw one go out.

also, IMO, a sierra with quad would EASILY turn circles around that gay ass beamer in that pic...just my :2cents: ...not to mention i am not the biggest fan of beamers.

Turning radius is like ten feet less than normal of same wheelbase. The street in front of my house is less than 40 feet wide, and I can do it gutter to gutter without rubbing or needing somebody's driveway, if I slow down. :grinyes:

Turning radius is like ten feet less than normal of same wheelbase. The street in front of my house is less than 40 feet wide, and I can do it gutter to gutter without rubbing or needing somebody's driveway, if I slow down. :grinyes:

Yes - I heard the turning ability is really sweet. All my previous vehicles prior to the current Silverado were in the 35 to 36 feet radius. 10 feet more - you get used to it - but not happy with it. Especially with the newer parking lots - there is just no swing room getting into ever narrower slots.

One question on your quadrasteer. I'd heard they are stiffer than the normal truck - someone described it to me as a bit like driving a Ford Explorer as far as stiffness/bounce. How would you describe the ride difference between a normal Silverado and the quadrasteer?

White Lightening

It came with the selectable ride package, which means stiffer shocks stock. When I first got it, it definitely rode a little stiffer than my friend's crew cab. I changed the shocks to some standard light truck shocks and unhooked the ride control (never need it, plus nearly $200/shock was outrageous) and it improved it a lot. Still not quite as nice as my other friend's crew cab long bed Duramax rode, but seems almost the same to me as the first guy's truck I mentioned.

well, the foreign equivalent of "quadrasteer" was on the twin turbo 300ZX's in the early 90's.....they called it HIKIS or something like that....pronounced hi-kiss. from what i heard from people who owned the cras with it, when it worked was badass, but bad about going out. personally never saw one go out.

also, IMO, a sierra with quad would EASILY turn circles around that gay ass beamer in that pic...just my :2cents: ...not to mention i am not the biggest fan of beamers.
:lol:

Yea right.

That is a funny argument to make against the BMW since the most desirable cars have a turning radius that is complete crap "<>"

well, the foreign equivalent of "quadrasteer" was on the twin turbo 300ZX's in the early 90's.....they called it HIKIS or something like that....pronounced hi-kiss. from what i heard from people who owned the cras with it, when it worked was badass, but bad about going out. personally never saw one go out.

also, IMO, a sierra with quad would EASILY turn circles around that gay ass beamer in that pic...just my :2cents: ...not to mention i am not the biggest fan of beamers.


Yeah, I already mentioned my Prelude, dude. It knocked 3 feet off the standard Prelude turning radius.

I guess if Quadrasteer was a "small thing" it might make sense that it would get phased out so easily. However it wasn't a "small thing" - at least not if you measured it byt GM's proclamations or its quadrasteer advertising budget and efforts. When GM first announced the quadrasteer - it claimed that in less than 18 months of introduction - every GM full sized truck would be quadrasteer.

How could they have been so far off? So blatantly bad. They took a "corvette" idea - and made it into an "Edsel" activity. The concept was excellent - yet GM seemed to fail to have any sense of implementation of it to the markets. Maybe I should say it another way - how could they take a great idea and screw it up so bad - and still get paid big salaries for it? I believe we'll see the quadrasteer process come again in the future - but from the foreign makers - and it will be a big hit. My single biggest pain with my Silverado - is a 46 foot turning radius - its the Number 1 negative.

White Lightening


Why do you think the F-Body died? Or the VHO and VortecMAX trucks didn't get crazy sales numbers? GM is a bunch of morons when it comes to advertising cool products.

After about 1993 (roughly) I NEVER saw a tv ad about either F-Body. I only heard breif mention of the VortecMAX model in one commercial, and there was that one Quadrasteer commercial where the guy backed the truck and trailer into a tight spot around a horse corral, and that was the end of it.

GM usually has some fairly innovative products, but they fail miserably at making the public aware of them.

There was one other commercial I saw with the boat ramp. But yeah, I think that it could have done way better with better marketing. Most people don't even seem to know what it is. I've had people in parking lots freak out about the wheels sawing back and forth like something's wrong. Or ask me why the fenders are wide with single tires (even though they are not as wide as duallys anyway). Stuff like that. Half of them don't even know what I mean by four wheel steering - "How is that possible???" - let alone have some brand recognition like "Quadrasteer".

I think marketing could have a bit to do with it, but I also think that people just don't care enough about it to have it.

That, and people as a whole tend to be idiots

Doesn't matter if people care enough to want it, good marketing makes them think they want it.

hence britney spears/boy bands.

That, and people as a whole tend to be idiots

+1 to that. I've never driven a quadrasteer Silverado, ut I had 4WS Prelude, as I mentioned, but before I got it, I drove a regular Prelude.

I wouldn't have had the one without 4WS after driving the one with.

GM shouldn't kick themselves to hard over this, though. I don't know of any other auto manufacturer who had a success with a 4WS vehicle.

I've had people in parking lots freak out about the wheels sawing back and forth like something's wrong.


Hehe... I had to get my Prelude towed one time, and i steered it as the wrecker driver pulled it up on his flatbed.

He was all like, "Oh shit! Yer rear end's all fucked up! Your back wheels are going all over the place!"

I think the other reason the Quadrasteer failed was because it was really heavy. I test drove a 2003 Quadrasteer and a standard Silvy. You could really tell differance in wieght and the power loss because of it. Those 4WS added about an extra 500lbs at least.
I really liked the concept of the 4WS, but they need to lighten it up a bit.. not too mention the $5000 dollar extra cost for it.

You can definitely feel the weight a little. Doesn't bother me. Easy trade in my mind for what the 4WS gives. And I think the cost came down a bit at the end (probably after they already killed it though). I think without driving it, or even better - getting one used like I did, I would have had a hard time spending another 5 grand originally, but if they brought it back, I would still pay that on a new truck (if I ever got one). If they don't ever bring it back, like I said, I'll drive this one until it falls apart around me.

Blender - good point, nobody ever keeps 4WS around for long when they introduce it. Too bad really.

lamehonda - GREAT example. I was trying to think of one to truly convey my point about marketing, and you nailed it. :p

We own an '03 Suburban with Quadrasteer and my father-in-law owns one, too.

We both had to go round and round with different dealerships about even buying one back in 2002 and 2003. Seems that the general managers at the dealerships (we spoke with more than a dozen in Texas) did not want to inventory them. They were concerned that they wouldn't sell like the Z-71s and they wouldn't make as much.

Too bad... anyone who has ever driven one for a few spins has to have one. The rebate pricing on the option allowed us to pay about $2,000 for the options needed to make it happen. Each sales manager asked why we'd want to pay $5,000+ for the option and wait for the truck to arrive, when we can get one of those beauties over there (pointing to a Z-71 on the lot).

We're extremely happy, but concerned about what to do whenever it's time to put it out to pasture. The 36.2' turning radius is dreamy and the trailering ease and manueverability is FUN.