2015 3500 GMC Quigley

[aod99]

Hi,

I've been driving modified Powerstroke vans for the last fifteen year doing race trailer hauling and various other adventures.

Ford has lost their way with the vans so I am building up a black Quigley (not lifted) 4 X 4 GMC passenger Duramax on order. I expect I'll be doing a fair amount of power, interior electronics and suspension/running gear mods to it so I'll try to keep the board posted on developments if anyone is interested

It'll be used for the next fifteen or twenty years to pull a 10,000 enclosed trailer, cross snowy mountain passes while filled with skiers and gear, drag dirt bikes up rutted dirt road staging areas and maybe a couple of rock climbing trips thrown in there.

 

[ober27]

I'm interested. When do expect to take delivery? Welcome to the forum.

 

[aod99]

Here is the van after I received it. Compared to the Ford there are some things I like about it (brakes, A-A innercooler, under hood layout) and somethings I don't like as much (interior layout to some degree) but I think it is the best platform that is available as a new build.

I'm just about finished with the interior modifications. I use the van for too many purposes to customize the cargo/passenger space into a single usage so that is going to remain flexible for a big bed, lots of cargo or a mix of eight passengers and lots of gear.

Here is how the interior mods turned out:

Here is the current status:

-8" Android head unit installed

-Center mount back-up camera installed

-Subwoofer and amp installed

-Front windows tinted

-HID bulbs installed and headlight lowered to not blind people (both bulbs light up on high beam)

-Extra 12 v outlets added high on the dash

-New speakers installed

-Dual temperature heated elements added to lower backs of front seats.


-Trailer brake controller added

I also put on a alarm and remote starter. The remote start has a fifteen second delay for the glow plugs. My Powerstroke, in cold temps, liked about two minutes on the glow plugs but this one fires up eagerly with just a few seconds.

I think I have most things lined up for the performance and exterior upgrades so that is going to start next week.

 

[simple]

What kind of front suspension did Quigley set it up with?

 

[aod99]

It's got torsion bars. I don't really know too much about the various pros and cons of the various 4X4 systems. I only got the 4x4 for snow, dirt roads and slippery grass situations and not for serious off-road work.

Mainly I am trying to keep it as low as I can for better highway and towing performance with just enough height to be able to handle a foot of snow.

 

[onemanarmy]

is Chevy gonna continue to make the express vans with the onslaught of the Sprinter style vans? I believe Ford is cancelling the E series.

what tires are you gonna run?

 

[Regcabguy]

The owner of Aluminess has a Chevy 4wd van complete with their bumpers and roof rack, of course.

 

[aod99]

275/65R/18 Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain W Kevlar on American Eagle 18 X 8.5. They are supposed to have an OD of 32" and the word on the net is that 32 will fit with the stock body and no lift. I guess we'll find out. Quigley regeared the whole van shorter so as to have the rear diff match what they use in their front diff. The bigger wheels take the gearing back to what GMC shipped it with stock. The LGH motor in the vans is basically the same as the current PU mill but they turn it down using the ECU programming, opinions vary on their motivations for doing that but the 2015 ECU has already been hacked so it is possible to reprogram it and get a lot of that lost power and torque back.

I didn't want to get into the whole Powerstroke 6.0 thing and, of course, you can only buy those used at this point. I don't know how much longer the GMC will be available with the real frame and the heavy duty diesel engine and transmission so I figured, if I wanted something for the next fifteen or twenty years, I shouldn't wait too long to start the process. I ordered it in May, it arrived four months later, then it took about a month to pull together all the parts for the interior, now I'm pulling together parts and software and such for the performance and appearance modifications. This is definitely not the cheapest way to do this per se but I wanted to build something solid for the next 250,000 to 300,000 miles.

 

[mgmetalworks]

...The LGH motor in the vans is basically the same as the current PU mill but they turn it down using the ECU programming, opinions vary on their motivations for doing that but the 2015 ECU has already been hacked so it is possible to reprogram it and get a lot of that lost power and torque back....

The Duramax in the vans is de-tuned partly because it has the Hydra-Matic 6L90 (older GM vans had the 4L80E I think) and not the Allison 1000. Not sure what tuning is available for that combination but I'd do a little research on the trans before unleashing the Duramax.

 

[aod99]

I figure the worst case is having to spend money buying a beefed up transmission. I'd rather do that at some point than have to crawl up mountain passes.

It seems like you never know what you are getting with model year transmissions until five or ten years later when the mileage has been wracked up. My last 4AOD Ford transmission was supposed to be weak and puny but I've run up 215,000 miles with a 100hp chip, 4" exhaust and at 9,999 pound trailer. Probably then Ford realized they were over building the transmission and changed out a forged part for a sintered part or bought bearings the next step down on price and, with the same model transmission, but another year's batch, they all blew up when that part failed. I've heard stories of the manufactures changing cooler fitting sizes 1/16" and having massive failures.

I'll just gamble on "2015 is an over built year" for the 6L90 and see what happens. I'm not going to put 24,000 pounds behind it. I am suspicious that it would just be the transmission. I think it might be that they don't need it to make any more power than that in the van since they have no competition in the diesel/frame/van space.

That said, I might fine myself buying a built transmission by the end of next summer. :Wow1:

 

[ert01]

What headunit is that? I've been looking for a double din sized android unit to pair with a backup camera and there's so many on the market it's hard to find specific reviews that are worth anything...
Are you happy with it and does it work the way you envisioned it would?

Also, what sub/amp is that? It's a tidy little package.

 

[mgmetalworks]

I'd also guess that another reason they're moderately tuned is because of heat in the engine bay. Vans are a tight space after all.

The 6L90 appears to be a pretty beefy trans according to the specs. However, the Duramax can be a beast even with moderate tuning so it wouldn't take much to exceed the tran's torque rating. I'm guessing the van isn't a complete dog in stock form (260HP/525ft-lbs), especially if you're not towing anything???

Don't get me wrong...I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't be turnin' up the juice if I had a Duramax van. I'm just going through the thought process of what breaks when you flash a 900ft-lb tune and go mash on the throttle? My first guess would be you'd roast the torque converter or break some internals (if you had the traction). And come to think of it, is there a large enough market for the Duramax/6L90 combo that aftermarket companies are lining up to build high performance torque converters and billet internals? Parts availability would be something I'd consider.

 

[aod99]

Here is the head unit I bought from ebay seller elifestore8 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Android-4-2...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

I wanted one that used as much of the dash space as possible and the GMC fits an 8" compared to my ford that I think only fit 7".

My last one I was able to get root by coordinating with some kids on the XDA forums. I haven't succeeded in cracking this one....yet.

The subwoofer is a:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EOLX0WQ/ref=pe_385040_30332200_TE_item

It is really small and pretty powerful. The remote control for it is the device velcroed to the dash in the lower left.

 

[simple]

Nice rig, definitely an investment but sounds like you know exactly what you need based on previous experience. I was curious about the suspension since my 06 GMC AWD half ton Savana has torsion bar suspension as well and I really like the way it rides. I looked on the Quigley site and found more info. How do like the way your suspension rides?

 

[aod99]

So far the ride is pretty plush. My ford had stiffer springs front and rear so this feels more comfortable than that. Also, this has a bigger sway bar up front so maybe a little less roll?

I'm putting new shocks on it over the next couple weeks, a sway bar in the bar as well as air bags in the bag. I imagine that will move the needle away from comfort a bit.

I am trying to divide the cost over 20 years. It makes me feel better. My first van was a E150 with a 240 straight six. I bought it for $50 and rebuilt the bottom end lying underneath it in a parking lot.

I don't think I will ever be able to beat that one for pure economy.