Boulder Off Road GM Van 4x4 Conversion

[freewayross]

Looking for feedback on SFA conversion on 2003+ Express/ Savana vans by Boulder Off Road. Wanting to pull the trigger on the conversion, but haven't seen any posting here or else where on the internet. Any current owners or previous owners want to share their experience?

 

[Len.Barron]

I don't have any experience with Boulder, but, I did my own SFA on a Duramax Express (build thread link in my signature). It's a lot of work and to get decent travel with the SFA you will have to go with more lift than if you go IFS. If you want lifted/large tires it's a good way to go. If you are trying to stay as low as possible it's not what you want.
There is a fair amount of extra work involved just because of the duramax, moving fuel system components to allow for the transfer case / front driveshaft and a considerable rework of the drivers side motor mount and removal of the crossmember that connects the motor mounts.

 

[whith]

I’d suggest giving serious consideration to what your goals are. If you just want 4x4 with good off-road capability and the best on road performance then an ifs is the way to go. Weldtec is doing two different versions. My Quigley has a torsion bar GM truck set up and the ride is so much better than the SFA I had in my Ford E350 it’s a joke.

 

[b. rock]

What kind of set up was your ford @whith? I've heard there's a pretty wide range in how the different font solid axle set ups ride/perform.

 

[whith]

I had a Quigley conversion with Agile Offroad RIP kit. New front coil springs, custom Fox shocks, drop bracket for the sway bar. Rode way better after I did that and better than most other 4x4 vans I’ve ridden in but still nothing like the IFS in my Chevy.

 

[b. rock]

That's helpful - so a 4 link. I do wonder if the newer 4 link folks on the scene, colorado camper van and timberline, ride significantly different from a quigley 4 link, and how much different the radius arm setup from MG rides in comparison to those.

I've been to BOR and poked around their vans. They're definitely big burly beasts and the owner is pretty excited/passionate about them. I recall them using a radius arm setup but would have to go back through my pics to verify.

OP - you may want to pose the question in a fb group called '4x4 & 2wd off road vans'. There was an irate BOR customer on there that was pretty ticked about how they handled traction control, but don't recall the exact specifics.

 

[Len.Barron]

Getting the spring rate and shocks right in the front is the biggest hurdle in an SFA van conversion, the weight distribution is so different from the trucks that not much of what works on them translates directly to vans. I ended up using a Dodge Ram Super Lift spring (because it had a soft rate) and then just cut coils off it to get the height I wanted.. for shocks I used Dodge Dakota rear shocks for the front of my van...you just have to experiment to get what you want.