2015 Chevy Quigley with Duramax - Page 6

mgmetalworks · 06-08-2017, 04:26 PM

Is there just no room for the Allison trans in there or did they choose the 6L90 for cost reasons?

I'd love to see this van on a lift so I could get a better idea of what's going on with the Duramax vans.

WhitH · 06-08-2017, 04:30 PM

Great question. From what I understand its both. Room could be made but it would cost extra to modify the floor and doghouse area a bit. That along with the extra cost of the Allison adds up to more than what I think most users for the vans need in terms of capability compared to dollars they are willing to spend. Having said that, the Duramax was still a spendy add. The 6l90 is really smooth though and I'm happy with it. If I blow it up I'll need to call somebody. Are you doing Allison swaps for GM vans yet?....

WhitH · 06-08-2017, 04:39 PM

Oh yea, and I weighed it. 7700 lbs with no people, 3.5 rows of seats and 15 gallons of fuel.

mgmetalworks · 06-08-2017, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhitH

Great question. From what I understand its both. Room could be made but it would cost extra to modify the floor and doghouse area a bit. That along with the extra cost of the Allison adds up to more than what I think most users for the vans need in terms of capability compared to dollars they are willing to spend. Having said that, the Duramax was still a spendy add. The 6l90 is really smooth though and I'm happy with it. If I blow it up I'll need to call somebody. Are you doing Allison swaps for GM vans yet?....

I can do an Allison swap if you want one.

It's probably not worth it unless you're making hot rod. For a van, I'd tune for mileage and heat management, not big power. That's what I'm doing with my Cummins van. I could probably get up over 1200ft-lbs really easily with the setup I have but I'd be fine with half that amount of torque if it meant 20+mpgs, high teens at least.

WhitH · 06-08-2017, 04:58 PM

Yep I'm mostly kidding. I'd estimate I'm at a little over 300 hp and 600 lb ft. This tranny should be fine at those levels I'd think. I'm fine with it. Can I still say tranny when talking about automotive parts?

Oh and that reminds me, I did a freeway and 2 land trip the other day totaling around 150 miles at basically no elevation gain. Speeds were 55-75 and I averaged 17.5 mpg.

GAR · 06-08-2017, 06:01 PM

Just for info, had my van weighed with nothing inside (stripped cargo van, with two seats), and 1/4 tank of fuel. It weighed 5700 lbs. -Certified scale.

Gar

WhitH · 06-08-2017, 09:00 PM

Wow that's a big difference! I guess between the engine, extra battery, jank on my roof, seats, extra flooring insulation (I put got most of a horse stall mat under the carpet) etc. that's how I get there. Still seems like a lot.

TexomaPowerboater · 06-12-2017, 12:42 PM

Thanks for the report WhitH. Great info. Think I will adjust my torsion bars as well.

WhitH · 06-12-2017, 03:07 PM

Easy to do but be careful and not break the heads on the adjustment bolts. They can be potentially seized up. Jack it up to take the pressure off and then crank away and drop and check.

WhitH · 03-29-2018, 12:04 PM

Been awhile and a few mods since I've shared an update. I may have mentioned before but I did order a 2" block for the rear from Quigley that was an easy install. The van now sits really level with the torsion bars turned up a bit in the front. I also added custom Fox shocks from Agile. I had them on my E350 and was curious about how dramatic the change would be in this van as it already rode pretty well. Let me just say, it was again totally worth it. Just that much more buttoned down and smooth in every way.

I also had a custom front bumper made by a guy up the rode. Its super beefy and I was a bit concerned about how much it would impact the ride and handling but I really can't tell much of a difference. I'm happy with the result. The bumper is steel with a 2" reciever and 1.75" bar work.

The van also has a wrap...forgive the advertising, its not really my intention here. I do like how it turned out though and the extra protection is nice particularly for the hood.

Oh yea, new wheels to as the originals had too much negative offset so my sliding door wouldn't open all the way. These are American Racing Bajas with zero offset. They just barely stick out.