Newbe 2008 E250 Quigley

flyr6105 · 02-22-2018, 07:58 AM

Hi Folks,
About two months ago, I purchased a 2008 E250 that was modified to 4-wheel drive by Quigley. I plan on converting it to a beach surf fishing “mobile motel”, so there won’t be any rock climbing. I need the 4-wheel drive for the often soft sand on beaches along the North Carolina outer banks. So far, I have stripped everything out of the van except the two seats which will be out once I receive my Torx PLUS T55. Thank you forum posters for alerting me to the Torx PLUS version of those tools. Looks like I’ll be returning the non-Plus set back to Harbor Freight soon. I drove it back from the Indianapolis area and almost bought the farm on the way. No death wobble, but unnerving sway at highway speeds. Yes, once I tore everything out, it is an official rust bucket. Many of your posts have made me feel a lot more confident about what needs to be done. I am thinking about starting a project post to submit photos and solicit suggestions as the project progresses. I don’t know if there is an area in the forum for this since I am so new to the forum. So, thanks in advance to those of you who have tackled similar projects and would like to comment as I progress. Photos coming soon.

86Scotty · 02-22-2018, 08:09 AM

Welcome. Post some pics! Read a lot here and you'll get plenty of ideas.

You should post in the 'Homemade/Ground-up builds section'.

marret · 02-22-2018, 08:15 AM

Welcome. Sounds like you are on the right track.

shenrie · 02-22-2018, 08:22 AM

congrats on purchase. i bought my 03 e350 in Georgia site unseen and had the same sway at high speeds. to remedy that look into the RIP kit from agile offroad. made a world of difference on my van. replacing all the worn parts in front (tie rods, swaybar bushings, etc) helped a bunch too. Also look into the sway bar spacer to align your front swaybar as well. all those little things add up to a scary ride when worn out. i also added a rear swaybar from a random f450 flatbed pickup looking utility rig from a local pick and pull. i can now cruise at 80+ with only one hand on the wheel comfortably. i think i could also benefit from a new steering box, just haven't been able to afford the redhead box that comes so highly recommended.

flyr6105 · 02-22-2018, 08:42 AM

Thanks. I'll be sure to post pictures and I'll start posting in the Homemade/Ground Up section.

flyr6105 · 02-22-2018, 08:46 AM

Yep. I'll be replacing a bunch of stuff. I have been reading about Fox shocks vs. Blisten.

shenrie · 02-22-2018, 11:17 AM

provide agile the weight of your rig for each axle and they will do custom valving specifically for your van (he has 3-4 options on hand). no other companies are going to do that especially for what they offer their setups for.

john, the main guy there used to work at fox shocks. before he worked at agile he worked with the former owner of agile to dial in some special valved shocks specifically for the quigleys after riding in a Quigley and seeing first hand how bad it was. he realized there was a serious need so they got the shocks dialed in. he definitely knows his business when getting your particular van setup. imho, there really is no better options so specifically tailored for the quigleys.

plenty to read here about them and peoples thoughts about what agile offers. i still haven't seen any negative feedback other than how busy they are.

flyr6105 · 02-22-2018, 12:18 PM

I just went to his web site. Glad you mentioned agile. I had heard of him in previous posts, but lost the trail. Does that mean I should do my build out and weigh each axle for proper valving? I was hoping to R&R the shocks and front end bushings, bearings, etc. while it is on jack stands now. Also I have a bunch of rust neutralization to finish as well as some floor pan work in front of the cab seats. My rust looks like many of the photos I have seen on various posts. Repairable, but time consuming. I have learned that I want to avoid changing the mounts from the box to the chassis. Looks very time consuming and I hope that I can keep them from rusting further.

shenrie · 02-22-2018, 12:31 PM

I'm sure he can get you in the ballpark knowing what motor and axles are in it to get you going along with roughly how much stuff is going to be in back.

i was one of the first to get a rip kit 4-5 or so years ago. hes since come out with additional valving. last we talked regarding a bent rear shock rod he suggested sending him all four to make sure all were solid and advised that he had a few updated valve options. after a good conversation about my plans with the van, i decided to follow his opinion and revalve all 4 to the updated setup. definitely glad i did. was an even better upgrade then the prior setup.

also might make sure your rear springs are in ok shape. mine are pretty well beat and makes the rear of the van ride really bad. agile can help with that too. or you might have a spring shop local to you that's trustworthy. i plan on going that route to avoid shipping on those heavy ass things, lol.

flyr6105 · 02-23-2018, 07:56 AM

I sent agile info on my van and will take more of the specific photos they need this weekend. I am experimenting on picture file size. I email myself photos from my iphone so I can reduce the file size for better posting.