Pedders partnering with GM Racing on Camaro suspension
 

Most of you already know that Riley Tech has been selected as the EXCLUSIVE builder of the Camaro for the Grand Am Challenge GS Camaro. What you don't know and I can now say that Pedders worked with GM on the development of this vehicle. The Grand Am Challenge Camaro will run the circuit using what Pedders considers to be daily driver bushes and bits. The OE Camaro will arrive with hydraulically damped radius rod bushes. The OE radius rod bush performs well on the street for most drivers. For the enthusiast driver a hydraulically damped radius rod bush is about as useful as the wrong size driving shoes. They are too compliant. GM asked Pedders to develop a radius rod bush that would withstand the demands of track use. You will be able to buy EP6560C Camaro Radius Rod Bushes, the same bushes we developed for the Grand Am Challenge. It is the same bush we will be using as a basic component of the Camaro suspension.

The Grand Am Challenge is a full on race car. It does not use street style dampers and there are other revisions to the suspension and drive-line. These cars will also be using Pedders eXtreme Castor Washers in addition to the full on hard mount strut bearing with Castor and Camber adjustment. In the rear suspension Pedders EP7267 Toe Link Bushes, 5422 Toe Link eXtreme Washers and EP7266 Rear Control Arm Bush. In testing at the Milford Proving Grounds GM determined that our Pedders Bits met or exceeded their engineering and driving expectations.

Pedders is a unique company. We do not make parts for race cars. We do make some street parts that just happen to perform incredibly well on the race track. Our warranty is also unique. Pedders does not have a racing exclusion. You can take your Pedderised street legal Camaro to the track, flog it. If a Pedders part fails within 24 months or 36,000 miles it is covered under warranty.

We were absolutely thrilled to be invited to work with GM on the development of the Grand Am Challenge GS Camaro. We consider it an honor to have been selected for such a special project. Working with http://www.rileytech.com/ is another honor. To be told that I own the "best handling G8 in the world" by some of the people who have worked on this project is yet another honor. Is there a better way to be introduced to the Camaro enthusiast community?

We invite all of you in the GTO, G8 and Camaro communities along with all the members of the PEDDERS NATION to take pride in the ZETA based Pedderised Chassis that will be racing in the Grand Am Challenge as a GS Camaro PEDDERISED!

For those who are interested, the Camaro platfrom will be almost identical to the G8 platform, with just a couple of exceptions and enhancements. But so far, the Camaro seems to be sitting up as high as a G8, and will have just a few pieces different. The non compliant "legacy" bushings are still there. The good thing is that Pedders is all ready for the Camaro.

mike
dms

This is great! I love finding out about more companies working to improve, publicize, and sell parts for the new Camaro.

:word: Will you have more information after Indy'?

Release of information has to come in stages. GM will control everything. Traditionally, our releases will come when GM announces stuff first.

There are still a few issues that we are working out, but should be resolved soon.

We currently have all the bushings for the Camaro. Besides the bushings and adjusters that GM uses of ours, the most critical bushings for performance driving are the 4 rear suspension cradle mount bushings. The OEM stuff is rather soft, and allows the rear end of the vehicle to move separately from the body. The great thing about these bushes is that the rubber in the bushing is not the issue; it is the huge amount of voids that allows the serious movement. So our fix is to install inserts top and bottom. Just doing this alone, will make a huge difference in handling. Also, it is a fairly easy job for the do it yourselfer!.

GM is expecting the Camaro to be extremely active in all kinds of racing. A lot of GM engineers have driven our G8 that has a full Pedders suspension system, including adjustable coil overs all around, all bushings replaced, front adjustability of caster, and multi adjustable sway bars front and rear. They are all blown away. Pedders is quite the buzz among this community. Lots of GM engineers roadtested the JusticePete G8 at the Woodward cruise weekend. and loved the experience. On the G8 forums, Pete has posted the engineers reactions.

Bushings are a big deal. All the domestic manufacturers have "legacy" ideas of bushings and what they should be. This basically means the dura (strength) of the bushes are quite weak. This is done out of concerns of reducing road noises, reduce sensitivity to vribrations, and noise. Now one of the reasons GM did not use all of our bushings, is that we make our bushings for severe racing, with built in controls for street driving also. So we are about 85% race,and 15% street. The Camaros mentioned above, will have delron bushings installed on all the links and control arms. But will have to be replaced after each race. Ours will last and last and last with no noise.

What other bushing for the rear? Especially for the drag racer, and also for the road racer and auto crossers, the 3 bushings that hold the differential to the rear cradle, is also very soft. It is alittle more of a challenge to remove and requires a special tool that we have made. GM also has a special tool for this. Our Pedders bushings are substantial and offer huge controls. There are some reports of wheel hop on some of the pumped up G8s. The rear cradle bushings and diff insert bushings should seriously help this. Then add a better controlling strut/spring combo, and now you have a big time killer ride.

For those who want to see what a ZETA platform upgrade looks like, check out this link. The system is called TRACKII by Pedders:

http://rides.webshots.com/album/565293362RwypFx

If you want more info on ZETA, and the development of ZETA and G8, check out this link

http://rides.webshots.com/album/561316983BMtYeV


thanks
mike
dms

Our Pedders Camaro development is coming right along. We are a the stage of almost doing a test fit. GM Racing has done it, but we have not done i with springs/struts and such. We have all the data on the coils and struts. We are hoping at delivery to be able to also have our 32 way adjustable coil overs ready at the Camaro launch.

We are also working on 2 unbelievable brake packages. Cannot discuss i yet. But if it works out, all of you will say wow to the first one, and quadruple wow to the second.

Last week, I had the opportunity to drive our Pedders G8 that has our Extreme Package on it, which is every bushing, multi adjustable sway bars, and adjustable coil overs, and also a Procharger. We are having custom wheels made and they are not in yet, along with a special brake package. Pete's G8, which is a ZETA platform just like the Camaro, handles unbelievably, plus with serious sporty comfort. Lets not forget the massive power increase with his Procharger, and custom tune.

So we are ready for Camaro and all who have interest in it. If you have any questions, just ask
thanks
mike
dms

to do a full bushing install on a g8 how long does it take and what tools do you need? is it somethign i could do at home? if i had the tools?

Requires a 15-20 ton hydraulic press, a universal balljoint press, something to lower the rear cradle, hand tools to 24mm. For the differential bushings, we supply a custom tool for this.

If you want to see the process on a trackII install on a Zeta plaform, spend some time at my webshots site at:

http://rides.webshots.com/album/565293362RwypFx

If you have any questions, just ask

mike
dms