Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums - Camaro5.com - BMR Suspension and Megan Racing Install and Review

I installed the following BMR and Megan Racing components:
Pro Version Rear Cradle Bushing Kit
Toe Rods
Trailing Arms
Front and Rear Sway Bars
Front and Rear End Links
Megan Front Struts
Megan Rear Shocks

The Install was quite involved but not difficult. The entire rear cradle must be dropped out of the car. Removing the stock bushings from the cradle was the most difficult part of the job. Once those were out the BMR Bushings push in by hand or a rubber mallet and a little lube real easy. The Toe rods are a piece of cake with the cradle out, and the Trailing Arms once the stock bushing is pressed out are cake too. The stock differential bushings came out so easy with a rented puller and the BMR Bushings again slid in easily. The upper control arm stock bushings were a bit of a challange and again the BMR stuff went in effortlessly. The front and rear sway bars are very elementary, and for the front loosen the nuts for the engine mounts to the end of the thread jack up the engine and out with old in with the new. The rear sway bar was easy with cradle out. The end links fit up nice and use blue locktite and torque up all the fastners.

In addition I installed Megan Racing Racing coilovers at the corners. These were also effortless to install. I changed the front ride ride height from 26 3/4" (68.3cm)to 25" (63.3cm) in the front and the rear from 27" (68.5cm) to 25 5/8" (65cm). This took some time and numerous readustment to get everything even. I have it to 1cm all around. Setting the ride height to where I wanted was the most difficult part of this upgrade. Not because of the shocks they adjust effortlessly it was measuring, pulling wheels, going for a ride and repeating the process. This took almost 5 hours, I can now pull wheels like a nascar pit stop! Also the car being low I had to pull it up on 2x8 to get the jack under it.

These shocks are amazing. They adjust from the top on the front and back. I drilled holes in the trunk pan for the adjustment knob to poke through, and front adjustment is as easy as opening the hood. The rear shocks also come with poly bushings. I started where Megan suggested for street use and dialed them up and down until I found the sweet spot and are they sweet! Also they are about 6 pounds lighter up front and 3 lighter in the rear.

Now for the handling aspect. After an alignment to custom specs, I have put about 500 miles on before I wrote this so I could get to know the car again literally! The car now gives you very solid feedback. You know exactly what it is doing. This car is now amazing and it actually feels lighter, that boat feeling is gone. Body roll is almost non existant and the understeer is gone. The car actually goes where you point it so be careful for the first 100 miles or so. It is not tail happy by any means but it now performs and tracks like its on rails. In curves where I used to slow down I now carry more speed and accelerate through without correction. As far as strait line launch, the wheel hop and rear end step out is also a memory. Hard shifts feel totally different and no steering correction is needed, you can almost take your hand off the wheel.

Overall I would not change a thing yet. The ride is firm yet not uncomfortable and being able to easily change dampening on the shocks rocks. Lay into the car hard and it responds effortlessly. Talk about fun to drive its totally different! I believe the weak link here is now the tires and unsprung wieght. This is a great bang for the buck and worth all the effort in my opinion. Now I'm ready for some track time let you know how that goes.
I will post up pix tomorrow.