'14 AGM 1SS/1LE Track build [COTW 11/17/14]

[X25]

EDIT: Changed my decision later; selling the Forgestars.

Decided to put the Forgestar wheels on with the Hankook tires. They do require tuner-style low diameter lug nuts, though. After some research, found out that the Gorilla lug nuts are the best choice. They are also relatively affordable at $60 shipped.

Gorilla Automotive 26143BC
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/go...NOnhoCzUTw_wcB

[stand-al0ne]

Congrats on COTW!

Nice to see other Camaro owners rolling on APEX wheels!

[X25]

Update!

After a very long, time consuming brainstorming, and boring my friends to death, I decided to order the OEM Z/28 wheels, and just placed the order today! I also purchased the fender flares, and I'll see if I can use them without the rocker panel or the Z/28 front-splitter (which I am not interested in).

Well, this means I am now proud owner of 3 sets of wheels! It might take a while in winter time, but hopefully I should get rid of one of the wheel sets by spring time.

[X25]

Legend: Planned | Procured | Installed

• Engine / Powertrain
  • TSP 304 LT Headers with custom 3" X Pipe (TSP's own x-pipe did not fit perfect).
  • Improved Racing oil pan baffle.
  • DEI coil boots.
  • 2000 degrees F matte-gray header coating.
  • Diablosport Intune w/ custom tune from FSP - $489 shipped.
    
  • DeWitts radiator - $575 shipped.
  • Improved Racing oil cooler with Setrab Series 1 / 72 rows.
  • Improved Racing oil sensor manifold (ENV-150).
  • BMR MM004 motor mounts - $259 shipped.
    
• Interior
  • Schroth Racing RallyE 3 ASM - $179.95.
  • Auto Meter 5286 Direct-fit Gauge Pod.
  • Auto Meter 6348 Oil Temp Gauge.
  • Auto Meter 6327 Oil Pressure Gauge.
  • Auto Meter 9114 Dimmer For LED Gauges.
• Handling
  • Z/28 suspension package . $3449 shipped.
    
    • Front/Rear DSSV struts,
    • Front/Rear sway bars with end links ,
    • Front control arms,
    • Rear upper and lower arms.
  • BMR BK024 Cradle Bushings,
  • BMR BK018 Front Lower Control Arm Bushings.
  • Tires
    • Hankook Ventus R-S3 305/30/19 for daily driving.
    • Pirelli Trofeo R, Hoosier R7, or similar 305/30/19 for track duty.
  • Wheels
    • APEX ARC-8 19"x10.5" +22 spin forged wheels for daily driving / rain.
    • Forgestar CF5V 19"x11" (+17, +40 offsets) spin forged for track duty.
    • Z/28 Wheels 19"x11" +11 fronts, 19"x11.5" +26 rears.
• Brakes
  • Quantum - Competition Brake Cooling Kit - $239.95.
    • Naca ducts: $20.
  • StopTech ST60 Front BBK 15” red (83.193.6800.71).
  • Stock rear rotor (92245929) - $85.31 shipped x2.
  • Pads
    • Raybestos ST43 R2600.18 Front pads for StopTech ST60 caliper.
    • Cobalt Friction XR2 Rear (CRB-XR2-D592-15.0MM-R).
• Fluids
  • Engine oil: Mobil1 0W-40.
  • Differential oil: Amsoil 75W-110 (no additive required).
  • Transmission oil: Amsoil Signature Series Multi-Vehicle Synthetic ATF.
  • Brake fluid: Motul RBF 600.
  • Coolant: GM DexCool @50%.
  • Suspension grease: Amsoil Synthetic Polymeric Truck, Chassis and Equipment Grease, NLGI #2.
• Other
  • Blown smart-fuse for skip-shift - $1.
  • HSA elimination - $80 shipped.
  • Gorilla Automotive Lug Nuts (26143BC).
  • Z/28 fender flares.
  • Z/28 belly pan.

[MonsterV6]

Sweet build man! Where are you getting your dyno done?

[X25]

Originally Posted by MonsterV6

Sweet build man! Where are you getting your dyno done?

Drift-Office in Auburn, WA. $90 for the first time, $60 for the follow-up visits. Each session is 3 pulls.

[hammdo]

Congrats on COTW!

Love what you've done. Saw what you're doing on the brake ducts -- awesome.

As a possible alternative:

I'm using the ZL1 version. If you get the lower radiator shroud, it has the blocks removed.

Here is some info (from my build thread) on the ZL1 ducts I'm using for my bumper conversion with part numbers and prices:

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showpo...4&postcount=18

Again, congrats on COTW and love reading what you've done. I found the pan removal option super -- I did get CFD's parts just in case, but really like how you did it. Thanks for sharing!

-Don

[X25]

Originally Posted by hammdo

Congrats on COTW!

Love what you've done. Saw what you're doing on the brake ducts -- awesome.

As a possible alternative:

I'm using the ZL1 version. If you get the lower radiator shroud, it has the blocks removed.

Here is some info (from my build thread) on the ZL1 ducts I'm using for my bumper conversion with part numbers and prices:

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showpo...4&postcount=18

Again, congrats on COTW and love reading what you've done. I found the pan removal option super -- I did get CFD's parts just in case, but really like how you did it. Thanks for sharing!

-Don

Following along the subframe by the engine side for brake ducting, only to cross directly to the spindle worked excellent. It has no interference with mcuh of suspension and wheels, so it doesn't even matter what kind of wheels you use with your set-up. There is no rub at any position, including lock to lock, so you don't need to worry about it during the parking maneuvers, either; perfect!

Neither the ducting, not the engine lifting were my ideas, thanks to the collective knowledge on the forum, but I am glad you find the condensed information useful

[olblue75]

Have you done the Belly Pan install yet really interested in this part for my SS, I've read post that say factory belly pan wont fit a 10 or non-ZL1 so I was thinking about fabricating my own. Whats you thought on this???

[X25]

Originally Posted by olblue75

Have you done the Belly Pan install yet really interested in this part for my SS, I've read post that say factory belly pan wont fit a 10 or non-ZL1 so I was thinking about fabricating my own. Whats you thought on this???

I really don't know how the bottom of the car looks in older model years, but there are already more than enough bolt holes on my front subframe, so fabricating it would also be very easy. I really would hate to drill and tap subframe myself. The belly pan is in mail, and I should receive it next week.

In other news, I've received my Trofeo Rs, but couldn't see it yet since I'm in CA on a business trip at the moment.

It's still not clear if I'm getting the Z/28 wheels and fender flares. They seem to be still restricted. Regardless, I'm not in a hurry anymore, so I can wait for the restriction to be lifted.

[X25]

Track wheel setup
After a long wait, my OEM Z/28 wheels are finally shipped! I also received the belly pan, OEM fender flares, and Trofeo Rs, so I am pretty much complete!

Trofeo Rs 305/30/19


One of the fender flares:


Clutch
After reading through some of the forum members' adventures with the clutch pedal, I've decided to install Tick remote bleeder as well. It will be hard, but I'll be following this guide:
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=337717

Miatas already come with a proper bleeder for clutch, and I was shocked to see how much air it had! Seeing even a light car like Miata generating so much air sealed the deal to get a remote bleeder. Clutch fluid is probably the weakest link in the driveline right now..

[X25]

Z/28 Track Prep Doc:

Track alignment and pressures per the doc

3. ADJUST THE FOUR CORNERS

TIRE AND WHEEL ALIGNMENT (OWNER’S MANUAL: 9-10)

The summer-only tires on Camaro Z/28 require inflation and pressure adjustment when driving at high speeds on a track

(where legal).

• Limit the vehicle load to the driver only with no other cargo and inflate the tires to at least 26 psi (180 kPa)

Camaro Z/28 wheel alignment settings can be set as follows for increased handling and performance:

FRONT

• Remove the spring spacers from the front suspension and

place them in the glove box. If the car is to be on a trailer for

any reason, the spacers need to be placed back in the front

springs to obtain ground clearance

• Caster: 5.9 +/- 0.50 degrees

• Camber: -1.5 +/- 0.50 degrees

• Total or Sum Toe: 0.1 +/- 0.20 degrees

REAR

• Camber: -1 +/- 0.50 degrees

• Total or Sum Toe: 0.1 +/- 0.20 degrees

• Thrust Angle: 0 +/- 0.20 degrees

Alignment:
The most aggressive track alignment within these specs (range) would be with -2 front camber, and -1.5 rear camber.
I like having my cars set-up with 0 toe, which is covered by these recommendations, so that's what I went with.
In the end, I was able to easily do ~-2.1 at the fronts, but LR could not exceed -1.3 camber. I left it at -1.3 at LR and -1.5 at RR.

Track pressures:

• I've been researching about this quite a bit lately. Pirelli recommends 2 bar (29 PSI) hot, but this is pretty hard to get to with 26 PSI minimum requirement given by GM.
• I also read through many Rennlist forum posts, and it looks like they had failures with the tire at 29 PSI hot, and when they asked Pirelli, their engineer said they don't recommend 2 bar anymore, and that they should shoot for higher.
• My conclusion:
  • I will try 26 PSI cold at the track, and will monitor the health of tires throughout my track day during the first events of the season.
  • I want to stay within 35 PSI hot on both fronts and rears.
  • I am worried that the -2 front camber and ~1.5 rears will not be enough for the tire, causing premature wear. If it does, I will invest in those too heavy rear adjustable lower control arms, and perhaps even camber plates.

AFTER THE TRACK per the doc

• Return the tire pressure settings to factory (see the Tire and Loading Information label located below the door latch with the door open)
• Return the wheel alignment settings to factory
• Replace oil
• Replace brake fluid
• Replace rear axle fluid
• Replace the coolant/water mix to factory setting and replace the water deflector on the engine side of the hood scoop (if removed)

I think this list is pretty much ridiculous.

• They want Z/28 owners to use 15W-50 Mobil1 oil for track duty, yet they want the user to also change back to regular oil right after the event. I see this as the consequence of the cost called also known as using inadequate radiator/oil cooler and putting the load on the oil.
• The only thing that I think I would do in this list is reverting back to street tire temps and installing the rain shield of the scoop. The rest should not go beyond an inspection, though bleeding brakes would be nice.
• I am confused about the axle fluid recommendation. GM boasts their Z/28 diff cooler, which they claim cool it down by as much as 100 degrees F. If so, why would you ask to get the axle fluid replaced so quickly. FYI, C6 Corvette had 24 hours track duty as the listed frequency for rear diff fluid. 24 hours might take more than a handful of track days.

[X25]

I was planning to show the fender flares to my friend at a collision shop, who's the son-in-law of the owner, so I unpacked the flares. I think there's been a huge mix-up. According to the attached invoice, all the part numbers were replaced with new ones. I think they were replaced with wrong numbers:

Fender flare fiasco: two of them are identical (they are specific to every corner), one of them is in different color, the other one has that huge plastic apparatus that others don't have. Great.

Down-left, and down-right are identical(!)


Top-left is in gray!


Well it will be good when this fiasco is sorted out:

[X25]

I finally installed the belly pan today. It was less bolt-on than I expected: I had to trim the plastic edge of the splitter, not to mention the air dam, which now only spans through the tires.

Part numbers:

1. Belly pan: 23459995
2. Bolts: 11610055 (x14)
3. Bolt retainer clips: 11570215 (x11)

I chose to go with Z/28 belly pan, so I can easily change oil without having to remove anything. Yes, I'm lazy.


These retainer clips hold belly pan tightly in place. You need 11 of these retainers, and 14 bolts. The belly pan already comes with 3 special retainers at its front edge for those 3 additional bolts.


Pretty smooth once finished:


Finished: