Justice Petes' Build Lounge

[JusticePete]

Suspension Bushes

Some OEM bushes should be left alone.

If you want to look for virtual perfection in the ZETA II chassis check out the OEM composite sway bar bushes. They are made of rubber, fiber reinforced plastic and steel. If you stay with stock sway bars, there is absolutely no need to change the OEM sway bar bushes. The same is true for the inner front control arm bushes. Both perform well and do not require upgrades or replacements.The Front Lower Inner Control Arm Bush is one of them. There have been a number of threads and posts suggesting that the front LCA bush was a problematic bush, too weak for any type of performance driving and in dire need of replacement. Reading the posts motivated me to walk into the shop and cut a 5th Gen LCA bush in half to graphically tell a story of control and stability. Take a close look.




GM used a shaped ferule to increase bush stability. The ferule operates in a thin layer of rubber encased in a steel jacket. The bush rubber is bonded to both the ferule and the jacket making it exceptionally strong. This is an excellent bush design as it provides superior control and stability. When Pedders performs our evaluation of a chassis we look for the things that the OEM has done well and for things that can be improved on. The front LCA bush is good to go straight from Chevrolet.

The same is not true in the rear suspension. The upper rear control arm bushes are relatively soft and highly compliant. We feel strongly they should be replaced with Pedders EP7322 Urethane Upper Rear Control Arm Bushes. These higher durometer bushes control the loads generated by an enthusiast behind the wheel of a 5th Gen. With the upper rear control arms and sub-frame Pedderised, we move to the Toe Link, Trailing Arm and Knuckle Bushes. All of these will benefit from Pedders EP7323 upgrades for most Camaro enthusiasts. For those that demand ultimate performance, we deliver it with the EP7265Z. This steel jacketed bush should be used in the knuckle and at the end of the rear trailing arms. You'll see the screw driver shaft bend with no movement in the bush.



This is how Pedders delivers track like handling with OEM like ride. We take a little compliance out here and a little there. No one part is doing all the work. The Camaro Lower Inner Rear OE bush is a sturdy part. What we don't like about it is the amount of spring rate it adds to the suspension. When twisted up on down, it spring back to the at rest or timed position. We prefer to let our springs and dampers do the work. We use a RLCA Steel Jacketed Urethane Bush EP7264A with a free spinning ferule. Removing the OE bush from the RLCA isn't hard if you know how to do it. This short video shows you how Pedders style.



Both the upper and lower outer control arm and the upper inner control arms attach ta sealed mono-ball bush. Another excellent part from Chevrolet that works.



The same level of stability can be found by installing the EP7265Z in the Toe Links. Contrary to the chatter on the internet we find the OEM Toe Link arm to be durable. Do they bend or break? The answer is yes they do. What is the underlying cause? Undesirable motion in the rear suspension. Some of this is directly related to the level of compliance in the OE bushes. That is addressed with Pedders throughout the rear suspension. Next on the list is loose bolts. Not falling out loose bolts. Bolts that are just loose enough to allow the factory eccentrics to drift. When this occurs the arm geometry is throw off and causes a bind. That is where the bend and eventual break starts. Pedders bushes and mechanic tight bolts will deliver stable operation and long term durability.

The last element is the differential. The ZETA II differential is mounted with three steel jacketed rubber NVH voided bushes. The Camaro has a long history on the track. It covers Camaro Differential Bushes Kit both strip and road course. While the overall setups for these types of cars are different in many ways, a stable differential that efficiently delivers power is common to both. Pedders addresses this need with a set of three high durometer urethane bushes in our EP1167kit. The EP1167 works extremely well up to 450 RWHP. You'll experience crisper launches and stronger shifts with the EP1167 installed. For those who like Pedders choose to build their Camaro well past 450 RWHP our EP1167HD is the solution. The HD version does not have the voids found in our Sports Ryder version. The durometer is higher, for the loads delivered by higher output engines. There is a difference in cabin noise level with the EP1167HD. This is directly related to the elimination of voids and the increase in material hardness. It is a trade-off for ultimate performance with Delrin like performance, but with Pedders durability. Even if you run OEM spec power, but you hit the track HARD, you'll find the differential bush upgrade allows you to have a finer edge of control in the application of the loud pedal.



The OEM Camaro cruises well and after hours of driving you feel fresh and ready for more. However, going back to our G8, the Camaro suffered by comparison. This is not a comparison to a stock G8, but to our Pedderised G8. While the comparison is not fair, it is what we demand of our vehicles and what we are accustomed to -- precision in our daily driving experience with almost OEM comfort. The Pedders USA, LLC G8 rides well and handles as well – we struggle to find an appropriate description as it is so good -- yet our G8 is still street friendly and comfortable. Pedders does not build race car suspensions. We build suspensions for the enthusiast driver that would like their Camaro to handle like a race car AND ride like the OEM suspension. Anyone can build a rock hard suspension that handles well on the track. The trick is to come close to a track prepared vehicle in handling with an almost OEM ride quality. Delivering that driving experience is Pedders specialty.

GM’s ZETA chassis is so good stock and so GREAT Pedderised it blew by a BMW M5 at the New Jersey Motorsports Park. The professional drivers said there was no comparison because the Pedders G8 was so superior to the BMW M5. A stock Camaro doesn't feel that way. A Pedderised Camaro can and the www.PeddersUSA.com Camaro does. The Lingenfelter L/28 feels the same way. Bruce Raymond's www.RaymondsPerformance.com does. Your's will too. This is undercar video of the L/28 running hot laps at Putnam Park. The straight speeds are 150 MPH.



These were not specially prepared track vehicles, they were daily drivers. The Pedders USA G8 was driven with the family from Michigan to New Jersey and driven back again. They perform like race cars, but are as civil as OEM. Any company can make a rock hard track suspension. Pedders delivers track ready handling while retaining most of the comfort you expect in a luxury performance automobile. Look at what you can do with a Pedderised 5th Gen Camaro.



Suspension starts with a sound foundation. The foundation for any vehicle is the bushes. If the bushes are not spot on, then adding coils, improved dampers or bars will never get it right. They all become like lipstick on a pig. It looks or fells a little better but it is what it is. We have already addressed two crucial weaknesses in the ZETA II Camaro chassis -- sub-frame and radius rod bushes.

If you want to look for virtual perfection in the ZETA II chassis check out the OEM composite sway bar bushes. They are made of rubber, fiber reinforced plastic and steel. If you stay with stock sway bars, there is absolutely no need to change the OEM sway bar bushes. The same is true for the inner front control arm bushes. Both perform well and do not require upgrades or replacements.



The same is not true in the rear suspension. The upper rear control arm bushes are relatively soft and highly compliant. We feel strongly they should be replaced with Pedders EP7322 Urethane Upper Rear Control Arm Bushes. These higher durometer bushes control the loads generated by an enthusiast behind the wheel of a 5th Gen. With the upper rear control arms and sub-frame Pedderised, we move to the Toe Link, Trailing Arm and Knuckle Bushes. All of these will benefit from Pedders EP7323 upgrades. This is how Pedders delivers track like handling with OEM like ride. We take a little compliance out here and a little there. No one part is doing all the work. A lot of incremental upgrades deliver a driving experience that is far greater than the sum of the individual parts. The only control arm weakness left to address is the inner rear control arm OEM bush. We upgrade that to a Pedders EP7264 Steel Jacketed Urethane Bush. The rear suspension is almost fully Pedderised at the foundational level.

The last element is the differential. The ZETA II differential is mounted with three steel jacketed rubber NVH voided bushes. The Camaro has a long history on the track. It covers both strip and road course. While the overall setups for these types of cars are different in many ways, a stable differential that efficiently delivers power is common to both. Pedders addresses this need with a set of three high durometer urethane bushes in our EP1167 kit. The EP1167 works extremely well up to 450 RWHP. You'll experience crisper launches and stronger shifts with the EP1167 installed. For those who like Pedders choose to build their Camaro well past 450 RWHP our EP1167HD is the solution.



The HD version does not have the voids found in our Sports Ryder version. The durometer is higher, for the loads delivered by higher output engines. There is a difference in cabin noise level with the EP1167HD. This is directly related to the elimination of voids and the increase in material hardness. It is a trade-off for ultimate performance with Delrin like performance, but with Pedders durability. Even if you run OEM spec power, but you hit the track HARD, you'll find the differential bush upgrade allows you to have a finer edge of control in the application of the loud pedal.

This video segment from WCC has a good video summary of the essential 5th Gen suspension modifications with some good TV on the front and back ends.

[B]

The OEM Camaro cruises well and after hours of driving you feel fresh and ready for more. However, going back to our G8, the Camaro suffered by comparison. This is not a comparison to a stock G8, but to our Pedderised G8. While the comparison is not fair, it is what we demand of our vehicles and what we are accustomed to -- precision in our daily driving experience with almost OEM comfort. The Pedders USA, LLC G8 rides well and handles as well – we struggle to find an appropriate description as it is so good -- yet our G8 is still street friendly and comfortable. Pedders does not build race car suspensions. We build suspensions for the enthusiast driver that would like their Camaro to handle like a race car AND ride like the OEM suspension. Anyone can build a rock hard suspension that handles well on the track. The trick is to come close to a track prepared vehicle in handling with an almost OEM ride quality. Delivering that driving experience is Pedders specialty.

GM’s ZETA chassis is so good stock and so GREAT Pedderised it blew by a BMW M5 at the New Jersey Motorsports Park. The professional drivers said there was no comparison because the Pedders G8 was so superior to the BMW M5. A stock Camaro doesn't feel that way. A Pedderised Camaro can and the www.PeddersUSA.com Camaro does. The Lingenfelter L/28 feels the same way. Bruce Raymond's www.RaymondsPerformance.com does. Your's will too. This is undercar video of the L/28 running hot laps at Putnam Park. The straight speeds are 150 MPH.



These were not specially prepared track vehicles, they were daily drivers. The Pedders USA G8 was driven with the family from Michigan to New Jersey and driven back again. They perform like race cars, but are as civil as OEM. Any company can make a rock hard track suspension. Pedders delivers track ready handling while retaining most of the comfort you expect in a luxury performance automobile. Look at what you can do with a Pedderised 5th Gen Camaro.



Suspension starts with a sound foundation. The foundation for any vehicle is the bushes. If the bushes are not spot on, then adding coils, improved dampers or bars will never get it right. They all become like lipstick on a pig. It looks or fells a little better but it is what it is. We have already addressed two crucial weaknesses in the ZETA II Camaro chassis -- sub-frame and radius rod bushes.

If you want to look for virtual perfection in the ZETA II chassis check out the OEM composite sway bar bushes. They are made of rubber, fiber reinforced plastic and steel. If you stay with stock sway bars, there is absolutely no need to change the OEM sway bar bushes. The same is true for the inner front control arm bushes. Both perform well and do not require upgrades or replacements.



The same is not true in the rear suspension. The upper rear control arm bushes are relatively soft and highly compliant. We feel strongly they should be replaced with Pedders EP7322 Urethane Upper Rear Control Arm Bushes. These higher durometer bushes control the loads generated by an enthusiast behind the wheel of a 5th Gen. With the upper rear control arms and sub-frame Pedderised, we move to the Toe Link, Trailing Arm and Knuckle Bushes. All of these will benefit from Pedders EP7323 upgrades. This is how Pedders delivers track like handling with OEM like ride. We take a little compliance out here and a little there. No one part is doing all the work. A lot of incremental upgrades deliver a driving experience that is far greater than the sum of the individual parts. The only control arm weakness left to address is the inner rear control arm OEM bush. We upgrade that to a Pedders EP7264 Steel Jacketed Urethane Bush. The rear suspension is almost fully Pedderised at the foundational level.

The last element is the differential. The ZETA II differential is mounted with three steel jacketed rubber NVH voided bushes. The Camaro has a long history on the track. It covers both strip and road course. While the overall setups for these types of cars are different in many ways, a stable differential that efficiently delivers power is common to both. Pedders addresses this need with a set of three high durometer urethane bushes in our EP1167 kit. The EP1167 works extremely well up to 450 RWHP. You'll experience crisper launches and stronger shifts with the EP1167 installed. For those who like Pedders choose to build their Camaro well past 450 RWHP our EP1167HD is the solution.



The HD version does not have the voids found in our Sports Ryder version. The durometer is higher, for the loads delivered by higher output engines. There is a difference in cabin noise level with the EP1167HD. This is directly related to the elimination of voids and the increase in material hardness. It is a trade-off for ultimate performance with Delrin like performance, but with Pedders durability. Even if you run OEM spec power, but you hit the track HARD, you'll find the differential bush upgrade allows you to have a finer edge of control in the application of the loud pedal.

This video segment from WCC has a good video summary of the essential 5th Gen suspension modifications with some good TV on the front and back ends.

[JusticePete]

ZL1 / CTS-V Brake Upgrade for the SS

As we increase the operational range of our Camaro other items become relatively weaker. The brake pads selected by GM are a great combination pad in terms of useful life, quiet application, stopping power, etc... but they soften the Brembo feel. We choose to run a full race pad from Cobalt Friction with XR1 pads in front and XR3 pads in the rear. The difference is nothing short of amazing. There are tradeoffs in terms of noise and harsh dust that we feel is well worth it given the increase in pedal feel and performance. Pair up great pads with improved radius bushes and braking in a 5th Gen gets even better. Better is never good enough for Pedders so we went to the next level – Cadillac CTS-V Brakes with Cobalt Friction Pads. The Cadillac of Brakes may well be a preview of the Z28 brake package. Regardless, Pedders thinks GM engineering is top notch and we love our V28 Camaro.

Pedders is committed to being a strong supporting member of the 5th gen community. When we needed a brake upgrade for our Camaro we looked everywhere and came right back to the GM parts bin. It took a while, but we sorted it out and found what we believe to be the most cost effective and perhaps best brake solution for the Camaro. If I ran GM -- and I don't I know what I would do for better Camaro brakes. I would use THE CADILLAC OF BRAKES for the Camaro -- CTS-V BRAKES.



These are the same brakes that set a record on the Ring with John Heinricy behind the wheel of s CTS-V as the fastest production sedan to run the ring.



The CTS-V is a bit heavier than the Camaro making the setup PERFECT. This is a bolt on project that requires only the front dust shield be trimmed to fit the over-sized six piston front caliper. Everything is performance / track ready to go. The pads are perfect out of the box. They are also Cadillac quiet. The front calipers do require different bolts. All the parts are supposed to be available front the GM parts bin, but we did have some delays in collecting everything we needed. Arthur at Witt Buick Pedders did a great job of getting all the bits pulled together for me.




This is a HUGE upgrade for the Camaro. Take a close look at the calipers and pads. The superior clamping from six pistons combined with a much larger pad and rotor work to PERFECTION with the master cylinder and computer.







The rotors are very different up front. These are dual cast from Brembo with an aluminum hat / center and iron rotor. Even though the new Cadillac rotors are larger and thicker, they weigh the same as the OEM SS Camaro rotors.






Trimming the front dust shield was straight forward. How can any modification (unless it is Pedders made to fit just like the OEM bits we replace) be complete without sparks from a cutting wheel?





The brake upgrade is 100% OEM CTS-V with the exception of Pedders Camaro Brake Lines. You can see our brake lines fit and mount just like OEM. Why is Pedders doing brake lines for the 2010 Camaro? Great question. When we built our Camaro we couldn't find them in the aftermarket so we took matters into our own hands. PDUSACAM2800 https://secure.merlinsoftware.com.au...0&Featured=Yes




The rear Cadillac CTS-V caliper is the same as the Camaro SS rear caliper. The only difference is color. We did try to rear CTS-V and found the hat offset is a bit different, but the OEM Camaro SS rotor is a perfect match.



Here they are, THE Cadillac of Brakes of the 2010 Camaro.





Rear Before



Rear After



Front Before



Front After






When you do a conversion like this it is critical that the entire brake system be bled including the ABS pump. We connected the new USB based GM scan tool and could not find a full bleed program. We connected a Tech II scan tool, selected 2010 Corvette and found a functional solution. With everything completed we did one more safety check and went out for a road test. Working with Witt Buick Pedders means we have access to everything we need including a 'private' area to bed the brakes. 60 to 20, 80 to 20 and 100 to 20 and the brakes are bedded.

How do they feel -- jut like a Cadillac CTS-V. Are they better than the SS brakes -- OH YEAH!!! And when they turn gold-tone we will all know they have been properly abused.



Check out the rotor and pad temps on this graphic for the C7 Vette.



Fluid 388
Disc 1562
Pad with iron Disc 1292

These temperatures are generated by a lighter car with comparatively larger brakes. Just how hot do you think your 5th gen Camaro brakes get?

[JusticePete]

Wheels and Tires

The wheels and tires are too big in circumference and diameter. We don't understand why GM used a set of tires and wheels better suited to an SUV. Actually we do understand and blame the designers and the public that love the look of these SUV tires and wheels. They love these big wheels and tires so much they want BIGGER wheels and tires. Our experience with the package is that the Camaro will be a much better car with smaller diameter wheels and tires that weigh less -- a lot less. It will get out of the hole better. It will stop better. It will not be as silky smooth, but it will be better. That is why we have selected Forgeline light weight racing wheels in a 19 x 10.5 size. The Forgelines will be covered with Bridgestone RE-11 305 30 19 performance tires. The RE-11 is arguably the finest street legal performance tire available. The combination of tire and wheels reduce the unsprung weight by 34 pounds while dramatically increasing the tire contact patch. The increase in traction combined with the decrease in weight improves everything from acceleration to handling to braking.



The 305s look good from most any angle.






This is not a fitment that is in compliance with the OEM requirements. The sticker in the door shows a Maximum Load of 732 pounds plus the vehicle weight of approximately 3,900 pounds equaling roughly 4,600 pounds. The Load Rating stamped on the OEM tires is over 8,000 pounds. Speaking off the record with different OEM engineers Pedders is comfortable with the over 6,000 pound Load rating of our RE11 tires. We have suggested to GM marketing that they consider releasing an informational statement with an alternative range of acceptable wheel and tire sizes to the truck load ratings on the OEM package. Most wheel and tire shops will not sell or install a package with a lower load rating than shown on the OEM tires for liability reasons. Bridgestone, General Motors and Pedders do NOT recommend this tire and wheel package for your vehicle. This vehicle is built for Pedders to test the limits of the suspension design of OEM and Pedders components. Should GM modify their position on the Load Rating for Camaro tires, we may be able to make this our official corporate recommendation. Until , if or when that occurs all we can say is this is the best tire and wheel combination we have found for our testing and track use.



There is more to our choice of wheels and tires. Talk to any engineer with race experience and from a sheet of paper they can tell you why a Camaro in OEM trim suffers from significant understeer. The tale of the tape tells the story.

Front Track 63.7"
Rear Track 64.1'
Front Wheel 20 x 8
Rear Wheel 20 x 9
Front Tire P245/45ZR20
Rear Tire P275/40 ZR20
Weight Balance 52/48
Front Sway Bar Diameter 24mm
Rear Sway Bar Diameter 23mm

The understeer is built into the vehicle from the ground up. Pedders felt it necessary to bring out the true potential of the ZETA II Camaro to alter the car from the ground up.

Front Track 65.7"
Rear Track 64.6'
Front Wheel 19 x 10.5
Rear Wheel 19 x 10.5
Front Tire 305/30/19
Rear Tire 305/30/19
Weight Balance 52/48
Front Sway Bar Diameter 27mm
Rear Sway Bar Diameter 32mm

When the dimensional changes are combined with upgraded suspension components the Camaro become a virtual Supercar. We are at 141 MPH in 4th gear pulling effortlessly to redline. 175 MPH is the fastest we have run the car and we can tell you she was not breathing hard ready and was ready for more. Only a fool will find the limits of a Pedderised Camaro on public road ways and depending on the race track, given there is no cage in the car, we doubt we will ever take our Camaro to the limit ANYWHERE.

[JusticePete]

The Book of 5th Gen Camaro is getting an update.

http://www.jpssonline.com/the-book-f...-2010-camaro-2

5th Gen Camaro Alignment, Bushing Timing and Torque Specifications

DO NOT USE OFFSET CAMBER BOLTS ON THE 2010 - 2015 5TH GEN CAMARO. The OE clevis bolts are much stronger and the offset bolts are NOT needed with an excellent system installed at the factory.



This is the correct way to adjust front camber on the 5th Gen. One the alignment machine with the clevis bolts loose turning the camber screw tighter (Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey) will push the knuckle away from the strut. Loosening the camber screw allows the knuckle to fall in toward the strut. It is a 10mm 1.5 pitch thread.





It isn't pretty, but it was laying around the shop so we used it. A bolt this large is ONLY for use on the alignment rack and should be removed before driving.



This is a JPSS style Camber Screw. We recommend using LocTite blue to prevent it from backing out. Note that in this picture you can see the upper hole in the factory strut is elongated for camber adjustment.

On the alignment rack, any 10mm 1.5 pitch bolt will do. The correct way is to use a JPSS style Camber Screw with blue LocTite. Your alignment shop may have a T.O.M.C.A.T. Air-Assisted Multiple Camber Adjustment Tool air bag.



It fits between the wheel and the strut and works in the same way as the camber screw. Inflate (Righty Tighty) the bag to push the knuckle away from the strut or deflate (lefty Loosy) the bag to allow the knuckle to fall into the strut. If they don't, they have a guy that can push or pull on the wheel while they tighten it. Never, ever use offset camber bolts on a Camaro. EVER!

JPSS foundation as a company is more than just a range of bits, we are suspension specialists committed to delivering a JPSS Driving Experience. A lowered vehicle should have a full range of alignment adjustments. The Camaro delivers from Chevrolet with a fixed Castor position. The radius arm bolts into round holes with no available adjustment. Front Camber is adjustable from the factory. There is a threaded hole for front Camber Adjustment Bolt / Screw, but no bolt is installed and no part number is listed by Chevrolet. The rear OEM eccentric adjusters for Toe and Camber provide approximately one degree adjustment range. For an alignment specialist, this is unacceptable. You want to get your Camaro perfectly setup. This is what JPSS is all about. Our solution is a set of Black Magic JPSS Alignment Bolts. While GM made the hole round for the front Castor Adjustment or lack thereof, they did weld in brackets for an eccentric to work against. Your local JPSS Dealer can create a slot to provide Caster adjustment with JPSS Camaro Alignment Bolts. The kit provides the front Camber screws that GM didn't.

For the 5th Camaro, GM decided to produce the front sub-frame with only a round hole, but they kept the 'fences' for caster adjustment with eccentric bolts just like the Pontiac G8 and Holden Commodore. The slots to allow adjustment were lost in translation. For a performance driver, a vehicle without full alignment adjustment capability feels like driving with one hand tied behind your back. JPSS made the decision to make the Camaro front suspension fully adjustable.

Stock Radius Bush Mounting area with a round hole and adjustment 'fences'.




In Step #1 the technician may choose to drill two holes, one on either side of the factory hole before grinding a slot shape. Other techs will just grind the slot.



The eccentric that will be used does not reach all the way to the bracket sides so a bit of excess metal is not an issue. The technician can check the clearance with a JPSS Castor Eccentric Bolt as they grind to make sure the fit is JPSS dead nuts on.



We use black chromate plating on our Camber Bolts. We used a gold tone bolt in this image to make it easier to see.

When assembled the plated eccentric allows the alignment technician to increase or decrease Castor. A well aligned Camaro with good tires will not require ANY BIAS in the alignment. Should your Camaro be tweaked and develop a pull the same JPSS Caster Eccentric Bolts can be used to create a bias to correct the pull. We strongly recommend that before you alter your alignment due to a pull that you have a qualified technician, because the machine is only as good as the tech, check your tires on a road force balance machine to make certain the pull is not induced by a tire. When the tires have been confirmed good, we can make adjustments on the alignment rack.

For those that track the 5th Gen Camaro we have created Black Magic Caster Locks. Using a Caster Lock there is no possibility drift under the most demanding driving conditions. Installation of the Caster Locks is very similar. The slot is ground forward toward the radiator.



There are four Caster Lock plates that are installed on both sides of each radius arm bushing. We used a raw bare aluminum plate for this illustration.



Increasing caster improves straight line stability and the return of the wheels to the on center position. Adding caster to the 5th Gen is highly desirable.

Alignments are JPSS core business. We offer the JPSS Black Magic Caster, Rear Camber and Front Camber Screws. When installing the JPSS Front Camber Screw it is essential that you use LocTite Blue. The Camber screw will never bear a load while driving, but we want to make certain they never vibrate out.



JPSS Rear Eccentrics are virtually bullet proof with 1.8 degrees or double the factory adjustment. With the Camaro alignment Kit installed your Camaro can be setup for the drag strip, road course, auto cross or every day flawless driving. Even better, JPSS alignment eccentric bolts carry a unique warranty feature. Should a JPSS eccentric ever fail while you own the vehicle we will replace it. You get a superior alignment, improved driving experience and a life time warranty with JPSS Camaro Alignment Bolts.

To get the aggressive alignments we prefer JPSS Black Magic Camber and Caster Bolts and Camber Screws are essential. They double the adjustment range . We achieve this result my moving the eccentric to the outer edge of the bolt. The eccentrics are cut on a water jet, assembled in a jig and welded. This is a time consuming process. To finish the bolts we have them coated in black chromate.





Taking the performance of your 5th Gen and alignment to the next level requires the use of JPSS Knockout Camber Plates. With the stock front struts or coilovers you can achieve -2.2 Degrees of front camber. Relieving the upper slot in the strut to allows it to fall in a bit more will get you to -2.5. When running high negative camber it is Mission Critical to check spacing between the inner tire sidewall and the strut or coilover. We use a standard #2 lead pencil as a gauge. If the pencil passes between the tire and the strut or coilover you are good to go. With JPSS Knockout Plates we suggest you run them full in, maxed out for negative camber. Positioning the strut top well in toward the engine improves SAI. Your 5th Gen will drive better. Final adjust the negative camber at the knuckle using the camber adjustment screw.

JPSS are a Knock Out by design, construction and function. The bearing plates are made of stainless steel. The hardware is stainless steel. Our bearings are the finest made in America available. Of course none of this matters if they are not the most functional in the industry. It starts with a hard mount system. Some 5th Gen Camaro owners will cringe at the thought of drilling six mounting holes in their strut towers, but most will agree it makes sense when they understand why. We don't want it to move. Period. Anything that clamps in place can move on impact with a pothole or gator-back. Bolted in place, the only way to move a JPSS camber plate is to move the entire strut tower.

JPSS Knock Out Camber Plates deliver 2 full degrees of adjustment. Not 1 degree. Not 1 degree split between caster and camber. 2 full degrees. If you want to add caster, and we highly recommend you do, use our Caster Locks or of Caster Bolts. Camber plates on a 5th Gen Camaro are reserved for Camber and Steering Angle Inclination (SAI).

Steering axis inclination acts, with caster, to provide a self-centering of the front wheels. When the wheels are in the straight-ahead position, the ends of the stub axles are almost horizontal. When the wheels turn to either side, the effect of steering axis inclination is to make the ends of the stub axle tend to move downward, but this is prevented by the wheel. The stub axle carrier then must move up, which raises the front of the vehicle. When the steering wheel is released, the mass of the vehicle forces the stub carrier back down, which pushes the wheels back to a central position.



The SAI angle is created and measured in degrees. It runs from the lower ball joint through the upper ball joint, or on most front wheel vehicles, through the center of the strut mount. The illustration uses ball joints to represent the angle. This measurement of degrees includes the measurement from lower ball joint to the upper ball joint or the upper strut mount and true vertical (the tire actually sitting straight up and down). The SAI angle doesn't include the camber angle. This is because Steering Axis Inclination is a non-adjustable angle.

We recommend using the JPSS Knockout Camber Plates to increase SAI and adjust the majority of camber at the knuckle. Combine this with JPSS Caster Locks to achieve optimal front end geometry and handling.





Bushing Timing

Step 1. Lift the car on a two post lift and raise it.

Step 2. Loosen the following bolts/nuts:
Front:
---Inner Control Arm Bushing
---Inner Radius Rod
Rear:
---Trailing Arm Bushings (both ends)
---Toe Rod Bushings (both ends)
---Lower Control Arm Bushings (Inner)
---Upper Control Arm Bushings (Rearward)
---Lower Strut Bushings

Step 3.
Lower the car and drive it around the parking lot SLOWLY and on to the alignment lift.

Step 4.
With the weight of the car on the wheels tighten all of the nuts/bolts to spec.

Step 5.
Align the car at the new ride height.

Alignment

On the alignment rack the technician must be aware that the rear lower control arm camber adjustment works against the toe link toe adjustment. The toe eccentrics should be set to a neutral position, the eccentric not touching the 'fences' when thee initial camber adjustment is made. Then the technician will work the two for the optimal split of camber and toe values.







Front and Rear Bolt Torque Values





NOTE: Torque specifications that read XX torque value and XX degrees are typically Torque to Yield (TTY) and require replacement of the bolt, nut or both. If replacement parts are not available from GM, the minimum acceptable torque will be those values stated along with a liberal application of a thread locker i.e. LocTite

[JusticePete]

Pedders USA Camaro 2.0

Our Pedders USA Camaro continues to evolve. Some of the changes are cosmetic. Working with Nickey Chicago and ACS she now sports a functional Stinger II hood and ACS grill with functional brake ducts. Other changes are purely functional.

The OE SS calipers and rotors are fine for an OE vehicle, but as you increase performance, expand the operational range better braking became important. Pedders reached into GM rather deep parts bin and came out with Cadillac CTS-V brakes and rotors. The six piston rotors are perfect for a road course and resist fade. CTS-V street pads are great for the street, but we are going to upgrade for our next track session to a dedicated track pad.

The most significant upgrade we have made since our testing last fall is the additional of Pedders Supercar 52mm Remote Reservoir Independent Bound and Rebound Double Adjustable Coilovers. Our Xa coilovers are 46mm monotubes and very good. The oil volume and piton size of our 52mm is 27% greater as measured by only by tube size, not including the remote canister. The larger the oil volume, the larger the piston diameter the smoother they can function with greater control. These are smooth operators.



Setting up a car for street use would typically be soft and cuddly. The advanced engineering built into a ZETA II Camaro matched to a set of Supercar coilovers delivers a great street ride with full track settings. This is a true statement for West Michigan. If the car were operated daily in Detroit with arguably the worst roads in the country, you may choose to dial it backs a bit. Here are the settings we used for this testing session.

Supercar Damper Settings from Full Soft
Front Bound 18
Front Rebound 16
Rear Bound 23
Rear rebound 16

New Parts Evaluated in this Test Session
Cadillac CTS-V Brakes
Sway Bars
Supercar Coilovers

The CTS-V brakes tested well. The bias is absolutely perfect for the car. The feel is great. The OE pads are a great combination pad for street and light track use. We don't do track light with our Camaro. We track HARD! The next time we run our Camaro she will have new track pads and the CTS-V brakes will be great in all aspects.

We are never satisfied at Pedders and are constantly trying to improve. If you don't test, you don't know. The new sway bars earned a FAIL. We will go back to the track with our Solution C Sway bars. They were the best choice last year and are still the best choice. If you don't test, you don't know.

Grading the Supercar Coilovers is a real challenge. There is really nothing on the market to compare them too. They are the best solution available for the Camaro. We knew that going in. Aside from sitting next to me in the car the best way for you to see them in action is by video. We did not run hard because of the brake pads, but we still ran well!

[JusticePete]

Lingenfelter L/28 Tech

Pedders R & D on the 5th Gen never ends. This week we ran at Road America with our friends from the OPTIMA Challenge. We got great data and great results. I want to than Mike Copeland, his wife and our driver Danny Popp for a great day! We spent the weekend testing with the Lingefelter L/28. The results were impressive and we got great data. The L/28 was brutally fast. We are going to make a few tweaks based on our data along with tire temps and input from our driver Danny Popp.

Videos from Three Optima Events

Autocross



Speed Stop



Road Course



Data Points

Steady State Average Gs Across the Events and Lap Sectors 1.2 Gs. That is the AVERAGE. The theoretical limit on a street tire is 1.3Gs. we saw that number and then some across the events.
Top Speed on a Short Straight at Road America 148 MPH. That is screaming on the short straight.

Danny is extremely fast behind the wheel. His driving style is very aggressive. We found the front setup with -2.2 degrees of camber and caster adjustment maxed out to be virtually perfect. The tire temperatures inside to out were very even. The LPE motor puts down 590 at the rear wheels. Danny's style along with 590 all motor normally aspirated RWHP were roasting the inside of our rear tires. We'll dial down the rear camber to help Danny put down more power coming out of the turns. We have a few other tweaks in mind that we will share with the C5 community as soon as we test and get good data.

If the L/28 were a street car and not a street car wants to be a race car driven by a hot shoe we would leave the setup almost exactly as it is. Our intent is to still be a street car want to be a race car with even more bad attitude.



We are taking street car to a new level. To drive a 5th Gen fast you want stability and predictability in your handling. That starts at the foundational level with bushes. We want the arms to articulate freely, but within a tighter operational range. The amount of lateral movement in the 5th Gen lower rear arm with OE bushes and even with Pedders bushes is to great when you are looking for 1/10th or a 100th in a corner. We'll be testing this banded thrust bearing system this weekend. It is going to shift the load and our testing is designed to find out where ans what if anything we break on the Raymond's Performance Camaro and the L/28. Having survived the Danny Popp on track torture test we are pleased to announce the lower rear inner control arm banded thrust bearing solution is working well.





How stable is the Rear LCA Pedderised? This stable.



While we are on the subject of lower control arms, here is a how to on removal of the OEM lower inner control arm bush.



The OEM rear trailing arm bush is great for driving in the 8/10ths range. Pushed to 10/10ths or 11/10ths it allows too much movement creating instability. The increase in stability is enormous. Using a durometer you can see the differences in material hardness. Normally you wouldn't use a durometer to measure the hardness of steel. We did that for illustrative purposes. Both rubber and urethane soften with heat. The amount of heat generated by a 2 ton Camaro with LPE power through the exhaust and rear brakes is enormous. Using Pedders EP7265Z in the knuckle for the trailing arm reduces motion because there is less material and the material that is there is harder than the OE rubber bush.





Getting a good reading on the edge of the bush was problematic. The durometer is 85.







The L/28 running at the OPTIMA Face Off at Road America June 23, 2013.

[JusticePete]

5th Gen Wheel Hop and Drag Race Setup



Setup is more important on an IRS than a traditional solid axle because there are so many more variables in an IRS. Now is a good time to talk about wheel hop.

The #1 source of wheel hop on a 5th Gen Camaro is found in the OEM SUB-FRAME bushes. That would be the reason Chevrolet upgrade the sub-frame bushes by partially filling the Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH) voids starting with the 2012 5th Gen Vert. The OEM sub-frame bushes are still biased toward NVH concerns and not burn-outs, or performance at the drags or road course weekends. The NVH voided original or slightly improved OEM sub-frame bushes allow the entire IRS to shift side to side while under-load. This motion changes the dynamic alignment of your 5th Gen creating rear end steer, rear end step out and contributing to wheel hop

The #2 source of wheel hop, particularly on lowered Camaros is INCORRECT ALIGNMENT. Too much negative camber places the load of launch primarily on the inside shoulder of the rear tire. Spinning an inch and a half strip of tire doesn't take much HP. Aligning your 5th Gen to less than -.5 degrees rear camber with a TOE IN .17 improves your drag launch by using 90% or more of your rear tires to put power down.

The #3 source of wheel hop is deflection in the toe link bushes. We are not talking about toe link arm deflection we are talking about bush squish in the arm. How do I know? Hard engineering data. When GM built the Leno Twin Turbo Camaro they were not satisfied with the handling. Jay's Camaro has a very aggressive set of wheels and tires that increase the load on the suspension. In speaking with some members of the build TEAM I suggested a couple of Pedders upgrades in addition to the Xa coilovers that were already installed at the Milford Proving Grounds. Being a structured and data driven company, the build TEAM decided they should measure and document the issues on a shaker.





You can see a Camaro on GM's Shaker Rig at 55 seconds in.





What were the results of Leno's car on the SHAKER? The data and data points belong to Chevrolet and GM. The EP1200 sub-frame inserts and EP7323 Toe Link Bushes may be on Mr. Leno's Camaro, but they belong to me. With the introduction of the ZL1 there is now an OE alternative. The sealed monoball ZL1 / 1LE toe links are an excellent choice.

The OEM rear trailing arm bush is great for driving in the 8/10ths range. Pushed to 10/10ths or 11/10ths it allows too much movement creating instability. The increase in stability is enormous. Using a durometer you can see the differences in material hardness. Normally you wouldn't use a durometer to measure the hardness of steel. We did that for illustrative purposes. Both rubber and urethane soften with heat. Using Pedders EP7265Z in the knuckle for the trailing arm reduces motion because there is less material and the material that is there is harder than the OE rubber bush.





Getting a good reading on the edge of the bush was problematic. The durometer is 85.







The #4 source of wheel hop on a 5th Gen is the tie and tread compound. Check around the forum and see what happens with wheel hop when you run DRs and Slicks

The #5 source of wheel hop is a combination of modest spring rate and a damper map biased a bit too much to ride comfort. We spent a long time working with Lingenfelter to develop a dedicated set of drag coilovers. The front coil rate is 4.5kg and the rear is 12kg. The front monotube has a longer stroke than stock. The rear monotube is a massive 52mm diameter unit that is maxed out for bound control. High RWHP Camaros with slicks bite so har the launch is violent. They compres the rear suspension so fast that it bounces off the bumpstops. Keep in mind this was measured using a well known set of brand-x coilovers on the LPE Black Pig. When we bolted on out of the box Pedders Supercars the Black Pig picked up 2/10ths in the 60'. After we tested, refined and tested and.... you get the idea the LPE Drag Coilovers delivered more than 3/10ths improvement in the 60'

The #6 source of wheel hop is related to side to side load distribution. The factory rear sway bar 2010 to 2011 is a 23mm hollow tube that mounts inboard close to the differential. It is a light weight bar by any measure. The 2012 FE4 features an improved sway bar mounting position that is close to the knuckle. This is a HUGE improvement in geometry and function. The ZL1 comes of the assembly line with a 28mm SOLID bar. The change in geometry coupled with the change in bar strength (GM is now using solid sway bars just like Pedders Camaro sway bars) more effectively distribute load on hard launch. Upgrading to OE Rear Lower Control Arms with the new FE4 / ZL1 sway bar mounting points and a ZL1 28mm solid rear bar will imporve your drag launch. If you are looking for even more improvement your ONLY option is Pedders new 2010 to 2011 ZL1 32mm solid rear bar complete with GM ZL1 Arms and Pedders Droplinks. If you have a 2012 all you'll need is the ZL1 Rear Sway Bar Upgrade.

The #7 source of wheel hop is driveline movement. Driveline twist or driveline torque is a mini-wheel-hop motion. Replacing the OEM NVH biased differential bushes is the first place to start. The front two differential bushes are under heavy load, but that load is dwarfed by the load that the rear differential bush carries. Our solution is the new EP1167HDZ. The front two bushes are very high durometer urethane and the rear bush is machined Acetal for maximum control for optimized launches.

When you are serious about your 5th Gen performance on the drag strip your solutions are found at Pedders and Lingenfelter. If you get serious so do we. We provide special support to the LPE Black Pig and her support crew.



Camaro5FEST III at Indy Drag Results

Farks/ARH TH400 (IRS 3800#) 416 ci,Procharger,Lt"s,Exhaust,Slicks&Skinnies (IRS 3800#) 8.723 @ 156.21 MPH PEDDERS / LINGENFELTER

JE@LPE TH400 (IRS 4200#) LS9,TV2300.Nitrous,Cam,LT's,Exhaust,Converter,9.5" ,16" Slick's & Skinnie"s 8.789 @ 164.98 MPH PEDDERS / LINGENFELTER

RPM Transmissions 4L60E (IRS 4000#) 427 ci,Nitrous,Heads,Cam,LT's,Exhaust,Converter,9",15" DR's 8.943 @ 154.40 MPH

Jannetty Glide 9.29 PEDDERS / LINGENFELTER

[JusticePete]

Thermal Management
Our 2010 Camaro is making over 560 RWHP and 499 RWTQ. It is also making a lot of heat. It makes so much heat it discolors the paint on the lower rear fascia and has melted some of the fascia. We can live with that, but losing power because of high IATs -- unacceptable.




ProCharger has developed a Stage II kit for the 2010 Camaro. We now run a larger intake tube and filter with a MASSIVE race intercooler. The new intercooler includes a mount for the MAF. My tuner believes that the air flow in the intercooler is less turbulent and allows him to tune more effectively. We did not gain RWHP but we did gain between 20 and 30 RWHP and RWTQ between 3 and 6K. We also dramatically dropped the IATs and should not see any on track power loss.

In addition to the new intake and intercooler we did more thermal management work. We wrapped the headers, removed the sound insulation from the plenum, wrapped the heater hoses and finally wrapped the intake charge tube to isolate it from engine compartment heat. The crew at Witt Buick did a great job for us.

We'll track test in a little more than two weeks, but the street and dyno results are very encouraging.



We do not suggest you remove the OE mufflers because they are part of the under car OE aero engineering. The shape of the mufflers flow air past the rear fascia. The OE mufflers prevent the rear fascia from becoming your drogue chute, they reduce drag at high speeds.

Under your engine cover is a plenum cover. This cover is installed to reduce air flow noise in the passenger area. We suspected it was also holding in heat. As we look to make the intake charge as cool as possible reducing the temperature of the plenum made sense.




The foam is relatively thick. With the cover removed you can lay your hand on the plenum after a hard run comfortably. It may not be scientific, but it is an effective measurement. With plenum cover -- too hit to touch. Without the plenum cover -- warm but comfortable.



Jeff at Witt Buick wraps the heater hoses that lay across the plenum. We wrapped the hose to reduce heat transmission from the hose to the plenum. Anything that we could do to keep the intake air cool and maintain all the OE creature comforts we did.





Thermal management is straight forward, but time consuming. It takes longer than you would think. Our complete project including tuning took 3 and 1/2 days.

To wrap the headers we had to remove them. Coating may have been as effective, but the full race guys we spoke with seemed to think that wrapping was more effective. We apologize to our good friends at ARH for wrapping their wonderful SS 2010 Camaro headers. Sorry about that Nick.






When it comes to wrapping headers the best thing to do is go slow. It seems that no matter how much care you put into the project there will be a gap here and there. We did the wrap and sprayed a coat of protective silicone. When the coating dried we went back to wrapping until we were satisfied.



Jeff from Witt Buick sprays protective coating.



This header is 90% complete. If you take a close look you'll find some gaps. We wrapped and sprayed again.



Header #2 gets wrapped.




Our data logging did not detect any electronic issues. That said, as long as we were taking these extreme thermal management measures we insulated the spark plug wires.





The engine compartment was shaping up as far as the wraps for stage one of the project.



The standard ProCharger, 2.5 Quart Fluidyne Oil Cooler and supplemental power steering cooler are shown here. Take note of the collector / tanks being on the top and bottom with the cores running vertically.




The original ProCharger Intercooler was sufficient to make our Camaro the fastest 2010 on a road course and at the Optima Challenge. We would have been faster with our current setup. We would have been faster because we would not have lost power due to high IATs and timing being pulled out of the tune by the on board engine computer.

The new intercooler is larger by dimension and use side tanks instead of top and bottom tanks. It also includes a mounting point for the MAF. The old system had the MAF in the charge tube. The metal tube and mount would get hot. The heat from the metal tube influenced the MAF temperature reading making the computer think the air in the tube was hotter than it actually was. The new MAF location will read accurate air temperatures. Not only with the reading be accurate, the air will be cooler due to the improved intercooler. On the dyno our supercharged air was only 2 to 3 degrees warmer than the ambient air temperature. We did our dyno work with a single fan. Recovery was almost instantaneous. With air moving at track speeds we should be seeing supercharged air at ambient temps.



The Fluidyne 2.5 Quart oil cooler is mounted above the new ProCharger Stage II intercooler. Today the ambient air temp was 91 degrees. The in car temperature gauge / model showed oil temps to be 210 degrees when the water temp was 194. Using a direct reading thermal probe on the oil tank the reading was down to 150 degrees. The intercooler after the same 30 minute expressway drive was found to be 91 degrees or the same as ambient air.



The oil cooler is plumbed with -12 lines. -12 stands for REALLY BIG OIL LINES!




In this picture look at the left lower corner where you will see the OE bumper mount un- cut.



In this picture you can see where we trimmed the bumper mount to create clearance for the new MAF location.



This is the new intake charge pipe test fit into place. The only difference is there is no MAF mount on the Stage II pipe shown NAKED.



We insulated the Stage II pipe from rubber hose mount to rubber hose mount with left-over header wrap. On the headers, the wrap keeps heat in. On the intake pipe we are using it to keep heat OUT. With the MAF reading IAT at the intercooler we wanted to make certain that the air entering the engine was the same as it was in the intercooler.



Here you can see the intake charge pipe installed with header wrap. We are only Stage I in our process. We need to add the 'astronaut' sock.



Stage II required the installation of an 'astronaut sock'. This reflective heat barrier is made of the same material as header wrap with a foil outer shell to reflect heat away from the pipe. Ryan at Witt Buick did a great job of lacing up the 'astronaut' sock in relatively tight spaces.




All of our insulation materials were purchased through Lane Automotive in Waterviliet Michigan.



The 2010 5th Gen Chevrolet Camaro is an American Muscle Car. You can see we tip our hat to acknowledge the heritage with Red White and Blue lacing. We are confident that the insulation will deliver supercharged air within a degree or two of the air measured at the new MAF location of the intercooler. The proof will come at our next testing session when we can compare data from previous runs to the new runs we make using Thermal Management.



If we had it to do all over again, we would have had the headers coated and still wrapped them. The LS3 is a furnace and anything we can do to lower the engine compartment temperatures is a good thing. The same is true of all the other things we did. On our next project car I can assure you we will do this the first time around and not install so many of the same parts twice. I should also point out that we run our 5th Gen hard, really hard. The harder you run them the more care you have to exercise regarding Thermal Management.

[JusticePete]

Running Changes Made to the 5th Gen by Chevrolet

2013 Strut Mount Changes

The front strut mount has been changed slightly for 2013. The change appears to be a simplification of the manufacturing process. Watch this video for the details.



There is no change of substance in terms of function from the older mount to the new mount. The upper coil eye dimension has not been changed. Pedders lowering coils are still a perfect fit to the steel an urethane insulator. You can count on Pedders to bring you the most up-to-date information for your 5th Gen Camaro.

ZL1 Upgraded OEM Toe Links

The Camaro TEAM has made so many improvements to the ZL1 it is hard to keep track of them. It is good to see that the Camaro TEAM is following Pedders advice in the IRS. They have improved the sub-frame bushes, more on this in a later post, and addressed the compliance in the Toe Links.

The steel ferule bonded rubber bush that has been and is used on all other models was too compliant. To address this the ZL1 comes with new bushes.





These are are larger steel jacketed bushes with rubber encapsulated rose joints similar to those used in the hub where the rear upper and lower control arms bolt up. They are similar to Heim joints or spherical bearings in function, but encapsulated in rubber will provide years and years of quiet operation as they are protected from dirt and debris. You could call this the Super Duty 5th Gen Toe Link

The bad news for us at Pedders and other aftermarket companies is the new arms are too good If you have a ZL1 coming you will not need Pedders toe link bushes. If your 5th Gen isn't a ZL1, the new toe links are available as an upgrade from your local Chevrolet Dealer P/N 22845487 These 5th Gen updates are brought to you by www.PeddersUSA.com You know, the company without real engineers or testing program that just sells stuff

We thank you for taking the time to read through our evaluations and solutions for the ZETA II 2010 Camaro. We hope it was informative. Feel free to contact Pedders with your technical questions or to contact your local Pedders Dealer. Our customer service starts well before the sale and continues well after the sale. The final thought we would like to leave you with is our best advice on how to purchase a suspension modification for your Camaro. This is the same advice we have been offering our prospective clients for years.

Don't believe what you read about Pedders or any other suspension product. Get a test ride or drive in a Pedderised Camaro. Let your backside and the real world experience make the decision for you. There is a reason we run with the catch phrase -- NO BULL! There can be no bull when you are in the car and feel for yourself why so many have joined the Pedders Nation.

[JusticePete]

Public Track Test #1

We have been talking with all of you about our R & D process on the Camaro, literally for years. It started back with the Aussie VZ chassis (Commodore, Ute, Statesman, Monaro and GTO) almost 25 years ago. That is roughly when Holden brought the Opel chassis to AU. That well regarded range of vehicles led GM to assign the Global Rear Wheel Drive Platform to Holden and created the opportunity for Chevrolet to bring back the Camaro. The first product out the gate for the revolutionary ZETA chassis was the Holden Commodore. It was followed by the Pontiac G8. Chevrolet started on the refinement of ZETA just a bit more than three years ago. While Chevy was tuning the ZETA II chassis for the Camaro Pedders was developing the finest suspension systems for the Pontiac G8. How good are the GTO and G8 when Pedderised -- they run this close to a Vette on a highly technical race track, on a track where the low center of gravity, the light weight, the great brakes should allow the American Performance Icon to destroy the much larger and heavier GTO and G8. It doesn't happen because Pedders has designed a complete system for these vehicles that allow them to perform as though they were 1,500 pounds lighter. We can't change the laws of physics, but we can cheat or bend them here and there or at least try to make the impossible possible. So where does that leave our 2010 Camaro? I suggest you ask Staci, Kim or Pedders.

Staci



Kim




You could also watch the video in HQ. The clarity is stunning.



Maximum Lateral Gs / Accelerometer
Pedders Camaro 1.3835
Pedders G8 1.1503
OEM Camaro 1.0928
Pedders GTO 1.0091
*Corvette -- The Press asked us not to tell you

Maximum Lateral Gs in a turn do not represent a single event. We look at the data collected and use the numbers that have been repeated across multiple runs. These are a bit lower than the peaks recorded by the DL1 as Max Lat.

Maximum Speed
Pedders Camaro 111.03
Pedders GTO 106.47
Pedders G8 105.82
OEM Camaro 103.77
*Corvette -- The Press asked us not to tell you

These are exactly what they say they are. These are the top speeds reached by the cars at Gingerman. There were a number of limiting factors at the track. It was cold. The hottest the track got was 54 degrees. Getting the tires to optimum range was a challenge. To make matters worse it had rained for almost two weeks. The track was washed clean. There was no residual rubber on the track making the track very slick. It is why we ran all the cars the same day to eliminate as many variables as possible. Even the temperature stayed consistent. When the sun was out it felt a bit warmer, but is was basically a 54 degree day all day track side.



Average Speed
Pedders Camaro 71.156
Pedders GTO 67.97
Pedders G8 67.83
OEM Camaro 66.635
*Corvette -- The Press asked us not to tell you

The GTO and G8 incurred technical issues out on the track. We found that both vehicles suffered from fuel starvation due to the high G loads in the turns. Chris Brannon would have to back off and wait to accelerate hard out of the turns because of the drop in fuel pressure. Compounding that were the OEM differentials in the GTO and G8. Both have wear from daily driving and general abuse. We don't think that is the issue. Pulling 1G at a high rate of speed is different from a skid pad. In many of the turns we are well into over steer, counter steering and applying power. This transfers enormous amounts of load to the outside rear drive wheel. The OEM differentials just give up and the unloaded inner wheel spins in a one wheel peel. Both Camaros and the Corvette did not demonstrate these issues and were virtually perfect at the limits of handling.



Maximum Power Output kW
Pedders Camaro 224.62
Pedders GTO 201.41
Pedders G8 196.72
OEM Camaro 174.14
*Corvette -- The Press asked us not to tell you

This is a calculation made using data from the accelerometers based on acceleration. Chris, our driver, will tell you he could not put down power due to the track conditions in ANY of the cars. What he is really saying in that he could have done better on a seasoned track on a warmer day with the same cars and setups. He is spot on. It is also a factor that he is accustomed to driving on full race tires. All of the cars we tested would have done far better on full race tires. The more powerful the car, the great the benefit would have been for this measurement. How much difference do we think full race tires would make for a test like this -- between 3 to 5 seconds. On the over powered Pedders Camaro, maybe more.

Front Tire Size Rear Tire Size

Camaro 245/45/20 275/40/20
Corvette 245/40/18 285/35/19
Pedders Camaro 305/30/19 305/30/19
Pedders G8 275/35/19 275/35/19
Pedders GTO 275/35/18 295/30/18

Tire Pressure Cold
LF RF LR RR
Camaro 33 33 33 33
Corvette 33 33 33 33
Pedders Camaro 33 33 33 33
Pedders G8 33 33 33 33
Pedders GTO 33 33 33 33

Tire Pressure Hot
LF RF LR RR
Camaro 40.9 40.2 39.9 39.1
Corvette 39.2 37.5 38.4 37.8
Pedders Camaro 44 44 41.7 41.3
Pedders G8 42 41.3 42 40.4
Pedders GTO 40.4 39.8 40.7 40.3

Yes we used a tire pressure gage that reads in tenths of a pound.




Tire Temperatures Hot
LF Outer LF Center LF Inner
Camaro 123 114 103
Corvette 108 102 96
Pedders Camaro 109 104 121
Pedders G8 102 108 106
Pedders GTO 97 97 99

RF Outer RF Center RF Inner
Camaro 131 120 115
Corvette 110 109 108
Pedders Camaro 167 169 152
Pedders G8 109 116 120
Pedders GTO 101 99 100

LR Outer LR Center LR Inner
Camaro 113 105 116
Corvette 93 90 89
Pedders Camaro 109 106 142
Pedders G8 97 98 108
Pedders GTO 76 86 101

RR Outer RR Center RR Inner
Camaro 107 106 112
Corvette 96 110 105
Pedders Camaro 120 120 163
Pedders G8 106 116 123
Pedders GTO 85 90 98

It would appear that the aggressive driving style of Chris Brannon and the exceptional balance of the Pedderised Camaro combined to heat up the tires. Of all the cars on the track, the most neutral, the car with the least under steer was the Camaro. The transition from neutral to over steer was complete predictable regardless of the track conditions or Chris aggressively jumping the corners. Nothing unsettled the car all day. My driving skills (Pete Basica) are better than many but nothing near the excellence of Chris. I was able to steer through corners, use a bit of over steer to slip through corners and flat out drift an entire corner. The Camaro makes me a far better driver because it is such a competent and complete car.



Brake Temperatures Hot

LF Rotor RF Rotor LR Rotor RR Rotor
Camaro 494 440 335 296
Corvette 370 348 411 391
Pedders Camaro 738 644 361 335
Pedders G8 607 518 476 407
Pedders GTO 448 336 462 416

LF Caliper RF Caliper LR Caliper RR Caliper
Camaro 228 210 159 147
Corvette 192 165 185 174
Pedders Camaro 372 366 207 178
Pedders G8 370 364 322 293
Pedders GTO 253 236 176 162

Our Pedderised Camaro brakes were clearly the hottest. There is good reason for that. We had to Black Flag Chris to get him off the track or he would have run until the tank was empty. Our Pedderised Camaro is that much fun to drive. You never want to slow down or stop driving. Each car was prepared carefully for the track with the exception of the Corvette and OEM Camaro. We ran only enough hot laps on those two cars to get good data. They are not our cars and we promised to return them in once piece. That doesn't mean they were not run hard. They were wrung out, just not repeatedly like the GTO, G8 but especially our Pedderised Camaro. Even with the rotors smoking we had no brake fade -- none thanks to Cobalt Friction ZX1 and ZX3 pads. Our custom made lines are braided stainless with red vinyl coating and OEM ends with strain relief. We even used the OEM mounts.


Justice Pete & Chris Brannon Driver Extraordinaire

The tale of the tape is complete. What is know where near complete is how we got here and how the Camaro really drives. It all starts with tires and wheels. You need to address the front and rear track of the Camaro with LIGHTWEIGHT 19" wheels. We use Dave at Forgeline where we feel we get the absolute best service and best quality product. Forgeline designed a set of wheel with a proprietary offset to add 2" of front track and 1/2 inch of rear track creating a net increase up front on 1.5 inches. Bridgestone makes the RE-11 and we consider it the king of street tires. We run 305/30 19s all the way around on our 19 x 10.5" Forgeline rims. We pulled just under 40 pounds out of the four corners while dramatically increasing the tire contact patch. This was a killer first step in the process.

Next up we added power. Our longtime business partners ProCharger came through again. They installed a QUIET blower and bypass that are undetectable with the hood closed. We are making 480 Torque and 530 RWHP through our American Racing Headers and QTP cutouts. The American Racing headers offered a weight savings that was more important to us than RWHP. Anything we can do to reduce weight is desirable. Our Camaro has enough power to literally scare you on the street or track, A byproduct of the 305/30/19s is a gear ration change by tire diameter from a 3.45 to a 3.77. That is one more reason we had issues getting power down at the track.

What is last in this discussion should be first on your list if you own a Camaro -- PEDDERS SUSPENSION. Changing out the radius arm and sub-frame bushes are the two most critical modifications that should be made to EVERY Camaro that is built and sold. Our bushes remove the terminal bush squish squirm that creates instabilities in handling from a foundational level. It all starts with these two parts. We already addressed unsprung rate with our Forgeline lightweight wheels and Bridgestone RE-11 tires. These same modifications do double duty in correcting the narrow front track that is the OEM specification. The track correction addresses under steer as do all our suspension modifications as we strive to bring a finely honed edge to a well made Chevrolet knife.



In the rear we replaced every OEM suspension bush with the exception of the specialty Hiem joints. We went deeper into the car and upgraded the OEM voided rubber differential bushes with Pedders street friendly urethane to increase the vehicle's ability to handle the increase in RWHP and Torque. Then we moved to the dampers. Pedders Xa eXtreme coilovers are 46mm high pressure monotube units. You'll see them on every GM owned Camaros at SEMA and on most of the GM sponsored Camaros at SEMA. They are height adjustable by screwing down into or out of the mounting brackets. Raising or lowering the car does not alter the jounce travel (a GM term describing the distance of suspensions travel before contact with the bump stop). This preserves ride quality at all ride heights. The Pedders Camaro was destined for some serious track time. We have it riding very very low. I do drive it as my daily driver. We drive the kids to school and go any where the mood moves us in our super low Camaro. There are certainly speed bumps that we drag on, but it is really no different than driving a Corvette. You know it is low and approach at a 45 degree angle to reduce points of contact. I have been doing this for years and it is second nature to me. many of you would find my car undrivable because it is almost on the ground. No problem the Xa coilover are height adjustable. They are also have 30 preset damping adjustments. You have full control over both the high and low speed cycles. They are easy to adjust as long as you can count to 30.

With the full suspension in place including wheels and tires our Pedderised Camaro was almost track ready. What was required next were the right diameter sway bars. You'll see many options in the market. I can tell you from my testing that we feel Pedders has the best solutions available in the market. For the typical Camaro owner a single front 27mm bar will steady your Camaro under most daily driving conditions and make sweepers your favorite turn or twist of the day. A single front bar solution does nothing to address under steer and when you reach under steer it will be worse than it was from the factory. Most Camaro drivers will never reach that level and that is why we offer this practical solution that reduces lean and roll to make your driving experience better than stock.



For the more aggressive driver we have a second set of bar that offer three positions of adjustment. These are a matched set of 27mm bars for the enthusiast. These bars are a huge step up and bring more balance to your Camaro. If you occasionally hit the track or auto-cross these bars are for you. You will know the first time you enter a turn.

For the serious track person. For those with extensive SCCA or NASA experience. For those that understand that lifting off the throttle when you are in over steer is a really bad idea and won't make a mistake worse by hitting the brake we offer Pedders Solution C. The C stands for COMPETITION. These bars on your Pedderised Camaro will allow you to choose how to traverse a corner -- STEER, OVER STEER or DRIFT. If you know how to drive your FULLY Pedderised Camaro will not under steer again. These are made for serious drives and come with a disclaimer. When matched with a full Pedders system your Camaro will over steer. ONLY DRIVERS that know how to handle this should purchase this COMPETITION set of bars. That is why we made them -- so Camaro owners can watch the race from the front row in their rear view mirror.

All of Pedders sway bars are sold complete with HD endlinks. The studs on the endlinks are larger than the OEM studs. This means it is one of the very few Pedders products that requires you to use a drill on your car. The front strut endlink bracket must be drilled to fit as well as the rear endlink bracket. The are HD double ball joint endlinks. They are also adjustable. For those of you with Pedders coilovers you Pedders sway bar endlinks can be cut to fit making corner weighting more accurate. It is all part of any sway bar solution you purchase from Pedders for your Camaro.

Spring rate, damping rate, stable foundation through bushes and finally sway bars. Sway bars are a TUNING ELEMENT and not a solution. You can use an oversize bar to mask a deficiency in the vehicle, but only to a point. A rear sub-frame that steps out from NVH voided bushes will still step out with the best sway bar in the world. The cause wasn't a too small OEM sway bar. The cause was the NVH voided sub-frame bush that is fine for the more mild mannered Camaro driver, but completely unacceptable to the more demanding enthusiast driver. The Camaro is one of the best cars to ever be built in volume production. The monocoque is exceptionally strong. It doesn't need all the Band-Aid braces that are so deeply ingrained into the Muscle Car community. Let me say this one more time -- DON'T BUY A BRACE FOR YOUR CAMARO -- IT DOESN'T NEED THEM. Now if you are building a full on race car with a cage and no interior, brace away. Street Camaro's don't need any Band-Aids. They need foundational street friendly urethane bushes. Bushes that will not beat you up on your daily drive. A fully Pedderised Camaro has a ride quality equal to an Audi RS series. It is taut, but not harsh. We will return to Gingerman for a piece of unfinished business next spring / summer. With one item left to accomplish we left Gingerman with the knowledge that our fully Pedderised Camaro is not a wannabe. It is the real deal and in the hands of Chris Brannon it is off the charts. Watch the video again and again. See how stable it is no matter how hard he jumps the corner. Nothing unsettles it and he is running it at 10/10ths.

7 Seconds is an eternity on one lap. If you want your Camaro to be among the best on the road it will have to be Pedderised.

[JusticePete]

Public Track Test #2 Mustang Camaro Supercar Shootout



This has taken longer than anticipated, but we finally held our Supercar Shootout August 11, 2010 at Gingerman Raceway. The weather was not the best. We drove to the track in style but in heavy rain. Pedders Camaro Supercar, Pedders Saleen Supercar, Pedders G8 Supercar, Pedders GTO Supercar, the Pedders HHR SS and a cargo van. Almost as soon as we pulled into the track gate the rain subsided.

We pulled under the canopies and began to setup our equipment. First up was the generator to power up the fans to cool the cars between runs. Then the data logging equipment and cameras. While food, drinks and swag were setup in the meeting rooms we sent out a fleet of cars to start drying the track.



The last track day we held was a cool fall day. We had no issues with
heat soak and the engine computer pulling timing out based on high IATs.
Working with ProCharger we have a new intake that is more free flowing
and a ridiculous new inter-cooler with an integrated MAF mount.
This is a far more efficient setup. Because the ProCharger pulls air from the
engine compartment and not a factory style air box we did some intense
thermal management. The headers have been wrapped along with the
heater hoses that run across the plenum and the charge tube coming
out of the intercooler. We removed the factory sound insulation from the
plenum to allow it to breath. None of these are really meant to increase
RWHP, just to maintain the RWHP we see on the dyno and on cooler days.

The other major change we made to the Camaro was to install 2010 Cadillac
CTS-V brakes. Rumor has it that these are the same brakes that the new Z
28 Camaro will use. Wink, nod, wink. The brake bias is dead nuts perfect.
The CTS-V OE brake pads are a GREAT set of combination street and
track pad, but for our extreme track use we have had to do some pad
development. We worked with Cobalt Friction and will be running CF XR1
front and XR3 rear Carbon ceramic pads for the event. The brakes are a
substantial upgrade over the SS brakes with similar pads.

The third major change to the Camaro are the 52mm Remote Reservoir
Independent Bound and Rebound Supercar Coilovers. We have the car
so dialed in it is off the charts. It is close to OE smooth on the street and
thisclosetoa race car on the track.



Pedders Camaro
2010 Cadillac CTS-V Brakes Front and Rear
558 RWHP 499 RWTQ
ACS Hood and Front Spoiler
American Racing Headers
Brigestone RE-11 305/30/19 Tires Front and Rear
Cobalt Friction Carbon Ceramic Track ONLY Brake Pads
Fluidyne 2.5 Quart Oil Cooler
Forgeline Racing Wheels 19x10.5 Front and Rear with Special
Offsets to Square the Track
Insulated Cold Air Intake
Nickey Chicago Stinger II Hood
Pedders Adjustable Sway Bars with Adjustable Endlinks
(CAMAROSOLUTIONC)
Pedders Control Arm Bushes (EP7264, EP7322)
Pedders Steering Rack/Pinion Mount (EP2112)
Pedders Rear Trailing Arm Toe Link (EP7323)
Pedders Front Radius Rod Bushing (EP6577)
Pedders Complete Brake Hose Kit (PDUSACAM2800)
Pedders Full Alignment Kit (PDUSACAMFULL)
Pedders Paint Scheme
Pedders Heavy Duty Sub-Frame Bushes (EP1201HD)
Pedders Heavy Duty Rear Differential Mounts (EP1167HD)
Pedders Supercar Coilovers (164086)
ProCharger with Stage II Race Intercooler and Intake
QTP Exhuast Cut Outs
SRF Brake Fluid
Wrapped Headers



Pedders Saleen

Pedders USA started working with Saleen last year to develop a coilover set for the new S281. The coilovers pleased the Saleen people and we started to develop a strong relationship. Working with Saleen we are about to
release a full line of Saleen suspension bits. These parts are the foundation
for a S281 SR. The SR stands for Saleen Race.

449 RWHP 419 RWTQ
American Racing Headers
Bridgestone RE-11 305/30/19 Tires Front and Rear
Ford Racing Differential Cover
Saleen 15” Six Piston Front Brakes
Saleen Adjustable Panhard bar (06-1304-B19537A)
Saleen Adjustable Pinion Bush (06-1305-B19536A)
Saleen Adjustable Rear Control Arms (06-1304-B19542A)
Saleen Anti-Lift / Dive Kit (06-1305-B19533A)
Saleen Borla Exhaust
Saleen Carbon Ceramic Track ONLY Brake Pads
Saleen Control Arm Bushes (06-1304-B19543A)
Saleen Front Single Chassis Brace Bar Brace (06-1305-B19541A)
Saleen Front Triangulated Chassis Brace (06-1305-B19539A)
Saleen Insulated Cold Air Intake
Saleen Rear Chassis Brace (06-1305-B19540A)
Saleen SR Paint Scheme
Saleen SR Racing Wheels by Forgeline 19x10.5 Front and Rear with Special Offsets to Square the Track
Saleen Supercharger
Saleen Supercharger Compatible Strut Tower Bar (CS6TB)
Saleen Sway Bars with Adjustable Front Endlinks and Adjustable Front Bar (06-1303-B19530A)
Saleen Track Bar with Safety Harness (CSTTB05)
Saleen Track Coilovers with Camber Plates (06-1300-A19349A)
SRF Brake Fluid

Our Driver -- Knowledge is Speed

Take your car and team to the next level with professional, data based consulting services from Nearbrook Motorsports. Let us use our analysis skills, and experience to work with your team and driver to make your racing experience as successful as possible.

Specialists in development of SCCA Touring and Showroom Stock type vehicles with. advanced knowledge of General Motors products, and experts in CTS-V and Corvette models.

For about the cost of a set of tires you can permanently improve your vehicle and team with data, video, and engine analysis service. We have fully portable analysis systems with quick in-out capability for use in multiple cars if required. Understand and analyze your vehicle like never before. Standard service includes the following types of analysis:

Chassis Data Logging:

Utilizing the Race Technology DL-1 logger you will be able to break down lap segments, speeds, and lateral and longitudinal accelerations. If you desire, we will drive your car and log data for direct comparison of driving technique. The software is very effective at finding ways to improve lap times by changing driving styles.

John Buttermore began his racing career at the age of 16 when he attended Skip Barber Racing School with his father at Road America where having hardly ever driven a stick shift car before instantly adapted and was the fastest driver in the school. Exactly 10 years later he returned to that same track in the CTS-V and broke the track record.

John’s racing career began with SCCA regional and PCA events driving a 1983 Porsche 944 in the ITS class. John began running full seasons at Waterford Hills Raceway in suburban Detroit during his summers home from college from 1999-2002. In that time he racked up numerous wins and poles on the local circuit.

In 2004 he joined the SCCA National circuit with the brand new Cadillac CTS-V in the Touring 2 class. 2005-6 Results are available on the Results Page.

In 2007 John drove both the CTS-V and the Corvette C6 throughout the season. John had a banner 2007 season winning 6 National events and finishing 2nd at the National Championships in T1 and 6th in T2. During this season John also took 3 new track records along the way, including one that was set in his first time in the C6 after starting last without qualifying!!!

The 2008 season brought great success as well where John won every national entered, won the divisional championship, and won the June Sprints by nearly 30 seconds. The 2008 Runoffs dealt John a lot of car problems, but with a great effort by the whole team John was poised to take the 2008 National Championship when the race was ended early under caution with John in the process of making a pass for the lead.

John is a vehicle dynamics engineer by professional and lives in Pontiac, MI. He holds a bachelors of Engineering from Cornell University, where he was also a member of the Varsity Football team, and a member of Delta Upsilon fraternity. Other interests include weightlifting, and recently completed his Masters degree from Purdue University.

Summary:
Started racing overall in 1999
National competition started in 2004
Raced SCCA T2 in a Cadillac CTS-V
Raced SCCA T1 in a Chevrolet Corvette
13 SCCA National wins 2007-2009
National Winner at:
- Road America
- Watkins Glen
- Mid-Ohio
- GingerMan
- Grattan
- Indianapolis Raceway Park
- Nelson Ledges
5 SCCA National wins and undefeated in regular season of 2008
2008 Detroit Region SCCA National Driver of the year
3 consecutive SCCA Runoffs medals in T1 2007-2009
Former or Current Track Record Holder at
- GingerMan
- Mid-Ohio
- Nelson Ledges
- Indianapolis Raceway Park
Sponsored by Hoosier Racing Tire, Carbotech Brakes




TEAM GM


Dr. Jamie Meyer GM, Bob Kern GM, Clifford Cohen GM, Pete Basica Pedders and Micah Kern (no relation) GM

TEAM Saleen


Jess Albright Saleen, Michael Timarac Saleen, Phil Jankura Austrade and Pete Basica Pedders




Pete Basica Pedders and John Buttermore Nearbrook Motorsports





Becuase the media people from Hot Rod and Mustang Enthusiast worked so hard and so long on this event we cannot tell you who won. We can tell you the cars ran all day. John drove them harder than he should have. There are no roll cages or any other safety equipment normally found in a race car. Cages and triangulation change the harmonics of the car making it next to impossible to optimise the suspension for use in a car without a cage. (We did design and build for retail sale three different chassis braces for the Mustang.) I will post more pictures and video, but not the results. Until the magazines go to print we are going to let you choose the winner by poll.

Updated 8.17.2010

There are big differences in the two cars that go well beyond the Mustang have a fixed rear axle. The Mustang also has a floating rear caliper mounted in rubber that is more at home in a 1968 Mustang than a 2010 Mustang. The front sub-frame on the Mustang does not extend as far forward and mounts with two less bolts. From the factory the Mustang has two chassis braces that are important to the function of the vehicle.

On a Camaro we would start to improve stability through the lowest hanging fruit -- Pedders EP1200 sub-frame inserts. On the Mustang, it is the FIRST car we ever specified a triangulated chassis brace as the single most important foundational upgrade.

The mustang front sub-frame ends at the leading edge of the front wheel axles in the hubs. The front sway bar ends connect to the front struts. The main length of the bar connects to formed sheet metal well forward of the sub-frame with D bushes and metal straps. We designed a light weight chassis brace to more directly tie the sub-frame to the formed sheet metal where the D bushes bolt.



The immediate result is that the function of the OE bar is improved. You will notice the difference the first time you turn the front wheels and over the first bump. There are a lot of companies that make suspension parts for the Mustang. It is a crowded market. To my knowledge, this is the only triangulated front chassis brace. We look at things differently than other. We think the OEM guys are smart. They know what they are doing. They work under different budget constraints than a company like Pedders.

We do not look at the cost of a part first. We look for foundational weaknesses in the chassis. We ask why the OEM engineers did it this way. We rely on 60 years of experiences to guide us. Then we ask the magic question, why not do this. We build a prototype part and test it on the car. If it works, we assemble a detailed build of materials. Then we create the retail price. If the part is important enough in terms of function, people will buy it because it offers value. If our part is half as much or twice as much as brand x we don't care as long as the function justifies the price.

The equivalent part on the Camaro would be the EP1200 sub-frame bush inserts. You can add RWHP, you can add coilovers, you can add wheels and tires, but until you have at least sub-frame inserts you can't have a GREAT Camaro. If you want more than inserts we have the EP1201 and EP1201HD bushes. They makes the Camaro IRS function as designed -- STABLE.



Why didn't the OE engineers do this. Why didn't they know how important this was to the function so a great IRS? They did know. They had to meet a cabin noise level requirement that is a national standard to be certified as a library Most people equate quiet with quality. Our inserts add so little cabin noise you cannot tell it is there. If you used GM's audio testing equipment it would document the difference. Pedders is not restricted by that benchmark requirement so we are free to offer three levels of sub-frame bush solutions giving the Camaro owner complete control over how to setup their Camaro.

If we had an unlimited amount of resources and time I am sure we could squeeze another 1.5 to 2.5 seconds out of the cars. We would do this with improved engine cooling, front and rear brake ducts, upgrade the engine internals to increase TQ and HP and finally a couple of weeks at the track adjusting and tweaking in tiny increments looking for gains in a corner entry as small as .025 seconds. The end result would be cars that are incrementally faster and priced another $15,000 higher.

Our test day was typical for Pedders. It rained morning after morning washing all the rubber out of the track so we had virgin asphalt. One of these days we'll get a nice season track full of race rubber. When car run a track the tires wear leaving behind a 'filler'. The race rubber fills the spaces between the stones that form the track surface. A seasoned track is not slick. It is sticky and fast. I would complain of a black cloud and rain following me, but we had the shy pouring down rain when we arrived and 90 minutes later we had a dry track. How can I complain?

Our weather always seems to be so cold we are shaking or so hot we are melting. It was hot. It was humid. We know our TQ and HP were down. The cars are faster than they tested. They are only as fast as they tested on 8.11.2010 because that is what the data logging shows. We do know both car improved from our last test session even though they were making less HP and TQ dues to the exceptionally hot and humid weather so the chassis tweaks we made were spot on.

This is a very long answer to your very good question. Both cars are AWESOME. Off the showroom floor, I'll pick the Camaro over the Mustang. My partner Ron Pedder from AU drove the Mustang bone stock. He LOVED the look. He loved the interior. His evaluation was to the point -- They have that great 1968 look updated. The look is spot on. They got the drive all wrong. I feel like I am driving a 1968 Mustang. We knew we had a long way t go to get new Mustang to perform like our Camaro Supercar. In the end, that is exactly what we were able to accomplish. Cale Yarborough could have dominated NASCAR with the 2010 Saleen in 1968 You can see from the chart we have used a wide range of cars for our track time comparisons -- Thank you John O'Donnell for pulling that data together --- and the Mustang is going to slot very well.

The Pro Touring cars are fast. They are GREAT CARS!!! The suspension on most if either custom built or tubular component up grades. Some are built bu suspension companies. Most are built by guys that LOVE cars and motorsports. Some have put their life and life savings into them. They are fully functioning works of automotive art created by people who have a deep passion driving them. A number of these enthusiasts were at Gingerman for the Motor State Pro Touring Challenge.

Check out the ProTouring Cars at Gingerman or the Motor State ProTouring G-Machine Video Gallery

The driving, the cars and the feel of the event are everything an enthusiast could as for. They ran very very well. The Mustang and Camaro are faster around Gingerman than any of them and my best educated guess is both the Mustang and Camaro are heavier than any of the Pro Touring cars.

When we do publish the winner it will do little to settle the Mustang Camaro debate. Going into this project I was not all that confident I could get the Ford to be street civil and track animal. With a GREAT TEAM EFFORT we did exactly that. If the 60s and 70s formed the Golden Age of American Muscle then we are in the Platinum age right now. AMERICA MUSCLE has never had it this good!When I walk into my garage I have a hard time deciding which car to drive. Most of the time it will be based on which one is spotless. That is another poll. When you have two nice cars, do you take the one that is freshly detailed and spotless or the one that is just a little dirty?

One last thought. If you own a 5th Gen Camaro you own a GREAT CAR and so do the people that bought a Mustang over at the Blue Oval. If the Camaro is Pedderised or the Mustang has the new Saleen Suspension you own a SUPERCAR and we have the track data to prove it.

Here is an update on the Theoretical Lap Times for both the Mustang and Camaro. We use our data logging software to cut and paste the best parts of every lap we ran for each car. This does two things. First, it is a measure of driver consistency. The closer the drivers Best Lap to the Theoretical Lap the more consistent the driver is. To be within a second is good, under a second is better and under a half a second is beyond good. Second, this is a measure of the car and particularly the suspension. To be able to be consistent the car must be consistent. All a driver can ask of a car is to be stable and predictable. If the car delivers stability and predictability the driver knows what to do on every inch of the track. A really good car paired with a really good driver will deliver consistently good results. One is a measure of the other.

In the Camaro John was 3/10ths of a second slower in his Actual Lap Time compared to the Theoretical Best Lap Time.
In the Mustang John was 3/100ths of a second off in his Actual Lap Time compared to the Theoretical Best Lap Time.

This is another way of saying the same thing. Our DRIVER and our CARS were almost PERFECT.

John and the Mustang WERE perfect to be 3/100ths of a second apart in Actual vs. Theoretical Lap Times.

[JusticePete]

Reserved 1

[JusticePete]

Reserved 2

[JusticePete]

Reserved 3