Im sure this has been asked before.. But forgive my innocence :)
 

Hey fellas,

Okay, so, I am considering upgrading my suspension. I need some reccomendations guys. I have no idea what I'm doing in this area of modding. I would like something that will drop the car really close to the top of the tires all around. I dont plan on racing it alot, probably 1ce a month; Anyone have a reccomendation as to what would be good for me and my needs. I was looking at hotchkis package and eibachs package, but not sure if I want coils or springs or the package with the sways. Idk. You tell me haha

Thanks,

Grant :help:

You will get a lot of opinions here on this. If you're only on a track once a month, I would get a more streetable kit. I wouldn't lower it more than 1 inch. By streetable kit, the Hotchkis track pack would do the job. Eibach makes great stuff too. For the price, you can't go wrong with either. Detroit Speed's kits are also very streetable, but cost more.

I would stay away from Pedders unless you are racing regularly. They have great stuff, but they are definately more of a purpose built track package. Great on the track, might even be the best, but you will pay the price on daily driving. My usage is similiar to yours and I'm going with the Hotchkis track pack. In the end, it really depends on how much of a tradeoff you are willing to make on daily driving comfort for track performance. Good luck to you...:chevy:

Yeah im really leaning towards the the Hotchkis track pack, would there be alot of affect to the daily driving tho? I dont mind the change in ride quality, i just dont want to worry about scratching my bumper going over bumps and what not

Grant

I'm a big fan of Pedders. They have kits for different types of driving, and each type has different levels. This is a really good way to find the kit that's right for your needs.

If you don't have ground effects, I wouldn't worry about it. You will definately feel a difference in the ride vs. stock, but I didn't find it harsh at all...just tighter. I agree with the previous poster that you could probably dial in a Pedders set-up you like with some help, but I'm an automotive engineer and don't care to do that on my daily driver. I have a track car for that. Didn't think you would either. Sometimes, too much adjustability is just that...too much. Most people put in these systems and, aside from alignments, rarely touch them again, let alone tune them.

Again...if you are a serious track hound, go Pedders. If you are a set it and forget it type on your street car, like me, I think you can't go wrong with Hotchkis.

I think what the poster mentioned above that Pedders is just for racing is so far off from what we offer. Absolutely yes, we do offer kits that will kick the butt out of all other suspension companies. Just check out the Pedders Camaro at the Optima Challenge and watch the video of the ZR1 chasing her, and unable to take the same line thru the corners as the Pedders Camaro. But we offer everything from just drop coils, to simple fixes to the track setups and everything in between.

Pedders has just revamped our menus to make them more user friendly. We had too many systems to choose from. We now have Goo, Better, Best systems for Street, Track, and Drag. Check out this link

PEDDERS SYSTEM LINKS

Plus we can do some kind of custom system for you with just a phone call.

We also have solutions to concerns that no one else has as well. But you should first get educated on the Camaro so you can make proper decisions. The best description of the Camaro suspension in print is on our Pedders web site, Just go to www.peddersusa.com, and click on the Camaro at the top. Or you can just click on the link in my signature. You will find an unbeleiveable amount of info about the Camaro, which explains in detail why we replace parts that we do and describes the benifits.

Pedders will offer you a lot of support. We do not want to sell you more or less than you need. Tracking, rear hp at the tires, tire and wheel size, and your budget are all important criterias for making decisions. So check out the Pedders site, and contact me if you have any questions. My phone number and email is in my signature. Now I am on the west coast. So if you are in the east coast, please do not call me at 8:00am!! LOL

thanks

mike
dms

Gmag,

ive installed three sets of H&R springs(1 1/8-1/4" drop), but i can also install any setup you want to go with

another drop installed, rides great

Hi gmag21,

An important question to ask is: What are you intending to use the vehicle for? You already seem to have an idea, but I think a great idea is to start small, and maybe build up as you feel the need to do so.

Drop springs will give you a great aesthetic look (like you are looking for) and a slightly firmer feel to your suspension. There are differences between the manufacturers of drop springs, so investigate exactly which set of springs will get you the right drop, durability and ride quality. A good set of springs will improve the ride by adding a firm but not harsh feel. You'll probably need to get opinions from end users on the relative ride quality of springs. This is a good solution that requires minimal cost for parts and installation, and will provide a similar ride quality to what the Camaro already has.

If you are interested in taking a performance based approach I suggest that sway bar upgrades are a great tuning option. They have the ability to affect car balance without ride quality compromise. These, matched with a coil spring package or coilovers can offer a tremendous amount in terms of performance increase, and maintain great "ride" quality, relative to OEM.

If you are interested in gaining more performance, you could achieve the same drop with a coil-over solution and gain a lot of other things in the process. The benefits of coilovers in general and Pfadt units in particular are tunable damping and adjustable ride height. The adjustable damping fits well with any ride quality concern, because the damping plays a large role in ride quality. With the Pfadt coilovers there are 20 damping positions that will allow you to tailor the ride to suit your taste. Think of this as custom valving that you can change with a few twists of a knob. The softer damping settings provide better ride quality. There is obviously a substantial increase in cost when making the move to coilovers. But the added performance, tuning aspects, and adjustability make them well worth a consideration. There are a lot of differences between coilover manufacturers, so be sure to research this accordingly.

If you are certain you are going to race the car at track events, you will not be wasting your time and money if you purchase the right coilovers. If you are unsure exactly how much you will be tracking the car, then maybe its a better option to start small, and just upgrade the springs and sway bars. Then make the move to coilovers once you get a good feel for the Camaro chassis on a track, and can benefit from the added performance. That way you can take what you learn on the track from your springs and sways, and make the right decision on what features you need in the coilovers you want to upgrade to.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any specific questions regarding suspension upgrades for your vehicle.

For lowering the car, go with the one you like the look of. If you want to be close to the top of the tire, you'll need to go with a 1.25in drop as a minimum. A 1in drop is great but it still leaves a little bit of gap. For sways, i'd suggest you go with a better one than Eibach. I'm sure they are better than stock but i'd want one that is CONSIDERABLY better than stock. The Pfadts are what i'll be going with. I'm sure Hotchkis is fine and I think Pedders is coming out with their soon too.

Yes thank you,

Im pretty sure I wont be tracking it that much because im in college and my degree (petroleum engineering) is very time consuming and homework demanding so I rarely have time to go out to the track. I think what I would like to have is something (on a 100% scale) that is 65% looks 35% percent performance. I would like the drop to be nice around the tip of my tire, and im willing to sacrifice some ride quality.. But I do like to have fun around corners and most likely will take it to track at some point in time. So yeah im just gonna have to look around a little bit and see what my options are; I'm really leaning towards a package that offers lowering springs, sways, and maybe 1 more little tweak to make sure I can still have some satisifying performance while mainintaing a decent price.

Grant

P.S. - I was looking at the hotchkis track pack, which im thinking could be a possibility. Any other companies offering similar packages?

I would like my drop to appear like this,

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...e/100_0555.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...e/100_0544.jpg

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/i...g?t=1262893534

Sometimes I notice drops that are lowered right at the tip top of the tire but on the adjacent sides of the tire I see an annoying gap that is larger than the distance from the top of the tire. These pics I show dont seem to have that problem.

Judging by some of the pictures anyways, I would think coil overs are installed. The challenge with doing just drop coils is your OE struts and the serious lack of travel they will have. Doin a 1.5 and greater in drop, Pedders feels that should be done with coil overs and not just coils. We do not think the OE dampers are suited nor designed for a drop like that.With our Pedders coil overs, you can get it to below 2 inches

Here is the WD 40 car we did for SEMA that sold at Barret Jackson this year.

[]

The WD40 girl with Pete

http://forums.peddersusa.com/imageho...516982e192.jpg

the REALLY big Boob" in the picture, is me. LOL

http://forums.peddersusa.com/imageho...516996eb21.jpg


Mike Haddad and the WD40 girl.
http://forums.peddersusa.com/imageho...5169b0d9a6.jpg

http://forums.peddersusa.com/imageho...516da59728.jpg

this is Will Wit, one of our SERIOUSLY premiere dealers in Michigan

http://forums.peddersusa.com/imageho...516dc20af1.jpg

NOW the SEMA MODEL DOES NOT COME WITH OUR COIL OVERS!

Damn that chick is sexy. That drop is to low for me, I like just little but EVEN space around the wheel and the chassis. So I guess ill need coils?

Quality is my demand, I dont mind paying a couple extra hundred bucks if its gonna last me ;P

gmag21, you asked if there were any packages available for the Camaro that are like a track pack. Pfadt Race Engineering offers a sport package that has 1.25" drop springs (spring rate increase) and matched set of front and rear sway bars (rear adjustable), and combined with our strut tower brace and sway bar endlinks you would be covered! There are many good testimonials as to the high quality of our parts, as that is what our company is known for. Please give us a call if you have any questions. We are here to help!

Some images below:

http://www.pfadtracing.com/photos/data/522/11.jpg
http://www.pfadtracing.com/photos/da...0-sway-1a1.jpg
http://www.pfadtracing.com/photos/da...sis-Bar-1a.jpg
http://www.pfadtracing.com/photos/da...d-Links-1a.jpg

Do you guys have any pics of a camaro with this package equipped only? Im really curious :)

Of course!:thumbsup:

PQ just finished up his install of our springs and sway bars. There are countless others as well, but he has great before and after pics. Granted its a black car, but post #139 really shows how the fender sits just above the tire. Take a look and make sure to comment on it if you like it! He even documented in video how easy the install procedure was.

And below is a picture of our strut tower brace, unpainted.

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showth...t=63322&page=6

http://www.pfadtracing.com/photos/da...m/IMG_0184.JPG

The photos on the right side are the after-install correct? Def. looks good man! Got a pricing on that package?

Pedders offers lots of systems for the Camaro, plus we can build something specific to yor needs. For an actual track usage, here are some systems for you:

Road Coarse and Autocross
GOOD
2/15/2010 CAMARO TRACK 1
MERLIN STORE P/N IS CAMARO TRACK I
The Track I combines all the components of the Street II and adds sway bars, all bushes and adjustable Endlinks. With the virtual pivot point design and the advanced rear suspension your tracked Camaro does not need to be over sprung and over damped. In complete OE trim it will out perform many respected marquees. With a Track I System we are going hunting for the big boys with big dollar stickers. We add more urethane bushes to create greater control. These are Pedders exclusively designed urethane bushes that use voids, shapes and volume of urethane to increase control while maintaining an OE like ride. There are no squeaks. It is not rough. It is AMG like control. It has long been the Pedders philosophy that sway bars are not used to correct deficiencies in your suspension. Sway Bars are the final tuning step for a properly sprung, damped and bushed vehicle. Pedders sways offer four positions of adjustment front and three positions of adjustment rear. They include Pedders urethane bushes. They are perfectly matched to provide an amazing level of control as they compliment your Pedderised ZETA II Camaro, PLUS the flexibility to fine tune the control rates to fit your needs. Keep in mind, because the system is titled Camaro Track 1, this is a system designed for the street, that just happens to work well for the track!. A special note: The Pedders Performance coil set offered in this kit will give you a moderately aggressive flat stance, and work very well with your OE dampers to allow adequate shock movement. However, many rear oversized tires and wheels may not allow you to make the rear drop so low. Therefore, you can swap the 220033 for the 220035 rear coils that will give you a slight rake look, and are spring rated to match the front drop coils. In terms of handling, the 220033 coils will bed the performer. For Drag racing, the 220035 will be the ticket.
P/N Part Description Price
220032 "Camaro 2009 Front drop Coils & Ride Height with 20"" Wheels at 657mm
" $92.31
220032 "Camaro 2009 Front drop Coils & Ride Height with 20"" Wheels at 657mm
" $92.31
220033 Camaro 2009 Rear Drop Coils & Ride Height with 20" Wheels at 660mm $92.31
220033 Camaro 2009 Rear Drop Coils & Ride Height with 20" Wheels at 660mm $92.31
CAMAROSOLUTIONB 27MM FR. & REAR BARS WITH 4 ADJUSTABLE ENDLINKS Larger HD end links require enlarging mounting holes. $599.99
EP1167HD REAR ZETA HD DIFFERENTIAL BUSHING KIT $142.51
EP1201 CAMARO TOTAL REAR SUB FRAME BUSHING REPLACEMENT $462.50
EP2112 Zeta Steering Rack Bush $26.25
EP6579 CAMARO FRONT EXTREME RADIUS ROD BUSHING INSERTS for raciing (new) $101.63
EP7264 Zeta rear lower control arm inner $96.20
EP7322 Camaro Only Rear Control arm - Upper inner rear. $99.09
EP7323 Zeta Camaro Rear Toe, and trailing arm links in and out. $96.20
EP7323 Zeta Camaro Rear Toe, and trailing arm links in and out. $96.20
EP7323 Zeta Camaro Rear Toe, and trailing arm links in and out. $96.20
EP7323 Zeta Camaro Rear Toe, and trailing arm links in and out. $96.20
PDUSACAMFULL CAMARO REAR EXTENDED CAMBER, TOE ADJUSTERS, FRONT CASTER ECCENTRICS & CAMBER ADJUSTERS $287.36
Pedders Parts Totals $2,569.57

BETTER
2/15/2010 CAMARO TRACK II with Xa Coil Overs
MERLIN STORE PART NUMBER IS CAMARO TRACK II
The Track II combines all the components of the Street II and adds sway bars, all bushes and adjustable HD Endlinks. With the virtual pivot point design and the advanced rear suspension you tracked Camaro does not need to be over sprung and over damped. In complete OE trim it will out perform many respected marquees. With a Track II System we are going hunting for the big boys with big dollar stickers. We add more urethane bushes to create greater control. These are Pedders exclusively designed urethane bushes that use voids, shapes and volume of urethane to increase control while maintaining an OE like ride. There are no squeaks. It is not rough. It is AMG like control. It has long been the Pedders philosophy that sway bars are not used to correct deficiencies in your suspension. Sway Bars are the final tuning step for a properly sprung, damped and bushed vehicle. Pedders sways offer four positions of adjustment front and three positions of adjustment rear. They include Pedders urethane bushes. They are perfectly matched to provide an amazing level of control as they compliment your Pedderised ZETA II Camaro, PLUS the flexibility to fine tune the control rates to fit your needs. This kit uses our Pedders eXtreme Xa Coil Overs that give you a massive amount of flexibility, custom tuning to your individual driving habits and needs. You will have complete suspension travel no matter what height you set the Xas at. This will give you the same comfort at a 2 inch drop as you would have at a 1/2 inch drop. For the SS Camaros with Brembos, we strongly recommend adding our Complete Brake Hose Kit for added performance and security. PDUSACAM2800
P/N Part Description Price
160086 Camaro eXtreme Xa Multi Adjustable Coilover Kit By Pedders with 8kg/mm Front and 10kg/mm Rear Coil Rates $1,574.99
CAMAROSOLUTIONB 27MM FR. & REAR BARS WITH 4 ADJUSTABLE ENDLINKS Larger HD end links require enlarging mounting holes. $599.99
EP1167HD REAR ZETA HD DIFFERENTIAL BUSHING KIT $142.51
EP1201HD CAMARO VERY HD REAR SUB-FRAMEBUSHING REPLACEMENT $565.50
EP2112 Zeta Steering Rack Bush $26.25
EP6577 CAMARO Front Radius Rod Bushing $204.55
EP7264 Zeta rear lower control arm inner $96.20
EP7322 Camaro Only Rear Control arm - Upper inner rear. $99.09
EP7323 Zeta Camaro Rear Toe, and trailing arm links in and out. $96.20
EP7323 Zeta Camaro Rear Toe, and trailing arm links in and out. $96.20
EP7323 Zeta Camaro Rear Toe, and trailing arm links in and out. $96.20
EP7323 Zeta Camaro Rear Toe, and trailing arm links in and out. $96.20
PDUSACAMFULL CAMARO REAR EXTENDED CAMBER, TOE ADJUSTERS, FRONT CASTER ECCENTRICS & CAMBER ADJUSTERS $287.36
Pedders Parts Totals $3,981.24
Pedders System Discount $596.57
Camaro Track II Discounted Parts Pricing $3,384.67

These coil overs are not yet available but are VERY serious setup and go way beyond enything that is currently available for the Camaro:

SERIOUSLY THE BEST
2/15/2010 Camaro Justice Package with Remote Reservoir Xa Coil Overs
MERLIN STORE P/N IS CAMARO JUSTICE
"The Justice Pete Package will include all the suspension components that assisted him taking 7 seconds off the lap time of a stock SS2 at Gingerman Raceway. This track ready package contains the best of the best of what Pedders has to offer, including our VERY SERIOUS sway bar package, SOLUTIONC, which, if improperly setup, may induce significant oversteer. Properly setup with a SCCA or NASA certified driver, will produce the perfect handling package for the track. The initial Justice Package came with our off the charts great Pedders eXtreme Xa Coil Overs. They are very hard to beat!. But we did. The Justice Pete Camaro now has our large Remote Reservoir, high pressure, 6mm larger valves with dual detent adjustable Coil Overs. These are VERY SERIOUS COILOVERS that offer eXtreme flexibility. The Track eXtreme combines all the components of the Street II and adds extremely Aggressive Track Sway bars, all bushes with all of our most HD options, 4 adjustable Endlinks and our new Pedders Remote Canister eXtreme Coilovers. With the virtual pivot point design and the advanced independent rear suspension your tracked Camaro does not need to be over sprung and over damped. In complete OE trim it will out perform many respected marquees. With a Track II eXtreme System your ZETA II Camaro is ""this close"" to race ready and yet still street comfortable. This is where GM's multi billion dollar investment in the ZETA architecture reaches levels of performance that are as aggressive as the Camaro styling. You really can have it all. Drive to the track in performance comfort, Click to max Performance, and Play to the Max!. CLICK, TUNE, PLAY! The look; The handling; The comfort! A Pedderised Camaro offers it all! Your Pedderised ZETA II Camaro will dominate the market.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOp1g...ayer_embedded#

"
Special Note: Racing helmet and Driving Suit Not Included!
P/N Part Description
164086 Camaro eXtreme Xa Multi Adjustable Coilover Kit By Pedders with 8kg/mm Front and 10kg/mm Rear Coil Rates with remote high pressure reserviors and dual damping adjustability. Not available yet. The price of this kit has not been 100% determined. Price indicated is an initial estimate. The dampers have 52mm valves as compaired to the 46mm Xas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOp1g...ayer_embedded#
CAMAROSOLUTIONC 27MM FR. & 32MM REAR SWAY BAR WITH 4 ADJUSTABLE ENDLINKS Larger HD end links require enlarging mounting holes. Special Note: The 32mm sway bar is a Track ready bar and should only be installed on vehicles driven by SCCA or NASA qualified drivers. This bar may be set up to induce excessive oversteer!
EP1167HD REAR ZETA HD DIFFERENTIAL BUSHING KIT
EP1201HD CAMARO VERY HD REAR SUB-FRAMEBUSHING REPLACEMENT
EP2112 Zeta Steering Rack Bush
EP6577 CAMARO Front Radius Rod Bushing
EP7264 Zeta rear lower control arm inner
EP7322 Camaro Only Rear Control arm - Upper inner rear.
EP7323 Zeta Camaro Rear Toe, and trailing arm links in and out.
EP7323 Zeta Camaro Rear Toe, and trailing arm links in and out.
EP7323 Zeta Camaro Rear Toe, and trailing arm links in and out.
EP7323 Zeta Camaro Rear Toe, and trailing arm links in and out.
PDUSACAM2800 SS CAMARO BRAKE HOSE KIT (4 lines)
PDUSACAMFULL CAMARO REAR EXTENDED CAMBER, TOE ADJUSTERS, FRONT CASTER ECCENTRICS & CAMBER ADJUSTERS


Then we have systems that are far less involved than these


thanks
mike
dms

I will PM you!

PM sent

Be careful asking such an open-ended question. You will get a lot of sales pitches on here about which is better. Bottom line is, if you are just giving the car a sportier look, all you need is lowering springs. Save yourself a bunch of grief listening to coil over this, sway bars that, this spring, that spring etc........

Me personally did the Eibach Pro-Plus kit which is a 1.0 lowering springs, and front and rear sway bar. I did it primarily for looks but also I live where there is a lot of curvy roads. I was looking for stiffer suspension just to have a little fun. I also chose Eibach because of price and the companies reputation.

Good luck with you decision

I agree with everything FFPM73 said above. I have no skin in the game and am not trying to sell you something, but I can personally vouch for the Eibach Pro-Plus Kit as well as the Hotchkis Track Pack. Have driven both and I think you would be pleased with either. The Pfadt kit sport kit detailed above would work for you as well. Can't personally vouch for it from experience, but a lot of people I trust speak very highly of it. All three solutions come from first class companies. It comes down to what kind of driving experience you are looking for. I can tell you the Eibach and Hotchkis kits feel different when you drive them. It's a matter of which one you like best. What I would do is attend a large meet and talk to folks with this stuff installed. Camaro people are the best and are very proud of their cars. They will be happy to talk your ear off, educate you and maybe even give you a ride so you can feel for yourself.

With regard to the Pedders post above, as I stated before, they have great stuff that performs in outstanding fashion, both on the track and off. I just think they're a little more track oriented than the others. I'm a mechanical engineer and I work in the automotive industry and even I couldn't read through that post without my eyes glazing over. Just too much. This guy stated he's a suspension rookie in his OP. How could he possibly interpret what he did and did not need from that post? C'mon guys....:chevy:

I see exactly where you guys are coming from- I would love to attend a camaro meet and get some personal insight on this issue; Im living in lafayette for school and when home in houston trying to find some locals. Im also considering powder coating my wheels flat black, heres a little pic of my baby; sorry my cell phone camera is so bad u probably cant see much (smoked tails/tinted windows yesterday)

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...ag21/night.jpg