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JusticePete · 02-23-2011, 04:47 PM

There are two reasons to lower your 5th Gen

1. The Look
2. As part of a handling upgrade

THE LOOK is purely subjective. Some like it slammed while others want a traditional Muscle Car rake. Pedders makes two rear coils for this reason. The fronts are 220032 and the matching rear 220033 or the more traditional muscle 220035.

When you lower a car, any car, there is a compromise in ride quality for the look as suspension travel is removed and higher rate coils added. Different companies use different winding techniques to deliver what they believe to be the best result. The 5th Gen is a very sophisticated Muscle Car. Lowering it should not change the essential characteristics of the ride. Every single brand of 5th Gen coils will have a loyal following to endorse them. If at all possible I highly recommend some seat time in lowered Camaros with the leading brand coils installed.

At Pedders we are rather surprised at the number of 5th Gen owners choosing coilovers over lowering coils. These owners place a premium on ride quality and want exactly the ride height they want.

What isn't being discussed in this thread is the sequence of suspension modifications for the 5th Gen to achieve the best band for the buck results. That starts on a 5th gen with addressing the lowest hanging fruit -- the highly compliant OE voided rubber bushes used to mount the IRS sub-frame. When the wheels encounter an uneven pavement, on hard acceleration or deceleration the sub-frame twists in the rubber bush mounts. Vehicle are aligned to tenths and hundredths of a degree. The sub-frame twists in the rubber bushes far exceed this creating rear end step out or rear end steering. Every modifications you make to your 5th Gen that increases the load on the sub-frame bushes increases rear end steering. This includes larger stickier tires, increases in RWHP, better brakes, sway bars and lowering coils. By improving these systems we make the sub-frame bushes relatively weaker.

It isn't sexy, but it is exactly why virtually every suspension company makes some type of sub-frame bush replacement. It is the essential first suspension mod and if you are lowering your vehicle with coils or coilovers addressing the sub-frame bushes is mission critical. Pedders offers the budget friendly easy to install EP1200 sub-frame inserts. These supplement the OE rubber bushes to control rear end step out. Full replacement EP1201 bushes are the next logical step up with the EP1201HD being a Delrin like stable bush set for the most outrageous RWHP beasts.

As you move through the decision tree on your lowering coils I encourage you to read The Book on 5th Gen Suspension. The more you know about 5th Gen suspension the more informed your buying decision will be.

02-23-2011, 04:47 PM	#22
JusticePete Drives: Camaro Justice Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 20,171	There are two reasons to lower your 5th Gen 1. The Look 2. As part of a handling upgrade *THE LOOK* is purely subjective. Some like it slammed while others want a traditional Muscle Car rake. Pedders makes two rear coils for this reason. The fronts are 220032 and the matching rear 220033 or the more traditional muscle 220035. When you lower a car, any car, there is a compromise in ride quality for the look as suspension travel is removed and higher rate coils added. Different companies use different winding techniques to deliver what they believe to be the best result. The 5th Gen is a very sophisticated Muscle Car. Lowering it should not change the essential characteristics of the ride. Every single brand of 5th Gen coils will have a loyal following to endorse them. If at all possible I highly recommend some seat time in lowered Camaros with the leading brand coils installed. At Pedders we are rather surprised at the number of 5th Gen owners choosing coilovers over lowering coils. These owners place a premium on ride quality and want exactly the ride height they want. What isn't being discussed in this thread is the sequence of suspension modifications for the 5th Gen to achieve the best band for the buck results. That starts on a 5th gen with addressing the lowest hanging fruit -- the highly compliant OE voided rubber bushes used to mount the IRS sub-frame. When the wheels encounter an uneven pavement, on hard acceleration or deceleration the sub-frame twists in the rubber bush mounts. Vehicle are aligned to tenths and hundredths of a degree. The sub-frame twists in the rubber bushes far exceed this creating rear end step out or rear end steering. Every modifications you make to your 5th Gen that increases the load on the sub-frame bushes increases rear end steering. This includes larger stickier tires, increases in RWHP, better brakes, sway bars and lowering coils. By improving these systems we make the sub-frame bushes relatively weaker. It isn't sexy, but it is exactly why virtually every suspension company makes some type of sub-frame bush replacement. It is the essential first suspension mod and if you are lowering your vehicle with coils or coilovers addressing the sub-frame bushes is mission critical. Pedders offers the budget friendly easy to install EP1200 sub-frame inserts. These supplement the OE rubber bushes to control rear end step out. Full replacement EP1201 bushes are the next logical step up with the EP1201HD being a Delrin like stable bush set for the most outrageous RWHP beasts. As you move through the decision tree on your lowering coils I encourage you to read The Book on 5th Gen Suspension. The more you know about 5th Gen suspension the more informed your buying decision will be.