Question about pricing - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

brtaus · 03-03-2010, 02:23 PM

I do not want anyone to think I am knocking a vendor or favoring one vendor over another as I have no vested interest in any of them. My only vested interest is in my wallet. So, with that said....

Why is the Eibach Pro-kit Plus $300 less than the same Hotchkis package and even more for the Pfadt and Detroit Speed packages?

I mean, really, am I, the average daily driver, going to notice the difference between any of the four?

I really want to get one of these kits, but I have to ask myself, am I going to really be able to tell the difference between the $500 Eibach kit and the $800+ Hotchkis/Pfadt/Detroit Speed kits?

Or is this one of those personal preference things?

StrangeMan · 03-03-2010, 03:12 PM

Good question. Its a question that I asked myself and researched here for an answer.

My SS is my DD too. I do some twisty driving but no hard core road racing.

I'm not one to skimp on quality because of price but after reading many positive reactions to the Eibach pro-kit, I went with it instead of one of the more expensive ones.

Let it be known that this was sight unseen. I maybe disappointed once I have it installed.

PfadtRacing · 03-03-2010, 04:20 PM

Hi brtaus,

Thank you for considering our products. I wanted to answer you in regards to your question of justifying the added cost of our Pfadt products over the competition. Just a couple thoughts:

You are going to see a noticeable performance handling difference, no matter which company you go with. There are a couple of reasons why our products are more expensive. We have gone though a number of iterations of the front and rear sway bar design. What we sell now is the culmination of research and testing to formulate what we believe to be the perfect front/rear roll reduction rate. Not only that, but the adjustable positions in our rear bar is engineered to suit future upgrades and still maintain the balance you require.

The manufacturing process that we use on our swaybars is more precise than some other companies. We use billet machined ends, welded in for this very reason. Our rear bar is hollow as well, which also increases overall cost during development.

Our spring development also, has been a long process to get the right drop, with the perfect increase in spring rate to suit the Camaro's handling. Our drop springs provide the lowest on the market, while still maintaing the travel requirements of the Camaro suspension.

The geometry difference between our bars, and competitors is also substantial. This again, adds to the cost. We did not just copy the OEM geometry. We designed our own bars, from a clean sheet of paper, and this took a lot of development. This is why Pfadt Race Engineering feels it supplies the best possible spring/swaybar package on the market for the 5th generation Camaro.

Take a look at some other Camaro5 members comments on the board, and you will get a good feel for what people are saying positive about all the companies that make suspension kits.

Again, we do thank you for considering our products. It is not always clear why one component cost more than another. Most of it is in the details. We just wanted to weigh-in on what advantages our products provide. Thank you!

And if you haven't seen it already, take a look at the video in this thread that we put together highlighting our spring/swaybar package, and our testing. Its is short, but says a lot: http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67900

Thank you!

brtaus · 03-03-2010, 04:30 PM

Thank you for that.

I have watched that video; it was great.

Here is a question, not only for you but for other vendors as well, does your kit allow for future upgrades to my suspension that will not require me to have to get rid of the but but will allow me to add on to it?

03-03-2010, 02:23 PM	#1
brtaus Drives: None Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 574 View My Garage	Question about pricing I do not want anyone to think I am knocking a vendor or favoring one vendor over another as I have no vested interest in any of them. My only vested interest is in my wallet. So, with that said.... Why is the Eibach Pro-kit Plus $300 less than the same Hotchkis package and even more for the Pfadt and Detroit Speed packages? I mean, really, am I, the average daily driver, going to notice the difference between any of the four? I really want to get one of these kits, but I have to ask myself, am I going to really be able to tell the difference between the $500 Eibach kit and the $800+ Hotchkis/Pfadt/Detroit Speed kits? Or is this one of those personal preference things?

03-03-2010, 03:12 PM	#2
StrangeMan Drives: 2SS SIM/Blk Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Frankfort KY Posts: 292	Good question. Its a question that I asked myself and researched here for an answer. My SS is my DD too. I do some twisty driving but no hard core road racing. I'm not one to skimp on quality because of price but after reading many positive reactions to the Eibach pro-kit, I went with it instead of one of the more expensive ones. Let it be known that this was sight unseen. I maybe disappointed once I have it installed. __________________

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03-03-2010, 04:20 PM	#3
PfadtRacing Drives: 2010 Camaro, 2006 Z06 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: SLC, UT Posts: 3,370	Hi brtaus, Thank you for considering our products. I wanted to answer you in regards to your question of justifying the added cost of our Pfadt products over the competition. Just a couple thoughts: You are going to see a noticeable performance handling difference, no matter which company you go with. There are a couple of reasons why our products are more expensive. We have gone though a number of iterations of the front and rear sway bar design. What we sell now is the culmination of research and testing to formulate what we believe to be the perfect front/rear roll reduction rate. Not only that, but the adjustable positions in our rear bar is engineered to suit future upgrades and still maintain the balance you require. The manufacturing process that we use on our swaybars is more precise than some other companies. We use billet machined ends, welded in for this very reason. Our rear bar is hollow as well, which also increases overall cost during development. Our spring development also, has been a long process to get the right drop, with the perfect increase in spring rate to suit the Camaro's handling. Our drop springs provide the lowest on the market, while still maintaing the travel requirements of the Camaro suspension. The geometry difference between our bars, and competitors is also substantial. This again, adds to the cost. We did not just copy the OEM geometry. We designed our own bars, from a clean sheet of paper, and this took a lot of development. This is why Pfadt Race Engineering feels it supplies the best possible spring/swaybar package on the market for the 5th generation Camaro. Take a look at some other Camaro5 members comments on the board, and you will get a good feel for what people are saying positive about all the companies that make suspension kits. Again, we do thank you for considering our products. It is not always clear why one component cost more than another. Most of it is in the details. We just wanted to weigh-in on what advantages our products provide. Thank you! And if you haven't seen it already, take a look at the video in this thread that we put together highlighting our spring/swaybar package, and our testing. Its is short, but says a lot: http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67900 Thank you!

03-03-2010, 04:30 PM	#4
brtaus Drives: None Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 574 View My Garage	Thank you for that. I have watched that video; it was great. Here is a question, not only for you but for other vendors as well, does your kit allow for future upgrades to my suspension that will not require me to have to get rid of the but but will allow me to add on to it?