Quote:
Originally Posted by DanRealtor
You asked for my opinion? Here it is:
The Pedders products do look to be first rate. I did go to Anthem Motors in Phoenix for the "Pedders Day" a couple of months ago. I was mostly intersted in picking up the parts necessary to be able to adjust the Caster & Camber on my car. I did get a chance to meet the nice man from down under (sorry, I'm bad with names) and I did get a chance to ride in, and drive their Pedderized car.
In all fairness to them, I really could not give a fair review, since their car is a relatively stock RT and my daily driver (with 86,000+ not so gentle miles) is an SRT.
At the time they quoted me about $5700 for bushings installed, and they were not willing to sell me the parts to add the camber adjustment to my car. So for me, it was a wasted trip. I do understand their rationale: With their product being new to our platform they wanted to make sure that the installs were perfect, performed by people they trained, to make sure that all of the initial reviews were accurate. As in, not selling parts to someone who screws up the install, than posts everywhere that the product sucks. Still, I left empty handed. Oh well.
I did speak with Pete at the Spring Festival and he assured me that in the not too distant future, parts would be available for me.
As far as suspension goes: When I got my car I was astounded at how well it drove with the stock SRT suspension as were the many cars I flew by on the Infineon road course (Porsches, Vettes, Bimmers....). I thought it was perfect.
Then I inherited a Hotchkis front swaybar. Wow. Much tighter, with less body roll. Eventually I added the rear Hotchkis sway bar. Wow again. Then I got a smokin' deal on some KW V1's and added those. After MUCH trial and error (and advice from Meister) I got the ride height perfect all the way around. DAAAAYUUUUUM!!! The combo is killer. Practically no body roll. Well, since perfect is never as good as it gets, I bought a DC Sport strut tower brace. Another noticeable improvement.
Combined with my Toyo Proxes 4's (245/45's up front and 275/40's in back) my car sits FLAT while cornering and is still very user friendly (just ask HalV48 & his wife who "Enjoyed" a spirited ride back from Cali with me yesterday. I swear I kept it under 160 the whole way!)
In the not too distant future I hope to get Camber adjustability, if not from Pedders, then from someone else, so I can finish dialing in my car.
Before I'd throw down on the full Pedders Bushing package I'd have to feel the difference between two RT's or two SRT's, one with and one without to be able to really judge the difference. In no way am I doubting their claims, and I have seen their first rate products in person. But for me, the results are what count. I bet I'd be even FASTER on the road courses with their bushings!
BTW: I was THE Fastest LX at Fontana last Spring Fling, and THE fastest LX on the ROval in December, and that was without their bushings. If someone with their bushings beats me on a road course, you bet I'll be putting them in ASAP!!!!
I hope the Pedders guys don't mind me telling it like I see it. Those that know me know that's what I always do.
I wonder what MY bushings look like after 86,000+ not so gentle miles???
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We will will have 2 alternative methods of doing rear cambers in the back end very soon. You did hit it on the mark: The LX suspension is one of the most technical suspension systems out there. Only if the left the Mercedes/AMG touch to the bushes, joints, shocks, et, then you wuld have a absolute killer SRT8. Bu alla you have the same compnonets, less shocks and springs, as grammas LX.
It is also wise to do a before/after before making a desicion. We at Pedders encourage this!!. I have done it now, and the results on a SRT8 are fantastic. Every SRT8 I have driven (3) have all been driven very hard, and all had very bad rear cradle mount bushes and torn strut rod bushes. With the cradle mount bushes a problem, the back end will feel like it is disconnected becasue it is moving independanlty of the body. OT me, I have been describing it as a orbital steering in the rear, meaning, when you hit a bump in a corner, the back end feels like it is moving in an orbit. The bushings in your SRT8 re not really meant to be removed and we have VERY specific ways to remove them. Some of them are pretty complicated and if not done correclty, will not only make you unhappy, but the worlkd will know you are unhappy because it hits the forums. Not until the name Pedders becomes a household name like it is with GTO, will we loosen up our policies.
I think Anthem misquoted you for the bushing kit and install and it is not all ther fault. Traditionally corporate sets up the menus, does the time studieds, ect, and gives that info you to the dealers. For a bush install only, that has just recently been done by me and no one has as of yet recieved the latest Peddes menu stuff because we are double checking the data to make sure it is correct. Not knowing their labor rate, I would estiamte a compelte bush install all around and a custom align with all parts and labor should be in the $2600 to 2700 range there in Phoenix. I may be there next week at a new Pedders dealer in Chandler. We will be doing 2 LX vehicles most likely from the 26-28, in prep for the big event on the 29th. I would be glad to keep in communication with you so you can see what is involved, meet me, chat with me, and hopefully go on a post test drive.
One of the things getting involved as much as I have with the LX community, is that the KW product really has a love/hat relationship. But to be honest, before we hit the market, you really did not have any other high quality shock/spring combo out there. The Other major brand, I will not mention, I have turned down 2 training install tests becasue I do not like them and do not want poeple use these vehicles as the first evaluation of Pedders. The KW are very harsh, good for track, but lots of guys have taken them off becasue the ride quality is not what they wnat. This is ultamately a personal decision. I have removed 2 sets of KWs for our Pedders stuff.
But again, if you want to see an actual install, email me a contact method, and if customs could ever bless us and give us our shipment that is in port, we can make final decisions.
But if you really think you SRT8 is good now, drive it with a full Pedders bush package with alignemnt kits, and you will be amazed.
mike
dms
Owe, and by the way, if we have time, and we can connect next week, I would be glad to give you a compelentry Pedders 28 point inspection, and we can both look at your bushings together. Is that a deal??
mike
