A'ight so I need some help.
I know this site has a lot of pedders fanboys. Honestly the system seems really sweet, but...

I think the track II rides too low. Honestly, the street system may be too low. With just me in the car I get up the driveway just fine, but with my 120lb girlfreind in the car the front scratches, so I am right at the limit stock. Also I live in West Texas and once you get off the interstate the city roads are very "dippy". I bottomed out my slightly lowered Dodge Ram more than once (ok so I was probably going faster than I needed).

I really like the way the car rids most of the time. There are however a few really nice back roads that I hit and the car gets a little loose, and it definately leans way too much when cornering hard.

Oddly enough the car cornered with more stability when I took it out yesterday with three freinds (probably 750lbs total). My buddy told me half way around a corner that he could get around it at "such and such" mph in his STI... couldn't resist so I got on it and by the exit I was doing 4 mph slower... I was like "I got up to..." and he said, yeah I could see your speedo. I tried the same corner with no load in the car and it got all floaty.

So... help me out here, do i just need some sway bars and stock height stiffer springs and shocks with better compression or am i way off?

Again I would love the look of the pedders street, but i think even that might be a little too low for street conditions.

Thanks.

I do believe they have a non-lowered option. Check the website. I could be wrong.

The problem i had with lowering previous car ...aka, jag, is the the tires started to wear unevenly, even after 2, 4 wheel alignments. Tire rotations were at least every 3 months. A real pain if you ask me. With the car lowered, i was going through tires every 2 years...and, if i wanted to cruze the streets with some folks in the back seats, I had the "tire rubbing" to deal with.

With the G8, I will try a different appraoch. Heavy duty sway bars, new bushing and the likes. I think thicker sway bars front and rear is the way to go, and replacing the soft factory bushings will definetly improve the handliing of the vehicle.

I was surprised how thin the factory sway bars are....so with that said...first step is getting them replaced!

The problem i had with lowering previous car ...aka, jag, is the the tires started to wear unevenly, even after 2, 4 wheel alignments. Tire rotations were at least every 3 months. A real pain if you ask me. With the car lowered, i was going through tires every 2 years...and, if i wanted to cruze the streets with some folks in the back seats, I had the "tire rubbing" to deal with.

With the G8, I will try a different appraoch. Heavy duty sway bars, new bushing and the likes. I think thicker sway bars front and rear is the way to go, and replacing the soft factory bushings will definetly improve the handliing of the vehicle.

I was surprised how thin the factory sway bars are....so with that said...first step is getting them replaced!

That's because you didn't get adjustable camber setups, to properly align the car. Once you go below a certain drop, the factory available adjustments won't cut it anymore. You have to go to aftermarket (or alter it) to get it to ride correctly. Has nothing to do with riding low, just having the correct equipment.

If anyone is going to make zero drop springs, it's most likely going to come from down under. Eibach takes forever to introduce new product.
I wouldn't say I'm a fanboy. I do like how my car drives though. :)

I too really like the feel and ride of mine.

Yes, and unfortunatly the Jag didn't have the camber adjustments for the lowerd springs.....so do they have it for the G8??

Pedders is first to market because of their history with the Commodore. It's going to be another 6-18 months before you will be able to assemble your own suspension with different vendors' components (Eibach springs, Hotchkis sways, etc.).

If you don't want to wait, Pedders is your only choice; if you can wait, you will have choices later.

Yes, and unfortunatly the Jag didn't have the camber adjustments for the lowerd springs.....so do they have it for the G8??

Yes, my camber is currently in spec.

Pedders is first to market because of their history with the Commodore. It's going to be another 6-18 months before you will be able to assemble your own suspension with different vendors' components (Eibach springs, Hotchkis sways, etc.).

If you don't want to wait, Pedders is your only choice; if you can wait, you will have choices later.

All of the major suspension vendors in AU have products available for our vehicles. I wouldn't say that Pedders is the first to market either. I would check out Whiteline, SuperPro, Noltec and Fulcrum. They all have products available for our G8s known as the VE line in AU.

Tein already has a great coilover kit available for our cars based on the whiteline kits out of Australia.

Yes, no other vendor has packages like Pedders, but sometimes the parts are greater than the sum.

King has also released three different sets of springs in AU. Also, there is also the other red bushing manufacturer out of Australia Nolathane that carries just about every bushing you can think of for the G8.

Okay, to be more clear, Pedders is the first Aussie vendor to market in the U.S....if the other vendors have U.S. presence, please provide the forum with links so we can have a look.

Okay, to be more clear, Pedders is the first Aussie vendor to market in the U.S....if the other vendors have U.S. presence, please provide the forum with links so we can have a look.

I would love to, but none of those vendors are currently sponsors which would be against the forum rules. Google will help you there. :wink2:

So we can only post up products that belong to sponsors on the board ??? is that why no-one replied to my Koni Thread about three or four threads below this one, either that or no-one give a **** about koni's, HEHEHE, I did say I was going to Buy some of pedders bushings does that count, seriously though the top line of this post was a question I like this forum and dont want to get into trouble or upset anyone !!

Ah..i like the way the car rides now....i probably won't be lowering mine. Sway bar replacement in the horizion! lol

So we can only post up products that belong to sponsors on the board ??? is that why no-one replied to my Koni Thread about three or four threads below this one, either that or no-one give a **** about koni's, HEHEHE, I did say I was going to Buy some of pedders bushings does that count, seriously though the top line of this post was a question I like this forum and dont want to get into trouble or upset anyone !!

We can discuss any product we want, but it crosses the line when we post links to non-sponsor vendors who carry product. I would look at the GTO boards for people who carry similar product lines.

I would love to, but none of those vendors are currently sponsors which would be against the forum rules. Google will help you there. :wink2:

check out TEIN From JHP ;)
http://www.g8board.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3199

I do believe they have a non-lowered option. Check the website. I could be wrong.

Correct, we will have 3 options for spring heights i believe.
Rob

Okay, to be more clear, Pedders is the first Aussie vendor to market in the U.S....if the other vendors have U.S. presence, please provide the forum with links so we can have a look.

JHP ( www.jhp.com.au ) have the Tein Performance double adjustable coil over suspension kits to suit G8. These kits have already been tested and allows for performance standard height or super low suspension. The 16x adjustable bump / rebound dampers you can have a soft standard for daily driving and then have the same suspension for firm / hard track on the weekends.
http://www.jhp.com.au/holden_ve_suspension_kits.php

http://www.jhp.com.au/img/products/exteriors/suspension/jhp_ve_g8_suspension_before-h.jpg?imagealt=
http://www.jhp.com.au/img/products/exteriors/suspension/jhp_ve_g8_suspension_after-h.jpg?imagealt=
http://www.jhp.com.au/img/products/exteriors/suspension/option-3-h.jpg?imagealt=

Hey JHP, have you tried Tein's EDFC with these new coilovers? I've been thinking about doing it on my GTO with the whitelines and was wondering if you had any feedback.

JHP - talk to me about duties, taxes, etc. for a company with no U.S. presence. Does JHP have a U.S. storefront, or do U.S. customers have to pay over and above for international shipping, fees, etc.?

The reason your G8 cornered better with your car loaded is you functionally lowered it. G8 handling suffers from very tall front ride height and an extremely tall rear ride height. What is scraping up front is the air dam on the front plastic cover. We see that on many OE G8s. I have been driving lower from the factory than typical cars and lowered by aftermarket cars for more years that I car to mention. My G8 has been been continuously lowered since the eXtremes were installed and I have no scraping issues, no rubbing ssiues. That is because I am so used to entering and exiting ramps on Vette like angles...

The best way to get a G8 under control is to modestly lower it an modestly increase the spring rates. Our front drop ranges on the vehicle from 8 to 15mm. That is a direct result of the condition of the strut mount. If your mounts are pristine you'll see a 15mm drop. If your mounts are battered and bruised you'll see as little as 7mm drop. The rears comes down about 30mm. Since the rates are about 25 to 30% higher than OE you'll have little functional differences in ride heights with passengers in the car.

The OE dampers are NG -- No Gas. That is another major source of float. The G8 is a near luxury performance sedan. It should ride with a degree of luxury. GSR dampers and SR coils will preserve a significant portion of the OE ride quality. Our coils overs or for that matter any coilovers will be going up more than 25% in coil rate. There is a clear price paid in ride comfort for that control. My G8 now rides more like a BMW M3 or Audi RS with the eXtremes while the GSRs are more mainstream 5 series German luxury feel.

You should have no unusual tire wear on a lowered G8. It arrives from the factory with front and rear tow and camber adjustment. It does not have front castor adjustment but that is easily corrected with a set of Pedders 5421 castor washers.

Here is a picture of my G8 as it sits today. It is going down AGAIN, 2mm in the front and 6mm in the rear. I'll keep lowering it and driving it across the country until we run into issues with five passengers and a full trunk. Then I'll be able to relate the real world driving experience at the lowest practical heights.

http://www.peddersusa.com/PS_images/photos/large/img_1212454725.gif

Pete,
I sent you couple of IMs. Did you get them? Is your inbox full?
Ed

BTW, My G8 is (at least) every bit as good as you said it would be. I had high hopes but the system exceeded them. Now, if we could just get the boat with the sway bars and Radius Rod bushes to deliver, I could have Frank install them and the Caster washers to finish the Track II system. Even without these last parts, my G8 feels much more secure and surefooted but not harsh. Pretty damn cool.
Ed

Oh, Pete,
Do all G8s take the new front radius rod bushing or do some still take the original item? I heard GM/Holden/Pontiac changed the rod design or supplier so Pedders had to design a new bushing.

JHP - talk to me about duties, taxes, etc. for a company with no U.S. presence. Does JHP have a U.S. storefront, or do U.S. customers have to pay over and above for international shipping, fees, etc.?


There are no duties between Australia and the US for car parts and accessories. The free trade agreement has been in effect for over 4 years now.

Also, a lot of big items we are shipping from Southern California. For example, we have a few sets of TEIN springs in stock in CA right now.

and most prices listed include shipping

JHP ( www.jhp.com.au ) have the Tein Performance double adjustable coil over suspension kits to suit G8. These kits have already been tested and allows for performance standard height or super low suspension. The 16x adjustable bump / rebound dampers you can have a soft standard for daily driving and then have the same suspension for firm / hard track on the weekends.
http://www.jhp.com.au/holden_ve_suspension_kits.php

This is the VE Suspension Option 3, correct? And the ride height is adjustable from stock down to, what - 30mm or so?

its 48 mm down from stock G8 on the picture and you can go 55mm more up and 10mm more down

http://www.jhp.com.au/img/products/exteriors/suspension/jhp_ve_g8_suspension_after-h.jpg

its 48 mm down from stock G8 on the picture and you can go 55mm more up and 10mm more down

So you can adjust to 7mm higher than stock?

When you adjust ride height, does this affect rebound/dampening as well? Or can you adjust for stiffness, compression dampening, rebound dampening, etc. all independently?

So you can adjust to 7mm higher than stock?

When you adjust ride height, does this affect rebound/dampening as well? Or can you adjust for stiffness, compression dampening, rebound dampening, etc. all independently?

stiffness and height adjust independently. The height, you have to take the tire off and there are 2 keys included in the kit to adjust it. For the stiffness, you just open the hood or the trunk and you can access the shaft for which you use Allen key. If I remember correctly, it's also included in the kit.

So you can adjust to 7mm higher than stock?



yes you can go higher than stock

Excellent, thanks for your replies. :driving:

One of the challenges on front spring heights is the collapsing front strut bushes. Literally EVERY G8 tht we have done, has had the front strut bush collapsed from 1/4 inch ro so to 3/8 of an inch. When we do the front struts, we also do the front strut bushes. Ours are more robust, and we have soe guarded concerns with the strut plate that G8 uses. It pre-stresses the bushing quite a bit. So when we install our front lowering springs, we do get inconsistant readings due to the strut mount bush collapsing at different levels. We do have OE height springs on the boat as I type. However, as in the GTO, what most of you will find is the vehicle will sit higher than your vehicle currently due to the strut bush

mike
dms

Personally, I've been using whiteline stuff for years on my Subarus and would not hesitate to use their Holden stuff if they have it available. I know this site is a big fan boi site for pedders but there are other things out there. I've also had very good luck with Eibach and Koni on the road race courses.

When/if I get my G8, I will be using Koni shocks/struts, Eibach springs, and whiteline sway bars.

-mike

This is how it sits with the Pedders eXtreme suspension on the stock 18" tires.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1ZSKAg-3-g


It does reduce clearance and stance slightly but the handling and response is incredible. You can literally hit a good corner at 50-55 and it will tempt you to push it faster.

Personally, I've been using whiteline stuff for years on my Subarus and would not hesitate to use their Holden stuff if they have it available. I know this site is a big fan boi site for pedders but there are other things out there. I've also had very good luck with Eibach and Koni on the road race courses.

When/if I get my G8, I will be using Koni shocks/struts, Eibach springs, and whiteline sway bars.

-mike

I know that Eibach is the cheapest springs out there. But I can tell you, based on what I have seen with GTO, GM900 trucks, and the Chrysler Lx vehicles, they have inconsistant ride heights, and only use 1 to 2 active coils. They do not put any of the R&D in their springs that others do. But if ride quality is no concern, then use them. Currently neither suppliers you mentioned have their parts available for the G8.

The GTO is the closest vehicle to the G8 out there. Rear coils on a GTO use 1 active coil only. After a year and a half, the coils are an issue. Also, you throw 2 semi big guys in the back seat on a GTO, and you are already on the bump stops. Maybe the G* will be different. Time will tell.

Just a heads up.

mike
dms

Mike how many Eibachs have you pulled out or the GTO's due to them failing? I have pulled out 5 sets of rears in the past year. They were uneven by nearly an inch, and completely useless as a functional spring. I like Eibach just like i like Kia, cheap and they eventually come to me when they fail.

Mike how many Eibachs have you pulled out or the GTO's due to them failing? I have pulled out 5 sets of rears in the past year. They were uneven by nearly an inch, and completely useless as a functional spring. I like Eibach just like i like Kia, cheap and they eventually come to me when they fail.

I have probably pulled out over 2 dozen in GTOs. I can tell you I was also one of the largest Eibach resellers on the west coast. I did over 1000 2000-2006 GM utiliites using Eibach springs. I did at least 20 Eibach springs on the new GM900 utiliites. It was because of seriously major variations in heights on these vehicles, is the reason we have Pedders springs for the GM900 vehicle.

mike
dms

Hey Mike-

This is a concern of mine. How many active coils do the stock rear springs have? When I put a few people in my car it drops WAY down. I'd like to lower the car (more for looks), but don't want to be on the stops. Would your springs do this? I really don't want to buy new shocks either....

Also, you throw 2 semi big guys in the back seat on a GTO, and you are already on the bump stops.

Just a heads up.

mike
dms

libel

An untruthful statement about a person, published in writing or through broadcast media, that injures the person's reputation or standing in the community. Because libel is a tort (a civil wrong), the injured person can bring a lawsuit against the person who made the false statement. Libel is a form of defamation , as is slander (an untruthful statement that is spoken, but not published in writing or broadcast through the media).

O.K. I get it. Let's not talk about "fat guys" sitting in the back seat.

Hey Mike-

This is a concern of mine. How many active coils do the stock rear springs have? When I put a few people in my car it drops WAY down. I'd like to lower the car (more for looks), but don't want to be on the stops. Would your springs do this? I really don't want to buy new shocks either....

I can tell you with the G8s done at Fairfield and Phoenix, we loaded both G8s with poeple (2 front and 2 rear) Thru normal driving over normal bumps and such, had no issues at all. Now for a test, have one of the guys who have the installs done load their G8s and post their results.

Now these vehicles I did all had TrackII systems which do include include struts. The OEM struts are pretty weak, and are not gas struts. Our spring rates are up over 30% higher than OEM. I am not sure what the results would be. I would spend the money and get a much higher quality strut that will give a much higher control of a more stronger spring

mike
dms

libel

An untruthful statement about a person, published in writing or through broadcast media, that injures the person's reputation or standing in the community. Because libel is a tort (a civil wrong), the injured person can bring a lawsuit against the person who made the false statement. Libel is a form of defamation , as is slander (an untruthful statement that is spoken, but not published in writing or broadcast through the media).

I have many pictures of the springs mentioned in GTOs and LXs. These pictures and comments were given to Eibach (at least the GTO pictures and concerns)

Eibach, at the beginning of GM900 utilitiy, per my supplier, did remove them from the market, becasue they were in fact dropping the front ends so low (and varied from set to set) that at best front cambers were way too negative. they knew, per my rep, that there are hieght variations on these vehicles with their springs.

Eibach offers an extremely reasonable pricing structure for many vehicles and has little to no pricing internet structure. So they can be sold pretty much at any price.

But for you to insinuate that I am not telling the truth, is your typical attitude towards Pedders.

mike
dms

I posted this in its own thread but no-one replied:whine:,

Koni's worldwide site shows a part number for the front strut inserts
"8641-1506 Sport" and the rear shocks "82-2567 Sport" for the VE Commodore for anyone interested and yes they are adjustable, when I get my car I will most likely use H&R springs, these Koni Inserts some of the Pedders bushings to tighten it up a bit and a set of whiteline adjustable sways.

Or I may just go with the Tein coil overs if money permits,

And before I get accused of being a pedders hater :), Just remember I've been using pedders for 20 years and I must say that they have come a Long way from when I first started playing with cars, back then they were using a spring Manufacturer in Adelaide and using some Monroe shocks with beefed up valveing, **** they may still be doing the same thing as far as I know.

It's great to see a Aussie company doing so well over here, nothing wrong with the product at all. It's just not going to be Pedders on my G8 because I've had so much luck with Konis over the past few years.

I've personally never tried Eibach springs but I have heard some similar stories about spring sag.

As I said, I've only installed 100s of Eibach Pro-kits in Subarus so, I have no idea how good or bad they are on a GTO or G8. I've also installed a lot of H&R and like them as well.

Konis can't be beat, we've installed lots of different struts and always come back to the Konis.

-mike