Pedders guarantees that a G8 with a Track II kit is more stable, predictable, and consistent on the road and on the track than the O.E. suspension. Can you tell which one of these two G8s has been "Pedderised?"
In "G8 GT First Drive" (Aug. '08), High Performance Pontiac reviewed Pontiac's flagship rear-wheel drive performance sedan and applauded its corner-carving abilities, giving credit to its well-engineered factory suspension package. But as good as the G8 is in stock form-and the reviews from the automotive press have been unanimous-we knew that if it was to be a serious track contender, improvements needed to be made in cornering and steering.
In fact, Pontiac designed the G8 with aftermarket performance modifications in mind. In an exclusive interview with us, GM Executive Director of Design, Body Frame Integral, Michael Simcoe, put forth the following challenge, "I'd love to see the G8 taken by High Performance Pontiac magazine and given a workout. If you think the G8 is good now, that means it's a fabulous base for you to get at it and turn it to something that's really personal and special for you and your readers."
The Pedders Track II kit offers extreme handling for autocrossing and road courses, and improvements over the factory components for launches at dragstrips.
With his challenge as the catalyst for our project, we contacted Pedders USA (www.peddersusa.com), the North American counterpart to Pedders Australia, a 59-year-old automobile performance company intimately familiar with the suspension architecture of the GTO and the G8 (and its Australian-marketed Holden Monaro and VE Commodore siblings).
According to Pete Basica, president of its U.S. operations, "Simcoe is absolutely correct. The design strengths of the G8 chassis are numerous. Front-to-rear weight distribution is very good. Engine placement is lower and farther to the rear than in the VZ Commodore that preceded it. The roll centers are excellent and the geometry of the independent rear suspension (IRS) is stellar. Incorporating virtual pivot point technology in the front suspension creates a vehicle that doesn't plow and is neutral. Without a doubt, the G8, either in base, GT, or GXP trim, is a car that is easy to drive fast.
Colt Mills from Precision Motorsports sets the alignment heads to get the baseline reading of the G8 in factory trim.
"The flaws in the G8, in the opinion of Pedders, stem from production constraints," Basica continued. "Spring rates are a bit too soft while the vehicle sits a bit too high. The basic oil and air struts are modestly tuned on the critical damping scale. Chassis bushings are over-engineered for noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) standards and compromise the control of the vehicle. That said, many who testdrive and purchase a G8 will be thrilled with the vehicle as it out-performs literally every vehicle in its class. Again, it is the opinion of Pedders that the G8 should be delivered, or at the very least, available, from the factory with our suspension components pre-installed. A 'Pedderised' G8 is a formidable vehicle."
Basica promised that Pedders can turn every G8 into a track-taming superstar, so we procured the very first G8 manufactured for America (No. 1 of the first No. 888) and asked Performance Motorsports of Odessa, Florida, (an authorized Pedders dealer and service center), to outfit it with the Pedders Track II suspension with drop coils. Basica provided baseline measurements and led the work.
In Part I, we'll take the G8 up on the lift and learn what it takes to Pedderise it. In Part II, next month, we'll take our G8 and a stock G8 with factory suspension to the track and test them in the slalom and on the skidpad, and we will discuss the effects of wheel alignment changes on handling. Then we'll compare the results and see the improvements that a Pedders Track II suspension with SportsRyder lowering coils, Gas SportsRyder struts, SportsRyder bushings, and eXtreme adjustable sway bars provides over the factory's suspension in a stock G8 sedan.
Pedders suggests that the Track II suspension system be installed by one of its authorized service centers. In addition to hand and air-tools, hydraulic presses, and spring compressors, Pedders provides its authorized service centers with proprietary tools to install its suspension kits. For this story, we'll cover the highlights of the Track II suspension installation on the G8. Because the base G8 and the G8 GT have identical suspension systems, our install and test is applicable to both.
Track II With Drop Coils Kit DetailsPart No.DescriptionRetailQtyTotal2954GM Zeta Front Coil Spring$89.622$179.242955GM Zeta Rear Spring$89.622$179.245030GM Zeta Front Strut Bearing$38.572 $77.145851GM Zeta Front Strut Mount Bushing$42.992$85.989295GM Zeta GSR Rear Strut$178.362$356.72429006AD GM Zeta (front and rear) sway bar eXtreme adjustable kit$649.871$649.879464LGM Zeta GSR Front Left Strut$230.001$230.009464RGM Zeta GSR Front Right Strut$230.001$230.00EP1167GM Zeta Rear Differential Bushing Kit$108.361$108.36EP1169GM Zeta Rear Extreme Sub-Frame Connector Kit$238.991$238.99EP2112GM Zeta Steering – Rack-and-Pinion Mount$26.251$26.25EP6560GM Zeta Front Radius Rod Bushing with eXtreme Castor Washers$198.591$198.59EP6561GM Zeta Front Control Arm Bushing – Inner Bushing $134.981$134.98EP7263GM Zeta Control arm – Upper inner rear$96.201$96.20EP7264*Zeta Rear Control Arm Lwr InnerEP7265GM Zeta Rear Trailing arm$96.201$96.20EP7266*GM Zeta Rear Control Arm Lwr Outer$96.201$96.20EP7267GM Zeta Rear Toe link - inner$96.201$96.204659*Strut Tower Bar$252.121$252.12Track II with Drop Coils - Total$3,428.47*Soon to be installed on our testing vehicle as they weren’t production-ready at the time of our install.G8 Torque SpecificationsFrontFront Subframe to Body Center Retaining Bolts118 lb-ftFront Subframe to Body Front Retaining Bolts118 lb-ftFront Subframe to Body Rear Retaining Bolts178 lb-ftLower Control Arm to Knuckle Retaining Bolt and Nut First Pass30 lb-ftFinal Pass120-degLower Control Arm to Rear Subframe Retaining Bolt129 lb-ftLower Engine Mount to Front Subframe Retaining Nut59 lb-ftUpper Control Arm Pivot Bushing to Upper Control Arm Retaining Bolt126 lb-ftUpper Control Arm to Knuckle Retaining Bolt and Nut First Pass44 lb-ft, 90-degTie Rod End to Tie Rod Locking Nut37 lb-ftRear Adjustment Link Lock Nuts37 lb-ftStrut to Knuckle Retaining Nuts and Bolts First Pass63 lb-ftSecond Pass74 lb-ftThird Pass90-degRear Rear Subframe Retaining Bolts to Body First Pass48 lb-ftSecond Pass125-degStrut Assembly to Body Retaining Bolts43 lb-ftLower Control Arm to Knuckle Retaining Bolt and Nut First Pass30 lb-ftFinal Pass120-degLower Control Arm to Subframe Retaining Bolt129 lb-ftLower Control Arm to Strut Assembly Retaining Bolt and Nut First Pass30 lb-ftFinal Pass120-degRear Driveshaft to Rear Hub Retaining Nut First Pass110 lb-ftLoosen180-deg negFinal Pass237 lb-ftStabilizer Bar Insulator Bracket to Subframe Retaining Bolts16 lb-ftStabilizer Bar Link to Lower Control Arm Retaining Nut37 lb-ftStabilizer Bar Link to Stabilizer Bar Retaining Nut37 lb-ftStrut Assembly Retaining Nut33 lb-ftStrut Assembly to Body Retaining Bolts43 lb-ftDifferential to Subframe Retaining Nuts59 lb-ft
