Pedders Track II Installation - Reviewed!!

I've had the distinct pleasure of being one of the first Chargers to be Pedderized at Westfield Expert Tire this past week. First, I'd like to thank Rob @ Westfield-ET for hosting us and Brandon from Pedders for the awesome work they do!

The installation began Monday, March 10th and I picked up the car on Wednesday, the 12th. I had to take the car back to Rob on Thursday because at least one upper control arm bush on the passenger side wasn't properly lubed. Rob acted right away though, going WAY beyond the call of duty to ensure I was able to keep my schedule with family and relubed all upper control arm bushes (driver and passenger side) just in case! That said, the bushings not being lubed was the worst part, and Rob took care of me so well it really wasn't that bad! A+++ for customer service!!

For Pedders part, Brandon took the time to answer every question I had and even involved me in the process when I was in the shop. He and Rob asked me the right kind of questions to make sure the car wasn't just Pedderized when they were done, but that the car was set up for me and my style of driving. This meant which springs to use in the rear and even tweaking the alignment specifications for what I wanted in tire wear vs handling! This level of consideration continued after the installation. Both Rob and Brandon have checked to make sure I'm happy with the ride and answered any new questions I had.

Now for the difference to the car: What is more than night & day difference? I have around 370 miles on the suspension as this point and I believe it has almost fully settled in. Initially, the ride over a long stretch of straight highway was a little rough. Not harsh, but definitely firm. As the miles ticked by the suspension did soften up just a little. During normal highway driving, the ride is fairly forgiving. You do know you are driving a lowered car (mine is 1" up front, 3/4" out back though Pedders has 4 different springs for ride height in the back 3/4" being the 3rd highest), and you feel a lot of the road even in the passenger seat. But again, it’s not harsh. I was in the car for a total of 5.5 hours on Saturday, 4 of those consecutive, and had no complaints or resulting discomfort. My 50-something year-old father was with me for 5 of those 5.5 hours and he also had no complaints or resulting discomfort.

In the twisty winding sections of road however, the Pedder's suspension really shines. For those of you familiar with the area, I drove the 20 or so miles between 684 & 287 on the Saw Mill Parkway in NY, and it was awesome. For my personal protection, I won't publish what speed I generally maintained on that road, but it would be fair to say "fast!"
The Pedders kit has reduced by bump steer SIGNIFICANTLY. There is still some, and even Brandon said there will still be some but it will be a lot more predictable. I'm currently of the opinion that Brandon was underestimating the change. Bump steer is virtually eliminated.

Rear cradle hop is also gone. No longer am I having to constantly micro-adjust the steering wheel when taking a winding off ramp to compensate for the car bobbing around. I can turn the steering wheel to the desired angle and complete the turn with the only adjustments really being "user error".

Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/gp/[email protected]/619f65
*Note: Some pictures are of the AWD that was getting done simultaneously. License plates have been removed to protect the guilty.

So, to re-cap, the handling now with Pedders is light-years ahead of OE.
Comfort: B OE: A
Handling: A or A+ OE: B-
Control: A or A+ (have not found the limit yet!) OE: B-
Customer Service: Westfield-ET (Rob): A++
Customer Service: Pedders (Brandon): A++

Don't forget to check out Rob's shop or pick Brandon's brain or go for a ride in Pedderized Charger on May 18th. Details to follow, courtesy of Rob.