RedZed Reloaded

[Ben@SpeedTech]

Well we all know Neo got better in the second Matrix- he was more agile, was faster, had more power and capability. Well Roger's RedZed isn't much different, like Neo it's also becoming more agile, faster, and will have much more capability.

RedZed has been an Icon amongst Speedtech fans for many years, and was a test car in the beginning for our then new Speedtech Pro Touring Subframe and Torque arm suspension systems. That transformation took it from a cookie cutter Camaro to the poster child of what a street and show Pro Touring cruiser should look like. Bright red paint, deep and wide 20" rear and 19" front billet wheels, supercharged big block, and a mean stance put it to the top of it's class.

Now with the release of Speedtech's new ExtReme products, RedZed was calling for a little bit of change of attitude and pace. Follow along as we unfold RedZed Reloaded...

[Ben@SpeedTech]

Here's what Roger has been cruising for the past several years. Although it drove fantastic and took home some show trophies it just wasn't the right combo for gettin' jiggy wit it at track days. Unfortunately the street tires on the big wheels just didn't grip with the massive torque of the blown big block 427. It also had one of our original subframes and torque arms and has missed out on some of the small upgrades in the name of better performance we've made over the years.

One lucky person got a great deal on the whole subframe, engine, and wheel & tire package as it got sent back to NYC to become part of a '69 Convertible Camaro. Our shop lead tech Jeremy managed to talk Roger out of the torque arm system to install in his '67 Camaro, more on that car later. Like a new car, in our shop we've found pulling the complete subframe and engine together out from the bottom is so much easier than pulling the engine through the engine bay. Fantastic way to do it when you're swapping in one of our Pro Touring or new ExtReme subframes.

[Ben@SpeedTech]

Part of the purpose of reloading RedZed was to have an in house test bed for our new ExtReme products. If you're not familiar with the Extreme subframe and suspension, Click Here for more info. Together with Ron Sutton our design team really dug in to develop a suspension that provides you guys with geometry that has moved ahead of all other Pro Touring suspension systems currently on the market, no holds were barred. We also got sick of hearing Mary whining about skinny front tires ( jab-jab :naughty and designed this subframe to manage 315s up front on a 1st gen and the 2nd gen version can swallow a 335 up front! RedZed's previous combination had "little bitty" 275s up front so this was a welcome change. Let's get on with the photos, and I'll interject some thoughts in between here and there...

Here are some of the parts that make this suspension the leader of the pack. Note the ultra high clearance control arms that allow 30+ degrees of steering angle with a 315 tire. They also also help optimize things like Caster and camber settings. The new, redesigned exclusively for this suspension system, forged ATS AFX ExtReme aluminum spindle provides better geometry than any other spindle on the market, including Corvette and Corvette based copies. This is a really cool piece, read more about our achieved geometry on the link above. The Sweet race influenced rack and pinion not only has valving specific to our (and your) needs, it can handle the abuse of running that large a tire in track day situations that other off the shelf OEM replacement style racks can't handle. The LS platform is the standard mill choice for this set up and stands that locate the engine for optimum clearance and driveline angle are included.



The center portion of the subframe is the same as what's in our C10 chassis and the 2nd gen Camaro subframe, and is currently underway getting incorporated into a full chassis for 64-72 Chevelles. the front and rear frame rails are designed so that this is a true easy bolt in situation with all factory bracket holes are right where you need them. Note also the front crossmember tube helps strengthen the front frame rails while providing the housing for the standard equipment 3 piece adjustable splined sway bar.



The frame is a box type construction that is internally gusseted and braced for superior strength and reducing flex under hard load. Frame rails are narrowed where needed for extra tire clearance.



Now things are starting to look good! Note the .77 motion ratio of the shock. The closer the shock mount is to the ball joint the faster the shock can react to road surface conditions and the better it can keep the largest contact patch of the tires planted. Efficiency here allows for more control, better response, a better feel and better ride when comparing to similar systems.

[Ben@SpeedTech]

Roger chose a nice 14" Baer Pro Plus front and rear brake kit that features 6 piston calipers on both ends. The ExtReme spindle uses the new Corvette heavy duty sealed hub assembly and also incorporates Corvette parameters on the caliper mounts. This means it can take on any brake system that would bolt directly onto a C5+ Corvette.

[Ben@SpeedTech]

A little more assembly progress here. Note the custom friction reducing spherical bearing type tie rod ends and the adjustable sway bar installed. This design allows a very quick adjustment to go from Autocross to Road Race settings, a necessary tuning adjustment for events like Optima where you run both venues back to back. Roger chose Viking's new aggressively valved Crusader shock line which has double adjustability and AutoX based valving.



Note here the upper control arms have billet stainless cross shafts that incorporate adjustable caster slugs. We have specific instructions for caster settings according to how the car is designed, and include slugs for 3 different base caster settings. The alignment will be set using traditional shims, we prefer this method as it works just fine to achieve optimum results and the solid control arms have one less stress point over adjustable arms that could fail.



Although this is one of the first production subframes in the lineup, RedZed snuck out the "69" serial plate to go along with the car's age.

[Ben@SpeedTech]

So With RedZed's new frame powder coated and assembled, in goes the new LS mill. The old boosted 427 made plenty of power but it was almost too much to be practical, especially in an autoX power range where too much torque can blow off the tires and blow the run. Not too exciting on the long end either where the low and mid range motor might run out of breath on the road course. Couple that with thirsty big cubes and a traditional carb and driveability goes south too. The 525 hp LS3 GM crate motor has become a staple around Speedtech's shop, they make awesome, smooth power, have a decent idle, come plug and play and require minimal tuning. It was a natural choice to set one between RedZed's empty fenders. While in there Roger decided to take a little more control and picked up a Viper T56 six speed, giving him more hands-on shifting and the better final overdrive over the older outdated 700R4 automatic.

[Ben@SpeedTech]

We've recently become a dealer for Drive Junky pulley systems and went with their kit for the Camaro. They make a really nice quality and easy to install package that won't break the bank.

[Ben@SpeedTech]

The fit for the LS is a bit snuggly within the narrowed frame rails so we designed a custom set of 1 7/8" stainless headers that fits without any clearance issues, including between the collectors and the ground. They set right about flush with the bottom of the frame rails and work perferctly since we specifically wanted the ExtReme package to have a mean and low ride height. Deciding to focus on the suspension manufacturing we commissioned Ultimate headers to produce our design exclusively for our subframe.



Just about ready for install...



Here's a good illustration of shock travel length with the new ExtReme suspension. It gives you more travel range a with virtually no change in bumpsteer. How cool is that!

[Ben@SpeedTech]

Now that looks like it belongs in there, right?






For those that like to see the numbers...



Plenty of clearance for the steering shaft and it doesn't require awkward multiple joints.

[Ben@SpeedTech]

The Drive Junky system is anything but junky, mounting everything compactly and leaves plenty of non-knuckle busting wiggle room for hoses and accessories and such.