Suspension Suspension ..MCS vs JCW vs Coilovers
#1
Suspension ..MCS vs JCW vs Coilovers
Struggling with potential suspension upgrades :impatient ...
I am trying to balance out the cost per performance impact on these 3 options ...stay put with my 06 MCS with current swaybar upgrade / go with the JCW shocks - springs ($655 at Morristown) or go full bore and spend $1,200 plus for coilovers - camber plates !!
The great price on the JCW has made this option more interesting .
Is there anyone out there who has driven / knows what to expect between the first two and is the $ delta upward worth the step if my use is more aggresive street driving and very limited track time down the road.
Any and all input is appreciated ...
I am trying to balance out the cost per performance impact on these 3 options ...stay put with my 06 MCS with current swaybar upgrade / go with the JCW shocks - springs ($655 at Morristown) or go full bore and spend $1,200 plus for coilovers - camber plates !!
The great price on the JCW has made this option more interesting .
Is there anyone out there who has driven / knows what to expect between the first two and is the $ delta upward worth the step if my use is more aggresive street driving and very limited track time down the road.
Any and all input is appreciated ...
#2
Larger rear bar, JCW, camber plates, done!!! You'll have a ball!!!
My stock stuff is gone, save for the rear Webb bar. I'm having fun on struts with 60K miles on them - standard S struts. I should have kept the IE camber plates. The JCW kit will give you a little more control and the kit is made for this car. Buy the IE adjustabel Street kit and you'll have a blast!!!
I cannot think of a better way to go on the street...and occasional track day. I went one way, and I came back happier. Trust me, if you have any driving skills, this is a great all-round combination that'l embarass many other rigs and drivers.
Stiffer springs and dampers do not really help generate more cornering power. That comes from a little more camber in part, but mostly from sticky rubber. Stiffer gives more control and you can only use so much control on the street...sometimes stiff overloads tires and causes slides if inputs are abrupt...which can happen on the street. JCW, IE Street plates and a bigger adjustable rear bar.
My stock stuff is gone, save for the rear Webb bar. I'm having fun on struts with 60K miles on them - standard S struts. I should have kept the IE camber plates. The JCW kit will give you a little more control and the kit is made for this car. Buy the IE adjustabel Street kit and you'll have a blast!!!
I cannot think of a better way to go on the street...and occasional track day. I went one way, and I came back happier. Trust me, if you have any driving skills, this is a great all-round combination that'l embarass many other rigs and drivers.
Stiffer springs and dampers do not really help generate more cornering power. That comes from a little more camber in part, but mostly from sticky rubber. Stiffer gives more control and you can only use so much control on the street...sometimes stiff overloads tires and causes slides if inputs are abrupt...which can happen on the street. JCW, IE Street plates and a bigger adjustable rear bar.
Last edited by meb; 07-11-2007 at 03:12 PM.
#3
meb's part list matches pretty well to what I have, and it works for me.
And I agree that corner speed is going to come from tires more than anything else.
I switched from Hankook RS2 z212 tires one day to nearly dead Toyo RA1 tires the next day at a time trial. The Hankooks are pretty good "street" tires, while the RA1 is a pretty good R-compound tire. I immediately dropped .5 seconds on a ~60 second lap the first time out on the RA1. The next session, another half second (for a full second total improvement over the Hankooks). And that's before I had a chance to really get used to the grip of the RA1 tires.
No suspension upgrade will make that big a difference that quickly, IMHO.
And I agree that corner speed is going to come from tires more than anything else.
I switched from Hankook RS2 z212 tires one day to nearly dead Toyo RA1 tires the next day at a time trial. The Hankooks are pretty good "street" tires, while the RA1 is a pretty good R-compound tire. I immediately dropped .5 seconds on a ~60 second lap the first time out on the RA1. The next session, another half second (for a full second total improvement over the Hankooks). And that's before I had a chance to really get used to the grip of the RA1 tires.
No suspension upgrade will make that big a difference that quickly, IMHO.
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