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Just for convenience, here are the shock dyno comparison plots from PCA. The MCS shocks are more consistent, more linear, and adjustment will have a more predictable impact. That said, I don't know enough to say whether this appears to be an on-paper improvement or a meaningful performance advantage. I'll wait until we hear reports.
Linearity and no taper off is what you’re looking for in a damper. That equates to a much smoother, progressive action through the entire stroke. MCS looks like a good choice over the PSS9.
Linearity and no taper off is what you’re looking for in a damper. That equates to a much smoother, progressive action through the entire stroke. MCS looks like a good choice over the PSS9.
All the cheaters... I mean racers.. I know are switching over to MCS right now so there will be a glut of used PSS9's for sale soon!
The rep from MCS made himself readily available at Road Atlanta this past weekend to answer questions. He was careful not to badmouth Bilstein, in fact, was complimentary of the PSS9... and was extremely precise in describing the differences between the two systems. I was privy to several long discussions about the dynamics of suspension movement, how various adjustments affected the car at specific corners. It was fascinating...and beyond my ability to fully comprehend. What I did retain, I forgot within minutes. But I came away with an appreciation for engineers and how they are able to put on paper what I feel with my butt dyno. Those I spoke with who were running the new system were complimentary and said the car felt more planted. But it didn't seem to result in a noticeable performance difference. Translation: These alone won't put you at the pointy end of the field. You've still got to drive the snot out of the SPB. And a shout-out to Aaron Elsner of Rennpart, who returned from a terrible crash nearly two years ago at VIR to wow the Spec Boxster field with a great pass on the final lap of Sprint 2. Well done, Aaron.
Those I spoke with who were running the new system were complimentary and said the car felt more planted. But it didn't seem to result in a noticeable performance difference. Translation: These alone won't put you at the pointy end of the field. You've still got to drive the snot out of the SPB.
That goes without saying for any single modification. The question is rather whether same SPB, same (fast) driver, in same conditions with MCS is consistently faster than the same with PSS9 and by how much. Has such a test been done?
Linearity and no taper off is what you’re looking for in a damper. That equates to a much smoother, progressive action through the entire stroke. MCS looks like a good choice over the PSS9.
I would not say many shock guys would agree with you on linear being better. Linear, digressive, progressive, and the others all have a time they are used. Same goes for bleed, piston bands, etc.
Edit: The rears look slightly progressive which is not something you would normally want. It would be interesting to see what cross talk they have in the adjusters and the
I have had MCS shock experience for 4 years on a different car. All I can say is that they work very well. The biggest factor and most noticeable difference is the customer service, support, and rebuild time/experience has been night and day over Bilstein.
04-03-2019, 06:54 PM
