[DaveC113]

I'm going with MCS 2-way remote reservoir coilovers. Yes, the cost is painful, but buy once, cry once. The OEM magride is excellent but the spring rates are about half of ideal for autox/track use. Also the car has a bit more rake than I think I'd like, especially after increasing front camber using camber plates.

On the DSC coilovers, these would be fun if you like to geek out on stuff like that, which I do, but even as a mechanical engineer that has a lot of experience dialing in shocks on mt bikes using high and low speed compression and rebound, the DSC system is in a whole 'nother league of complication. I feel like unless you're an experienced suspension engineer with a lot of track time, and a lot of test 'n' tune time available, the DSC system will be mostly lost on you. Yes, you can just use the base tune DSC gives you, which has some nice features, but you're paying for a lot more than that. Even a 2-way coilover with compression and rebound adjustments that act on both high and low speed circuits is going to take some time to learn.

However, I do have a DSC controller and have played with it a bit, I was going to get stiffer springs custom made and then use the DSC to revalve the shocks via software, but the spring shop decided not to make the springs and I can't find anywhere that want to make less than about 50 springs, so 100 springs total ft and rear. That's a lot of springs.

If anyone wants my DSC controller I'd sell for $1k, they're $1400 retail. Latest version, latest base maps for C6 Camaro are installed.

[DaveC113]

Originally Posted by Rapid_blue_zl1_22

My cars suspension has settled substantially since I made this post. I am happy with my ride height, but the side to side height is still off. I understand that is for weight balance to offset the driver on track, so I will leave it be since I do track my car.

I doubt that unless the springs are right and left side specific.

[cdb95z28]

Originally Posted by PowerDemon

@ cdb95z28 Thank you for taking the time to write that.

In regards to bushing binding, I did specifically ask the shop that installed the springs to tighten everything at ride height. I did not watch them do it, and I don’t know how you can verify it but I asked. I don’t know what else I could do besides go behind them and do it myself. I just wouldn’t be sure which bushings need to be loosened and retightened.

I have noticed a difference in the ride height primarily on the drivers side when it’s full of fuel. So next time I have a chance I’ll have someone measure with a full tank of fuel and me in it.

Would you recommend upgrading to an aftermarket sway bar to avoid the issues you mentioned? I doubt the shop adjusted that when they dropped the car. If so which ones?

Thanks again for the info.

I can't say whether it is worth changing to aftermarket bars on your setup. I have the Hotchkis front/BMR rear combo but I went that route only to add some roll stiffness due to running the Goodyear 3R on track. The Hotckis/BMR combo is a popular setup. You can however use adjustable endlinks to help reduce bar preload. I have the SPL ones.

[SpeedLimit]

DSC controller with springs and factory magride might be worth a try.

[Rapid_blue_zl1_22]

Originally Posted by SpeedLimit

DSC controller with springs and factory magride might be worth a try.

I have Eibach lowering springs, DSC suspension controller, and Vorshlag camber plates on mine. Awesome combo in my opinion.

[Checkmate1]

When everything is said and done, our cars weigh close to 4000lbs (driver included). There is a reason why our cars require very stiff springs coupled with the DSSV for the best iteration of the Alpha platform.

Having talked to a number of racers - it's either DSSV or a high end Tractive system that does our platform well.

You can either have a jack of all trades (like the ZL1 w/Mag ride or similar systems) or a Master of one (ZL1/1LE).

My 2 cents is that I would rather own a track car that is singular in it's mission and ethos on the track.

The question always is, what is your use case? If it's over 75% street - go for something soft and compliant.

[GunMetalGrey]

Originally Posted by SpeedLimit

DSC controller with springs and factory magride might be worth a try.

I have had this on my car for the last year, I’ve been tracking for about four years, Robert weathers who does a lot of work on these systems, says that this is really a Band-Aid solution compared to going with something more hard-core like MCS or DSC Tractive, if somebody is hard-core and using Hoosier R7 slicks, etc. etc… and has a bunch of SPL suspension components, sway bars etc…

I can tell you that a number of other people have sold their DSC controllers and gone to the DSSV from the ZLE when they went hard core, like I described above. Apparently it seems that the DSC controller does help with putting down the power and less nose dive under breaking, but it’s ultimately limited at keeping the car level on hard cornering, unless someone really knows how to calibrate it well, which nobody seems to, and unless much stiffer springs are used…

I saw a picture of my car at the track on a hard corner with YYZ lowering springs and 50% stiffer sway bars, but without the DSC controller, and it was embarrassing because my car looks like in 1970s Cadillac trying to take a corner, I could not believe how much body roll there was, that was on SC3R tires… while I don’t know what my car looks like with the DSC controller, it was enough to hear that it was a Band-Aid solution considering I will be using slicks next.

Hopefully that is somewhat helpful.

Last, but not least I don’t know anybody on this forum yet who has experience with the DSC tractive system, however, based on what I’ve heard so far and as stated above, my understanding based off Robert Weathers is also that it needs to be fully custom calibrated to be of maximum value, and once again, it seems almost nobody really knows how to do that effectively, not to mention the time involved to test and tune over and over again. Which is too bad because it seems that there option has the potential of the best of both worlds., considering it sounds like it can be a soft Street ride, perhaps, unlike MCS and Detroit speed coil overs?

[Chippy]

Kinda funny to see this thread with people needing the non 1LE car to handle better and not the usual rides to rough crowd. Or better yet you can’t drive well enough for the 1LE package.
Refreshing

[GunMetalGrey]

Update! Robert Weather basically confirmed that DSC Coilovers are for club racers because of all of the intense dedicate effort required to use them and he basically said these are not really for me because I’m looking for something that is not so time and effort intensive, like I’m sure most of you are too! Haha

It’s now obvious to me that means DSSV’s, MCS and DEtroit Speed coil overs are the options for amateurs like me for all the reasons mentioned above… simplicity!

[GunMetalGrey]

So my next question is, what do I need to know if I go with some non electronic coilover like MCS (2 way non remote) and how does that impact the electronic side of things in terms of the car recognizing that something has changed? Error messages etc…?

And does anyone know how much these lower the car? Or how much they can lower the car based on adjustments?

[PowerDemon]

Originally Posted by Chippy

Kinda funny to see this thread with people needing the non 1LE car to handle better and not the usual rides to rough crowd. Or better yet you can’t drive well enough for the 1LE package.
Refreshing

What a refreshingly useless comment! I’m sure you don’t experience any of the harsh ride while it sits in the garage! Kinda funny!

[clg82]

Originally Posted by Chippy

Kinda funny to see this thread with people needing the non 1LE car to handle better and not the usual rides to rough crowd. Or better yet you can’t drive well enough for the 1LE package.
Refreshing

Originally Posted by PowerDemon

What a refreshingly useless comment! I’m sure you don’t experience any of the harsh ride while it sits in the garage! Kinda funny!

I was thinking the same thing.....

[DaveC113]

Originally Posted by GunMetalGrey

So my next question is, what do I need to know if I go with some non electronic coilover like MCS (2 way non remote) and how does that impact the electronic side of things in terms of the car recognizing that something has changed? Error messages etc…?

And does anyone know how much these lower the car? Or how much they can lower the car based on adjustments?

You can set ride height by adjusting the spring perches.

There are a couple of solutions for deleting magride. It turns out it uses a good bit of power, so some kits have large dummy resistors and one other part that I'm not sure exactly what it is for the ride height sensor. I saw another kit that piggybacks onto the OBD port, I like this because it doesn't use resistors so the car isn't using power to heat up a bunch of resistors. Next would be tuning it out, but I haven't cheacked into this to see if it's possible.

On MCS coilovers, I'm going RR2, the remote res 2-ways. It's $1k more than the non-RR, but there's significant differences in the base tune between the two, RR ramps up faster to the high speed circuit and has a lot more rebound damping overall. Vorshlag says the RR is intended more for track, TT for a dual purpose car. And going 3-way would offer benefits if hitting curbing, it has adjustible high speed compression. It's a decent jump in price and I have to draw the line somewhere. MCS referred me to Vorshlag for Camaro applications, they sell camber plates and rear upper mounts that you may find useful too.

As far as DSC, you'd really have to be dedicated to shock tuning and willing to spend expensive track time to test and tune, and even then, there's A LOT of variables. The amount of test and tune time is going to make the initial investemnt in the coilovers seem cheap, and at the end of the day you have no guarantee they'll be better than a high quality "dumb" system like MCS.

[GunMetalGrey]

Originally Posted by DaveC113

You can set ride height by adjusting the spring perches.

There are a couple of solutions for deleting magride. It turns out it uses a good bit of power, so some kits have large dummy resistors and one other part that I'm not sure exactly what it is for the ride height sensor. I saw another kit that piggybacks onto the OBD port, I like this because it doesn't use resistors so the car isn't using power to heat up a bunch of resistors. Next would be tuning it out, but I haven't cheacked into this to see if it's possible.

On MCS coilovers, I'm going RR2, the remote res 2-ways. It's $1k more than the non-RR, but there's significant differences in the base tune between the two, RR ramps up faster to the high speed circuit and has a lot more rebound damping overall. Vorshlag says the RR is intended more for track, TT for a dual purpose car. And going 3-way would offer benefits if hitting curbing, it has adjustible high speed compression. It's a decent jump in price and I have to draw the line somewhere. MCS referred me to Vorshlag for Camaro applications, they sell camber plates and rear upper mounts that you may find useful too.

As far as DSC, you'd really have to be dedicated to shock tuning and willing to spend expensive track time to test and tune, and even then, there's A LOT of variables. The amount of test and tune time is going to make the initial investemnt in the coilovers seem cheap, and at the end of the day you have no guarantee they'll be better than a high quality "dumb" system like MCS.

Thanks for the info, I assume there’s a reasonably wide range of hide adjustment. I’m sure vorshlag will give me exact details. I’m not sure if they sell The resistors your mentioning or not, I’ve asked them as well.

You’re making me think of getting three-way adjustable myself, although I’m concerned there’s more for me to screw up haha I do like the idea of being able to adapt better to more variety of different circumstances on track and the street, since it seems these would also be more comfortable as well.
However, I’ve heard the remote reservoirs can be a PIA, and there are greater risks involved with the lines...

Can anyone chime in to the ride quality of the system for the street when adjusting them to a more comfortable setting compared to the DSSV’s on the ZLE? I don’t want to end up buying these and hitting them when I drive them on the highway., I don’t do city street driving, so at least the roads will be smooth and in good shape