MCS 1WNR or 2WR?

[x.shell]

Hey guys,
I figure this forum will have the most experience with this damper set. Let me know what you think.

Currently I'm running JRZ RS2 Sport and it's about time I get them serviced. But in the meantime, I've been thinking of getting a set of MCS dampers. My F80 has become a daily driver for the most part these days but will hopefully be seeing some autocross and track days this coming year. But the main use will still be overwhelmingly daily driving.

The 1WNR is attractive to me because of the low cost of entry. But the thought of going from a 2-way to a 1-way kinda makes me hesitant. Speaking with Bimmerworld reps, they steered me to the 1WNR based on what my needs were and the fact that it has more shock travel compared to the the MCS 2WNR. Does the MCS 1WNR have more shock travel compared to the JRZ RS2? If yes, I would consider this an upgrade despite losing the compression control.

For reference, I rotate between 400lb/in and 500lb/in + 225lb/in tender for the front. 700lb/in and 800lb/in for the rear. I tend to run the compression on the rears pretty soft compared to the front for daily driving and bring up the compression for autocross events. Will the lack of compression control on the 1WNR put the compression in the middle or be more biased to the front to give more compliance on the street?

The 2WR is obviously a massive step up but also a massive step up in price. Having separate controls for compression and rebound does put me more in my comfort zone though. Is the extra control and canisters worth the bump in price?

Thanks.

[NYG]

I was in this same position a few months ago. At that time, I kept leaning 1 way because it was still a major upgrade over the stock suspension but as nice as it is to save a decent wad of cash - in retrospect, not having compression adjustment on a good suspension would suck for me.

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by NYG

I was in this same position a few months ago. At that time, I kept leaning 1 way because it was still a major upgrade over the stock suspension but as nice as it is to save a decent wad of cash - in retrospect, not having compression adjustment on a good suspension would suck for me.

Did you end up going with the 2-Way Remote?

[RSXDC5]

Something you may want to consider is the added adjustability of nitrogen psi on the 2WR dampers. There's psi ranges for street and psi ranges for track. I've been messing around with mine, and it's super noticeable...when I am on my "street" nitrogen psi, and have my C|R settings in the low ranges, the ride is amazingly compliant and plush, all while having excellent road composure from the MCS valving.

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by RSXDC5

Something you may want to consider is the added adjustability of nitrogen psi on the 2WR dampers. There's psi ranges for street and psi ranges for track. I've been messing around with mine, and it's super noticeable...when I am on my "street" nitrogen psi, and have my C|R settings in the low ranges, the ride is amazingly compliant and plush, all while having excellent road composure from the MCS valving.

What PSI do you run for the street vs track? And how does one get Nitrogen to fill the shocks?

[mystermykee]

Originally Posted by x.shell

Hey guys,
I figure this forum will have the most experience with this damper set. Let me know what you think.

Currently I'm running JRZ RS2 Sport and it's about time I get them serviced. But in the meantime, I've been thinking of getting a set of MCS dampers. My F80 has become a daily driver for the most part these days but will hopefully be seeing some autocross and track days this coming year. But the main use will still be overwhelmingly daily driving.

The 1WNR is attractive to me because of the low cost of entry. But the thought of going from a 2-way to a 1-way kinda makes me hesitant. Speaking with Bimmerworld reps, they steered me to the 1WNR based on what my needs were and the fact that it has more shock travel compared to the the MCS 2WNR. Does the MCS 1WNR have more shock travel compared to the JRZ RS2? If yes, I would consider this an upgrade despite losing the compression control.

For reference, I rotate between 400lb/in and 500lb/in + 225lb/in tender for the front. 700lb/in and 800lb/in for the rear. I tend to run the compression on the rears pretty soft compared to the front for daily driving and bring up the compression for autocross events. Will the lack of compression control on the 1WNR put the compression in the middle or be more biased to the front to give more compliance on the street?

The 2WR is obviously a massive step up but also a massive step up in price. Having separate controls for compression and rebound does put me more in my comfort zone though. Is the extra control and canisters worth the bump in price?

Thanks.

I was in the same boat as you before getting my RS2s serviced. After years of car modding, the best advice I have a hard time following myself is to just get what you want in the first place. If you're already thinking of a tradeoff going to from 2-way to 1-way, it'll just be a matter of time before you upgrade to the MCS 2-ways.

[SYT_Shadow]

For street use there is a decently sized upgrade in moving from the non remote options to the remote ones. Instantly noticeable right on the street

The 1WNR is a great option but I'd prefer the Remote.

I currently have two cars on the MCS 3WR and if I get a G80 it will directly get the same dampers. But my use case, heavy tracking, is not everyone else's use case.

For the spring rates you're running the 1WNR will handle those just fine.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by x.shell

What PSI do you run for the street vs track? And how does one get Nitrogen to fill the shocks?

You can either fill it up just once at a shop or you get your own nitrogen kit. I have mine so I can set them wherever I want, although I don't touch them and they don't lose pressure. I think it was 800 for the nitrogen rig setup

[NYG]

Originally Posted by x.shell

Did you end up going with the 2-Way Remote?

Neither. I decided on the 2way Remote but ended up switching to another car right around the same time.

SYT and the Bimmerworld guys were helping me out with this.

[dvq]

This all really makes me want a 2wr setup, but my car budget says no.

[fanatic1]

Originally Posted by dvq

This all really makes me want a 2wr setup, but my car budget says no.

Pretty happy with 1WNR, but to be honest, still figuring it out. With optimized spring rates, this thing will just keep getting better. Started off with 700/1000, trying 1100 next

[x.shell]

Thank you for all the feedback you motley crew.

I've decided I'm gonna give the MCS 2-way Remote a go.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by x.shell

Thank you for all the feedback you motley crew.

I've decided I'm gonna give the MCS 2-way Remote a go.

you won't be disappointed

[RSXDC5]

Originally Posted by x.shell

Thank you for all the feedback you motley crew.

I've decided I'm gonna give the MCS 2-way Remote a go.

Awesome!! You will loveee them.

Coilover or non-coilover rear btw?

I'm a coilover rear...600F/500R springs on the car at the moment, 5in front spring (to fit big ole tires) and a 0 rate helper with the bimmerworld plastic/metal washers so nothing binds up.

I also had custom brackets made to mount the front reservoirs parallel/adjacent to our cf strut bar.

Street/Track Nitrogen PSI guide attached:

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by RSXDC5

Awesome!! You will loveee them.

Coilover or non-coilover rear btw?

I'm a coilover rear...600F/500R springs on the car at the moment, 5in front spring (to fit big ole tires) and a 0 rate helper with the bimmerworld plastic/metal washers so nothing binds up.

I also had custom brackets made to mount the front reservoirs parallel/adjacent to our cf strut bar.

Street/Track Nitrogen PSI guide attached:

Thanks for the recommended Nitrogen settings.

Starting out, I'm going to stick with the inboard spring set up on the rear. However, I believe the kit will include the parts for a true coilover set up if I choose to go that route in the future.

Spring rates will be 500F/700R because that's what I have now. But I've been wanting to go to a 800R.

One more question... During installation, can you route the canisters to the engine bay and trunk without disconnecting them?

Also, I'd love to see a picture of your canister strut mounting solution.

[M3SQRD]

Originally Posted by x.shell

Thanks for the recommended Nitrogen settings.

Starting out, I'm going to stick with the inboard spring set up on the rear. However, I believe the kit will include the parts for a true coilover set up if I choose to go that route in the future.

Spring rates will be 500F/700R because that's what I have now. But I've been wanting to go to a 800R.

One more question... During installation, can you route the canisters to the engine bay and trunk without disconnecting them?

Also, I'd love to see a picture of your canister strut mounting solution.

Awesome - you’ll love them

For the F8x, only the front dampers/struts come standard with a reservoir quick dry release connection. The quick release is an option on rear dampers. However, the reservoir on the rear dampers can be easily routed into the trunk by removing the two snap-in side vents in the trunk. You do have to remove the front reservoirs to be able to route them into the engine bay. Don’t forget to bleed off the reservoir pressure before disconnecting them.

You can get a portable N2 tank setup for ~$600 and a reservoir pressure gauge for ~$100-150. I think it’s worth the investment and is definitely something you should have with you at the track.

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by M3SQRD

Awesome - you’ll love them

For the F8x, only the front dampers/struts come standard with a reservoir quick dry release connection. The quick release is an option on rear dampers. However, the reservoir on the rear dampers can be easily routed into the trunk by removing the two snap-in side vents in the trunk. You do have to remove the front reservoirs to be able to route them into the engine bay. Don’t forget to bleed off the reservoir pressure before disconnecting them.

You can get a portable N2 tank setup for ~$600 and a reservoir pressure gauge for ~$100-150. I think it’s worth the investment and is definitely something you should have with you at the track.

Sux. The extra $700ish cost was a complication I wasn't anticipating. I was hoping I can install the dampers and drive on over to a shop to get the Nitrogen filled up. If I have to bleed the reservoir just to install it, then it appears I'll be stuck after installation unless I have my own N2 set up.

Starting to think I should just stick to the 1-way Non Remotes now....

[RSXDC5]

Originally Posted by x.shell

Sux. The extra $700ish cost was a complication I wasn't anticipating. I was hoping I can install the dampers and drive on over to a shop to get the Nitrogen filled up. If I have to bleed the reservoir just to install it, then it appears I'll be stuck after installation unless I have my own N2 set up.

Starting to think I should just stick to the 1-way Non Remotes now....

Don't overthink it. I don't have a nitrogen setup either. I have a local bmw shop adjust it when I need, takes only a brief moment to adjust each canister.

The front canister routing hole you will use on install is massive, and sits under the stock air boxes. U pull the fender liner back to "make" the hole.

Assemble your coilovers and have your local preferred race shop pressurize everything before u do the install.

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by RSXDC5

Don't overthink it. I don't have a nitrogen setup either. I have a local bmw shop adjust it when I need, takes only a brief moment to adjust each canister.

The front canister routing hole you will use on install is massive, and sits under the stock air boxes. U pull the fender liner back to "make" the hole.

Assemble your coilovers and have your local preferred race shop pressurize everything before u do the install.

This makes sense to me. I've taken the front end apart on several occasions already and from what I remember, there was plenty of space under the fender liners to fit a canister through. What through me for a loop was when I was talking to the sales guy from bimmerworld, he iterated that the front canisters needed to be bled and disconnected when installing. This along with one of the replies here, made me think there may have been "another" specific reason as to why this needed to be done.

So just to be clear, the canister being bled and disconnected isn't a necessary step in the install; it's just to make routing it easier right?

I know I posted in the track forum, but for my needs/wants at the moment, my car isn't going to see track time until later this year the earliest. Please pardon me if my questions are a bit neewb as this will be my first set up with remote reservoirs.

[M3SQRD]

Originally Posted by x.shell

Sux. The extra $700ish cost was a complication I wasn't anticipating. I was hoping I can install the dampers and drive on over to a shop to get the Nitrogen filled up. If I have to bleed the reservoir just to install it, then it appears I'll be stuck after installation unless I have my own N2 set up.

Starting to think I should just stick to the 1-way Non Remotes now....

It’s not something you need right away but it’s something I’d consider getting at some point especially when you’re looking for the final few percent of on-track performance. You’ll be fine driving from your house to a local shop with zero pressure in the reservoir/damper. The pressure is to prevent cavitation from developing in the damper fluid so you’ll be fine if you’re just driving to a local shop.

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by M3SQRD

It’s not something you need right away but it’s something I’d consider getting at some point especially when you’re looking for the final few percent of on-track performance. You’ll be fine driving from your house to a local shop with zero pressure in the reservoir/damper. The pressure is to prevent cavitation from developing in the damper fluid so you’ll be fine if you’re just driving to a local shop.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I couldn't have done it without the collective experience here.

[SYT_Shadow]

I don't know where you are in the US but I'm sure there are people willing to help out filling your canisters