Photography courtesy of BC Racing, MCA Suspension, Scale Suspension
There comes a time when you’re pushing the boundaries of what your car can do and “off-the-shelf” just won’t cut it anymore. As limits get pushed further and further out of spec, custom parts are needed to accommodate where enthusiasts want to take their builds. One such modification that has embraced customizability is suspension, which makes sense, since suitable suspension, whether for looks or performance, can make or break a build.
Nowadays, there’s so much choice out there, and it can be a little overwhelming to find what exactly is right for you. With that in mind, we chased down three separate suspension companies - BC Racing, MCA Suspension, and SCALE Suspension - all of which offer different sets of suspension for different builds, with their own unique twist on a spring and damper setup. Here’s a rundown of who we spoke to and how they answered.
BC RACING NA
MCA SUSPENSION
SCALE SUSPENSION
Cody Slack, Director of Marketing at BC Racing North America – BC Racing North America was started in 2006 to introduce BC Racing suspension products to North America by Taiwan Bor-Chuan Enterprises - producer of the BC Racing coilover systems - one of the industry’s major suspension manufacturers for over a decade. Since the beginning, BC Racing has prided itself on providing extremely high-quality coilover systems for an affordable price, and has offered full customization of their applications since 2009.
At what point should an enthusiast consider a set of BC Racing custom coilovers?
“A customer should only step into the area of customized coilovers if they are doing something out of the norm, or the car is a dedicated track car. Otherwise, we highly suggest they stick with our default specs, as they are carefully thought-out and thoroughly tested to be optimized for a wide array of things from street driving to light track use.”
How would a set of BC Racing coilovers be customized for a track-oriented build versus a stance-oriented build?
“Longer-stroke shocks, for example, are great for drag and drift setups using low spring rates because they allow for a full range of compression and rebound to prevent the vehicle from bottoming out on the bump stops, which eliminates everything cool about your coilovers because they’re doing nothing at that point.
Stance-oriented builds are generally higher in spring rate to prevent wheel travel in tight fitment setups, along with shorter shocks and springs to achieve the customer’s desired ride height. The ability to use sometimes much shorter shocks and springs allows users to get much lower than they ever would with an out-of-the-box coilover setup.”
What are some of the custom options that BC Racing offers?
“We offer a ton of customizability, from the no cost options, such as shock length, spring length and spring rate, we also offer upgrades like caster camber plates, rear camber plates, and Swift springs, where applicable.”
What are the changes to the coilover when it becomes an Extreme Low version?
“The BC Racing Extreme Low series utilizes a combination of shorter dampers as well as shorter springs allowing the customer to achieve a specific ride height they had in mind.”
Why should someone consider an upgrade to Swift springs?
“Swifts springs allow for a more consistent compression rate, and more travel compared to a comparable steel spring. The results of which is a more comfortable, compliant ride, as well as accurate consistent performance over bumps and undulations.”
Is there anything that BC Racing offers as a custom option that you’d consider exclusive?
“The ability to sell all parts individually, which allows the end-user to customize their kit down the road if they change what they’re doing with the car. We have the ability to adapt their current system to whatever they’re looking to do, which prevents them from having to buy an entire kit every time they want to make changes.”
Josh Coote, Director of MCA Suspension – MCA Suspension was started by Josh’s father, Murray Coote, back in 1990. MCA started off only dealing with custom-made, high-end motorsport suspension that could be built to suit any car and application. Due to their custom nature, they’ve tackled suspension for boat seats and prototype jetpack landing gear. It was around 2012 that MCA started the Red, X, and Blue Series custom suspension options targeting the enthusiast market. At what point should an enthusiast consider a custom set of suspension from MCA? “Essentially, as soon as the customer is either needing or wanting to change their suspension, no matter what the reason, they should consider a quality set of dampers. Adjustable ones are handy, as they give you some control over how the car rides and performs, as well as ride height, and in some cases some extra camber adjustment. Plus, we can suggest to you a setup that is suited to your specific type of application, so you could end up with a far superior setup than OEM this way.”
How could a set of MCA Suspension be customized for a track-oriented build versus a stance-oriented build?
“Basically, stance is really about ride height and, in some cases, wheel alignment - mainly camber. With the way we design our setups, they are already designed to allow for maximum suspension travel that the car can handle safely, no matter the ride height. This means that as long as your wheels and tires actually fit your car properly, you should be able to lower it down as far as you like, and still not have any significant scrubbing or contact issues. In the case of MCA, a track setup could be a stance setup with just ride height and alignment change added. With other brands, there might be quite a bit more to play with as they don’t control the suspension travel properly. This is why you see some brands and owners going with ridiculously stiff spring rates - they don’t know how to control the suspension travel properly.”
How do custom options differ between MCA’s different “Series” models?
“Blue Series are an entry level setup designed for street comfort and some basic, low level performance. X-C Series perform about the same as the Blues but are even more comfortable and smoother feeling. X-R Series ride a touch firmer than the blues but perform significantly better and would be considered a great ‘all-rounder’ for most car enthusiasts. Red Series are completely custom-valved to order, and can be made to be anything from a full comfort street setup, to a time attack race car setup, and everything in between. They also have a very high level of quality control, as each damper is dyno-tuned and tested before being sent out.”
Is there anything that MCA offers as a custom option that you’d consider exclusive?
“Our suspension is made to order. For the Blues, X-Cs and X-Rs, you can customize the springs, and with the Reds, the valving and springs are custom. Valving is the heart of the damper and is a major critical component as to how the whole package feels and performs. The whole premise of how we design, develop, setup, and adjust our suspension is completely unique to the rest of the market.”
Cimon Brouillette, Sales Manager at SCALE Suspension – “Established in the market for the last three years, SCALE Suspension has offered complete custom coilover options since its inception - from default versions to extremely low, “bagged fitment” ones. This way, from a comfortable daily driver to an Internet famous customer, everybody finds their way.
At what point should an enthusiast consider a custom set of SCALE coilovers?
“At any point in the build, having quality suspension is primordial. Your car may look good, but what good is it if it doesn’t ride well?”
How could a set of SCALE coilovers be customized for a track-oriented build versus a stance-oriented build?
“A track build will mainly be oriented with functional options rather than aesthetic ones. Those customers will go for circuit specs for the spring rates, specific to their car’s weight and driver’s preference. On the other side, a stance build might choose options like Low or Extreme Low versions, custom spring rates for specific fitment, custom color choice, hardware upgrade for stainless steel, etc.”
What kind of custom options does SCALE offer on their coilovers?
In our Innovative Series, our best-seller, these are all the options available:
Default regular top plates: Perfect for a daily driver that doesn’t need much adjustment and sees OEM-like use. Front adjustable camber plates: Perfect for complete adjustment for MacPherson suspension. Mainly used for Low and Extreme Low fitments and for track-use as well.
Bearing gravitational torque (BGT): Best-seller option for comfort. Removes all friction between the top plates and the strut. Eliminates any squeaky sounds at slow turns.
Custom springs rates: Free option available at purchase.
Custom color springs: Ideal for a one-off set tailored to the customer’s tastes. Can do some combos to fit either the car, or the wheels. Pillowball option: Ideal for a stiffer drive, offering more precision and better overall performance.
Stainless Steel Hardware Upgrade: Good for a long-term purchase, especially customers driving their car all-year long, in different conditions.
Swift Springs Upgrade: Collaboration with the best springs on the market, offering a large variety of lengths and rates for specific applications.
Default version: Lowers from one to three inches lower than stock height. Ideal for someone who wants to keep some comfort while lowering their car for a great look.
Low version: Lowers from one to three-and-a-half inches lower than stock height. Stiffer rates are set, while keeping some kind of comfort. Offered to customers who wants to tuck the tires into the fenders.
Extreme Low version: Custom made for a bagged fitment look while staying static. Forget about the handling and comfort, this is strictly for the show stealers and Internet famous.
Is there anything that SCALE offers as a custom option that you’d consider exclusive?
What we are most proud about our product comes standard with every application. Our patented exclusive measurement system, laser-engraved straight on the struts, to help customers lower their car without having to take out the measuring tape.
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Hopefully this has made the custom coilover decision a little easier for you, no matter if you’re headed out to the track or to break necks. At the end of the day, these guys are here to help, and have a ridiculous amount of data to help you choose the right options, valving, and rates to help you achieve your dream stance or peak performance.
Links:
BC Racing
MCA Suspension
SCALE Suspension
As seen in: PASMAG Tuning Essentials: Style Book #4
