I am considering buying a used set of Bilstein PSS9 coilovers or the MR bilstein/swift spec-r combo. If anyone has experience with either setup, can you weigh in on the pro's and cons of each? This will be on a DD evo with occasional HPDE track use.

 

The MR Bilstein / Spec-R combo is a good place to start, especially if you already have the Bilsteins and just need to buy the springs.

The biggest benefit of the PSS9s is the adjustability. But adjustability is just one more way to shoot yourself in the foot if you don't know what you're doing. Adjustability sounds nice, but it's really not useful until you can consistently reach the limits of the suspension. You don't want to be changing the dials while you're still trying to learn how to handle the car. And don't fall into the trap of thinking that the adjustability is going to make you faster or make the car easier to handle. The opposite is true when you're still learning how to drive the car and can't resist the temptation of tweaking the knobs.

Are you already doing occasional HDPEs? If not, I would recommend starting with the MR Bilstein / Swift combo until you learn to reach the limits of the car. Then upgrade to the PSS9s or an even more expensive setup depending on how much you enjoy HDPEs over time.

Also, consider Autocrossing with us. It's a great way to learn how to handle your car, learn the effects that small changes have on the handling, and meet people who [usually] know what they're talking about.

 

I would suggest the same as above. Great place to start off would be the spring/shock combo. If you were a little heavier on the track side of things compared to DD then I could see you getting $ out of the c-overs.

 

I haven't been to the track yet, plan to start this fall. I guess the main reason I am even considering the PSS9's is because I can buy them used for about the same price as the strut/spring combo. That being said, if they were the same price, would you guys still recommend the strut/springs over the coilovers?

Thanks for the help guys!

 

You guys are crazy for suggesting the hd's over the pss9's!! Buy once, get the pss9's no question.

The pss9's are better in every way then the hd's.

 

If you can get for the same cost and plan on getting more serious about racing then do the PSS9's. Otherwise I'd stay springs/shocks.

 

Same price? Yeah, go for the PSS9. As long as they're in good shape.

 

Sounds good guys, I think I will buy the PSS9's....they were just freshly rebuilt by bilstein and selling for about the same price as used bilstein/swift setup. Again, thanks for the help!

 

^^ that's a good deal if you can get them for that price. I've had the PSS9s for a year or so and they work well for entry level driving at the track like I do. Daily driving they are tolerable but like any coil over they will need maintenance from time to time and don't like speed bumps .

 

I'm not sure this is still true or not but I had spoken with a few people with PSS9s that said their height adjustment range was limited and the car sat very low. In fact you couldn't even set it to stock height if you wanted to. They also said they were a bit soft for track duty.

Maybe someone with the can post a picture and or confirm those comments.

 

The PSS9s are just as height adjustable as other coilovers out there and you can set them really slammed or you can run them as I do which is just a bit lower than stock (I DD my car and I had the luck of bending my lower braces a bunch when the car was too low). I don't have any good side pics of my car currently or I would post.

They are definitely trackable once you aren't the next Smike. As a compromise coilover they do their job. They work pretty well on the street and will serve entry level track duty (which to be honest is what 90% of the folks coming in here asking for DD suspension end up doing). You can also change the spring rates/get them re-valved since they are a Bilstein product after all.

When you move on and become the next Smike, then go and spend that $2500+ on something more serious.

 

What are the spring rates for the PSS9's?

 

430 lbs front, 460 lbs rear.

 

Got the PSS9's installed a couple days ago....I love them. Car rides better than stock imo. I only have them lowered slightly less than stock, and have them set one click from stiff in front and two clicks from stiff in rear. Pretty good compromise for a streetable suspension. Car seems very well planted and level in turns, and ride is firm, but not harsh. I may try the softer settings and see how that goes.. Overall, very happy with them, especially since I only paid $1k for them, and they were jsut freshly rebuilt.

 

I looked around the market and couldn't find any pss9 for 1k. however i found plently of mr suspensions for like 500 shipped