Nitron R3 vs MCS – Looking for Real-World Feedback

[zeeshan_k24]

I’m replacing the BC coilovers on my gen 3 and trying to decide between MCS and the Nitron R3 3-way setup.

The car has 730 whp is mainly street driven and I want something that still feels aggressive and planted, but rides much better over rough roads, bridge joints and bigger bumps.

Todd at A&C has offered me a custom Nitron R3 setup with spring rates and settings based on how I use the car. He’s installed both MCS and Nitron on Vipers and speaks very highly of the Nitron.

I know MCS is much more proven in the Viper community, so I’m curious if anyone here has experience with both.

Would you go MCS or Nitron?

 

[MoparMap]

I only run the MCS singles, but I've considered stepping up to the 3 ways one of these days. The singles can ride a touch rough to me at times, and I think some of that is down to the single vs at least double adjustment. If I soften them up too much, I think the heavier springs that go with them come through more and make the ride a little rougher, which is a bit counterintuitive. With a double adjustable setup I think I could soften up the compression a little more for that initial hit of a pothole or something like that, but keep the rebound a bit stiffer so the wheel doesn't come down as hard.

That being said, I think the MCS product is a really nice quality. I've never heard of the Nitrons, but then again I don't really deal much with high performance suspension. I only have my MCS setup because my stock ones were starting to leak and feel a little sketchy over bumps and I needed to replace them. The MCS single setup seemed like the best bang for the buck replacement of a high quality piece with some adjustment, but not break the bank like Motons or Penskes that I know I didn't need the full capability of.

 

[GTS Dean]

Bobby Archer is also selling the Nitrons. He is very high on them.

 

[zeeshan_k24]

I only run the MCS singles, but I've considered stepping up to the 3 ways one of these days. The singles can ride a touch rough to me at times, and I think some of that is down to the single vs at least double adjustment. If I soften them up too much, I think the heavier springs that go with them come through more and make the ride a little rougher, which is a bit counterintuitive. With a double adjustable setup I think I could soften up the compression a little more for that initial hit of a pothole or something like that, but keep the rebound a bit stiffer so the wheel doesn't come down as hard.

That being said, I think the MCS product is a really nice quality. I've never heard of the Nitrons, but then again I don't really deal much with high performance suspension. I only have my MCS setup because my stock ones were starting to leak and feel a little sketchy over bumps and I needed to replace them. The MCS single setup seemed like the best bang for the buck replacement of a high quality piece with some adjustment, but not break the bank like Motons or Penskes that I know I didn't need the full capability of.

Appreciate the feedback and glad to hear the MCS quality has been solid for you.

 

[Steve M]

Been running MCS two-way adjustables (compression adjustment via remote canisters, rebound on the shocks) since 2012 - never had an issue, and they ride like how I read your desired attributes with 500 lb/in and 800 lb/in linear rate Eibach springs front/rear. Mounting the canisters was an adventure, and pretty much doubled the install time (if not more). I do recharge the canisters at least once a year with nitrogen which is also an added expense (I think I paid $500 for a PowerTank setup if I recall correctly); recharging somewhat regularly is very much required to maintain ride comfort. Paid ~$5k for everything back then; I can only imagine they've gone through the roof since.

Recommend finding someone with a similar setup that you can do a ride along with in person if at all possible - it's a lot of coin to just be pulling the trigger blindly like I did many years ago. Granted, I ended up happy with my purchase, but I was a little nervous shelling out that much cash for something that can't easily be quantified to an easily understandable level and is highly subjective.

 

[white out]

I run R3 (3 way) on my FGT and am happy with the comfort on road, the independent slow and fast compression adjustments makes a major difference in comfort - car flat with slow compression adjustment & soak up potholes/track curbs with fast compression adjustment. R1 are a comfortable coilover (2 way with single adjustment for both compression/rebound) and more than enough for street use, but R3's 3 way adjustment can really dial in the comfort for your specific needs.

Nitron has been around a long time, just not in the Viper world. They were an OE supplier for Lotus.

 

[zeeshan_k24]

Been running MCS two-way adjustables (compression adjustment via remote canisters, rebound on the shocks) since 2012 - never had an issue, and they ride like how I read your desired attributes with 500 lb/in and 800 lb/in linear rate Eibach springs front/rear. Mounting the canisters was an adventure, and pretty much doubled the install time (if not more). I do recharge the canisters at least once a year with nitrogen which is also an added expense (I think I paid $500 for a PowerTank setup if I recall correctly); recharging somewhat regularly is very much required to maintain ride comfort. Paid ~$5k for everything back then; I can only imagine they've gone through the roof since.

Recommend finding someone with a similar setup that you can do a ride along with in person if at all possible - it's a lot of coin to just be pulling the trigger blindly like I did many years ago. Granted, I ended up happy with my purchase, but I was a little nervous shelling out that much cash for something that can't easily be quantified to an easily understandable level and is highly subjective.

Thanks, really appreciate the detailed feedback. That helps a lot, especially hearing how well the MCS has held up long term.

 

[zeeshan_k24]

I run R3 (3 way) on my FGT and am happy with the comfort on road, the independent slow and fast compression adjustments makes a major difference in comfort - car flat with slow compression adjustment & soak up potholes/track curbs with fast compression adjustment. R1 are a comfortable coilover (2 way with single adjustment for both compression/rebound) and more than enough for street use, but R3's 3 way adjustment can really dial in the comfort for your specific needs.

Nitron has been around a long time, just not in the Viper world. They were an OE supplier for Lotus.

Thanks, really appreciate the feedback. I have a few friends running Nitrons on their Porsches and between their experience and your feedback, I think I’m going to go with the R3s. How long have you been running yours, and have you had to service or rebuild them yet?