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      04-27-2012, 12:13 PM   #1
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kw v3 - comfort vs. edc?

Hey,

Would like to get some quick chime in on Kw V3 owners. I have a e92 with EDC. Basically I'm looking to dropping my car for the first time in my life. The setting that I normally drive on for my M3 is "normal - edc" mode. Occasionally I would set the sport when the roads are perfect. I was wondering how v3 compare to edc "normal" mode? I want to get away from the jarring jolts that you get on "sport" edc mode. I was hoping that the v3 are able to get some softer settings yet feel more planted. Want to get some ideas before buyers remorse. Thanks
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      04-28-2012, 11:06 PM   #2
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KW V3s are adjustable so you will be able to dial in the suspension to your liking. I was reluctant to do away with EDC until I had the struts, shocks, and springs off the vehicle, V3s on the vehicle, then took it for the initial spin.

In retrospect, EDC seems overly complicated and lacking in execution.
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      04-28-2012, 11:20 PM   #3
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The EDC is easier to adjust and you can adjust while driving. Unless you leave the liner out of your trunk or cut holes in it to get to the strut tops, changing your settings is definitely more difficult. I'm still searching for more threads discussing their KW V3 settings, but haven't found any yet.
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      04-28-2012, 11:30 PM   #4
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KW publishes their recommended settings for the M3 setup. I used that as a starting point then drove without the boot liner for a couple of weeks as I made incremental adjustments. I have had no desire to readjust since.
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      04-28-2012, 11:44 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SirSpeedy View Post
KW publishes their recommended settings for the M3 setup. I used that as a starting point then drove without the boot liner for a couple of weeks as I made incremental adjustments. I have had no desire to readjust since.
How does the publish settings compare to EDC normal mode?
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      04-29-2012, 12:17 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WaSai.M3 View Post
How does the publish settings compare to EDC normal mode?
+ or - 10% of the normal EDC setting. I believe you will find the v3 to be capable of being configured more stiff than sport or softer than comfort while performing better at the same time. Others can weigh in if they feel otherwise.

I'm two or three clicks North of KW's recommended settings all the way around.
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      04-29-2012, 12:17 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SirSpeedy View Post
KW publishes their recommended settings for the M3 setup. I used that as a starting point then drove without the boot liner for a couple of weeks as I made incremental adjustments. I have had no desire to readjust since.
What is the recommended settings anyways? I have mine set on the middle click for rebound and compression and it feels great on the street and at the track.
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      04-29-2012, 12:18 AM   #8
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I'm running the recommended settings and to me drives just a little bit stiffer than "sport" mode.
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      04-29-2012, 09:03 AM   #9
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KW Setup Manual is http://www.kw-store.com/extras/docs/...ea68577082.pdf.

There is a link to a Koni coilover setup manual on this forum that goes into greater detail of coilover tuning. Different manufacturer though the principals are the same. Read, experiment, then enlighten others with your observations.
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      04-29-2012, 11:15 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Longbow64 View Post
I'm running the recommended settings and to me drives just a little bit stiffer than "sport" mode.
This helps a lot. I guess I'll tame it down a bit from kw "recommended setting"
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      04-29-2012, 08:13 PM   #11
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Just checked mine today. Just checked the rebound and the height. Didn't feel like getting under the car. My ride height is 13.5" all the way around. The front rebound is set on 6 clicks as recommended. The rears were at 6 clicks. Recommended by KW is 9, so I adjusted them to 9 just to see what it felt like. I liked the way it drove a little better over the crappy roads of El Paso in that setting. While I had everything taken apart I figured out a way to keep the rear strut tops available without taking out all the lining everytime. I'll post it in the DIY.
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      05-01-2012, 12:36 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Longbow64 View Post
Just checked mine today. Just checked the rebound and the height. Didn't feel like getting under the car. My ride height is 13.5" all the way around. The front rebound is set on 6 clicks as recommended. The rears were at 6 clicks. Recommended by KW is 9, so I adjusted them to 9 just to see what it felt like. I liked the way it drove a little better over the crappy roads of El Paso in that setting. While I had everything taken apart I figured out a way to keep the rear strut tops available without taking out all the lining everytime. I'll post it in the DIY.
So putting the rear to 9 instead of 6, does that improve ride quality? more comfortable than "sport" or "normal" ?
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      05-01-2012, 09:09 PM   #13
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More comfortable. Full clockwise is harder rebound. As you turn the adjustment with the 2mm Allen wrench on the top of the strut there is a click about every 1/4 turn. Recommended setting in the rear is 9. By going from 6 to 9 there is a softer (more comfortable) ride at lower speeds. If you make it too soft you'll feel like you are floating at high speeds (not in a good way) especially if you make it too soft in the front axle.
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      05-01-2012, 09:42 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WaSai.M3 View Post
Hey,

Would like to get some quick chime in on Kw V3 owners. I have a e92 with EDC. Basically I'm looking to dropping my car for the first time in my life. The setting that I normally drive on for my M3 is "normal - edc" mode. Occasionally I would set the sport when the roads are perfect. I was wondering how v3 compare to edc "normal" mode? I want to get away from the jarring jolts that you get on "sport" edc mode. I was hoping that the v3 are able to get some softer settings yet feel more planted. Want to get some ideas before buyers remorse. Thanks
KW V3 are the middle of the road setup. If you want a better feeling go with something else. I had them on my other M3 and they are average at best.

Have you looked at other setups?
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      05-02-2012, 12:07 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EndlessZ4M View Post
KW V3 are the middle of the road setup. If you want a better feeling go with something else. I had them on my other M3 and they are average at best.

Have you looked at other setups?
Average for what? Sounds like he's looking for a street setup. What's a much better street setup than the V3's? I know there are half a dozen better track setups. The V3's are very comfortable yet much better balanced than the stock setup IMO. I don't miss EDC or my stock competition setup one bit.

Sounds like the OP should just get a sleeve-over kit and call it the day to retain EDC functionality and be able to drop the car a bit more.
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      05-02-2012, 05:24 AM   #16
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How do people justify the "balance" they feel when they switch over to a new set of coil overs?

The M suspension is tested again and again on the Nurburgring for hundreds of laps to twit it right for the M3. The use of the "popo" chair, professional drivers and live data in order to produce the optimal balance for the car. Other than the benefit of lowering your car, I don't think KW will have a better insight of the M3 suspension geometry than the M department.

Let me ask, which system will you choose if they both provide the same ride height, M3 struts or KW coil overs?
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      05-02-2012, 09:32 AM   #17
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To put into perspective the range of rebound there are 18 total clicks. You shouldn't set it on all the way hard or all the way soft. So essentially 6 clicks=1/3 and 9 clicks=1/2 of the range. Depending on what you want to do with your car and it seems that you prefer a more comfortable ride, you may be happier with sleeve over system. There's a couple good reviews out there. For everyone else, there's plenty of other threads with arguments about OEM suspension vs. KW vs other brands. The OP is asking about KW V3 compared to the stock ride qualitiy.
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      05-02-2012, 10:30 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carbon-M
How do people justify the "balance" they feel when they switch over to a new set of coil overs?

The M suspension is tested again and again on the Nurburgring for hundreds of laps to twit it right for the M3. The use of the "popo" chair, professional drivers and live data in order to produce the optimal balance for the car. Other than the benefit of lowering your car, I don't think KW will have a better insight of the M3 suspension geometry than the M department.

Let me ask, which system will you choose if they both provide the same ride height, M3 struts or KW coil overs?
That testing, along with all other testing is done by BMW in order to peg what they consider to be the perfect balance between sport and comfort.

It's not tough to conclude that BMW is at a crossroads with its target market on its performance tuned cars.

This necessarily informs what they conclude as optimal suspension set up.

Seems like many here on this forum have a different theory on where that balance lies.

Put it otherwise, there is a certain individual for whom the stock setup can't be beat.

For others, there's an alternative that presents pros and cons, but represents their ideal set up.

You can't possibly conclude that there's an objective "best" for a mass produced car with so many varied purchasers and uses.
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      05-02-2012, 12:10 PM   #19
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I had KW V3s and I didnt like them at all from a comfort standpoint. They either were too soft or to jarring for my taste. They handled VERY well. But for DD use, I hated them. Adjusting them was a major PITA. Overall, for DD use, I was let down big time.
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      05-02-2012, 12:15 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by ILSMKU View Post
I had KW V3s and I didnt like them at all from a comfort standpoint. They either were too soft or to jarring for my taste. They handled VERY well. But for DD use, I hated them. Adjusting them was a major PITA. Overall, for DD use, I was let down big time.
what settings did you have them on?
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      05-02-2012, 12:43 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carbon-M View Post
How do people justify the "balance" they feel when they switch over to a new set of coil overs?

The M suspension is tested again and again on the Nurburgring for hundreds of laps to twit it right for the M3. The use of the "popo" chair, professional drivers and live data in order to produce the optimal balance for the car. Other than the benefit of lowering your car, I don't think KW will have a better insight of the M3 suspension geometry than the M department.

Let me ask, which system will you choose if they both provide the same ride height, M3 struts or KW coil overs?
While M division does go through lots of R&D time, they are also on a specific budget and design for a broader market.

When I installed the coil overs, the first thing I noticed was the turn in response was much sharper and quicker. It wasn't a subtle difference. It was huge. There was a lot less body roll even when compared to EDC on sport. Also, when going over roads with a lot of uneven pavement, stock suspension would bounce all over the place even in comfort mode. There's a 45 mph limit road here where I can't go over 35-40 without the car going all over the place. When I went over the same road with the V3's I was able to drive 45mph no problem and the shocks rolled right over them without breaking traction. I still feel every bump, but the car is not all over the place like it was with the stock suspension. I've driven my wife and 2 year old son around town and have had no complaints about the ride quality either.

You feel the road more with the V3's, but the shocks absorb everything much better than stock so bumps are less jarring. Imagine getting hit by a rubber hammer lightly more often (KW V3's) vs occasional hard blows by a regular hammer (stock). That's probably the best analogy I can come up with in terms of ride quality feel. The average driver may not like this, but road feel is important to me and the V3's deliver this in spades compared to stock.

I was also about 3-4 seconds faster at Laguna Seca. The car felt far more planted, turn in response was much sharper and I felt much more comfortable at the limits.

I was pretty skeptical about upgrading from EDC to V3's as well. I had a hard time imagining it would be much better, but I was quite pleasantly surprised. I know there are better kits out there, but they come at a much higher price. The V3's are definitely a nice step up from stock if you want better handling on the street and track without sacrificing much on comfort.
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      05-02-2012, 01:32 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by radiantm3 View Post
While M division does go through lots of R&D time, they are also on a specific budget and design for a broader market.

When I installed the coil overs, the first thing I noticed was the turn in response was much sharper and quicker. It wasn't a subtle difference. It was huge. There was a lot less body roll even when compared to EDC on sport. Also, when going over roads with a lot of uneven pavement, stock suspension would bounce all over the place even in comfort mode. There's a 45 mph limit road here where I can't go over 35-40 without the car going all over the place. When I went over the same road with the V3's I was able to drive 45mph no problem and the shocks rolled right over them without breaking traction. I still feel every bump, but the car is not all over the place like it was with the stock suspension. I've driven my wife and 2 year old son around town and have had no complaints about the ride quality either.

You feel the road more with the V3's, but the shocks absorb everything much better than stock so bumps are less jarring. Imagine getting hit by a rubber hammer lightly more often (KW V3's) vs occasional hard blows by a regular hammer (stock). That's probably the best analogy I can come up with in terms of ride quality feel. The average driver may not like this, but road feel is important to me and the V3's deliver this in spades compared to stock.

I was also about 3-4 seconds faster at Laguna Seca. The car felt far more planted, turn in response was much sharper and I felt much more comfortable at the limits.

I was pretty skeptical about upgrading from EDC to V3's as well. I had a hard time imagining it would be much better, but I was quite pleasantly surprised. I know there are better kits out there, but they come at a much higher price. The V3's are definitely a nice step up from stock if you want better handling on the street and track without sacrificing much on comfort.
I appreciate this response!
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