KW V3/Clubsport w/ different springs

[tbone28]

Has anyone swapped out the springs that come in the off-the-shelf kit with either another KW spring or swift spring (of different spring rate and/or length)? Please comment on your experience.

I am contemplating either a V3 with a shorter spring or clubsport with slightly softer springs. I won't be tracking the car (E92). It will be a daily driver and looking for a good balance between ride height and driving comfort.

[BIGW0RM]

Originally Posted by tbone28

Has anyone swapped out the springs that come in the off-the-shelf kit with either another KW spring or swift spring (of different spring rate and/or length)? Please comment on your experience.

I am contemplating either a V3 with a shorter spring or clubsport with slightly softer springs. I won't be tracking the car (E92). It will be a daily driver and looking for a good balance between ride height and driving comfort.

KW V3s would be much better for DD. Clubsports are much more geared for track use. To be honest, for a DD, I would just get springs. You are going to loose all ride comfort with coils. They handled great, but the ride comfort was just crap on the KW v3 for me. I either bobbled headed down the road, or bottomed out. They clunked, clanked and just made noises I was not down with. I was never able to find a setting that was comfortable for DD use either.

That said, i don't think getting a softer spring will help at all. In fact, I think it cause them to bottom out even more. How about the KW sleeve option? Better yet, ground control solution is nicer than KWs sleeve kit if you ask me.

PS: Check out this guys KW sleeve kit review....
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=696722

Good luck!

[kaiv]

Originally Posted by ILSMKU

KW V3s would be much better for DD. Clubsports are much more geared for track use. To be honest, for a DD, I would just get springs. You are going to loose all ride comfort with coils. They handled great, but the ride comfort was just crap on the KW v3 for me. I either bobbled headed down the road, or bottomed out. They clunked, clanked and just made noises I was not down with. I was never able to find a setting that was comfortable for DD use either.

That said, i don't think getting a softer spring will help at all. In fact, I think it cause them to bottom out even more. How about the KW sleeve option? Better yet, ground control solution is nicer than KWs sleeve kit if you ask me.

PS: Check out this guys KW sleeve kit review....
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=696722

Good luck!

Oh the misinformation.

I personally have been running KW coils for years and have never experienced a single thing you said.

You certainly don't "loose all ride comfort with coils". Coilover springs and struts/shocks are matched to work together; unlike throwing a random spring onto a stock strut shock combo -which btw will likely kill them quickly given that the stock suspension has already very little travel and that you remove some/most of that travel with lowering springs.

As a matter of fact coilovers pretty much always ride better than mix and match springs/shocks/struts combo.

I have never heard a single clunk or odd noise on my KWs either. I'm also cannot believe you say you couldn't find a comfortable setting. The first thing that surprised me about the V3 is how smooth and stock-like they ride.

If you had such a poor experience, heard weird noises and "bottomed out" you probably had your car dumped and set up lower than KW's recommended settings and/or they were improperly installed.

They are some of the best coils on the market for a reason

[tbone28]

I've been riding lowered cars since 1995. I think I'll stick with a coilover setup over just springs That said, the V3's would fit my needs more as a daily driver, but would need them to drop the car just a tad more, which is why I asked if anyone has tried V3's with a shorter spring.

The clubsports lower the car to my needs, but run a higher spring rate, which would probably be "acceptable" for a DD, but I'm wondering if swapping out with a slightly lower spring rate would make it a better ride.

[BIGW0RM]

Originally Posted by kaiv

Oh the misinformation.

I personally have been running KW coils for years and have never experienced a single thing you said.

You certainly don't "loose all ride comfort with coils". Coilover springs and struts/shocks are matched to work together; unlike throwing a random spring onto a stock strut shock combo -which btw will likely kill them quickly given that the stock suspension has already very little travel and that you remove some/most of that travel with lowering springs.

As a matter of fact coilovers pretty much always ride better than mix and match springs/shocks/struts combo.

I have never heard a single clunk or odd noise on my KWs either. I'm also cannot believe you say you couldn't find a comfortable setting. The first thing that surprised me about the V3 is how smooth and stock-like they ride.

If you had such a poor experience, heard weird noises and "bottomed out" you probably had your car dumped and set up lower than KW's recommended settings and/or they were improperly installed.

They are some of the best coils on the market for a reason

How is my experience with KW coil overs misinformation? If you don't like my review/suggestions, then don't take them. I wasn't talking to you anyhow. Clearly, you think KW is top tier, so I'm not even going to argue with you.

They don't offer stock ride comfort. Period.

[tbone28]

I'm not looking for stock comfort. I've been riding lowered cars long enough to know that can't happen. What I'm looking to do is find the "best" comfort available at the ride height I want with these coilover kits.

I've mixed and matched swift springs with KW V2's on another car, but tapping the knowledge on this forum to see if perhaps it's been done. It will save me a lot of time tinkering.

[BIGW0RM]

Originally Posted by tbone28

I'm not looking for stock comfort. I've been riding lowered cars long enough to know that can't happen. What I'm looking to do is find the "best" comfort available at the ride height I want with these coilover kits.

I've mixed and matched swift springs with KW V2's on another car, but tapping the knowledge on this forum to see if perhaps it's been done. It will save me a lot of time tinkering.

Are you going for tucked tires?

[tbone28]

Yes, just slightly tucked. The V3's sit just above the tire

[kaiv]

Originally Posted by ILSMKU

How is my experience with KW coil overs misinformation? If you don't like my review/suggestions, then don't take them. I wasn't talking to you anyhow. Clearly, you think KW is top tier, so I'm not even going to argue with you.

They don't offer stock ride comfort. Period.

"You are going to loose all ride comfort with coils" = spreading misinformation.

And recommending lowering springs for a better ride... well not so much especially once your stock struts and shocks are blown.

In regards to your personal review of coils, if you're bottoming out that means you set them up too low and that has nothing to do with the product itself

[tbone28]

Guys please take your discussion to PM. Thx