I've been thinking about changing out my suspension for a more comfortable ride with a some sportiness. KW V3 was something I've been thinking about purchasing, but I've heard some problems with it recently. Horrendous scarping/squeaky noise over bumps and leaking oil.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=243156


Does anybody on this forum have KW V3 on their car? How's the ride quality at low speeds on ruff roads? How does it feel compared to stock?

 

Sounds like you already have your answer here "Horrendous scarping/squeaky noise over bumps and leaking oil." If this is true I would certainly stay away and not put these on my car.

 

they are great coilovers the downside is that they are not adjustable stroke which when lowered you lose shock travel which could result in shock bottoming out and possible blowout. awesome for the track.

 

KW makes a nice suspension. They ride well and they have a long stroke compared to most coilovers.

They are definitely not for "slamming" your car though, due to the limited ability for lowering before you eat into the suspension travel.

 

CircuitMS, do you know of these problems with the KW V3's for the IS-F? Is the ride quality more smoother than stock? Is it possible to keep ride height the same as stock with the KW V3's?

 

i can answer that the height can be put at the same as stock and they ride 100 times better, due to dbl adjustable ( compression and rebound). They are a great setup but the ride will not be as jarring due to the softer spring rates.

 

OK, that sounds great that the stock height can be maintained and that the ride won't be a jarring/harsh over pot holes and rough roads. But what about the handling and cornering? will it improve as well or will it become sloppy?, and as for the reliability does anybody have problems?

 

^^ To Mav ^^

You cant have "One" Without the "Other"

Decreasing the Rebound, Travel or Stiffness should change every aspect of your handling and cornering ability.

I'm sure after numerous hours of trial and error you can tune your suspension to handle well and not be so jarring.

But don't expect this to come out of the box (install and go) fine tuned. You cant have it both way's great handling and soft ride....

 

I was looking into these too...

Do they require both oem front & rear top hat transfers??


Joe Z

 

I approached them last year and they had no intent on making this application. What is the latest?

Fig

 

JOEZ,

when i checked with kw regarding our set up they told me it required us to transfer out old ones over to there setup. Regardless it will result in a quieter ride.

 

^^ Looks like they released the system for the ISx50 & IS-F




^^^ Thanks for the info Chris...!!

 

They will improve your handling, ride quality is usually a subjective term. They will get rid of the floatiness, which personally I think is an improvement. They should not feel "harsh". They have a nice damping range and rate.

They do re-use the front and rear topmounts. Which is not a bad thing, it will help to keep noise and vibrations to a minimum.

 

3 weeks to order from Deutschland.

I hope they're worth the wait.

Anybody have suggestions for settings for a good combination of ride/handling?

 

You'll be happy with your purchase. These coils have independent adjustments for compression and rebound. Keep it to the factory recommended settings and see if that works for you. For me, factory settings work perfectly.

The adjustments are different from typical coilovers. The compression adjustments are located at the bottom of the shock assembly and the rebound is at the top.

Terrance