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  • KW3 setup for normal

    hi
    I am toying with adjusting my setup to be a bit more kind on the normal roads as i feel its a bit low and hard over the bumps have downloaded the info from the kw site , but its confusing , any tips are welcome

  • #2
    Kevin,

    I've found that the best "general purpose" setting of KW V3 which will cope with just about the worst B-road twisties and still be much better than OEM suspension is:

    Front: Bump 1/2+ Rebound 1/2
    Rear: Bump 1/3 Rebound 1/4
    (all from "Full soft")
    These settings are with 18" wheels and H&R ARBs on lowest settings and polyurethane subframe and trailing-arm bushes. The ride height is at 645mm at the rear and 635mm at the front. I also have a butt-strut which reduces ground clearance by 1" more than OEM without it.

    The rear rebound setting determines your own perception of the harshness of the ride more than any other setting.

    I've experimented with KW V3 settings probably more than anyone else on the MC.

    Hope this helps.
    /// Exdos ///
    "Men who try the impossible and fail spectacularly are infinitely superior to those who reach for nothing and succeed" --Napoleon Bonapart

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    • #3
      May I ask a novice question about KWV3s? Would a setup such as the one Exdos has described give a better ride quality than OEM setup with H&R ARBs?

      I ask because I find the OEM ride quality to be much harsher than ideal, with the interior trim starting to rattle a bit too much as a result. From reading some threads, I'm getting the impression that the KVW3 can match or improve on the OEM ride quality, something that contradicts what I've always read in the past - that coilovers give much harsher ride than OE setups. Having never had 1st hand experience of a road car with coilovers, I genuinely don't know which of these is the truth.

      I realise that it's entirely possible that at 92,000 miles the dampers in my ZMC may be past their best. Although nothing was indicated at the Insp2 @ Munich Legends earlier in the year, where top mounts, bushes and trackrods were changed.

      Cheers,

      DC

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      • #4
        Originally posted by DavidC View Post
        May I ask a novice question about KWV3s? Would a setup such as the one Exdos has described give a better ride quality than OEM setup with H&R ARBs?

        I ask because I find the OEM ride quality to be much harsher than ideal, with the interior trim starting to rattle a bit too much as a result. From reading some threads, I'm getting the impression that the KVW3 can match or improve on the OEM ride quality, something that contradicts what I've always read in the past - that coilovers give much harsher ride than OE setups. Having never had 1st hand experience of a road car with coilovers, I genuinely don't know which of these is the truth.

        I realise that it's entirely possible that at 92,000 miles the dampers in my ZMC may be past their best. Although nothing was indicated at the Insp2 @ Munich Legends earlier in the year, where top mounts, bushes and trackrods were changed.

        Cheers,

        DC
        It probably could do as a quality damper can be firmer yet more compliant, but sounds liek your dampers might be tired; I had no creaks or rattles at all on OEM suspension. I get the odd vibration/creak but nothing very bad runing ACS and H&R bars (I think the latter create the rattles most as it's trying to resist suspension movement).

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        • #5
          interesting. Just wondering, what the difference between the coupe and roadster rear dampers? The part numbers on RealOEM are different, so would I be right in assuming that they are different lengths?

          (sorry for the thread hi-jack)

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          • #6
            thanks matey, i take it the rear adjustment is at the very top meaning the carpets moved to get at it? i know at the moment its sitting low so i will raise it up anyway as i do not do any tracking, not sure if i have h&r arb must check

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            • #7
              Originally posted by kevinx320 View Post
              thanks matey, i take it the rear adjustment is at the very top meaning the carpets moved to get at it? i know at the moment its sitting low so i will raise it up anyway as i do not do any tracking, not sure if i have h&r arb must check
              kevin,

              Yes, the rebound adjustment is at the top of the dampers. You'll have to remove the rear dampers to adjust the rebound, easy if you've got Rogue top mounts, otherwise it would be a pain to access.

              I got fed up of doing this, so I drilled two 1/2" holes in the carpeted trim in the rear luggage compartment, directly above the ends of the dampers. I've bought a pair of 2mm hex screwdrivers with 100mm length, and now I can adjust the dampers through the holes in the carpet in seconds.
              /// Exdos ///
              "Men who try the impossible and fail spectacularly are infinitely superior to those who reach for nothing and succeed" --Napoleon Bonapart

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              • #8
                cheers, i dont know if i have rogue mounts or not , but how do you determine the position of the holes you drilled as that seems the best idea rather than messing with the carpets, did you measure from a point in the car?

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                • #9
                  Before you remove a rear damper, make a mark behind the damper in chalk/felt-tip on the wheel arch showing the vertical angle of the damper. When the damper is removed, get a long bradawl or sharp pointed instrument and place it through the top mount (if Rogue) in a central position and then push the sharp tool through the carpet at the same angle as the marking behind the damper. You can then drill a hole through the carpet from the luggage compartment.

                  When you've done one of the holes, make a template of the position of the hole on top of the carpet. Refit the damper and check that you can easily access the rebound adjuster. If it's OK, then turn your template over and drill through the carpet over the wheel on the opposite side using the template as your guide. You should then be able to access the second damper without having to remove anything.

                  You should be able to locate the rebound adjuster by feel with the tip of the screw driver. Make sure you buy a long enough screwdiver.

                  Hope this helps.
                  /// Exdos ///
                  "Men who try the impossible and fail spectacularly are infinitely superior to those who reach for nothing and succeed" --Napoleon Bonapart

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