Anyone have experience with KW's?

[Cory]

So I was reading a post from a local friend who recently received his ACR Viper and I noticed that KW coilovers were mentioned. That perked my interest here to research a little and I have found that KW coilovers seem to be pretty popular. I was going to see if anybody on here has been around them at a track event or talked to anybody who runs them. Obviously, personal experience would be best, but I'll take what I can get. I will be looking into the Club Sport model, PN: 35285804.

[racepar1]

KW clubsports are friggin rad! Get em! Less than moton or ohlins, but equal to or better than a koni 86xx series set-up, and double dampening adjustable.

[SoSideways]

The KW Variants for the S-chassis all come with progressive springs, IIRC.

[racepar1]

The KW Variants for the S-chassis all come with progressive springs, IIRC.

But the clubsports don't. The variants come with progressive springs because the initial rates are pretty low for comfort.

[Bumnah]

I contacted KW when I was looking for suspension components, and the tech on the line said they only come with progressive springs. It was a year ago when I called. I couldn't go with KW because I opted to run z32 uprights, and they do not support that setup. I was asking about the Variant 3s.

It's a quality coil over setup; I'd buy KW before I bought any Japanese coil over setup. Perhaps I shouldn't comment, I am running KTS on my car.

[Cory]

I emailed KW about the clubsports to see what spring rates came with them. Still waiting for a reply, but I'll post up the information when I receive it. I'm still trying to decide whether to go with KWs or 8611s. The determining factor is pretty much spring rates. I need something to support aerodynamic downforce (12k, 10k preferably). I'm on deployment, so I can't really call...

[veilside180sx]

I would ask them about flange placement and overall length of the damper as well. It doesn't matter how good the damper is, if there isn't enough travel to lower the car at all.

From those I had talked to before, the S chassis KW weren't designed very well to be lowered very much.

[Def]

I emailed KW about the clubsports to see what spring rates came with them. Still waiting for a reply, but I'll post up the information when I receive it. I'm still trying to decide whether to go with KWs or 8611s. The determining factor is pretty much spring rates. I need something to support aerodynamic downforce (12k, 10k preferably). I'm on deployment, so I can't really call...

How much downforce do you think you can really make on an S chassis? Even with quite a bit of aero work I doubt you'd have to make many adjustments to the car to accomodate it assuming the center of pressure isn't all over the place.

[LAWL]

KWs website says this about the clubsports:

Use of high performance linear race springs

http://www.kw-suspension.com/en/30_Products/24_KW_Clubsport/index.php

I was looking at the V3s because I know of a particular badass S2000 owner friend of mine that praises them very highly. He's just recently stepped up to a custom single tube AST shock for his TTC build. (because the s2000 shock length practically requires an external reservoir)

This website give the spring rates for the V3s as 340lbs/230lbs and IIRC any progressive spring won't have a measurable spring rate because the rate changes under compression correct?

http://store.excelerateperformance.com/kw-suspension/kw-variant-3-coilovers/35285004/i-68773.aspx

[Cory]

I'm just basing the downforce theory on what "240sxTTE" has posted on KA-T.org and Freshalloy. He ran a 10kg/8kg setup and reported hitting the bumpstops. Granted he is on Teins with probably minimal suspension travel, I still don't want to risk this problem. He runs an APR GTC-300, which is what I will be running for a wing.

[turtl631]

Glancing at APR's CFD data for the GTC300, it'll max around 2000N at 120mph, which is somewhere around 500 lbs. I doubt that's realistic though, and even if it were, that's only gonna compress your suspension like half an inch per side with reasonable spring rates. That 240SXTTE dude must be pretty close to the bumpstops already.

And I would definitely be sure the KWs have good travel before pulling the trigger...it's something that's critical on these cars, especially in front.

[2Fass240us]

Glancing at APR's CFD data for the GTC300, it'll max around 2000N at 120mph, which is somewhere around 500 lbs. I doubt that's realistic though

Why do you doubt this?

[turtl631]

Install affecting airflow at the wing, the unpredictability of modeling a complex 3d airfoil, and their desire to sell stuff

[Def]

Why do you doubt this?

Consumer CFD software will typically have an accuracy somewhere in the +/- 30% range on something as complex as this. It's ridiculous I know, but even super computer cluster stuff at work that runs for weeks and is setup by guys that do nothing but CFD work is almost always at least +/- 20% off actual results on things that are more simple than a 3D airfoil. You just can't make meshes and boundary conditions complex enough to always iterate out to the correct result. If you saw how a simulation runs and trends all over the place then finally "narrows down" in on an answer you'd understand that it's just all over the place.

I actually just proved a $70k piece of software for ONE license pretty wrong at work on incompressible flow(+/- 70% on some results), and it's supposed the best in the world because it uses a ginormous database of empirical test data to supplement the CFD.


Don't get me wrong, CFD has some uses, but looking at something as complex as this on "cheap" software is probably not going to be worth anything.

[2Fass240us]

Gotcha, thanks.