View Full Version : KW worth a recommendation
scoobymike
05-10-2002, 16:21
I recently changed my wallowy TME suspension for the KW Variante 3 suspension. It's a dualtube suspension, bump and rebound adjustable aswell as ride height, fully rebuildable.
After testing loads of settings and ride heights I now found a very nice setup together with a mate of mine who usually sets up suspension for race cars. With his setup the car was very stiff, sensational handling but not forgiving and quite hard, needed to be driven smooth than it was flying. Very nice for smooth familiar roads but tyring on bumpy tarmac. So now I softened front and rear rebound a bit but still kept the rear rebound harder than the front. Now it's very nice, chuckable, nicely balanced drifts even with AYC (not fishtailing like with standard suspension), more comfortable, in a nutshell more fun on the road. On track I will go back to the hard settings (or even harder).
I can only recommend it for people who don't want to remortgage/or have shedloads of money for the monotube stuff and want to improve handling/grip/traction with an affordable suspension. For next season corner weighting is on the cards and front toe will be set to zero like I've already got on the back.
As little reference the car is currently equipped with Pzeros assym. (semislicks already lying in the garage for next season), front and rear upper strut braces, cusco four point lower brace and Group N top mounts.
Cheers
Mike
Mike,
Just a couple of questions for you!
How many positions of damping adjustment are there and how low can you go with the height adjustment (Bottom of arch to the ground)
Also what is the price for this suspension?
Regards,
Clive.
LeeLegend-TME139
06-10-2002, 08:45
and do they have a website, i have done a search and come up blank :(
scoobymike
06-10-2002, 11:19
Hi Clive
you can adjust rebound in 12x1/4 turns on top of the strut and bump 14 clicks at the bottom of the shock. You have a range from 35-65mm to lower the car. I currently run around 335mm from centre hub to the lower lip of the wheel arche. The price is around EUR 1'900.
The kit was developped on the Ring by KW in conjunction with Ralliart Germany. N.Ring has been using it over a year now almost purely on track and no problem. The KW is very popular here in continental Europe and is gaining market share also in racing. They also offer monotube stuff with separate canisters for sensible money. This system is used by Ralliart for their 24h races EVO.
Check out everything on:
http://www.kw-suspension.de/e_version/index.htm
In the section competition you find loads of info about it.
Cheers
Mike
yup, I am very pleased with my KW! And they offer a very good and affordable service.
Lee, UK suppliers include motorsport international,( www.msionline.co.uk ) and I believe Power Station in Cheltenham are now doing them. Their website is KW Website (http://www.kwsuspension.de/e_version/index.htm)
When they say adjustable, they are not adjustable the same way as the monotube dampers of course but more like the koni's, by number of turns.
I agree that the k&w suspensions should be the best quality dual tube shocks for the evo, If the price it's lower than 1200£ it's a good choice. For about the same price you could also have the hks setup, that should be more stiff for track use, and the proflex road kit, that looks less good quality than the k&w.
For pure track use, I want something a bit harder (less progressive). Look under 'picture gallery': Nürburgring shots and see my car (the E6) do too much body roll.
Will try some more linear springs. Raeder Motorsport suspension guru N.Raeder will help me with a special setup.
N.Ring, do you use your car purely at the Ring or do you use other circuits?
Not sure how relevant to you the following will be but my and a friends experiences are as follows:
I have Leda tarmac rally suspension on my Octavia (OK probably not in the same league as others mentioned on here) but I have found that on the road I need to back it right off (I do about 90k km road miles per year) for "normal" race tracks I have it on almost full stiffness but when I tried this at the Ring it was far to hard with the car skipping out all over the place, especially the sections from Hocheichen to Flugplatz and up through Kesselchen. Found that the ideal stiffness for the Ring is about 1/2 stiffness, beyond that it it is just too stiff which causes loss of traction.
A Dutch friend of mine also has a RS which he uses purely as his Ring car. He started off with Bilsteins but round that they were not stiff enough. After much trial and error he has moved over to H&R all round. They have a department which specialises in one off. He sorted his setup with the help of his friend Dirk Schoisman(sp?).
What I'm trying to say is, is it advisable to go too stiff when at the Ring? Wouldn't increasing anti-roll be a better way to go?
Oh, nice pictures by the way, your car looks good :D How often do you go? I only mange to get there about 6 times a year (I do about 350 laps there per year). If I see you there may I have a passenger lap?? Might as well attach a picture of mine.
This kit looks interesting but when I called the UK importer (MSI) I was told they were still developing a kit for the Evo VI :confused:. He's calling the factory in Germany to get the story straight and confirm spec, prices etc. Will post up with any news.
Steve.
Ralliart Germany sells the kit for the Bishi E6.
scoobymike
14-10-2002, 18:03
You can even buy it via the Ralliart Germany website.
Just a quick update. This Sunday we had our mountain trip and drove 450km. This means hundreds of hairpins:D, up to 2'200m altitude then down again, in a nutshell a dream for EVO drivers. Suspension was superb, more comfortable than standard with much more control and better handling/traction even over rough roads. The best thing I've got still plenty of adjustment left to make either softer or harder. Although having a slipped disc no problem after the trip with my back.
Cheers
Mike:D
I am not as happy with the KW at the moment. My car has too much body roll on the Ring. You can see it on the pics I posted under the photo section (Nürburgring pictures).
The car 'comes up' too much on the inside wheels in corners.
I need some more linear springs. And not this dual spring system.
See if their superb service can help me solve this.
You would need harder reboud!
If your setting is at the maximum, you will have to rebuild them and ask for stiffer settings.
Maybe the ralliart front sway bar kit?
no, it has nothing to to with rebound. It is a spring problem. On our Recaro Raeder Evo 7 we have solved this problem also through the spring rates/linearity.
Mike/N. Ring,
Out of interest what spring rates are you guys using? I am doing my research and I reckon that something around 8kg/mm front & 6.25kg/mm rear (about 450/350 lb/in in imperial) is a decent compromise for track work while still having the car driveable on the road/in the wet (like Mike I also have a back problem so do not want my spine doing part time work as a shock absorber :eek: )
Steve.
BTTT :)
Mike, Gerrit - can you help me out with the question in my last post on this thread?
Thanks,
Steve.
Steve, I think I have 80 kg up front and 70 in the back. Stock 70 up front, went to 80.
scoobymike
18-10-2002, 05:32
I think it is 80kg at the front and 70kg at the back.
Mike
I use 90 front 70 rear. Works well dry and wet. Any more than that and it doesn't work in the wet very well.
My car is lighter than most, so you could go a bit heavier still on a heavier car.
Thanks for the feedback guys - I am talking to KW's importers. Apparently they have recommended spring rates but could be open to suggestion - I'll see what they come back with as their standard spec. and take it from there. (I happen agree in principle with Blade's '75% rule' for front & rear rates so 9/7 or 8/6 sounds the right sort of range for my use).
BTW the price they gave me for the 'Variant 3' (ie height, bump and rebound ajustable) is £1,110 incl. VAT so not a bad price for what you get Presumably these things do not come with pillowball topmounts so a little extra budget for Grp N topmounts or similar will be needed.
Steve.
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