How to adjust ride height of KW v3?

[BPe90M3]

Just installed my V3s today. I want to raise the rear a bit and lower the front. Anyone have specific instructions or tips for adjust the height on the M4? When I looked it up, some people were doing it from the perch and others at the seat. Thanks in advance

[JNoSol]

[BPe90M3]

Originally Posted by JNoSol

yepp just saw this video... thanks man.... Didn't know if there were any specifics for the F8X

[x.shell]

Good luck doing the rears. My only piece of advice is this... Do not get frustrated. If you feel like you're getting frustrated, get up and take a walk. The rears can be a PITA to adjust. Every single coilover system I've had on my BMW (minus the PSS10) required me to loosen the tension on the spring before the perch would turn. This means unbolting and rebolting the control arm, which is one of the most difficult things to do on this car.

[BPe90M3]

Originally Posted by ex o

Good luck doing the rears. My only piece of advice is this... Do not get frustrated. If you feel like you're getting frustrated, get up and take a walk. The rears can be a PITA to adjust. Every single coilover system I've had on my BMW (minus the PSS10) required me to loosen the tension on the spring before the perch would turn. This means unbolting and rebolting the control arm, which is one of the most difficult things to do on this car.

This is why I posted this lol. I think l it's more of a problem when your trying g to raise it because of the added tension. If your lowering it it should be much easier right? Correct me if I'm wrong. And tha ls for the advice!!!!

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by BPe90M3

This is why I posted this lol. I think l it's more of a problem when your trying g to raise it because of the added tension. If your lowering it it should be much easier right? Correct me if I'm wrong. And tha ls for the advice!!!!

Nope. It's a problem both ways. Even with less tension, the entire KW threaded body and perch turns with the spanner wrench together. Unless there is a way to lock down the threaded body while adjusting the perch, you'll get no where. Others might have had better luck, but my experience with KW has been what I just described.

[ThatRWD]

Apparently this method is much easier and also works on E9xs (perhaps even the F8x)

Can someone confirm this?

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=709408

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by ThatRWD

Apparently this method is much easier and also works on E9xs (perhaps even the F8x)

Can someone confirm this?

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=709408

People kept telling me about this method when I had my KWs. No, the M3/M4 rear perches do not have this nut on the bottom of the perch. They didn't have it on the E9X Ms and they don't have it on the F8X Ms.

F8X KW V3 kit. No nut on the underside of the rear perch.

[supremepower]

Doing it by hand is a total PITA, the spanner wrench that comes in the box definitely helps make the process much smoother and quicker.

[catch]

I did my fronts by hand, was easy. Rears were at the perfect height, sounds like thats a good thing lol

Fronts were simple though
wheels off
take out small allen key screw
spin bottom purple part to desired height
put back allen key screw
put back on wheels
POW

I hope I didnt loose anyone with my technical terms here

[ShePearl]

Adjusting fronts are quite easy. However, adjusting rears are pain in the butt.

[tooch]

an easy way to adjust the rears without having to loosen the tension on the spring is to use a 3" c-clamp and grab the threaded body. as you turn the perch the c-clamp will turn and lock up against the car locking it into place. At that point you'll be able to turn the perch. Worked for me.

[Anthony1s]

My mechanic ended up cutting slots into the perches, so he could get at them with a long screwdriver.

[LOW4LYF]

Did anyone found an easy way to do the rear? Need t lower one side.

Thanks

[cryptz]

I know this is an old post but i came up with a fairly good solution for the rears. You need a spare jack though. basically i put a long 3/8 socket extension with a 22mm sock on the end of it. I put a rag on over the socket and stuck it up through the rear spring so that it made contact with the perch. I then used a small jack to raise the 3/8" extension a bit. not too hard, but enough to put pressure on the perch. This stopped it from spinning and let me adjust the ride height. its still really annoying that you need to take the wheels off to adjust the ride height, but atleast you dont need to take the control arm off.

[///M4 F83]

Originally Posted by cryptz

I know this is an old post but i came up with a fairly good solution for the rears. You need a spare jack though. basically i put a long 3/8 socket extension with a 22mm sock on the end of it. I put a rag on over the socket and stuck it up through the rear spring so that it made contact with the perch. I then used a small jack to raise the 3/8" extension a bit. not too hard, but enough to put pressure on the perch. This stopped it from spinning and let me adjust the ride height. its still really annoying that you need to take the wheels off to adjust the ride height, but atleast you dont need to take the control arm off.

I'm happy you posted this idea!! it worked great. I was so frustrated with it spinning and annoyed at the idea of removing the lower control arm. last time I checked this thread (before I purchased the suspension ), you didn't post that and I'm glad you did. thanks again.

And for all those that prefer a visual, I took a photo before I put a rag between the socket and perch

[JD1100]

Excellent. ! Thank you for this tip. It worked perfectly . I had to use a second jack; it put enough pressure so I could turn it.

[RElias21]

Reviving this thread because of how useful I found it!

I've had MP-HAS for about a year and a half, and had not really been able to adjust the rear height because it was almost impossible to rotate the spindle without having the perch rotate with it.

This approach worked great! I used a microfiber towel to cover a 24mm socket and pushed it up through the spring into the underside of the perch.

You just have to be careful to not lift too hard with the spare jack, and just keep applying additional pressure until the perch stops rotating.

Thank you so much for this solution!

[MineralWhiteF80]

The way I do it:

1. Jack the rear of the car up. Take the wheels off is optional, but makes it easier.

2. Take an appropriately sized ratchet strap and attach one hook to the side of the spring closest to the rear of the car and then run the strap underneath the control arm and hook the other end of the strap onto the highest side of the spring pointing toward the front of the car.

3. Ratchet the strap tight to the point where it starts to compress the spring a little bit. You don't need to tighten the strap a ton, just enough to take the tension off the adjustment rings.

4. Once the spring is slightly compressed, I am able to easily spin the adjustment rings up or down by hand to wherever I think they need to be.

[Bon F80]

MineralWhiteF80 , do you have a photo/video to show how you do it pls?

[zipdrive]

I ran into the same problem with the rear spring collar spinning. I used a mallet through the spring and a jack.

[M 4 FUN]

I'll give you guys a tip : Before you install the upper perch into the frame, cut a circle of neoprene rubber. Put it around the top of the perch and glue it on both sides. Then take a candle and scrape it on the threads. Parrafine is very slippy and doesn't attract dirt like grease do. Then mount everything. When you need to adjust, the upper perch sits much better in place and does not turn as easy as when it just lays against the frame.