KW V3 track feedback

[m4forum]

I am considering KW V3 as a compromise for DD and track. I searched around could not find a review in terms of track performance.

Would appreciate if you could share experience on track. I know some people will recommend CS but I am not looking for 0.2 0.3 0.4 or even 0.5 sec faster lap times I am ok to be a little bit slower but with better comfort on the road.

I heard some people convert the front spring to linear. Anybody has this experience for V3? which spring rate are you using?

appreciate the feedback.

[m4forum]

bump! please any feedback?

[Keebin]

i track/ daily my car on V3's and their great i go to the stiffest settings for the track haven't gone back since. its a good compromise for a daily. although all my cars arms have been replaced with spl now so i cant tell whats good or bad anymore. i also like the fact there is lifetime warranty with these compared for the club sports. these coils do run low in the rear but i've been fine with a 285-35-19

[BS_CS]

KW typically uses twin-tube style shock absorbers which really aren't ideal for track use. Most motorsport applications are going to use a gas monotube style absorber which has better heat dissipation as compared to twin-tubes which can hold in the heat longer. Might be fine for short stints, and of course daily driving it's totally fine, but for performance applications your monotube style shock absorbers in these coilover units will exceed the performance of a twintube.

[melanthius]

Originally Posted by BS_CS

KW typically uses twin-tube style shock absorbers which really aren't ideal for track use. Most motorsport applications are going to use a gas monotube style absorber which has better heat dissipation as compared to twin-tubes which can hold in the heat longer. Might be fine for short stints, and of course daily driving it's totally fine, but for performance applications your monotube style shock absorbers in these coilover units will exceed the performance of a twintube.

I have them and just finished my first track day in this particular car at Laguna Seca. I've had the coil overs on probably for 6+ months.

In general they were acceptable, decent enough for body roll, and helped keep the car stable through some challenging spots.

Most challenging was floaty feeling at crests, which diminished when I turned up rebound about 1 click from full hard.

They are super comfy for street and aren't terrible for track but I do find myself wishing I had something a little better.

They don't really seem designed for F80 chassis at all, rear helper spring is fully compressed all the time even when suspension is fully unloaded which I don't think is intended. And minimum drop in the rear is still rather low, which many people on these forums have complained about. I think the ride height is fine but it would be nice to have a tiny bit adjustability, but being able to only go lower is ridiculous.

Then the out of box settings on the v3's was garbage, it did take me a while to finally dial it all in but now I am starting to accept them more. Still wish I got something better and 3 way would be awesome.

[Brickologic]

Originally Posted by melanthius

I have them and just finished my first track day in this particular car at Laguna Seca. I've had the coil overs on probably for 6+ months.

In general they were acceptable, decent enough for body roll, and helped keep the car stable through some challenging spots.

Most challenging was floaty feeling at crests, which diminished when I turned up rebound about 1 click from full hard.

They are super comfy for street and aren't terrible for track but I do find myself wishing I had something a little better.

They don't really seem designed for F80 chassis at all, rear helper spring is fully compressed all the time even when suspension is fully unloaded which I don't think is intended. And minimum drop in the rear is still rather low, which many people on these forums have complained about. I think the ride height is fine but it would be nice to have a tiny bit adjustability, but being able to only go lower is ridiculous.

Then the out of box settings on the v3's was garbage, it did take me a while to finally dial it all in but now I am starting to accept them more. Still wish I got something better and 3 way would be awesome.

The KW V3 is a entry level kit for the street and not for the racetrack ;-)

[Brickologic]

Originally Posted by m4forum

I am considering KW V3 as a compromise for DD and track. I searched around could not find a review in terms of track performance.

Would appreciate if you could share experience on track. I know some people will recommend CS but I am not looking for 0.2 0.3 0.4 or even 0.5 sec faster lap times I am ok to be a little bit slower but with better comfort on the road.

I heard some people convert the front spring to linear. Anybody has this experience for V3? which spring rate are you using?

appreciate the feedback.

How often will you drive on a racetrack? 1 or 2 times in the year? If yes, you can try a KW V3. But to be honest it's more a daily sporty commuter suspension...

[m4forum]

I agree. KW V3 is certainly not a good option for track use even few times a year. Spend more and get something better. Also KW support is really bad. I went with Ohlins.

[phyzzo]

I found the Bilstein PSS10 to be surprisingly great for occasional track use. The car felt communicative, easy to control, and flat without having to adjust anything, even with the dampers set on the softest setting. It really feels like Bilstein tuned this product on the track. Very balanced front and rear with no tendency to understeer while also taming the power-on snap oversteer that happens so easily with the stock suspension.

On the street, the PSS10 is firm. But I find the F80 chassis so rigid that the firmness doesn't cause crashing or rattling. Instead, the car just feels supremely responsive and planted. As a bonus, steering feel is greatly improved.

[M3SQRD]

The kw v3 is at best a mid-level twin-tube two-way adjustable street damper. It has a limited damping range so be careful if you switch to a linear race spring. Also, kw will only rebuild the v3, it will not alter the piston and foot valves damping characteristics. Rebuild only, not alter damping curves. From my understanding of the v3, it is a very rebound bias damper which means at the same piston velocity, rebound force >> compression force. This can make finding a good street setup difficult. The v3 is 100% a street damper because it has a lifetime warranty on most parts, not all parts, of the damper and, with track spring rates, the damper performance will drop off considerably due to heat retention.

However, if you want a dual-use street-track setup then the way to go is Ohlins R&T (Ohlins original had a F ~600 lbf/in and a R 1313 lbf/in but 3DM offers a street kit). The R&T is a solid damper that can be changed from a street setup to a basic track setup with a few changes to R-C damping settings. Unlike the v3s, the R&T dampers simultaneously adjusts both R and C damping together. The R&T is a superior damper to the v3. I’ve had a set on my r56 Mini Cooper S for 14 years and one rebuild. It’s performed well over this time period and with six clicks I can go from summer to winter or winter to summer setups.

If you plan on tracking a lot more than 2-3 events per year then you may have to consider something more track focused. MCS, Moton, Nitron, Ohlins TTX, Intrax, etc. are what you want and they still will have phenomenal street manners!