KW V3 ridiculously low?

rtl32 · 12-29-2021, 06:09 PM

I bought KW V3 coilovers last summer from a member on here who had them on his M235i and installed them. RWD 14' 6MT.

I had to special order "2040" front springs from KW directly because the ones that came on it were WAY soft (spring bottomed out while parked, bumper touching the garage floor, I didn't even try driving it). I replaced the rear springs with Dinans that I had on hand.

That brought the car up a decent amount. Enough for me to daily the car while it's set on the absolute highest setting. Wasn't thrilled but it worked.

Now I need a couple mm because of taller snow tires rubbing when I pull into my driveway and now I'm thinking about it again.

This can't be right, there is no way KW would have the V3 setup so that when they are set at mid range, the cars bumper is on the ground.

KW confirmed that my dampers and front spring setup were the proper setup for the car and for each other. Anybody else experience this?

helloelectro · 12-31-2021, 01:48 PM

Maybe they need to be rebuilt? How many miles did he have them and what kind of use?

HP Autosport · 05-03-2022, 02:13 PM

Lots of KW springs are known to sag over time. Sometimes even new sets need to be maxed out to get the ride height needed for the back of the car.

What is the free length of the rear springs? Should be around 9". have a look at the spring and inspect for the coils contacting each other(coil bind). You will see a thin line of missing powder coat between the coils.

rtl32 · 05-03-2022, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HP Autosport

Lots of KW springs are known to sag over time. Sometimes even new sets need to be maxed out to get the ride height needed for the back of the car.

What is the free length of the rear springs? Should be around 9". have a look at the spring and inspect for the coils contacting each other(coil bind). You will see a thin line of missing powder coat between the coils.

The KW rear springs were so low that I didn't even leave my driveway with them. I have dinan rears on now.

The fronts are maxed out adjusted as high as I'm willing to thread the cuff up, half the spring paint is blown off. Definitely some binding when it bottoms. Pathetic that springs correctly identified for my model and given to me directly by KW are so ridiculously soft and undersprung for this car that it can barely be driven without other brands having to fix the problem. If I wanted a slammed car I would have bought bags. I just wanted to be slightly lower on much better dampers..

HP Autosport · 05-04-2022, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtl32

The KW rear springs were so low that I didn't even leave my driveway with them. I have dinan rears on now.

The fronts are maxed out adjusted as high as I'm willing to thread the cuff up, half the spring paint is blown off. Definitely some binding when it bottoms. Pathetic that springs correctly identified for my model and given to me directly by KW are so ridiculously soft and undersprung for this car that it can barely be driven without other brands having to fix the problem. If I wanted a slammed car I would have bought bags. I just wanted to be slightly lower on much better dampers..

It has been an ongoing issue for KW with many threads regarding ride height. New springs may do the same if they are not the correct rate for the car and ride height.

TTR M240i · 11-15-2022, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtl32

The KW rear springs were so low that I didn't even leave my driveway with them. I have dinan rears on now.

The fronts are maxed out adjusted as high as I'm willing to thread the cuff up, half the spring paint is blown off. Definitely some binding when it bottoms. Pathetic that springs correctly identified for my model and given to me directly by KW are so ridiculously soft and undersprung for this car that it can barely be driven without other brands having to fix the problem. If I wanted a slammed car I would have bought bags. I just wanted to be slightly lower on much better dampers..

The rears tend to come with 'helper' springs.
Check to see if you're missing them.

HP Autosport · 11-16-2022, 05:42 PM

No helpers for V-series on this chassis. The progressively wound rear springs just sag more than usual over time.

12-29-2021, 06:09 PM	#1
rtl32 Private First Class 73 Rep 196 Posts Drives: M235i 6MT Join Date: Nov 2020 Location: NJ iTrader: (0)	KW V3 ridiculously low? I bought KW V3 coilovers last summer from a member on here who had them on his M235i and installed them. RWD 14' 6MT. I had to special order "2040" front springs from KW directly because the ones that came on it were WAY soft (spring bottomed out while parked, bumper touching the garage floor, I didn't even try driving it). I replaced the rear springs with Dinans that I had on hand. That brought the car up a decent amount. Enough for me to daily the car while it's set on the absolute highest setting. Wasn't thrilled but it worked. Now I need a couple mm because of taller snow tires rubbing when I pull into my driveway and now I'm thinking about it again. This can't be right, there is no way KW would have the V3 setup so that when they are set at mid range, the cars bumper is on the ground. KW confirmed that my dampers and front spring setup were the proper setup for the car and for each other. Anybody else experience this? __________________ 14' Alpine White M235i 6MT, BM3 Stg2+, VRSF DP-CP-FMIC, Dinan Muffler, GFB DV+, 3.5 bar MAP, Dorch Stg1 HPFP, NGK 97506, BM3 Flexfuel Kit, CDV delete, KW V3, EDC delete, Powerflex Camber LCA bushings, VMR 801 18x8.5/9.5 et45, Conti Extremecontact 235/265 Next step: M2 Competition or Manual Supra MKV build Summer 2022
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12-31-2021, 01:48 PM	#2
helloelectro First Lieutenant 174 Rep 336 Posts Drives: 2018 BMW m240i Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Dallas,TX iTrader: (1)	Maybe they need to be rebuilt? How many miles did he have them and what kind of use?
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05-03-2022, 02:13 PM	#3
HP Autosport Supreme Allied Commander 3837 Rep 54,339 Posts Drives: F80 M3 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Santa Barbara, AP, Brembo, GIAC, Koni, Ohlins, Performance Friction, www.hpautosport.com iTrader: (36)	Lots of KW springs are known to sag over time. Sometimes even new sets need to be maxed out to get the ride height needed for the back of the car. What is the free length of the rear springs? Should be around 9". have a look at the spring and inspect for the coils contacting each other(coil bind). You will see a thin line of missing powder coat between the coils.
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11-16-2022, 05:42 PM	#7
HP Autosport Supreme Allied Commander 3837 Rep 54,339 Posts Drives: F80 M3 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Santa Barbara, AP, Brembo, GIAC, Koni, Ohlins, Performance Friction, www.hpautosport.com iTrader: (36)	No helpers for V-series on this chassis. The progressively wound rear springs just sag more than usual over time.
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