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HKS vs KW

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Old Feb 5, 2009 | 09:23 PM
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Default HKS vs KW

Hey guys im stuck between deciding which coilover system to run, if anyones got some nice advice/experiences to share I would appreciate.

The KW V2 is the cheapest
And the KW V3 and HKS Hipermax III are relatively the same price

Cough up few hundered more for the Hipermax III or V3, if so which would you go with?

Thanks in advanced.
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Old Feb 5, 2009 | 09:46 PM
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Well depends if you have a couple hundred to spare. I have the V3 and they are the sickest coils I've ever felt. But i woudlnt' know if it's worth 400 more bucks than the V2. If i had to do it again, there woudlnt' be a single doubt from me getting teh V3's
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Old Feb 5, 2009 | 10:52 PM
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i have the v2's i would stick with those unless you know your suspension and you know how to set all the options that the v3's has. sometimes adjustability works against you if you dont know what youre doing. so far i lovem!
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Old Feb 5, 2009 | 10:58 PM
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what do you use the car for ? if you track it i'd say hks hipermaxIII sports or v3 . cosmetic and a nice street ride v2 would be ideal .
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Old Feb 6, 2009 | 04:18 AM
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V2's unless you know how to properly tune your suspension. Most do not. The extra adjustment is just another adjustment to mess up.
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Old Feb 6, 2009 | 08:02 AM
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What are some of the real life options/differences, not just printed one, between the V2 and V3?

What am I really paying for?
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Old Feb 6, 2009 | 08:17 AM
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I just installed my V2s, and they handle really well. Never been in a V3 so I can't tell you the differences. If you track a lot, probably opt for V3. This is my semi-DD and only gonna track it a little, so I chose the V2. I read that the hypermax 3s were really stiff or something, so I didn't choose that.
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Old Mar 3, 2009 | 09:05 AM
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I just picked up on the KW V2 as well, gonna put em on soon.
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Old Mar 4, 2009 | 11:25 AM
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Couldn't have gone wrong with any of the 3 options. HKS Hypermax are great monotube dampers that are right at home on the track, and have better damping characteristics that don't beat the crap out of you on the street - unlike many other offerings from Japan/Asia.

The linear springs of the Hypermax 3 coilovers feel similar to the progressive V2/3 springs in terms of stiffness.

Hypermax 3 - 9/9KG (500/500lb)
Hypermax 3 Sport - 11/12KG (616/674lb)

Both of which are softer than the KW Clubsport which is still very comfortable, compliant, and streetable IMO (Chesbosto has these).

How often do you track your car? Is this a daily driver?

Last edited by stuntman; Mar 4, 2009 at 11:44 AM.
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Old Mar 4, 2009 | 12:55 PM
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yea its a DD... hey stunt arent u also at motoring? =D
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Old Mar 4, 2009 | 04:02 PM
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Originally Posted by SemperFiV12
yea its a DD... hey stunt arent u also at motoring? =D
What wheel/tire size and model do you plan on running or are running?

What do you mean by:
"at motoring?" ?
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Old Mar 4, 2009 | 08:05 PM
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350zmotoring ?
my wheels...
255/35/19
275/35/19
wrapping LMGT4's
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Old Mar 4, 2009 | 08:48 PM
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Originally Posted by SemperFiV12
350zmotoring ?
my wheels...
255/35/19
275/35/19
wrapping LMGT4's
No i'm not on that forum.

What tires are you running?

For a daily driven street car, the KW V2 was a great choice. Again, out of the KW/HKS options you were looking at, you couldn't go wrong.
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Old Mar 4, 2009 | 10:10 PM
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I'm glad this one popped up, because i too was debating the KW V2 or the HKS. I was leaning more towards the HKS, until i found an awesome price on a set KW's. Of course im in Europe so there a bit cheaper here anyway.
I see there are a lot of people raving about there ride quality and handling so i might give them a try.
I had the KW V2 on my last car (opel astra) but they were incredibly stiff, but i suppose you can't compare a coilover setup for one car to a completely different car.
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Old Mar 4, 2009 | 10:16 PM
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you know what im gonna say, v3 ftw!!!
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Old Mar 5, 2009 | 12:16 AM
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Originally Posted by ReV2Red
I'm glad this one popped up, because i too was debating the KW V2 or the HKS. I was leaning more towards the HKS, until i found an awesome price on a set KW's. Of course im in Europe so there a bit cheaper here anyway.
I see there are a lot of people raving about there ride quality and handling so i might give them a try.
I had the KW V2 on my last car (opel astra) but they were incredibly stiff, but i suppose you can't compare a coilover setup for one car to a completely different car.
You know what, speaking of stiff I'm going to have to agree with you here. I'm running the Variant 1s, although not the same as V2s, they do run the same spring rates and i'm sure the dampening on Variant 1s are pre-set to somewhere in the middle of what the V2s are capable of being adjusted to.

My thoughts on my V1's are that they are stiffer than what people make them out to be. Most people say there ride quality is great and what not, but IMO it isn't far off from my old setup (Stock shocks and GF210s). Dampening over bumps feels decent, although it is far superior in the handling department versus my gf210s/stock shocks because I am not jumping all over the place when the road is uneven. I was actually kind of let down because I was expecting awesome dampening over large bumps, but I guess you can't expect 500-600lb spring rates to ride like a luxury car. They are almost twice as stiff in terms of spring rates versus my GF210s, yet they ride similar while being more smooth over roads that are uneven and transmit vibrations from the left to the right of the car. Body roll is drastically reduced versus GF210s though.

For the OP; You can't go wrong with either brand.

Last edited by itsjiggajames; Mar 5, 2009 at 12:18 AM.
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Old Mar 5, 2009 | 11:23 AM
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yea i know...

V2>V3 ALL DAY BABAYYYY

If i tracked my car a lot I wouldve opted out for the V3 however, V2 is just fine for DD.
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Old Mar 5, 2009 | 11:24 AM
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Originally Posted by stuntman
No i'm not on that forum.

What tires are you running?
Oh... whoops

Nitto Invos.

Very pleased. Even with a more expensive price id do it all over again.
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Old Mar 5, 2009 | 03:03 PM
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I have V3, and it works great on the city drive. I follow the recommended setup from the manual and it's perfect setup!

You dont want to have your suspension too stiff because the car can loose traction when it hits bump or apex on the track.

V3 FTW!
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Old Mar 5, 2009 | 05:31 PM
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im sure it works great, its essentiaally a V2 with added features. im just saying i wont be using those added features and the V2 is all Ill need and some.
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