KW suspension
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (12)
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: So Cal
Posts: 360
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
KW suspension
For those of you who have owned/own kw variant 2 coilovers. I lowered my car about 1.5 inches in the front and 1.5 in the rear. I have the damping set to 2 clicks before full stiff in the rear and 6 clicks before full stiff in front. My car is pretty damn bouncy. Anyone suggest a good damping adjustment for the front and rear that wouldn't make it seem like I am riding on rails with no suspension? street friendly? I googled it and nothing came up lol vendors only. I also searched on this site but nothing came up either. I appreciate any input.
#2
Registered User
iTrader: (15)
I do not own KWs but I'll offer up some advice. Back your dampening off and start on a soft side. Front and rear. Then experiment and see what the car feels like. If you feel that you want to go stiffer, dial in an extra click and try again. Take your time with this and you'll find the right settings. From what you describe, you have them set too high and the car is bouncing off every imperfection on the road. Especially on the street, you really want to allow the suspension some travel so that it can absorb small variations in the surface and do its job. Stiffer suspension is not necessarily better performing. You need some body roll to keep the tires gripping and it's pretty scary when you get bump steer mid corner at a moderate speed.
To give some point of reference, I have a set of Bilstein PSS10s. They have 10 clicks of adjustment: 1 to 10. What I did is I started at 5 from and rear. That was pretty good. After experimenting, I found that 7 front and 6 rear is a really good combination. It took some oversteer out and gave it a more neutral behavior. Also, very important, often times, the progression on the shock is not linear. 1 click from 4 to 5 is not the same respective progression as 5 to 6. In my case, after click 5, my rebound changes rapidly. Keep that in mind.
To give some point of reference, I have a set of Bilstein PSS10s. They have 10 clicks of adjustment: 1 to 10. What I did is I started at 5 from and rear. That was pretty good. After experimenting, I found that 7 front and 6 rear is a really good combination. It took some oversteer out and gave it a more neutral behavior. Also, very important, often times, the progression on the shock is not linear. 1 click from 4 to 5 is not the same respective progression as 5 to 6. In my case, after click 5, my rebound changes rapidly. Keep that in mind.
Last edited by Ziggyrama; 07-07-2010 at 02:16 AM.
#4
Registered User
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Seattle/Vancouver BC
Posts: 250
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just had the same coils installed on my Z. The guy at the shop told me that he usually spins them down all the way to the stiffest setting then brings them back up 6 settings from the stiffest. He said that's his standard when installing the KW's and then adjust from there. He did, I drove, and it's perfect as is. Try that.
#5
New Member
iTrader: (10)
For those of you who have owned/own kw variant 2 coilovers. I lowered my car about 1.5 inches in the front and 1.5 in the rear. I have the damping set to 2 clicks before full stiff in the rear and 6 clicks before full stiff in front. My car is pretty damn bouncy. Anyone suggest a good damping adjustment for the front and rear that wouldn't make it seem like I am riding on rails with no suspension? street friendly? I googled it and nothing came up lol vendors only. I also searched on this site but nothing came up either. I appreciate any input.
^These are rebound adjustable shocks, but notice that bump does change past half stiff settings.
So, you have bounce issues directly related to excessive rebound control. IMO, reset to full soft and test. Adjust up from their as you see fit, keeping in mind that I said above about settings past half way.
#6
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (12)
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: So Cal
Posts: 360
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have shock dyno's for the 350Z Variant 2 and two things have alway's struck me about the plots. One, past half stiff and the rebound control becomes absurd. Second, at full soft to half stiff the valving is pretty good. I would only set them past half stiff if I was autocrossing with them and found I lowered my tmes with settings higher then that. And even then it had better be a smooth course because the rebound is not on a digressive curve.
^These are rebound adjustable shocks, but notice that bump does change past half stiff settings.
So, you have bounce issues directly related to excessive rebound control. IMO, reset to full soft and test. Adjust up from their as you see fit, keeping in mind that I said above about settings past half way.
^These are rebound adjustable shocks, but notice that bump does change past half stiff settings.
So, you have bounce issues directly related to excessive rebound control. IMO, reset to full soft and test. Adjust up from their as you see fit, keeping in mind that I said above about settings past half way.
Last edited by 08nogaroZ; 07-15-2010 at 05:16 PM.
Trending Topics
#8
Super Moderator
MY350Z.COM
MY350Z.COM
iTrader: (8)
Lifting the car up from a slammed stance will help.
#10
Super Moderator
MY350Z.COM
MY350Z.COM
iTrader: (8)
If its even the sways don't load, but slamming the car you start to run out of up travel. When you run low on travel , your ride turns to crap.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Lt_Ballzacki
Brakes & Suspension
39
08-06-2021 06:19 AM
350Z_Al
Exterior & Interior
133
10-29-2020 07:44 PM