[rcouchh]

Hey all, I'm debating what to do to achieve a drop on my M2C. I need to get rid of some wheel gap and improve handling along the way. I plan to do a couple track days per year, but mostly street driving and twisties. I only would do around a 1" drop.

I'm between 3 options and would appreciate any advice.

My shop will charge the same to install any of these ($700 rip)

Option #1 - KW v3 Coilovers, .6" to 1.5" adjustment, $2270 cost
Option #2 - KW HAS adjustable spring kit, 0.6" to 1.2" adjustment, $765 cost
Option #3 - Eibach springs, roughly 0.8" drop, $240 cost.

[SebsM2]

Originally Posted by rcouchh

Hey all, I'm debating what to do to achieve a drop on my M2C. I need to get rid of some wheel gap and improve handling along the way. I plan to do a couple track days per year, but mostly street driving and twisties. I only would do around a 1" drop.

I'm between 3 options and would appreciate any advice.

My shop will charge the same to install any of these ($700 rip)

Option #1 - KW v3 Coilovers, .6" to 1.5" adjustment, $2270 cost
Option #2 - KW HAS adjustable spring kit, 0.6" to 1.2" adjustment, $765 cost
Option #3 - Eibach springs, roughly 0.8" drop, $240 cost.

Any other options for coilovers? Plenty of others to choose from. I have kwv3 and adjustability is pretty frustrating. The front compression (often seize up) and rear ride height are a real pain to adjust after initial set up.

[EricErac]

Originally Posted by SebsM2

Any other options for coilovers? Plenty of others to choose from. I have kwv3 and adjustability is pretty frustrating. The front compression (often seize up) and rear ride height are a real pain to adjust after initial set up.

Is the basic set up 9/6 - 9/6 not good ?

[SebsM2]

Originally Posted by EricErac

Is the basic set up 9/6 - 9/6 not good ?

I think it's just "okay". I don't track my car and I felt it needed to be stiffer even on the road. Car felt sloppy with the factory settings imo.

[EricErac]

Originally Posted by SebsM2

Any other options for coilovers? Plenty of others to choose from. I have kwv3 and adjustability is pretty frustrating. The front compression (often seize up) and rear ride height are a real pain to adjust after initial set up.

Originally Posted by SebsM2

I think it's just "okay". I don't track my car and I felt it needed to be stiffer even on the road. Car felt sloppy with the factory settings imo.

Yes it's a very difficult topic, I hesitate between V3 which is maybe too soft and Ohlins RT which is surely too stiff ...and Clubsport too expensive ..Do you regret your choice or do you recommend the V3 ?

[SebsM2]

Originally Posted by EricErac

Yes it's a very difficult topic, I hesitate between V3 which is maybe too soft and Ohlins RT which is surely too stiff ...and Clubsport too expensive ..Do you regret your choice or do you recommend the V3 ?

I bought the car with kwv3s on it already. With that being said, I'd be frustrated if I had spent my own money on them. Springs are too bouncy and they don't get THAT stiff.

If you are older and this is your daily, kwv3s make sense. I'm 23 and this is my second car so I don't really care about comfort and would've preferred something much rawer than what kwv3s can offer.

[M Fifty]

Originally Posted by SebsM2

I bought the car with kwv3s on it already. With that being said, I'd be frustrated if I had spent my own money on them. Springs are too bouncy and they don't get THAT stiff.

If you are older and this is your daily, kwv3s make sense. I'm 23 and this is my second car so I don't really care about comfort and would've preferred something much rawer than what kwv3s can offer.

Wind the adjusters up to full hard font and rear for both Compression and Rebound and let us know how it feels...

[SebsM2]

Originally Posted by M Fifty

Wind the adjusters up to full hard font and rear for both Compression and Rebound and let us know how it feels...

I've done one click away for everything since you aren't supposed to max it out. Still soft for me

[ROBM2C]

The rear suspension needs to come apart every time you want to adjust ride height. Even on my clubsports I gotta do this which is unacceptable .

I think the only way around it ...is true coilovers on all 4 .

[omasou]

Originally Posted by rcouchh

Hey all, I'm debating what to do to achieve a drop on my M2C. I need to get rid of some wheel gap and improve handling along the way. I plan to do a couple track days per year, but mostly street driving and twisties. I only would do around a 1" drop.

I'm between 3 options and would appreciate any advice.

My shop will charge the same to install any of these ($700 rip)

Option #1 - KW v3 Coilovers, .6" to 1.5" adjustment, $2270 cost
Option #2 - KW HAS adjustable spring kit, 0.6" to 1.2" adjustment, $765 cost
Option #3 - Eibach springs, roughly 0.8" drop, $240 cost.

Taking installation cost into consideration, I would and did exclude options #2 & #3 b/c total cost of ownership is less than the benefit received.

For a datapoint I went w/MP Coilovers.

[SEAT TIME RULES]

Originally Posted by omasou

Taking installation cost into consideration, I would and did exclude options #2 & #3 b/c total cost of ownership is less than the benefit received.

For a datapoint I went w/MP Coilovers.

My $.02...

BMW M Performance C/O kit

or TC Klines 300/600 Koni setup.

Both are tuned to the car and still offer decent street comfort in their softer settings.

[M Fifty]

Originally Posted by SebsM2

I bought the car with kwv3s on it already. With that being said, I'd be frustrated if I had spent my own money on them. Springs are too bouncy and they don't get THAT stiff.

If you are older and this is your daily, kwv3s make sense. I'm 23 and this is my second car so I don't really care about comfort and would've preferred something much rawer than what kwv3s can offer.

What was the first car as a matter of interest?

[rcouchh]

Originally Posted by SebsM2

I bought the car with kwv3s on it already. With that being said, I'd be frustrated if I had spent my own money on them. Springs are too bouncy and they don't get THAT stiff.

If you are older and this is your daily, kwv3s make sense. I'm 23 and this is my second car so I don't really care about comfort and would've preferred something much rawer than what kwv3s can offer.

This is my only car. I work remotely so I don't NEED to drive anywhere that often but I would like comfort and the ability to have good track performance.

Originally Posted by ROBM2C

The rear suspension needs to come apart every time you want to adjust ride height. Even on my clubsports I gotta do this which is unacceptable .

I think the only way around it ...is true coilovers on all 4 .

Really the KW v3's you need to? You can't just turn the collars?

Originally Posted by SEAT TIME RULES

My $.02...

BMW M Performance C/O kit

or TC Klines 300/600 Koni setup.

Both are tuned to the car and still offer decent street comfort in their softer settings.

The M Perf coilover kit is the same as the KW's virtually. They are both made by KW and to my understanding the KW's give a bit more flexibility and performance.

[M Fifty]

Originally Posted by rcouchh

This is my only car. I work remotely so I don't NEED to drive anywhere that often but I would like comfort and the ability to have good track performance.


Really the KW v3's you need to? You can't just turn the collars?


The M Perf coilover kit is the same as the KW's virtually. They are both made by KW and to my understanding the KW's give a bit more flexibility and performance.

The design of the rear springs means the MPS can be adjusted on the car, but there's less adjustment. You basically wind them all the way down and leave them there until the springs settle, then wind them back up a little.

The helper spring and intermediate spring platform on the KWs means the whole assembly tends to rotate, so unless you're prepared to grind a slot in the upper spring seat so you can keep it from rotating with a large and very long screwdriver inserted through the hole in the Camber Control Arm, you're going to have to take it all apart. Which is a pain.

[SebsM2]

Originally Posted by M Fifty

What was the first car as a matter of interest?

Not sure if you quite understood what I meant. I meant this is my weekend vehicle. I drive a sonata hybrid daily which is obviously super soft.

[SebsM2]

Originally Posted by rcouchh

This is my only car. I work remotely so I don't NEED to drive anywhere that often but I would like comfort and the ability to have good track performance.

Really the KW v3's you need to? You can't just turn the collars?

The M Perf coilover kit is the same as the KW's virtually. They are both made by KW and to my understanding the KW's give a bit more flexibility and performance.

Kwv3s/ mperf might be for you then. Good luck!

[M Fifty]

Originally Posted by SebsM2

Not sure if you quite understood what I meant. I meant this is my weekend vehicle. I drive a sonata hybrid daily which is obviously super soft.

Okay, so what have you been driving before? I'm trying to establish a reference point for what you would consider to be sufficiently stiff based on previous experience.

I can think of a set of non-adjustable H&R coilovers I had on a go faster VW some years ago where the ride and body control felt great - provided you were doing more than 40mph. The spring rates were about twice those of the stock VW springs, so were bone jarring at low speeds. They were sold as Fast Road/Track items though, so this wasn't really a surprise...

[SebsM2]

Originally Posted by M Fifty

Okay, so what have you been driving before? I'm trying to establish a reference point for what you would consider to be sufficiently stiff based on previous experience.

I can think of a set of non-adjustable H&R coilovers I had on a go faster VW some years ago where the ride and body control felt great - provided you were doing more than 40mph. The spring rates were about twice those of the stock VW springs, so were bone jarring at low speeds. They were sold as Fast Road/Track items though, so this wasn't really a surprise...

I never owned anything as stiff as this but I've driven both 981 and caymans which felt quite a bit better

[Sundinisagod]

Have you looked into the ST XTA for ?

Forum member 3LiterBeater has a thread on the next page of this forum. He’s had 9 sets of coils.

Made for m3/m4 actually, but so is kw has.

The ST are made by kw.

Way cheaper than kw v3, only a bit more than kw has.

[EDWYER]

It seems like basic set of lowering springs will work for your needs.

[warrenw]

Couple comments
First, $700 to install is highway robbery. Try a different shop.
Second, some are saying Ohlins are stiffer than KWv3, definitely not in my experience. Maybe if Ohlins are set to full stiff, but a nice 7-8 clicks is comfortable - not bouncy, firm, etc.
Third, typically I prefer to stay away from just replacing springs as you want to match the spring rates with the dampening of the coilover. I suppose you could just do a lowering spring and achieve what you want which is just to lower the car. But again, I wouldn't do just springs if the shop you're going to is charging $700. It's literally a 45min-1hr job, $200 max.

[Sundinisagod]

Originally Posted by warrenw

Couple comments
First, $700 to install is highway robbery. Try a different shop.
Second, some are saying Ohlins are stiffer than KWv3, definitely not in my experience. Maybe if Ohlins are set to full stiff, but a nice 7-8 clicks is comfortable - not bouncy, firm, etc.
Third, typically I prefer to stay away from just replacing springs as you want to match the spring rates with the dampening of the coilover. I suppose you could just do a lowering spring and achieve what you want which is just to lower the car. But again, I wouldn't do just springs if the shop you're going to is charging $700. It's literally a 45min-1hr job, $200 max.

700 did seem high for springs. What about coils, how long does that usually take?