Just researching on what coilovers to buy for my legacy. I was pretty much set of the BC racing BR coilovers until i came across the KW variant 2 coilovers. From what i have read so far, they seem to be a better option than the BC's and are re-buildable should anything ever go wrong. They are more expensive than the BC's but not by much. Anyone have any direct experience with the KW's and how they would be for daily driving?

 

Chat with john felstead or andy f

Tony

 

Thanks Tony, ill drop them a PM

 

I have KW variant 3 coilovers on my bug and there are great, and there replaced Bc's which were crap

 

only V2's available for mine, seems like im hearing nothing but good about the KW's, compared to a good few negative comments about the BC's like above

 

Im hoping to do the same early next year, I got 6 months out of my Bc/Apex units.

Just wondering how much of a difference there is between the two coilovers, and are you using adjustable top mounts too?

 

Just read a review of these in Total Impreza and they were very impressed with them. It looks like they have similar technology to Koni FSD's which I had on my last golf, which were exceptional. Very tempted to start saving to replace my BC's, which just don't cope with our roads.

 

The KW's are highly regarded. How are your BC's not doing a good job?

 

I wonder how many of the people saying BCs are crap on here simply went for too high spring rates? I have a comfort spec spring rate (5/4) on my hawk and it's better than both Eibach and Tein set ups that I've had before and significantly better than the stock hawkeye suspension in terms of both ride comfort and control.

 

I went for 4/3 spring rates with longer travel dampers, yet they still don't cope with big bumps/potholes, it's like your driving round on eggshells trying to miss them, if you see what I mean? Hit a pothole and it's like you haven't got any suspension, it's painful, to me and the car. In many ways they are better than standard suspension, motorway drivings better, less bounce and the handlings better on smoother roads, but as soon as the road turns rougher they start to bottom out and crash.

 

I had a set of Tein S-Techs which had over-lowered my classic. Get the car on into any kind of spirited A/B-road stuff and it would start crashing - impossible to inflict that on my baby They had to go...

Have you tried a 'red' STi damper/Eibach spring combo for road? I went for this and they allow the car to 'float' more on pitching UK B-roads, as opposed to the firmer 'STi' arrangement.

 

What settings do you have the dampers on?

 

It's a fact of lifethat the more you design your product to be adjustable, the more folk will play with them until they are crap- one man's perfect settings is another's nightmare too. Apex will provide BCs with long travel, plush internal damping, etc ,etc ,etc. However you have to ask.

Crashing on potholed crappy UK roads is not a simple thing to overcome. All Dampers come with bump stops, to be fair BC BR dampers as standard are pretty short stroke.

Standar STi dampers are on the bump stops almost in any bump situation, and this ups the spring rate well beyond any damping contol. The rebound of the the standard shocks are set compromise, so you get bounce from the long bump stops and wallow from the lack of control on fast roads. No wonder BC feels better even when set up badly or speced inappropriately.

The Real secret of bumpy roads and potholes? DIGRESSIVE Compression valving. Ask for it by name. You need a shim stack that will know when it's up against it and blow off cleanly to allow the damper to move quickly.

Then again, I'm still stuck on crappy O.E. for now as my coilover budget went when the engine blew on me last autumn.

 

I've tried the bc's on most settings, am now going to firm them up a bit more, to try and cope with the bad roads around here.
I've read abit about digressive damping and believe the KW v3's have this, like Koni FSD's

 

Why not go back to BC and ask them what they suggest. Adjustable damping is all well and good, but it's not the case that one can have a limo ride and race car body control. There is always a compromise and there will be a range of damping that best suits a given spring rate.

Try and be systematic in experimenting. Get the front end right first then go to the back. Generally speaking the rear dampers don't need setting as high as the fronts.

On the 5/4 set up, I run 18 clicks from soft on the front and 10-12 from soft at the rear. Maybe use the halfway point as a baseline and go from there. Start with big increases from the baseline just so you know how it affects the car and then work your way back in small increments until you hit the sweet spot.

If you're going to spend anymore than the kind of money that BCs cost, do it properly and get these

http://www.roadandtrackbyohlins.com/en/the-technology/

 

where can i get a set of kw´s in uk???

 

I'll have a go with firmer settings on the BC's, I've tried to look at Ohlins but don't think they do them for an 03 sti. The KW's can be bought from Revolution and DC performance if you google them.

 

Night and day, It might be my age but the BC's were not good enough for me it was a backward step from Eiback springs if you hit a bump on a bend it would lose grip as in jump at the back but the KW's just handle it plus you can carry more speed and have not lost any more teeth

 

Many thanks for that, I found it quite difficult to get a good balance in the sense that I found the car quite jumpy, but if I softened the coilovers it would cause other problems, the car would get very "wallowey" if that is even a word, some of the time it was like being on a boat, if I stiffened them, the car would be more jumpy and I found myself going slower, and also it didnt seem as grippy.

But hopefully the kw's will be what I am looking for.

 

I'm sure you will like them, there are still not soft but they work over all roads instead of just flat one's , I know a lot of people have and like bc's just not me.

 

KW V1's spank BC's, both in build quality and more importantly performance. When you go to the V3 you're into rarefied air They are a fine coilover with good levels of adjustabilty and control

Let us know how you get on

 

Thread revival for a reason. Does this link take you to ****. It does me

 

yes it does