KW V3 vs. Stock Suspension Refresh for Street Driving

[hsq]

Hi Everyone,

Was looking to upgrade my current tired stock suspension and was wondering what people thought about getting KW V3 coilovers vs. keeping the suspension stock?

The car is my daily and does not see any track time, only backroads and potholes. Would the KW V3 be better for daily driving, comfort, and handling? Any issues that people have had vs stock or recommendations on a better suspension setup for daily use? Thanks.

[SQ13]

I keep hearing good things about Ohlins R&T. Might be a better choice than KWs. FCP sells them!

[fattycharged]

I keep hearing good things about Ohlins R&T. Might be a better choice than KWs. FCP sells them!

Did sell them...I tried to order a set last week and apparently they are on backorder .

I have a set of V3's on currently, they have been a great setup for close to the past decade.

[puma1824]

I opted for Eibach Coilovers for simplicity. Simplicity does come at a cost, that cost being no dampening adjustment. Based my decision on this review: https://forums.m3cutters.co.uk/threa...ritain.151919/

[SQ13]

Did sell them...I tried to order a set last week and apparently they are on backorder .

I have a set of V3's on currently, they have been a great setup for close to the past decade.

Oh, that sucks. Well I hope they have more in stock in Nov so I can take advantage of their Black Friday discount. If not, I’m sure others will have them on sale.

[OldRanger]

My son and I both have M3's. I used OEM struts and bump stops and also did the FCABs, RTABs. On my son's we have TC Kline DA coil overs with spring rates he advices for street and occasional HPDE.

I find the OEM refresh near perfection for all but severe compressions that you'd only experience at high speeds (beyond what is reasonable on the road).

[Tbonem3]

Correct, stock (or stock replacement dampers like bilstein b4 or koni yellows) are better than KW3 (or st or kwv1 or v2) except in instagram likes or at more extreme limits.

[/M3]

Throughout the years I got to try quite a bit of coilover setup, weather my own installs or what came with the E46s I have bought; AST, PSS10, KW V2/V1, Ground Control etc. The Ohlins is by far the best I ever had in terms of coilovers.

However in terms of shocks/struts, I really loved the ride of Koni/Eibach and Sachs/Eibach setups for the street. A mild drop with a smooth ride. I wasn’t a fan of the Bilstein B4s. They were a bit harsh IMO.

[cobra]

I think the KW V3 is a decent shock with a lot of adjustment for the price.

[Nate047]

KW Pros: adjustability
KW Cons: adjustability

If you don't know how to (or want to put in the effort to) properly set up coilovers, you're gonna have a bad time.

[S54B32]

Correct, stock (or stock replacement dampers like bilstein b4 or koni yellows) are better than KW3 (or st or kwv1 or v2) except in instagram likes or at more extreme limits.

Hardly disagree. A professional done and correct alignment setup on V3´s or even V2 (like ST XA) far superior a new stock setup imo, even in street use. Expect the M3 is only for country roads and groceries.

[SeanE46]

I’ve had the v3s on my old E46 M3 and my old E92 M3. I have ohlins R/T on my E90 M3. And I like them much better.

[02_lsb]

I went stock->ST->TCKDA. TCK was also highly recommended by Coyne (Kassel) Performance. Not a cheap setup, however it is excellent for street use. Guys at TCK know this platform really well, so you can call and get advice for spring and rebound adjustment recommendations. Mine are currently set at/about stock height. However, if you want to go low, KW is the game as tbone pointed out.

[Cubieman]

I am currently looking to ditch the BCs my car came with and possibly go to a stock + setup, however I must say part of my enjoyment of the M3 is the aesthetics and I do like how it sits fairly low.

Been looking at the TC Kline DA coils, a bit more than the V3s, but if I'm going to change the coils out I want to notice a distinct difference which may not be that much to ask for given my current setup.

Need to find out ride height with the TC Kline DA's, as it is not listed how much potential drop there is. It would be easy for me to slap some KW v3's on but I really want a nice set of coils, w/o going too crazy.

[02_lsb]

I am currently looking to ditch the BCs my car came with and possibly go to a stock + setup, however I must say part of my enjoyment of the M3 is the aesthetics and I do like how it sits fairly low.

Been looking at the TC Kline DA coils, a bit more than the V3s, but if I'm going to change the coils out I want to notice a distinct difference which may not be that much to ask for given my current setup.

Need to find out ride height with the TC Kline DA's, as it is not listed how much potential drop there is. It would be easy for me to slap some KW v3's on but I really want a nice set of coils, w/o going too crazy.

Call TCK. And you’ll love the suspension once it’s on the car. In my opinion, BC is the stancenation crowd coilover of choice.