Anyone with KW V3 struts/shocks?

[Jeff Alton]

Big fan of KW, however far bigger fan of MCS. Check out their products for this application. A step above and beyond.

Also, with the level of shear load shown in the pics obtaining bump steer correction I would consider gusseting that load to the arm....

Cheers

[CBA]

[QUOTE=Jeff Alton;11630148]Big fan of KW, however far bigger fan of MCS. Check out their products for this application. A step above and beyond.

Also, with the level of shear load shown in the pics obtaining bump steer correction I would consider gusseting that load to the arm....

Cheers[/QUOTE

Just checked those out and looks like a sweet setup…. looks like about 2x’s the price of KW’s. Does that sound about right?

[donbecker1234]

For those that are more visual, here is a link to a chart I put together comparing the stock struts, Elephant's modified struts and the KW's:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/1081446-balancing-torsion-bars-front-rear.html#post11151989

[H-viken]

I just ordered a set of KWs. My car has 19/26 torsion bars and weighs ca 1,000kg. Any thoughts on good starting points for the shocks for spirited canyon driving (in terms of “clicks”)? Rather it is on the softer side to start with

[H-viken]

Originally Posted by CBA

Bringing up an older post. Can these be installed on pre '74 cars? I'm not 100% sure what the differences are on the F Body cars versus the G Body's suspension wise.

Thank you

Johnny, do the KWs take the half moon ball joints or do they require the ones with a wedge?

[Jonny042]

Originally Posted by H-viken

Johnny, do the KWs take the half moon ball joints or do they require the ones with a wedge?

Wedge.

I actually didn't know there was any other kind!

[Dieter9]

Do i need bump steer kit when fitting these ?

Thx

[PeteKz]

Dieter, it depends on what ride height you want. If you plan to lower the front of the car, order struts with raised spindles for the amount of drop you want, then you won't need to mess with bump steer correction. The most popular spindle raise is 3/4"/19mm. You can still run 15" wheels, but 16" will give more clearance to the brakes and ball joint.

[famoroso]

GREAT reading regarding bump steer (the phenomenon and process to address it, not just the rack or tie-rod end spacers)...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/1116600-19mm-raised-front-spindles-adjustable-bump-steer-no.html

There's A LOT to process / digest in there.

When the right hardware is combined with the right bump steer procedure / corner balance / alignment, the results can be really compelling.

My Gemini Blue '87, w/ raised spindle KWV3s, that has been bump steered, corner balanced and performance aligned is at another level in comparison to my other cars. My newly acquired GP White '87 has fresh bushings and Bilstein HDs (green) and drives pretty nicely, but I am very much looking forward to how much better it will drive after bump steer procedure + corner balance + alignment. Should be a reasonably good A/B test vs. KWs too.

[Steve W]

I have the 19mm raised spindle version and on my car which I think is about 3/4" or so lower than 'euro ride height' I did bump steer measurements and adjustment and came to the exact same number of shims as Jonny at 42mm with a Rebel racing bump steer kit. But I did this by spacing the steering rack up about 11mm, and used 31mm of shims at the tie rod end. But note that this 31mm is measured with using a spherical rod end as you see with the bump steer kits, and is not the same height as the factory tie rod end which is tapered threaded rod end is longer/taller than a spherical end by I'm guessing about 15mm. So going with the same setup as above, and just adding rack spacers, and not changing the tie rod ends to a bump steer kit, you'd only be maybe about 15 more mm from a zero bump steer curve.

[anil999]

I've recently purchased a set of KW shocks with the 19mm raised spindles.

Note that the shock bodies now have a tough black epoxy coating as opposed to the previous yellow zinc plating.

A couple of questions regarding the front struts for those that have also fitted them recently:

1) Should I keep the top 10mm spacer above the bump stop or remove it? I wasn't sure if this spacer was primarily for the North American market.

2) The hub mounting spindle currently has a black electroplated finish. Does this need to be removed back to bare metal or can I go ahead and mount the hub/bearing assembly without any further action?

[Dieter9]

Online someone states you still need a bump steer kit even with the dropped spindels ?

[H-viken]

Originally Posted by anil999

2) The hub mounting spindle currently has a black electroplated finish. Does this need to be removed back to bare metal or can I go ahead and mount the hub/bearing assembly without any further action?

Double-check but believe the instruction that comes with the shocks says to remove it

[Bibaboi]

Originally Posted by Dieter9

Online someone states you still need a bump steer kit even with the dropped spindels ?

I did that and it made a huge impact on how my car handled, especially while turning and going over uneven surfaces. Now i can rest one hand on the steering while driving and steering feels lighter as well.

[nickelplated5s]

Grasshoppers, there's another way to do this. Figure out what 'throw' you need for the shock. Source it. I've got externally adjustable Koni's. Shop was supposed to get me a part # when it was in but didn't. Here's the key, you have to shim inside the strut for the shorter throw shock. My SWB is 24" ground to fender lip in the front.

[LukasM]

Originally Posted by Jonny042

They work on any torsion bar 911.

I'd def. recommend going for the 19mm raised version, but be aware they will be a tight fit with 15" wheels. Totally worth it. Even with the 19mm raised spindles I had to use 42mm of shims on my bumpsteer adjustment:

Very good input Jonny!

I wonder if KW is aware of this, and why they have not incorporated a parallel lower support so the tie rod bolt is in double shear, similar to what Elephant is doing with the Bilstein struts? Would be very cheap to




At least with the new black version of the struts you could add one yourself and then paint repaint them in black, easier than it was with the gold zinc plating.

Originally Posted by anil999

I've recently purchased a set of KW shocks with the 19mm raised spindles.

Note that the shock bodies now have a tough black epoxy coating as opposed to the previous yellow zinc plating.

A couple of questions regarding the front struts for those that have also fitted them recently:

1) Should I keep the top 10mm spacer above the bump stop or remove it? I wasn't sure if this spacer was primarily for the North American market.

2) The hub mounting spindle currently has a black electroplated finish. Does this need to be removed back to bare metal or can I go ahead and mount the hub/bearing assembly without any further action?

What did you end up doing about those two things?

Cheers,
Lukas

[DennisMenace]

Hi Jonny042. Currently in the process of acquiring a KW V3 for my 911 3.2 on 7/8 15 inch Fuchs as well. Would love to fit the raised spindles strut on my car. Would you mind sharing any details how you were able to use a grinder to make the strut fit with the 15 inch? Thanks and best, Dennis

[PeteKz]

Let me repost a question I put on a parallel thread:

For anyone who has tried this or knows: If one starts with a stock strut and raises the spindle 19mm, can you bend the steering arm down 19mm to correct the bump steer? It seems to me that should work, and avoid the necessity of adding the lower brackets and Heim joints.

[DennisMenace]

Which torsion bars are you guys running with the KW V3?

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by DennisMenace

Which torsion bars are you guys running with the KW V3?

Here's a survey of t-bar effects