KW V3: Worth it for a street car?

[phila_dot]

Looking to get coilovers for a DD street car that might hit the quarter mile a few times a year. This car will likely never see a road course and I doubt I would ever adjust the suspension after installation.

My max is around $2k, but I'm thinking that I don't need to spend that much to suit my needs. I'm currently leaning toward Vogtlands GT3's, but I'm concerned with corrosion.

I previously had ABT coilovers (KW V1's built to ABT specs), which I had no complaints about.

My next consideration was Eibach's, but they went up in price to almost $1,500 and I've seen mixed reviews (more positive than negative).

I figure if I'm going to spend $1,500+ on Eibach's or KW V1/2, then I might as well just get KW V3's.

So my question is: are KW V3's worth it on a street car? It is $1,000 difference over the GT3's.

Is rust a serious concern with the GT3's?

I'm not being cheap, but trying to be practical. Any help is appreciated.

[s vier]

I've never heard a bad thing about the Eibachs. I had them when they first came out and loved them.

[pizza pig]

Id go for the vogtlands if its just a street car that sees the strip a handful of times. Put the saved cash into savings.

[lol]

H&R's are something to take into consideration.

[landfill]

The kw v3's are awesome and if you have the money go for them.
It's not overkill imo. You'll have really tight handling whenever you want.
They are externally adjustable from what I read so they'd take 2 seconds
to adjust. Also I had 2 sets of gt3's and they are the best for the price point
but still a little bouncy. For gt3 vs. kw v3 there is no comparison. I rode
in a b5 with them and they are tits. The only overkill set for the street imo
is those psi race line co's 034 sells. I think stasis ohlins or kw v3's would be
awesome for street/track use if you have the extra dough.

[phila_dot]

I will gladly pay for (ride) quality, but I don't want to pay a $1,000 more if it's mainly for adjustablity that I doubt I will use.

[rstein]

I have GT3's. They're perfect for a street car. They held up fantastic when I took the car to Lime Rock last May also. Not bouncy and not too stiff for daily driving either and for the price you can't beat them.

[QuinnsterKID]

I have H&R's street coilovers and love them. I would definitely consider them as an option

[landfill]

I don't know if they'll improve your ride quality but they
improve handling a substantial amount. Some may say
the ride quality is harsher or bad but I enjoyed being in
the car with v3's. Maybe someone who has a lot of miles
on a set personally can chime in.

[Audibot]

OP, what about the Bilstein B16 PSS9s?

[nitro_rider2001]

I have V3s and love em (B7 though).... I've actually never adjusted them since new because I didnt really see a point. Money well spent in my opinion. 25k miles on them and 0 issues so far.

[phila_dot]

Maybe outlining my possibly unrealistic expectations will help.

Want:
Exceptional ride quality
Great handling
Stiff feeling

Don't want:
Bouncy (#1 can't tolerate)
Jarring

I get that this is all subjective.

i don't really require adjustability as long they perform satisfactorily. Honestly, a great spring/shock combo would suffice, but I don't think an acceptable one exists. I'm not looking to go low at all either, just a slight drop.

[bobkatkat]

I have the Vogltands. Winter drive up here with the salt and been through the salt at the salt flats three times. No corrosion. I move them up and down twice a year for winter and summer and a few times in between tinkering with tire size. I just spray the threads with a little white lithium after each adjustment.

[landfill]

Others may diagree but the vogtlands were a little bouncy.

[bobkatkat]

My Vogtlands are not bouncy at all. I came from H&R/Bilstein spring/shock witch were very harsh and bouncy.

[landfill]

They're definitely no where close to the infamous H&R spring bounciness but
for me when comparing them to kw v3's, stasis ohlins, and higher $ setups
they were definitely a little more bouncy. In all honesty though I enjoyed the
vogtland gt3's and I think at the time when $800 was my budget for CO's
I couldn't have picked a better setup.

[phila_dot]

Thanks for the response so far guys, really helpful.

Keep em coming.

I'm open to any option that suits my needs, but I've been trying to narrow down the list for a few weeks based on my criteria and settled on GT3's as the best value and V3's as the best performing. Now I'm trying to decide if V3's are worth the difference in price for my purposes. Unless someone has a case for another set to take one of those titles.

[Peter1.8t]

Kw v3's or Pss9's are the decent entry-level coilovers in my opinion. Anything less than those I wouldn't put on my car.

[Number54]

The best thing would be to try the different setups if you have the opportunity. Everyone has a different idea of what "soft" or "bouncy" means.

For example, for street use, I prefer stock to whatever Ohlins were offered by STaSIS. But there are many people who say Ohlins are better in every way.

I like something stiffer than average for fun, but when you have to tripod your car in and out of your home or favorite restaurant every day it gets tiresome.

Just depends on the person's personal preference and habits.

[martin0079]

How about 034 psi coilovers? lol

In all seriousness the eibachs can be had for 1300 if that makes a difference. I would certainly consider H&R. I personally got PSS9s for my car to replace the bouncy vogtlands. They are not the GT3s so there is no confusion. I have not installed the PSS9s.

[LightningLou]

To be honest I'm rocking the Raceland colovers with the red springs and the ride is absolutely awesome in town and on the highway. I also have no probably pulling 1.6-1.7 60ft times at the track with the rear GTF 1/4" higher than the front. I was broke at the time I purchased these but needed to drop the s4 asap cause I couldn't stand the 4x4 stock ride height... I have more money now but see no need to replace them as it rides perfect for me and they aren't blown. Had them for 2 years now and maybe 8k miles.

[james 408]

if you don't care much about performance driving, save the money. most people wouldn't even know what to do with adjustable suspension, and wouldn't like the feeling of a proper car because they're scared of oversteer.

if you think those 1k suspensions are okay, then they're just fine for you. just pick one that's spongy if you aren't tracking it so you don't complain about 'bounciness'.

[MetalMan]

My next consideration was Eibach's, but they went up in price to almost $1,500 and I've seen mixed reviews (more positive than negative).

About 1.5 years ago Eibach was looking for a B5 A4 Quattro to test fit/tune their new Pro-Street coilovers (part # 1534.711). Same part # for A4 and S4.
My car was the "test bed" and I've been enjoying them since. They're definitely firm, not bouncy, and less harsh than Tein S-Tech/Bilstein sport on my FWD A4 (albeit not as low either).
They're obviously a lot less soft than stock suspension but I've still taken the car (with my wife) on 5+ hour road trips and she's had no problem sleeping in the car.
I can imagine they would feel softer on your S4 than on my A4 due to the extra weight.

if it's mainly for adjustablity that I doubt I will use.

I have yet to adjust my coilovers in the 1.5 years they've been on my car... but I live in SoCal and don't get snow. Thinking about lowering the front a bit to more closely match the rear's GTF though...

[james 408]

exhibit A:

testbed for your s4 on 1k suspension is a FWD A4 who's never adjusted his suspension; and it feels firmer than stock but not bouncy. if that's an acceptable level of development for you, then have at it.

[MetalMan]

exhibit A:

testbed for your s4 on 1k suspension is a FWD A4 who's never adjusted his suspension; and it feels firmer than stock but not bouncy. if that's an acceptable level of development for you, then have at it.

Ouch, that's "harsh".
Sounds like he was looking for reviews, and while I don't have a comparison I happened to have experience with a particular option he mentioned and perhaps a similar "set-it-and-forget-it" mentality.

Also, read closer. The Eibach's are on a Quattro. I used the FWD A4 as a comparison with Blistein/Tein non-adjustable suspension. Surely some people here may find the Bilstein comparison useful? After all, the front of a FWD is the same as Quattro, minus a little weight.

[james 408]

sorry didn't mean to be harsh. And wasn't intended to be a slight against you in any way.

i've tried a number of them, and modified pressure, sways, rideheight, alignment, etc. to try to make them work. And my review is the same: too much understeer, nowhere near a track setup, and despite this many of them ride like crap because the high speed compression is too high for bumpy roads -- even for a track car (but they set it this way as a comprimise). yes there are differences in comfort between them, and it may be adequate for your use.

I tend to side with Landfill's review above, but then again, I really hate bad turn-in, porposeing, and skipping over bumps rather than gripping. But if I was driving my grandma to go pickup groceries, that wouldn't matter.

[NOTORIOUS VR]

Not sure if Broadway Static makes anything for the B5 S4, but they have a lot of happy customers in the BMW world and they custom tune everything for you, right down to the type of fluid, spring rates, etc.

Might be worthwhile to shoot them a message and see what they say?

http://www.broadwaystaticsuspension.com/

[christianb5s4]

When I get new coilovers, I'm going with BC Racing. I have never seen any issues with any of the setups my friends run BCs on and they have 10s of thousands of miles on them in a variety of setups.

[Pendl303]

i love my v2's for DD

[lo-lyfe]

I have Vogtlands on my S4 and I can verify that corrosion is a concern. Mind you, my car doesn't see the snow and I don't drive it in the rain. With that said, the shafts on the coilovers started to show some corrosion after less than 12 months of being installed. Apparently moisture and humidity is enough to get the process started. I applied a few coatings of Rust Bullet to keep future rust at bay and it works like magic. The compound is fine enough to cover threads without an issue.

[Slave IV]

For the price you are budgeting, I'd get Eibach Pro-Street S Coilovers or Koni Yellows with Eibach/Swift/Hyperco springs...possibly custom rates and valving if you go the shock/spring combo. I wouldn't spend anymore for anything short of the PSi Ohlins.

[bobkatkat]

When I get new coilovers, I'm going with BC Racing. I have never seen any issues with any of the setups my friends run BCs on and they have 10s of thousands of miles on them in a variety of setups.

I have BC's on another car and they rusted solid within a year. I did no preventative measures tho so my bad. I did get a replacement set at a massive discount that I have yet to install. They have dual piston with remote reservoirs fully adjustable dampening, adjustable camber plates front and back and they are full height adjustable through shock body (not spring). The last feature makes a huge difference. They do make a set for the B5 but wish they made the ER version for us. I would definably consider a set for the B5

[FlyboyS4]

Maybe outlining my possibly unrealistic expectations will help.

Want:
Exceptional ride quality
Great handling
Stiff feeling

Don't want:
Bouncy (#1 can't tolerate)
Jarring

I get that this is all subjective.

i don't really require adjustability as long they perform satisfactorily. Honestly, a great spring/shock combo would suffice, but I don't think an acceptable one exists. I'm not looking to go low at all either, just a slight drop.

I thought the KW V3's rode well. I'd say they meet all your requirements, though the handling aspect is relative, the S4 just isn't a car that I'd describe as great handling.

[james 408]

i've heard mostly bad comments about BC's and longevity/ride from those I know as well. although never tried em myself.

and agreed w/flyboy that it isn't a great handling car. but proper suspension and a rear diff almost get it there... I might try going manual brakes to get rid of EDL... then all that's left is removing 1000lbs.

[tico]

Get Raceland.

[Peter1.8t]

I've heard okay thinks about BC's, but I really only take suspension advice from people that drive their cars. People with slanty wheels and only care about being low are retards, therefore their opinions do not matter.

KwV3's are fine for a street car and light track duty. My friend has a set on his b7rs4 with some sway bars and it handles decent for a fat pig. Doesn't compare to the Ohlins on my car but it's a very nice ride. Spend the money and get a decent set. If you don't care any $1,000 set will do because they are all garabage anyways.

[jbain2]

I went with Koni. They have adjustable dampening. I like the way they ride. Minimal to no rebound issues. In hindsight I would have set the dampening a little firmer than how they came from the factory as you have to set the dampening off the car. I got a good deal on them that also included a neuspeed rear sway bar setup from DubNutz.


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[ajpm26]

I can't stand my racelands. They're so goddamn bouncy, my car looked stupid bouncing down the road. Horrible for any kind of driving imo. Going with bc's on my other s4.

[Josh/AWE]

If anyone has any suspension related questions, please PM me! I'd be happy to advise.

[christianb5s4]

I have BC's on another car and they rusted solid within a year. I did no preventative measures tho so my bad. I did get a replacement set at a massive discount that I have yet to install. They have dual piston with remote reservoirs fully adjustable dampening, adjustable camber plates front and back and they are full height adjustable through shock body (not spring). The last feature makes a huge difference. They do make a set for the B5 but wish they made the ER version for us. I would definably consider a set for the B5

I've seen that issue, seems preventable if they are taken care of when first installed (threads/collars, lithium grease). But I agree, I wish they had the ERs. But the BC Coilovers with swift springs are a fantastic performance bargain, at least from my E39 M5 days they ran toe to toe with much more expensive options.

I've heard okay thinks about BC's, but I really only take suspension advice from people that drive their cars. People with slanty wheels and only care about being low are retards, therefore their opinions do not matter.

KwV3's are fine for a street car and light track duty. My friend has a set on his b7rs4 with some sway bars and it handles decent for a fat pig. Doesn't compare to the Ohlins on my car but it's a very nice ride. Spend the money and get a decent set. If you don't care any $1,000 set will do because they are all garabage anyways.

Then again, your performance expectations are much higher than the average person who is looking for height adjustment and more responsive (not to be confused with better) handling. I would love to experience Ohlins, but can't justify coilovers that cost the same as my car in the first place.