Difference Between KW V1 & V3 Coilovers

/Angelo350Z/

Will you be tracking your Z to the point where you need ride height, damper compression, and rebound adjustability? If you plan on doing so, then the KW V1 certainly isn't for you. But if you just want stiffer shocks, the V1 shocks, like most afermarket shocks, are stiffer than OEM. I used to take my 300ZX Turbo at the Ring with just Eibach springs, Tokico Blue shocks, and Stillen sway bars, and it was more than capable. The downside was, I was stuck with the ride height. Being able to adjust the car's height with coilovers is surely a plus, but sometimes full adjustability isn't necessary and worth the cost, depending on the application.

Regarding the BC coils, I can't comment on those as I never really looked into them. Not sure having the Swift springs option is necessarily a plus either. I ran Swifts for the first couple of years and they were fine, but certainly not the best I've had. The Eibach Pro Kit springs on my 350Z actually felt better. Just because they're popular with the 370Z drop springs crowd doesn't mean they're the best choice for your needs. Would you like a certain brand of coilovers more if they offered Ark, Eibach, H&R, or Tein springs instead? Look at the spring rates and damper settings then decide which combination suits your needs. It's not like KW, HKS, and other reputable companies use sh!t springs, even on their entry level products. By the way, KW is a German brand sold in Germany so it passes TUV standards as well. For what it's worth, there's a lot of TUV-certified products I'll never put on my car. Good luck with your search. But yes, I would love to have KW V3s instead .

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2013 MB NISSAN 370Z SPORT

Jhill

I'm still undecided and may not even touch the springs and shocks but I am more interested in having the option to change damper rate rather than just ride height. With fixed rates the designer can only do a best guess as to how the car should behave and not taking into account whatever other changes you may have done. If their fixed rate doesn't match your driving style or feel or whatever other alternatives you have done then that is that and your out 1600 for something that has no use for you. Suspension is subjective and not everyone likes the same thing, if we did then none of the after market stuff would be adjustable because we would all have settled on the one tune that is best. So for one company to charge 1600 and just have a ride height adjustment and another that is also getting good comments to offer the same with damper adjustment and spring change options that to me seems like a better deal. Also the swifts vs eibachs you mention is apples to oranges because those are both a progressive lowering spring not a coil over. The swifts used by BC are linear rate true coil over springs, KW has proprietary progressive springs that they will not give rates on so no real way to know how they stack up. Having used progressive rate h&r in the past on a different car and on Oem 370 linear rate now and being a tech for the last 11 years getting to drive multiple vehicle of multiple brands Oem and "tuned" I can say I am not a fan of the progressive rate springs. They give you the soft ride at the lower height that people want for looks but there predictability and the way they head into a turn is just not my thing.