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KW V3 in the Dealer Experience.

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Old Apr 11, 2014 | 01:07 AM
  #1  
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C63, M5
KW V3 in the Dealer Experience.

So i had my car in the merecedes dealer for service. i was curious and wanted to check out what happens when the car is in their shop. I have a blackvue dash cam that records everything. So the tech says "the car is very bouncy" and "it kinda rides like ****"... Now im wondering if these KW V3s are even that good... Im have no comparison to make to other C63s with suspension. The settings are all in the middle for rebound and compression. Is there something that im missing......
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Old Apr 11, 2014 | 03:21 AM
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'20 GLC300 SUV
I don't have any experience with the KW V3s.

However, what I can say is that the suspension on my '13 C63 is far from bouncy. It's pretty firm but overall, the damping is adequate. Very little body roll.

I know you stated that you don't have a stock reference point but generally, how does the car feel to you?
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Old Apr 11, 2014 | 09:41 AM
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From: 多伦多
....
Recently switched from stock 507 suspension which was stiff as f. Handled good.

Now on kw v3 with settings as per recommendation from that guy on this forum... they handle amazing. damped really well. Bumps are still on the firm side but not harsh at all (for me anyway) and now I'm entering corners and highway ramps at crazy speeds and I don't even notice it. Also almost no body roll.

Kw's are amazing imo.
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Old Apr 11, 2014 | 09:53 AM
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I have no experience with KWs but I would take anyone else's opinion with a grain of salt unless they have some background driving high performance cars. My aunt tells me my cars are too stiff but I find the C63 to be about perfect for street use. I hate floaty cars. That tech may be able to work on your car but that doesn't mean he knows what feels best. Maybe he likes a cushy ride...
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Old Apr 11, 2014 | 10:23 AM
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my settings are the ones recommended on this forum also. I even think they are on the softer side than the original settings that came in the box. To me, there is a little bit of bounce at very low speeds that im not to thrilled about. Once they get going, the ride is awesome, handling and cornering is amazing. i have a stock m5 which feels like a boat compared to this and a stock S5 that feels disconnected compared to this.. Thats all ive really been able to compare to. How do i get rid a the slight bounce at the low speed?
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Old Apr 11, 2014 | 04:11 PM
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Tell him his mom gives a bouncy ride too...sorry, I couldn't resist.

It's all preference man. If you're happy with it, who cares what some tech thinks. Or you can go to a suspension expert to confirm they are dialed in correctly. Did you keep the factory settings from KW or buy them preowned?
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Old Apr 11, 2014 | 09:11 PM
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id soften up the rebound setting that's what really gives you the bounce. However if you are happy with it, leave it alone. It also depends on the tech and where you are located. Some places dont see many amg's. I've been to training where people had never seen 65's before. I see them every day. Ride in an 08/09 c63 with p30 package and you'll know what bouncey is.
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Old Apr 12, 2014 | 12:44 PM
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Originally Posted by CPD SLK
Tell him his mom gives a bouncy ride too...sorry, I couldn't resist.

It's all preference man. If you're happy with it, who cares what some tech thinks. Or you can go to a suspension expert to confirm they are dialed in correctly. Did you keep the factory settings from KW or buy them preowned?
these are brand new drop shipped from kw germany thanks to arsha @ vivid racing. i dialed them down to be a little softer than the original settings via the recommended settings in the forum.
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Old Apr 12, 2014 | 12:47 PM
  #9  
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Originally Posted by roadtalontsi
id soften up the rebound setting that's what really gives you the bounce. However if you are happy with it, leave it alone. It also depends on the tech and where you are located. Some places dont see many amg's. I've been to training where people had never seen 65's before. I see them every day. Ride in an 08/09 c63 with p30 package and you'll know what bouncey is.
im located in chicago. im not sure if there are many amg's in this area as i havent really encountered many others on the road here. once in a while i do here or there.
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Old Apr 16, 2014 | 01:17 AM
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Ok, so to sum up my story, My car did ride really terrible. I used the settings per the forum for this car with KW V3. These settings may work with others but they do not work well with my car at all. My settings were::
FRONT REBOUND: -10 from full hard
FRONT COMPRESSION: -8 from full hard
REAR REBOUND: -9 from full hard
REAR COMPRESSION: -8 from full hard

I had Touge Factory in Wheeling, IL take a look at it. These guys really know their stuff. Mike, a tech there had tried to explain to me how the settings all work and what the adjustments did for about half an hour. I understood about half of what he said. Then he had his other tech who really knows the workings of KW try to explain to me about it for another ten minutes and i was still just as stunned. The techs here are very knowledgeable about suspensions and setting them up properly.

He took the car out for a test drive and made adjustments along en route to improve the suspension settings. I had rode along with him while he explained everything he was feeling and what adjustments had to to made and to which suspension. After everything was dialed in, IT DROVE AMAZING. no bouncy effect, no body roll. THIS SUSPENSION HAS TO BE TUNED PROPERLY IN ORDER TO FULLY UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL OF THIS KIT. i would never have figured this out by myself even after looking at the forums and reading suspension material for hours. It is not as straight forward as it seems as there are 100's of combinations. I drove it for 150 miles and did not like the previous settings at all. They even stayed after shop hours to make sure the car was properly setup. I definitely have to give these guys credit for their help. I'm definitely much more confident and happier now that its dialed in properly with the KW V3.
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Old Apr 16, 2014 | 05:57 AM
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So what are the new settings? Can you share those?

Thanks
Ameet

Originally Posted by synacide
Ok, so to sum up my story, My car did ride really terrible. I used the settings per the forum for this car with KW V3. These settings may work with others but they do not work well with my car at all. My settings were::
FRONT REBOUND: -10 from full hard
FRONT COMPRESSION: -8 from full hard
REAR REBOUND: -9 from full hard
REAR COMPRESSION: -8 from full hard

I had Touge Factory in Wheeling, IL take a look at it. These guys really know their stuff. Mike, a tech there had tried to explain to me how the settings all work and what the adjustments did for about half an hour. I understood about half of what he said. Then he had his other tech who really knows the workings of KW try to explain to me about it for another ten minutes and i was still just as stunned. The techs here are very knowledgeable about suspensions and setting them up properly.

He took the car out for a test drive and made adjustments along en route to improve the suspension settings. I had rode along with him while he explained everything he was feeling and what adjustments had to to made and to which suspension. After everything was dialed in, IT DROVE AMAZING. no bouncy effect, no body roll. THIS SUSPENSION HAS TO BE TUNED PROPERLY IN ORDER TO FULLY UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL OF THIS KIT. i would never have figured this out by myself even after looking at the forums and reading suspension material for hours. It is not as straight forward as it seems as there are 100's of combinations. I drove it for 150 miles and did not like the previous settings at all. They even stayed after shop hours to make sure the car was properly setup. I definitely have to give these guys credit for their help. I'm definitely much more confident and happier now that its dialed in properly with the KW V3.
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Old Apr 16, 2014 | 07:47 AM
  #12  
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Settings

Please share your new settings. Also, for street use, is corner balancing necessary, or will an alignment suffice?
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Old Apr 16, 2014 | 10:18 AM
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Settings are unique to every car based on sedan/coupe, wheels/tires, and overall preference and driving style.


Standard settings are a reference point to start with, and you should make adjustments based on your driving style and preference.


Getting input from a PRO costs next to nothing but also uncorks all the benefits of a good coilover system.
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Old Apr 16, 2014 | 08:35 PM
  #14  
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Yes I would have to agree. The settings are 1-2 off of the recommended on the forum after I've checked. I still need to check on my compression setting on the fronts bit I would say they are in the range
Originally Posted by callmiro
Settings are unique to every car based on sedan/coupe, wheels/tires, and overall preference and driving style.


Standard settings are a reference point to start with, and you should make adjustments based on your driving style and preference.


Getting input from a PRO costs next to nothing but also uncorks all the benefits of a good coilover system.
Reply
Old Apr 17, 2014 | 01:40 AM
  #15  
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Originally Posted by Thrilla
Please share your new settings. Also, for street use, is corner balancing necessary, or will an alignment suffice?
My new settings are as follows:
FRONT REBOUND: 8 Click from full hard
FRONT COMPRESSION: 0 Clicks from full hard
REAR REBOUND: 9 Clicks from full hard
REAR COMPRESSION: 9 Clicks from full hard
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