The KW Coilover Suspension Kit
Lowering to your demand and high quality components for a long life
Unlike traditional standard and sport suspension solutions, KW coilovers have a height adjustable composite spring seat. This allows ride height adjustment via the trapezoid thread on the coilover strut housing.
Another difference to a factory strut is the longer suspension travel, this is achieved by using a shortened coilover strut housing which allows the spring travel to remain unaffected even at maximum lowering.
Continual Ride Height Adjustability
Thanks to the 100% corrosion resistant KW stainless steel struts the ride height of a KW coilover kit can be adjusted on the front axle directly even while the kit is installed.
Through the dirt-resistant trapezoid thread and the steel impregnated polyamide spring seat, the adjustment is easy to make even years after the kit was installed. Depending on the vehicle type, the vehicle's ride height on the rear axle occurs either directly on the strut for MacPherson type suspensions (for example Subaru Impreza, BMW 5 Series); or via the KW rear axle height adjuster.
KW Dampers and KW Springs
A complementary spring and damper package for a sporty driving experience. High-quality components, vehicle-specific damper construction and tuning employing many years of experience developing suspension kits for international motorsports and vehicle manufactures around the world is what characterized KW damper technology.
The KW coilovers are built utilizing advantageous twin-tube damping principles which are often times found in active electronic factory suspensions. In a twin-tube damper, the working piston, which houses the rebound assembly operates inside the inner tube forcing oil through the compression valve at the base of the tube into the outer tube.
Upper Spring Seat
The KW upper spring seat is a totally underestimated component. Not only does it hold the helper spring and main spring in the right position, but it also helps to minimizes the vibration noise of the springs. Depending on the vehicle type and application, KW manufactures the spring perch of high quality aluminum alloy or a polyamide composite material. Whether made of aluminum or the composite material, which is also rust resistant, the signature KW purple spring seat is very light weight.
Helper spring
A complementary spring and damper package for a sporty driving experience. High-quality components, vehicle-specific damper construction and tuning employing many years of experience developing suspension kits for international motorsports and vehicle manufactures around the world is what characterized KW damper technology.
The KW coilovers are built utilizing advantageous twin-tube damping principles which are often times found in active electronic factory suspensions. In a twin-tube damper, the working piston, which houses the rebound assembly operates inside the inner tube forcing oil through the compression valve at the base of the tube into the outer tube.
Polyamide intermediate ring
The intermediate rings are made of a light but extremely strong polyamide composite material. Not only does it hold the springs, but it also helps to minimize the vibration noise of the springs.
Bump stop with integrated dust protection system
The dust cover prevents water and dirt particles reaching the piston rod seal package. The bump stops are made of a highly resilient elastomer and serve as a passive travel limiting element while ensuring good ride quality and durability.
High strength main spring
Suspension spring
The vehicle's behavior and comfort is not only influenced by the KW dampers, but also by the springs. The resulting kinetic energy from a bump is stored by the spring during compression and converted into heat energy in the damper during the stroke.
Progressive spring rate
With a progressive wound spring, the springs rate varies throughout the springs range of travel. When a force acts upon the spring, the low strength windings absorb the load and as the load increases the stronger windings begin to bear the load.
The high-strength spring is made of multi coated chrome-silicon steel for a long life and is tuned specifically for each vehicle.
Linear spring rate
If a suspension spring is linear, the force increases in direct proportion to the compression travel. The spring rate determines the amount of force in Newtons that has to act upon the spring to compresses by one millimeter. A spring rate of 70 Newton (N)/mm means that 70 N must act on the spring to compress it by one millimeter. The higher the spring rate, the stiffer the spring, and the more force must act on the spring to compress it.
Composite Spring Seat
A resistant polyamide composite material with a stainless steel insert. The composite material is corrosion resistant and very high strength. If anodized aluminum spring perches are used, after the friction of repeated ride height adjustment, any contamination may cause microcracks on the anodized surface. If the unprotected aluminum threaded ring directly touches the steel or stainless-steel strut thread oxidation will occur. In the worst case, the height adjustment will now not be possible anymore, but with the durable KW coilovers in inox-line and the polyamide composite spring seat this is not the case.
Stainless steel "inox-line" strut housing with integrated shock absorber
The strut housing on KW coilovers is made of high quality stainless steel and are an investment that will last for the entire life of the car. Under all weather conditions, the stainless steel KW coilovers are 100% corrosion resistant and have an unlimited lifespan.
The functioning of adjusting the vehicle's ride height via the dirt-resistant trapezoid thread and the composite spring seat are designed for long term continuous use. During a salt spray endurance test, there was no oxidation of the KW coilover struts. So even after years, the height adjustability is not affected.
KW Damping Technology in Detail
KW damping technology in detail - Function of KW twin-tube dampers
When the cars damper reacts while driving, the oil, which is under minimal pressure, will be displaced by the immersion of the piston rod. The oil then flows into the outer tube through the bottom valve (compression valve) which controls the flow speed. During rebound, the oil flows from the outer tube back into the inner tube. In addition to the channels in the bottom valve, the oil also has to flow through the rebound valve assembly located on the piston rod.
The dampers job in the suspension system is to convert the kinetic energy of the suspension spring into heat energy and dissipate it into the environment. When driving around a right hand curve, the KW coilover kit works in the compression phase on the left side of the vehicle and rebound phase on the right side of the vehicle.
The Effects of Rebound
The rebound damping directly affects the operating speed of the piston rod returning to its natural ride height position and controls the expansion rate of the coil spring. With KW coilovers that feature TVR-A technology the driver can adjust the rebound via 16 precise clicks.
The rebound valves can be opened for a softer driving behaviour and closed for a more performance oriented setup. With the adjustable rebound of the KW coilovers, the vehicle handling and comfort can be influenced.
The Effects of Compression
KW dampers featuring TVC-A technology such as our Variant 3 or Clubsport 2 way kits give you the ability to adjust the basic setup of the compression valve with twelve precise clicks. The compression damping controls the speed at which the piston rod is immersed into the shock body. It has a direct impact on body movement and steering behavior.
When the compression valves are opened, the compression damping will be reduced and the vehicle body will transfer weight more quickly when steering. When the compression damping is increased, the piston rod immerses slower and the vehicle acts more stable when steering. The steering behaviour gets more precise, the stronger the compression damping is adjusted.
