FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

I'd like your advice. I'm on the verge of buying another $800 worth of Eibach equipment and realized that I could probably put this money toward a set of KW Variant 3's if someone is interested in dropping about $1000 on the package listed at the bottom of this thread. Might be a long shot, though.

For those of you with KW V3's (or better):

• Do you have any experience with the Ground Control setup? If so, how would you compare them? Body roll? Nose dive during braking?
• Are you running the stock spring rates, and if not, are you familiar with the availability of other spring rates, both during the original purchase and in the aftermarket?
• Did your FG2's crap out on you, and if so, after how many miles?
• Do you need any of your original suspension parts to install the KW system?
• I've heard that you can find these things for less than $1900 if you know where to shop. Apparently, I don't know where to shop. Where did you buy yours?

For the most part, I like my Ground Control setup. The linear springs give me the ability to control body lean and keep the wheels from bottoming despite the fact that I'm lowered. This is what I've been through thus far:

• All of the Ground Control hardware
• All four FG2's with 25,000 miles on them

And the following 10 springs:

• 2x 0550.250.1000 springs (550 in-lbs, 2.50" diameter, 10" length)
• 2x 0600.250.1000 springs
• 2x 0650.250.1000 springs
• 2x 0650.250.0800 springs (650 in-lbs, 2.50" diameter, 8" length)
• 2x 0700.250.0800 springs

If I don't pick up KW Variant 3's, I'll be buying a set of Eibach couplers and four 600/1300 in-lb progressive tender springs. The only disadvantage of this system, in my mind, is that I won't be able to tune rebound and dampening.

heavymetals

iTrader: (3)

I am running the spring rates that came with the KW's.

I got mine from a guy who bought them before the price went up and he never used them.

I got rid of the rear upper shock mount and went to a spherical.

(if you are gonna do suspension get rid of the stockers)

No nose dive and that is with a maggie.

I don't drive like I am on a track either, but street handling I got no complaints except for speed bumps.

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

I wish they were still making those spherical shock mounts. As it stands, I'm also thinking about TurnInConcepts trailing arm bushings and BMR toe rods. Have you played with either of those?

98cobra

iTrader: (32)

I am thinking more like $700 picked up after I see how your car rides

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

Not interested.

98cobra

iTrader: (32)

lets wheel n deal buddy. You are close and I am a deal maker.

Big Bu Bu

iTrader: (4)

I have all of the above. The BMR toe rods are a bit overkill however they more than likely prevent toe deflection under power. They're not the easiest things to adjust. The spherical mounts are nice but you won't feel any difference. The trailing arm bushings help shore things up in general. I also run the obsolete MAP trailing arms with Turn In bushings and Spectre Werkes cradle bushings and the KWV3s. What I think, Fuzzy, is that the whole package is greater than the sum of all the parts. Each piece makes subtle improvements that add up. The rear end feels steady and predictable when all the rubber stuff is replaced. The KW springs are not progressive however with the two way adjustable shocks they probably don't need to be. The rebound setting can control the sway of the car without hanging big sway bars on. Some guys even use the stock smaller front swaybar on the track with the KW's. This provides a better ride quality as well. I used to run FG2s with H&Rs and spacers in back. I like the KW setup better.

incubusjunkie614

iTrader: (1)

I have been running the KW's for about 4 months now. They are the original springs kw spec springs. In my opinion the ride quality did not suffer anywhere near as much as I was expecting. I can drive it like a normal car, 4 people, full trunk, highway cruising. The car barely nose dives, and thats only under hard braking. I have addco sways front and rear and upgraded endlinks, the handling is fantastic. As far as what you need to reuse, the front upper shock mount/ upper control arm assembly and the rear upper bearing mounts. the rest is all KW. I was able to pick mine up for about 1700 but my buddy owns a shop, so I did get lucky, some searching on the inter webs, you can certainly find them for under 2 grand.

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

Interesting. Couple of questions:

1. You don't think the BMR toe rods are worth the $300? I felt that the $500 investment in the Hotchkis sway bars was worth it. Maybe it's just the placebo effect, or maybe people are trying to justify their purchase, but I've heard mildly positive things about the toe rods. Except for the pain in adjustability that they cause.

I've had them in my Summit Racing cart for so long--I'll have to remove them from my signature (the only thing listed there not installed on my car) if I don't buy them this week.

2. The TiC bushings seem to be an easy bet for $75. I just figured that the BMR and TiC upgrades would complement each other--that perhaps the stock bushings were going to hell so quickly because the toe rods were too weak.

3. As I said in the other dual-rate coilover thread, I'm trying to get the car riding on the combined effective rate of the springs under gentle driving (riding with a date in the car) without giving up handling under aggressive driving. It's a fine balancing act. Right now, the car shivers when I roll over an expansion joint in the parking garage at work. That's a half-inch bump at 15 mph.

The problem is that there's only one tender spring in the Eibach catalog with a coil-bind rating near the corner weight of the CTS-V: the 0200.250.1300 (linear) with 947 lbs of force. If that thing was a little higher rated, it'd be perfect, but as it stands, it'll be normally coil bound. While that'll definitely help ease the transition from unloaded to loaded, it's not what I need.

The next step up (which I've discussed before) is the 0175.250.1300 progressive tender spring, with a rated 1513 lbs before reaching coil bind. That's about 400 lbs too much, because it'll be floating a touch over 0.5" above coil-bind, and anything large enough to lock it out will also cause the primary to compress about an inch. 1.5" of travel before seeing the primary spring rate is not a sacrifice that I'll make.

However, if I could find thick coil sleeves, a fat bump stop, or stop ring--basically anything that'd delete 0.25-0.33" of travel in the tender--I think it'd work perfect.

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

Things get stranger by the minute. Just ordered a set of four linear 0175.250.1300 springs...except that these aren't being made any longer. Eibach only has 25 left. 1014 lbs of block load, meaning that I'll be floating just below and above coil bind on the front and rear, respectively. Now I'm off to order PowerGrid end links for the rear to keep this contraption together.

Anyone want to take the 10" springs or 8" 650 in-lb springs off my hands? The new stuff should be here before the weekend.

heavymetals

iTrader: (3)

BMR toe rods and trailing arms were some of the first mods.

I got rid of as much rubber stuff as I could.

Turned my luxury car into a go cart and I don't care.

I put a request to a vendor about measurements on a replacement spherical and he accused me of trying to steal his product.

******* meathead.

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

Any idea if there's a cheap, quiet version of the PowerGrid end links for the rear end? I've been looking at these things for the last two years, and can't stomach paying $160 for a guy to take an OEM link, cut it in half, tap it out, and add a threaded rod between.

UnsafeAtAnySpd

I ordered up a set of the LG Motorsports coilovers about a week ago. Did you look into those at all?

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

At $2800, it wasn't an option. I think that my setup will compare favorably to (gasp) the KW Variant 3. True, I won't have adjustable rebound or dampening, but with the 1300 lb linear tenders in conjunction with 700/800 lb linear primaries, my effective spring rate will be 455 / 495 lbs, which should put me just south of critically damped based on the stock progressive spring rate:

F: 1.6" drop: 343lbs -> 457lbs
R: 1.2" drop: 363lbs -> 395lbs

Oh, and by the way, I found an old corner balance readout from Jerrycecco:



You can clearly see the mysterious right rear weight unbalance that tries to cause that corner to sag. He's averaging 1035 lbs front and 854 lbs rear, which doesn't include the driver. So my 1080 lbs front and 945 lbs rear (I added 200 lbs for me + stuff) was only a bit conservative. Jerry has a roughly stock LS6 CTS-V with stock manifolds, K&N CAI, LS7 clutch, and Magnaflow exhaust which means that he's about 20 lbs heavier in the nose than he should be.

garrettg

iTrader: (1)

I was able to search around and get the kw3 kit shipped for under 2k. This was from grip motorsports about 6 months ago. I tracked the prices for a while based on product number and found a place that had free shipping. I replaced the rear springs with a higher spring rate 629 lb/in as the kit comes with Front: 570 Rear: 515. I have a hitch, right rear weight issue, and other kits go firmer in the back so figured this would be fine. I also experience the right rear unbalance as mentioned and its more noticeable with the kw v3 kit since the shocks are not load leveling. This is slighter better with the firmer rear springs and also added a sub/amp to drivers rear side. I have yet to corner weight my setup, would like to, but have adjusted ride height many times looking for the best compromise. I have scraped my bumper and cats a couple of times during this process and probably within a 1/2 of stock ride height at this point. I set ride height based on how I use and park the car to avoid scraping during normal use. I have yet to touch the shocks and need to look at them if nothing else to ensure they are at default settings.

Big Bu Bu

iTrader: (4)

I have the BMRs and the Hotchkiss sways and I think they are worth it.

heavymetals

iTrader: (3)

IMO it is pointless to lower and "tighten up" the suspension and ignore getting rid of as much of the rubber filled crap as you can.