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      05-01-2022, 04:31 PM   #1
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My KW V3 Coilover Impressions on X3M Competition

It's been roughly two weeks now since I installed KW V3 coilovers on my X3M. I wanted to give myself enough seat time to get used to the ride before giving any impressions on them.

A little background, I've had my fair share of lowered cars. On springs, height adjustable springs and JDM coilovers (BC, Tein, etc). The KW V3's are by far the best that I've experienced. My goal with the X3M was to lower it as much as I possibly could. This was my first SUV/SAV and I cannot stand how high they sit off the ground. The stock suspension is quite good in terms of comfort and handling but the wheel well gap bugs the hell out of me lol. So with the very limited options on this platform that landed me with the KW's.

Ride Height:
To achieve my ride height, I set the front struts to show roughly 0.75" worth of threads from max low and roughly 1.75" in the rear. The stance is nearly perfect. It looks aggressive as hell and currently does not rub at all. I may push my luck and see if I can go a touch lower, just to the very top of the tire. There is a ton of unnecessary and useless plastic that can be trimmed out of the fender-wells to ensure no rubbing so I may end up giving that a go.

Damping Adjustments:
The roads around me are incredibly shit so take this part into consideration in comparison to where you live. I can almost guarantee my damping adjustments wont apply to someone in FL with nice and smooth roads.

The V3's have two way adjustments, Rebound and Bump. These took me a little while to dial in and if I'm being honest I still don't think I'll keep these where they are but they are like 85% of the way there. The best way I can describe it is; Bump/Compression- The amount of force applied to compress the strut. Rebound- The amount of force applied to extend the strut back out after compressing.

"Clicks from open" means going to full stiff and dialing it back X number of clicks.

KW Recommends:
Front Axle- Rebound 9 clicks open / Bump 5 clicks open
Rear Axle - Rebound 6 clicks open / Bump 5 clicks open

For the time being I kept the same F:R ratio except went a little softer on each.

I'm running:
Front Axle- Rebound 12 clicks open / Bump 9 clicks open
Rear Axle - Rebound 11 clicks open / Bump 7 clicks open

These have felt really good for me in terms of comfort and maintaining tight handling. I did not want to sacrifice one or the other and I don't think this setup does. These will likely change as I'm always looking for improvements but it's a safe starting point for anyone interested.

Comfort & Handling:
In terms of comfort I think of two things; 1) How well does it do absorbing rough roads and 2) how well does it rebound from those bumps. If I had to quantify these two, I would say;
- 1) it absorbs bumps just as good as the OE competition suspension, maybe 5-10% better, even at the ride height that I'm currently at. I'm sure it would be a little softer if you don't go this low.
- 2) it rebounds 20-25% better than the OE competition suspension. I found the damping and rebound on the stock suspension can be very bouncy and rough at times. This is not like that. It is a very pronounced up, down and settle. I'm sure this can be improved even more with fine tuning the rebound adjustment further. I'm not an expert so I'm taking this solely based on what I've felt along the way.

The handling on the OE competition suspension was already very good. It's hard to keep tight characteristics on this size of vehicle but BMW did a great job with that. However, it did get that much better. The car feels incredibly direct and connected. It's like a point and shoot type of feeling anytime I want to enjoy a spirited drive, regardless of the iDrive steering settings. The car feels like it's magnetized to the ground. The body roll is virtually non existent now and corners can be taking with confidence. I truly didn't expect this vehicle to turn out to be this good. Like I said this is my first SUV and my impressions of them have always been sub par in this category. Some of this has to do with the engineering behind the platform in general but KW nailed whatever they did.

I've also experienced MSS springs and while they are quite good, don't get me wrong, they just aren't in this league. I think the damping control really set the KW apart. If all you want is comfort with a little lowering than MSS definitely makes sense but for those that want more and want to get the most of the suspension, handling and height; KW all the way.

I'll circle back and reserve the next post for an update after say 3k-5k miles but thus far I am incredibly pleased.

Enjoy a few photos!







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      05-01-2022, 05:40 PM   #2
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Nice detailed review, I'm going to install mine next weekend.
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      05-01-2022, 06:26 PM   #3
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badass M3 wagon bro

KWV3 are awesome. had it on my M4 'vert slammed and ride was sweet as hell.

enjoy her safely
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      05-02-2022, 01:38 AM   #4
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BrockDM I always wished that BILSTEIN had made an EDC kit upgrade for our cars so that we could dial in the settings with the touch of a button, but with a vastly improved ride. Guessing these are the next best thing and pretty much in the same league in terms of fine tuning damper settings and have more precise control of how the car handles. Very nice...
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      05-02-2022, 09:11 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mr.almeida View Post
Nice detailed review, I'm going to install mine next weekend.
Quote:
Originally Posted by -JLT- View Post
badass M3 wagon bro

KWV3 are awesome. had it on my M4 'vert slammed and ride was sweet as hell.

enjoy her safely
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin_The_Clean1 View Post
BrockDM I always wished that BILSTEIN had made an EDC kit upgrade for our cars so that we could dial in the settings with the touch of a button, but with a vastly improved ride. Guessing these are the next best thing and pretty much in the same league in terms of fine tuning damper settings and have more precise control of how the car handles. Very nice...
Thanks fellas!

For the longest time I always thought I would be silly for deleting EDC but after a few platforms of only doing springs to keep the control I quickly changed my mind. I found that 90% of the time I left the car in one suspension setting as it felt better than the rest. Dialing in the adjustments to fit that one all around need has left me completely satisfied. I know it seems like a need for most people but I don't miss it one bit.
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      05-02-2022, 09:33 AM   #6
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So, maybe a dumb question here. Since the OEM suspension has electronically adjustable struts, what happens when you remove those? Does it throw a code?
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      05-02-2022, 09:45 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jbh165nc View Post
So, maybe a dumb question here. Since the OEM suspension has electronically adjustable struts, what happens when you remove those? Does it throw a code?
Yes, you'll need what is called an EDC delete kit to make it go away. The KW V3 comes with one. Plugs into the sensors to trick the car.
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      05-02-2022, 10:36 AM   #8
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Looks great, thank you for the review
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      05-02-2022, 01:45 PM   #9
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I love mine as well. I need to figure out how to adjust them though, the shop set them but I haven't made any adjustments. Great write up, great looking rig
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      05-02-2022, 01:55 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vettethret View Post
I love mine as well. I need to figure out how to adjust them though, the shop set them but I haven't made any adjustments. Great write up, great looking rig
The rebound adjustments are very easy and can be accessed within a few seconds. The fronts are under the hood (obviously lol) and in the rear if you pull up the floor you will see two rubber flaps on each side. The kit came with a small knob that you insert into the top of strut. I found it easiest anytime I want to adjust them to just go full STIFF and then back to whatever adjustment I want. The clicks aren't very pronounced so just use the little number positions on the knob.

The bump adjustments are fun ha. No additional knob to add on like rebound, there is just a dial on the bottom of the strut. The fronts are pretty easy but the rear are blocked quite a bit and require you to squeeze your fingers in there.
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      05-02-2022, 02:13 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BrockDM View Post
The rebound adjustments are very easy and can be accessed within a few seconds. The fronts are under the hood (obviously lol) and in the rear if you pull up the floor you will see two rubber flaps on each side. The kit came with a small knob that you insert into the top of strut. I found it easiest anytime I want to adjust them to just go full soft and then back to whatever adjustment I want. The clicks aren't very pronounced so just use the little number positions on the knob.

The bump adjustments are fun ha. No additional knob to add on like rebound, there is just a dial on the bottom of the strut. The fronts are pretty easy but the rear are blocked quite a bit and require you to squeeze your fingers in there.
I actually just went out to the garage for the rears. I put the adjuster knob in, and I adjusted full left and then full right. I assume going full right is stiffest. I had no clue about the separate adjustment for the bump, I need to get the manuel out.I have no clue where it's set at now, I'm getting lazy in my old age!!!!!

I had to raise the rear a little as I was rubbing over large bumps since I have such an aggressive offset. My rears are at 28 3/4 from the ground to the top of the wheel well, where did you end up?
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      05-02-2022, 02:38 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vettethret View Post
I actually just went out to the garage for the rears. I put the adjuster knob in, and I adjusted full left and then full right. I assume going full right is stiffest. I had no clue about the separate adjustment for the bump, I need to get the manuel out.I have no clue where it's set at now, I'm getting lazy in my old age!!!!!

I had to raise the rear a little as I was rubbing over large bumps since I have such an aggressive offset. My rears are at 28 3/4 from the ground to the top of the wheel well, where did you end up?
I measured from the edge of the fender to the center of the hub to eliminate any difference due to tire setups. My fender to hub are right at 15" front and rear
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      05-03-2022, 09:04 PM   #13
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Looks great! KW's are the best mod for our cars!
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      05-03-2022, 09:05 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BrockDM View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vettethret View Post
I love mine as well. I need to figure out how to adjust them though, the shop set them but I haven't made any adjustments. Great write up, great looking rig
The rebound adjustments are very easy and can be accessed within a few seconds. The fronts are under the hood (obviously lol) and in the rear if you pull up the floor you will see two rubber flaps on each side. The kit came with a small knob that you insert into the top of strut. I found it easiest anytime I want to adjust them to just go full soft and then back to whatever adjustment I want. The clicks aren't very pronounced so just use the little number positions on the knob.

The bump adjustments are fun ha. No additional knob to add on like rebound, there is just a dial on the bottom of the strut. The fronts are pretty easy but the rear are blocked quite a bit and require you to squeeze your fingers in there.
Uhm, the correct way to adjust dampening is you go to full stiff then dial back.
I haven't seen one that is otherwise.
Hope that help.
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      05-04-2022, 09:25 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by r33_RGSport View Post
Uhm, the correct way to adjust dampening is you go to full stiff then dial back.
I haven't seen one that is otherwise.
Hope that help.
Sorry for the confusion, again not an expert at this.

So based on "full open" being full stiff, my adjustments should in theory be:

Front Axle- Rebound 13 clicks open / Bump 7 clicks open
Rear Axle - Rebound 9 clicks open / Bump 7 clicks open

Am I on the right track now? I can update my first post if so.
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      05-04-2022, 10:45 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BrockDM View Post
Sorry for the confusion, again not an expert at this.

So based on "full open" being full stiff, my adjustments should in theory be:

Front Axle- Rebound 13 clicks open / Bump 7 clicks open
Rear Axle - Rebound 9 clicks open / Bump 7 clicks open

Am I on the right track now? I can update my first post if so.
Let me try to explain in short from what I've learned from working at coilover company.

There is a push rod or needle that is closing and opening the hole where oil flows between the shock valves.

Clockwise or tighten it, will push the rod / needle to close that hole so oil doesn't go through the valving, mean full stiff.
While counter clockwise or loosen it, will loosen the rod / needle to open up the hole so oil will flow through, mean softer dampening.
Rebound or compression uses the same system, just different mechanism.

And there is manufacturing tolerance where the rod / needle is not exactly the same length. So, when you start at full open and dial it down clockwise to close, the rod / needle on one shock to another may not close the hole at the same gap.

That's why, the coilover manufacturers always recommend to start with full close or stiff, then count backward.

All the coilovers that I've installed or used in many many years being in this industry (HKS, TEIN, JIC, JRZ, Ohlins, Bilstein, DC2, Megan, etc) all using the same method.
So far I haven't seen one that is using different method.

Hope I able to explain that clearly.
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      05-04-2022, 10:58 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by r33_RGSport View Post
Let me try to explain in short from what I've learned from working at coilover company.

There is a push rod or needle that is closing and opening the hole where oil flows between the shock valves.

Clockwise or tighten it, will push the rod / needle to close that hole so oil doesn't go through the valving, mean full stiff.
While counter clockwise or loosen it, will loosen the rod / needle to open up the hole so oil will flow through, mean softer dampening.
Rebound or compression uses the same system, just different mechanism.

And there is manufacturing tolerance where the rod / needle is not exactly the same length. So, when you start at full open and dial it down clockwise to close, the rod / needle on one shock to another may not close the hole at the same gap.

That's why, the coilover manufacturers always recommend to start with full close or stiff, then count backward.

All the coilovers that I've installed or used in many many years being in this industry (HKS, TEIN, JIC, JRZ, Ohlins, Bilstein, DC2, Megan, etc) all using the same method.
So far I haven't seen one that is using different method.

Hope I able to explain that clearly.
I'm completely following! Good info to know moving forward and I updated my original post to reflect this so I don't confuse anyone.

I really appreciate you chiming in!
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      05-04-2022, 03:59 PM   #18
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It’s insane how good that X3M looks lowered on KW v3’s. The matching white cross brace ties it all together.
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      05-04-2022, 05:45 PM   #19
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Quote:
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It’s insane how good that X3M looks lowered on KW v3’s. The matching white cross brace ties it all together.
+1, must get mod for this car in my opinion
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      05-04-2022, 06:47 PM   #20
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Looks awesome and I'm jealous on how low they get. One point though, I'm starting to not like 15mm spacers on the front of lowered X3Ms, and that includes my own car. It just pushes the wheel out too far and it looks weird from a straight on view (lots of tire tread visible). I think a 10mm might look better as the tire will be slightly tucked in the fender. Anyone else agree or am I insane?
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      05-04-2022, 11:43 PM   #21
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Looks awesome and I'm jealous on how low they get. One point though, I'm starting to not like 15mm spacers on the front of lowered X3Ms, and that includes my own car. It just pushes the wheel out too far and it looks weird from a straight on view (lots of tire tread visible). I think a 10mm might look better as the tire will be slightly tucked in the fender. Anyone else agree or am I insane?
With that being said, what size spacers are you running @BrockDM... ? (12 mm)
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      05-05-2022, 09:09 AM   #22
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With that being said, what size spacers are you running @BrockDM... ? (12 mm)
I'm running 15mm all around. They are definitely on the aggressive side but I think it's perfect for my liking
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