New Suspension, KW-V3?

[Big Dave]

ORIGINAL: Copperman05

ORIGINAL: Big Dave

Like i said,,,, stick to standard ,BUT add a set of 968 M030 anti roll bars,aswell...

Can you tell me why this is the best choice? Is it based mainly on price? How would it compare to the kw's set up to fast road/track? How do the stock shock compare to the kw's when the car is loaded up (2 weeks holiday gear), etc. Could the kw's not be set up to cope with this?

Edd

Edd.
If as you say , you will be using the car for long jaunts + general driving, then for comfort ide fit standard.
The addition of the M030 bars just helps to reduce the roll in corners , They also make the car more " pointy".
Regardless if you fit standard or KW ide definately be fitting the M030 bars. AND new bushes throught.
Yes its down to cost. The KW kit will end up costing more than standard, maybee double...
Dont get me wrong the KW kit IS good stuff, You just have to work out if you feel its worth the extra cost.
If your going to throw in 3-6 track days per year then YES.
Theres no comparison between Standard + KW realy, totaly different types of kit. Other than standard kit is supple for want of a better phrase, and the KW will be stiffer by its nature, its "performance" kit after all...
Ive no idea how the car would feel with all the holiday gear , as ive never taken any of my cars on the long "holiday" jaunts , only travelled to and from UK race tracks.
At the end of the day, have a ride in a KW equiped car, One thats set up properly. IE re-indexed. And if the owner doesnt mind on its softest setting. Everybody likes them on different stiffness settings.Thats IF you can access the rear top adjuster, something i bet you wont be able to ...The rear rebound[top adjuster] is critical to the handling [on track]. It helps to stop the car pitching the weight forward + keeps the car flat.
Anyway, its your decision + your hard earned ££££. Have fun trying different things, most of all enjoy your car.[][][][]

 

[sawood12]

I think 944's handle heavy loads in the boot quite well - I used to lug two people scuba gear around for dive weekends which is very heavy (four to six tanks, weight belts plus other gear that is designed to be heavy) and though the performance was sapped slightly I thought the car managed fine. My car didn't have the levelling headlights and with the weedy headlights pointing upwards with all the gear in the back my headlights weren't bright enough to dazzle people!

I think that Torsion Bars are progressive rated so the more you load it up the stiffer they become, which helps in this situation.

The KW would have not been bothered at all with alot of weight in it.

 

[Neil Haughey]

Over the years I gradually mucked about with my S2 I think the 968 M030 roll bars probably made the best bang for buck difference. Very little down side and much reduced roll, I also liked the koni shocks tbh I don't think they are that much different to stock, maybe a touch better but they cost about the same anyway.

BTW you can cheat you know and fit 968 front shocks and CS lowering springs if one wants a stock locking car. Surprising really that over the years more didn't do this, is one of the things I really regret going back 10 years when I paid out for stock S2 struts when I could have fitted 968 ones and springs for the same money. Fitting the stiffer torsions in the rear is of course a lot of work but I bet these days one can pick up those bars for peanuts.

 

[Super_Marv]

Worth renewing the ARB droplinks whatever option you go for. They normally are the first thing to fail when you start piling into the corners that bit faster, due to the new suspension.

 

[Big Dave]

ORIGINAL: Neil Haughey

Over the years I gradually mucked about with my S2 I think the 968 M030 roll bars probably made the best bang for buck difference. Very little down side and much reduced roll, I also liked the koni shocks tbh I don't think they are that much different to stock, maybe a touch better but they cost about the same anyway.

BTW you can cheat you know and fit 968 front shocks and CS lowering springs if one wants a stock locking car. Surprising really that over the years more didn't do this, is one of the things I really regret going back 10 years when I paid out for stock S2 struts when I could have fitted 968 ones and springs for the same money. Fitting the stiffer torsions in the rear is of course a lot of work but I bet these days one can pick up those bars for peanuts.

Good thinking Neil. Never even crossed my mind, about fitting the 968 stuts + Sport/CS springs, as they are lower than standard 944 kit.
Oh and if anybody is after a pair of good 968 torsion bars, i have a spare pair...[][][]

 

[Paz]

Big Dave your garage is a veritable cornucopia of 968 parts!! [8D]

 

[Big Dave]

Ive got way, way to many parts for these cars....

 

[simkin911]

Do you have a spare CS steering wheel with boss that you want to sell?!

 

[Big Dave]

ORIGINAL: simkin911

Do you have a spare CS steering wheel with boss that you want to sell?!

Yes i have a spare, and no its not for sale,,,, yet..[][]

 

[simkin911]

Umm.... was worth a try! []

 

[Copperman05]

Has anyone got experience of AMD Essex Tuning? They are offering to fit the KW-V3's to the 944 for £120 inc vat+full geo, (no indexing). Their price for the coilovers seems competitive too at £1468.75. They run a Golf in the BTCC. Any experience, thoughts would be appreciated.
.
Edd

 

[Suffolk944]

ORIGINAL: Copperman05

Has anyone got experience of AMD Essex Tuning? They are offering to fit the KW-V3's to the 944 for £120 inc vat+full geo, (no indexing). Their price for the coilovers seems competitive too at £1468.75. They run a Golf in the BTCC. Any experience, thoughts would be appreciated.
.
Edd

No experience of them (and I assume its £1200 not £120 !) To be honest I would want to get my car re-indexed at the same time....

 

[Copperman05]

No its £120, inc geo, there usual price is £240, fitting is half price at the moment. Reindexing costs£££, Ben at AMD and Darren at RPM seem to think that unless its a regular track car or race car its probably not worth it.

As per email -

Good Morning Edd,

Thank you for your enquiry ref your 944.

The KW V3's for your S2 would be £1468.75 inc vat, We are doing a special offer on the fitting of KW coilovers supplied and fitted by us. Fitting is normally £240 plus vat but our special offer price is £120 inc vat and also includes wheel alignment too!

The kit would take around 7 working days to come in and we would require the car for a full day to fit the coilovers and set the car up.

Hope this helps but if you do have any further questions please do not hesitate in contacting us.

Regards



Ben (Sales & Internet)

 

[Suffolk944]

Ah I see - its all clear now ! Well yes that sounds about right without re-indexing. IIRC the thread debating whether to re-index or not was kicked off by that same assertion by RPM or A.N. Other - Might be worth braving the search function to see if you can track it down []

 

[Copperman05]

Done that[]

AmD seem v reasonable, I have been quoted elsewhere 5 hrs labour + £220 for geo, and thats without re-indexing!

Edd

 

[JamesO]

As said above about the cost of the KWs, if I had the disposable cash at the mo' I wouldn't think twice about the cost.
With the comments about mountain bike suspension, on my downhill bike I spent roughly a grand front and rear in 2001 and should have spent more as the front forks would blow their seals if you looked at them a bit too hard and they didn't really cut it for racing.
So to put it into perspective double that on performance car shocks (fitted) seems a bargain.

I'm not Scottish but I love Scotland, great roads, epic scenery, I even got sunburnt last time I was there in the summer.

 

[Copperman05]

ORIGINAL: JamesO

I'm not Scottish but I love Scotland, great roads, epic scenery, I even got sunburnt last time I was there in the summer.

Ditto, my avatar was taken in the Grampian mountains, we go there each year...

Edd

 

[Copperman05]

Can someone tell me how the kw-v3's are adjusted for compression and rebound once they are fitted? Can they be adjusted whilst on the car, jacked up? or do they need to be removed?

Also do you what the factory v3 settings are? Road or Track or bit of both?

Thanks!
Edd

 

[DivineE]

I put kw's on my golf gti and absolutely loved them but for the cost of doing it on the 944, the standard suspension with a few economical tweaks like 968 castor mounts will get you a better handling car than almost anything else on the road for a fraction of the cost.

 

[Copperman05]

ORIGINAL: DivineE
for a fraction of the cost.

After getting some price quotes from well known porsche specialist the Kw's fitted are about £1800 (without re-indexing) and the standard shocks work out at about £1400, both prices including fitting and full geo - adjustment time.

If the stock units were £800 - £1000 fitted it would be a different matter and I would agree with your point.

Edd