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      06-29-2010, 10:29 AM   #15
crfine88
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Drives: E86M
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Cave Creek AZ.

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KW Club Sports

#14

The 12 Days of Christmas Sale, Great marketing on the part of **********s. I had been very happy with my KWV3’s. I thought, “These are perfect for my needs, just wish I could get more negative camber up front.” Then out of nowhere, I get an e-mail on my BalckBerry from **********s. So I buy into the whole thing and check what is on sale each day.
The KW day pops up, so I go into the site to look for KW camber plates only. Well they got me hook, line, and sinker. As I was looking for camber plates, I saw the KW clubsport price and my jaw dropped. So in my head I justified a new set with thoughts like, “well they come with camber plates, and I do want the M to be a track dedicated car eventually, and this kind of deal may not come around again.”

Before I jumped in, I did some research because I was skeptical about the differences between the V3’s and the Clubsport’s. Initially, I was under the impression that the clubsport kit was just the V3 kit with stiffer front springs and camber plates. This was not the case; there was not one shared component between kits. After spending an hour on the phone with KW North America, I was convinced that this would be a complete suspension performance upgrade at the expense of losing ride comfort. With the description of use I gave the KW tech, he recommended I stay with the V3’s and run camber plates unless I planned on tracking the car more than I drove it on the street. I did plan on tracking a great deal more, so I made the call to **********s. FWI, you can buy directly from KW North America directly, but it is at full retail.

KW North America Link: http://www.kw-suspension.com/us/

KW Parts Finder: http://www.kw-suspension.com/flexshop/

Installation Instruction Link: http://www.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=369002

BMW TIS front and rear axle torque specs: http://www.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=404222

Installation:
Again, flawless! Each component fit like OEM.

Performance:
A leap forward in handling performance and a step back in ride comfort. That really is the bottom line. At this point in the game the M was really starting to feel purpose built. The handling was similar to the GC kit. Turn in was quick, and the car sat even flatter in turns. The ride was very firm @ the KW recommended settings, and when you hit a bump you really feel it. I really liked the feel of this kit, because it put me more in tune with the road. The car would track over every little nook and cranny; It felt like if I ran over a dime, I would be able to tell you what year it was made. This is not to say that the ride is harsh, it is very firm.
Unlike the GC kit and like the V3 kit, the car still had the solid OEM feel with no rattling, or coil chatter. I believe that if you are looking for a more a more track dedicated kit, OEM fitment, and do not mind the compromise in ride comfort, the clubsports are the way to go.

PROS:
1. Improved handling performance compared to the KWV3’s.
2. The kit is the lightest I have installed.
3. OEM fitment and quality.
4. More adjustment with the addition of camber plates.
5. No, rattles, coil chatter, or any foreign noises coming from the suspension.

CONS:
1. Clubsports do not have the lifetime warranty the V3’s had.
2. If you are using a strut brace, the hardware that comes with the kit is too short. You have to request that KW send you the longer hardware which is a pain in the ass if you do not take this into consideration.
3. Ride comfort is decreased.

I added a lot of pictures of the installation process at the request of several members. This is to act a photo journal to help get your bearings in conjunction with using the installation manual provided by KW. KW install guide is good but can be vague and the photos are not great.
Attached Images
                          
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Last edited by crfine88; 07-06-2010 at 10:09 AM..
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