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KW V3 coilovers w/ Steeda mounts and UMI panhard bar installed

13K views 37 replies 11 participants last post by  Masterang 
#1 ·
I wasn't planning to install everything until tomorrow, but i got home from work tonight and figured what the hell, why put off til tomorrow what i can do today. Well there really wasn't anything difficult at all about this. It took me a little under 4 lazy hours.

Tools : sockets 22,21,18,15,13,10
Combination Wrenches : 22,17,15,10
Jack and four stands
Pry bar and channel locks

Removing the stock struts is easy, and there is no need to remove the upper mount when using the Steeda mounts. As long as you adjust the coilovers to the lowest height setting there is no need to compress the springs when installing the mounts. There are two spacers in the KW kit that are positioned on either side of the factory mounts, but they are not needed with the Steeda mounts.



Once the KW's were installed i adjusted the height to the recommended maximum per the directions. You will see how the smaller spring is now almost fully compressed.



The tops of the coilovers do sit higher in the strut tower than the stock ones.



The rears are just as easy, but getting the stock spring out took a pry bar, a spring compressor would have been nice but not needed. In the rear, I set the height of the rear spring adjuster before installing the spring. The top of the shock is accessible in the trunk.



Make sure you put 2x4 under your tires before you lower the car, I have a pretty slim jack designed to get under low cars, and here's mine touching, and this was with the wheels up on 2x4's



The kit is advertised to drop the front a minimum of 1.4" and the rear 1.2", I set up per the directions for the maximum ride height (there was more adjustment, so I think there is some conservatism in the directions), mine dropped almost 1 3/4 in the front and about 1 1/2 in the rear. I will be raising it slightly in the morning then getting it aligned.

 
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#2 ·
#5 ·
Could you link for everyone where you purchased the coilovers? I've been looking at several on the Strano site you gave me so I'm assuming you bought from them.

Also, did you use these Steeda mounts?

Steeda Heavy Duty Mustang Upper Strut Mounts (11-12 GT; V6) at AmericanMuscle.com - Free Shipping!

Was there anything else you needed/bought?

It looks awesome! I'm very interested in your driving impressions. Very nicely done! :bigthumbsup
Here are links to everything I needed to buy!
Strano Performance Parts - Part Details
Strano Performance Parts - Part Details
Strano Performance Parts - Part Details

Sweet, I’m planning on getting the same set-up in March. It’s my DD in WI so I need ride height adjustability for the winter. In the summer low she goes. How easy/hard is it to adjust the ride height? Is the adjustment different from fronts to rears? Are the Steeda mounts necessary?
Devildog, you should note that this brand includes a minimum lowering of 1.4" in front and 1.2" rear, so you can not lift the car back up to stock height. As far as the mounts go, they make the install so easy and they are so much better than stock.

Looks great! hows the ride?
I only took it out for a short run last night and was paying more attention to not hitting deer. It is night and day better, but i will wait until I have it aligned and tune the valving and then I will give a true first impressions.

Devildog, I wouldn't run your coilovers in the winter if you want them to last. They arn't designed for low temperatures and the ride is going to be firm as hell lol (I know from experience)

best thing to do is swap your stock suspension back in for the winter
No offense and i don't know what coilovers you are referring to, or maybe our winters are just that much more mild here in the D.C area, but i have never had or even heard of any problem like this, ever.
 
#3 ·
Sweet, I’m planning on getting the same set-up in March. It’s my DD in WI so I need ride height adjustability for the winter. In the summer low she goes. How easy/hard is it to adjust the ride height? Is the adjustment different from fronts to rears? Are the Steeda mounts necessary?
 
#4 ·
Looks great! hows the ride?

Devildog, I wouldn't run your coilovers in the winter if you want them to last. They arn't designed for low temperatures and the ride is going to be firm as hell lol (I know from experience)

best thing to do is swap your stock suspension back in for the winter
 
#6 ·
I've got a few questions regarding this installation as I'm going to be doing the exact same thing next week.

1.) Did you use the Steeda HD mounts for an '05-'10 Mustang or did you use the '11-'12 version? (I already have the '05-'10 version since I'm running Koni Sports now.)

2.) It looks to me like you did not use the rubber isolator at the top of the spring. What is going to keep that spring seated? Won't it spin without that upper isolator there?

3.) At the top of the spring and bottom of the strut mount, is that metal piece grooved or slotted to keep the top of the spring in place?

4.) How much increased NVH did you get?

5.) Do you know the maximum negative camber you were able to get with this setup? I'm debating getting camber plates and don't want to spend that extra money if I can get -2.5 with what I've got.
 
#9 ·
I've got a few questions regarding this installation as I'm going to be doing the exact same thing next week.

1.) Did you use the Steeda HD mounts for an '05-'10 Mustang or did you use the '11-'12 version? (I already have the '05-'10 version since I'm running Koni Sports now.)

2.) It looks to me like you did not use the rubber isolator at the top of the spring. What is going to keep that spring seated? Won't it spin without that upper isolator there?

3.) At the top of the spring and bottom of the strut mount, is that metal piece grooved or slotted to keep the top of the spring in place?

4.) How much increased NVH did you get?

5.) Do you know the maximum negative camber you were able to get with this setup? I'm debating getting camber plates and don't want to spend that extra money if I can get -2.5 with what I've got.

Yeah it was something that was eating at me this morning and also explains why the front came out a little lower than i anticipated. Well the older i get the bigger my brain farts are. I am getting part number M-18183-c for the spring isolators. These are the ones off the 05-10. Thanks for pointing this out.
 
#8 ·
^ well here in Ontario they use road salt...so anything on a car gets eaten alive. My last set the adjustment sleeves rusted and seized up. If I were putting another $1200-$1500 investment on my car i'd be taking them off for the winter season. If they don't use salt there then your golden. Also my last set specifically said not to use them under a certain temperature (don't remember what that number was though) but they were also a race setup meant for track use.

I do notice that the KW's are stainless steel though which is very nice to have!
 
#10 ·
Thanks to the help of jsnyng i have an update to my first post, in addition to the parts referenced I also needed the rubber isolators from an 05-10. I picked up a ford racing part M-18183-C and used the isolators from those.





Now i'm ready for my alignment.
 
#14 ·
Thanks to the help of jsnyng i have an update to my first post, in addition to the parts referenced I also needed the rubber isolators from an 05-10. I picked up a ford racing part M-18183-C and used the isolators from those.
Now i'm ready for my alignment.
Looks good. I hope the alignment goes well and you can give us some impressions. I'm betting it will be a wonderful ride.

If the tires are brand new it will smell great inside! If they are not, different story:winks
LOL! Yes, when new they smelled like vanilla sugar cookies (don't know why). Now they smell like goat pee. It's not pleasant.
Now that's funny! So true...so true. :yup:
 
#11 ·
Looks great man :bigthumbsup I'm glad I was able to help. Like I said earlier, I'm doing this exact same installation on my car next Wednesday if the FedEx tracking is to be believed. If you get aligned before then and your alignment person is cool, ask him just for grins to see what the max negative camber you could have gotten may be. That answer may save me $300+ on camber plates and not have to get a 2nd alignment and do a 2nd install. I just spent my camber plate money on a tire trailer. Fitting four 295/30/18 Hoosiers, a jack, an impact gun, and tools into the Mustang can be done, but I promise it's no fun.
 
#15 ·
Alignment is done, but the damn streets are wet. What i can tell you is that there is virtually no rise in the hood under hard accerleration going through the gears. Used to be that every time the clutch came out and the gas went down all i would see is hood, not anymore. Body roll is also severely reduced as is dive on hard breaking. The bumps are much more noticable now but not in any harsh way. And as much as i can run the corners, i would say that on some of the bumpy roads that i used to feel the front end push/skip out, i didn't have any of that happen today, even on wet streets. It's by no means kidney busting like my old jetta glx was with lowering springs. At this point i know i have to take out more compression in the rear, and probably a little bit in the front as well as a little rebound in the front. These shocks will definitely stiffen up to the most demanding of situations, so now we just need to find that happy medium on the streets.
 
#16 ·
I had a set of KW Clubsports on my BMW M3 and what I found was that when I got the damping set properly (using Koni Racing instructions and a racetrack to assess the effectiveness of the settings) I had a remarkably smooth ride combined with amazing grip.

The whole point of the damper settings is to minimize the variation of the force of the tire pressing against the road as you go over bumps and as you brake, accelerate and turn. The settings that keep that downward force the most constant deliver the most consistent and useable grip. The other end of the suspension is attached to the chassis, and when the force pushing the tires down against the road has the least variation, so does the opposite force of the suspension pushing up against the car, producing a smoother ride.

This idea comes as a surprise to people who think a sports suspension is supposed to ride hard. However, exceesively hard settings punish the tires and make the car harder to drive at the limit.

My recommendation to the OP is to go to KoniRacing.com and look at the setup instructions for the double-adjustable dampers in the road-racing tuning section. It's not KW but they all work the same. Follow them and you'll be surprised at how well it all works out.
 
#17 ·
I had a set of KW Clubsports on my BMW M3 and what I found was that when I got the damping set properly (using Koni Racing instructions and a racetrack to assess the effectiveness of the settings) I had a remarkably smooth ride combined with amazing grip.

The whole point of the damper settings is to minimize the variation of the force of the tire pressing against the road as you go over bumps and as you brake, accelerate and turn. The settings that keep that downward force the most constant deliver the most consistent and useable grip. The other end of the suspension is attached to the chassis, and when the force pushing the tires down against the road has the least variation, so does the opposite force of the suspension pushing up against the car, producing a smoother ride.

This idea comes as a surprise to people who think a sports suspension is supposed to ride hard. However, exceesively hard settings punish the tires and make the car harder to drive at the limit.

My recommendation to the OP is to go to KoniRacing.com and look at the setup instructions for the double-adjustable dampers in the road-racing tuning section. It's not KW but they all work the same. Follow them and you'll be surprised at how well it all works out.
Thanks I will check out the Koni site. I have lots of experience on the race track, only on a GSXR. Been to VIR, Summit Point, Beaver Run, Barber, Pocono, and Nelson Ledges. I understand suspension tuning on a motorcycle, only I don't have any track experience on four wheels. This is my first true performance car. Maybe I will have to do a day or two up at Summit Point to really dial it in.
 
#19 ·
Ok so i thought i would give a brief update on my impression of the new KW's. The first thing before you even get into the car, the look of being lowered an inch and a half is just super. I set my car at the max height per the KW instructions, the car could definitelt come down another inch or so if wanted. Pictures don't do this justice (although i have attached some before and after shots for reference), it is definitely noticeable ever time i walk up to the car. :kooky:

I went back this weekend for a third visit to the alignment shop to get my steering wheel straight, i hate how these guys just listen to a computer. Well the cool thing was that the guy let us play around with adjusting the camber. At the bottom of the front coil over the top mounting point to the spindle has some play in it (about 1 degree) as well as the new steeda plates (about 1.5 degrees). With the car dropped i was able to get a max of a little more than negative 2 degrees of camber. We made the final settings right around negative one degree.

Leaving the drive way and running along some crappier back roads, it is immediately evident that the car is stiffer. More of the bumps can be felt but not in a jarring or rough way, just enough to say, "hey there was a bump in the road there". In fact i took my wife for a long ride down some country roads, just cruisin, nothing too aggressive. She thought the car felt sportier, but by no means rough or unpleasant. I told her how some people on this site claim the coilovers are only good for the track and are too rough for a daily driver. She just laughed and asked me again why I waste time on here :grinroll:.

Over the past week commuting 50 miles each way to work, about 1/3 back roads and 2/3 highway, i am actually happier with how the car now rides. Before i used to feel the front springs bounce in the floor board with my left foot, and i really hated this. That is no more, but as i said, the bumps are felt more, but how they should be in a sporty car. Let's remember this is not an old cadillac. The other very noticeable improvement is when you go over railroad tracks or speed bumps. Have you ever gone just a little too fast over a bump with a quick drop off and as your front tires drop down they actually fully extend any you hear that loud bang as they get to the end of their travel? Yeah, well I have tried but cant get the car to do that anymore. :bigthumbsup

Now the most noticeable differences from my stock set-up is just how planted the front end is now. No more excessive hood rise on acceleration or dive on breaking and body roll has been greatly reduced. Driving more aggressively there is no understeer, i finally have more confidence, and the car now goes exactly where you tell it to. Also encountering rough roads mid-corner doesn't upset your line at all, before i could definitely feel the car push or skip if upset in a corner. :nono:

I am not a drag racer, and do not do high RPM dumps, but when i take off hard, 2500 or 3000 rpm by the time the clutch is out and fully engaged in first gear, the traction is just fine. I would imagine though the guys really dragging their cars would not want a rear spring as stiff as the one that comes on this kit. That being said, once the rear of the car is jacked and the rear end is dropped, the springs pull right out, so getting a lighter set to throw in on friday nights for test and tune wouldn't be a big issue at all. I have spun up the tires a bit just to see, and still there was no hop, but i didn't get any hop before, so i can't say if this mod alone will cure a wheel hop problem.

I did start to get some minor noise in the rear over some bumps. But as soon as i checked things out i noticed that the set nuts for the umi adjustable panhard bar had come loose and this was creating the noise. Nothing a little blue locktite wasn't able to fix. Other than that i have had no other noises associated with the coilovers thus far. If something develops or any problems occur, i will be sure to provide an update.

Cheers!
 

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#25 ·
I agree on all point listed here. I have KW-V3 on my Mazdaspeed 3 and the feeling you are getting is completely correct. I have a reference link about the road feel, turn-in, and the speed-bump "drop-off" at the link listed below. You "hear" the bumps more than you "feel" the bumps with KW-V3's and V2's, albeit in a front wheel drive car with the MS3. I do have one question if you get back to this thread at any point in time. Are you still using the stock sway bars with this set up? Now that I have a black base-GT, I want to do suspension mods first, followed by the Ford Racing/Whipple supercharger kit later on. If there is no need to change the unadjustable solid sway bars (35 front, 24.6 rear, solid) to any sort of tubular 38 mm front (Hotchkis) with any sort adjustability, I will "pass" on the sway bar change. The KW-V3's should be sufficient then.

Reference link of my impressions of KW-V3's under various circumstances on a 2009 Mazdaspeed3 are below. Very similar, albeit I had to use BMW-M3 front end links due to the drop. Stock end links were too long when combined with the Hotchkis swaybar and the KW-V3 drop.

KW-V3 coilovers, Hotchkis sway set F+R, M3 endlinks, impressions - Mazdaspeed Forums

I plan on executing your exact plan and parts once I get my tax refund from 2011. Good posts. Thanks.
 
#20 ·
Looks great!

Just about everything you said mirrors my own experience with these... The reduced brake dive,acceleration squat, and body roll was what really jumped out at me. Mine also up a little more over the first few weeks, but it really just gives you the option of running with a tighter setup than when you first put them on the car. I just soften them up a touch, and they feel about as stiff as stock with a much better ride.
 
#21 ·
I think the main reason i see such an improved difference is that the stock vert, from what i have been told has lighter springs and less dampening than even the standard coupe let alone a brembo car. I guess they think the verts are for lazy cruisers who just want to perp with a supple boat like ride. Unfortunately this is another big mistake on the part of Ford and their designers. No biggie, the car is now the way a sports car should be, and i can still take a lazy cruise and perp. :bigthumbsup
 
#22 ·
Looks great, i'm looking at these for next year and I will be tracking the car. How easy are they to adjust ride height? How much is the drop compared to stock at their highest setting? How easy to adjust damping and rebound?
 
#23 ·
Looks great, i'm looking at these for next year and I will be tracking the car. How easy are they to adjust ride height? How much is the drop compared to stock at their highest setting? How easy to adjust damping and rebound?
You adjust the fronts on the car, you will need to remove the front wheels. That is the longest part of the process. The rears are adjusted off the car but they are easy to remove.

If you read my original post you will see the drop at their highest setting is 1.4" front and 1.2" rear.

Adjustment is easy. If you are truely interested here are the instructions and set up docs for the kit.

http://docs.kwsuspension.de/eah68630045.pdf

http://docs.kwsuspension.de/ea68577126.pdf
 
#24 ·
She's beautiful Midlife! Very well done. Thank you very much for the writeup. It helps me (and many more I'm sure) a great deal. :bigthumbsup
 
#27 ·
Hey Midlife..... just wanted to ask you the question you may have missed in my original post, and ask another.... 2 questions:

1. Are you still using the stock sway bars with this set up? Or do you plan to swap out the stockers with a Hotchkis or Eibach set, and with what settings?

2. I noticed in one picture that the exposed threads remaining on the front strut mounts with the heavy duty Steeda's and the Ford mount bearing are fewer in number than the stock strut mounts. I have a heavy duty American Muscle GT strut tower (#411433) brace and am wondering after the KW swap, whether there will be enough threads left to mount the brace and torque to spec.

When you get a chance, RSVP on both topics if you plan, or have upgraded/changed from stock sways, and whether you think an adjustable sway bar might improve the already awesome handling with the KW-V3's...... Thx
 
#28 ·
Hey Midlife..... just wanted to ask you the question you may have missed in my original post, and ask another.... 2 questions:

1. Are you still using the stock sway bars with this set up? Or do you plan to swap out the stockers with a Hotchkis or Eibach set, and with what settings?

2. I noticed in one picture that the exposed threads remaining on the front strut mounts with the heavy duty Steeda's and the Ford mount bearing are fewer in number than the stock strut mounts. I have a heavy duty American Muscle GT strut tower (#411433) brace and am wondering after the KW swap, whether there will be enough threads left to mount the brace and torque to spec.

When you get a chance, RSVP on both topics if you plan, or have upgraded/changed from stock sways, and whether you think an adjustable sway bar might improve the already awesome handling with the KW-V3's...... Thx
Still running stock bars, i have not felt the need to replace them yet. My car is just a street car, if I were autocrossing then the limitations of the stock set-up may be more noticeable .... there is a guy on here who autocrosses with the KW V3's (jsnyng), so he may be a better source to answer this question if that is what you are looking for. I did upgrade the UCA and LCA's in the rear which helped a ton with traction.

As far as the strut tower brace goes, i noticed a #41143 on AM.com, which uses all four bolts to mount the brace on each side. The steeda mounts are camber adjustable by loosening these nuts, so if you ever have to remove this brace, it could mess with your alignment. The Edelbrock one on my car now only connects to the inner two bolts so it is easier to maintain the camber while removing the brace. The picture on page one shows the stock GT brace connected to the bolt on the left of that pic, so I think you should be fine with whichever brace you choose.
 
#32 ·
On the last set of KW v3 coilovers that I owned, the plastic purple adjustment rings cracked on the two front coilovers after 6 months. To be fair, I was racing the car twice a month at Hallett. Good luck to you! I'll never buy them again.
 
#33 ·
Midlife, in your parts list, I didn't see any listing for LCA relocation brackets... or I missed it. Aside from camber issues after lowering, what about the need for lower control arm relocation brackets? This was posted on Strano Performance under most of their LCA relocation bracket links:

Strano:

Lowered Vehicles: When lowering your Mustang you change the lower control arm angle causing the rear mounting point of the control arm to sit higher than the front mounting point. This will, in return, cause wheel hop and a great deal of traction loss. Lower control arm relocation brackets allow you to correct this angle and gain back much needed traction. Relocation brackets are designed to correct instant center, eliminate wheel hop and increase traction. Relocation brackets installed will also help 60-foot times, lower ET’s and increase track consistency--a must for all lowered vehicles!

Their are several types to choose from, some with 2 holes for adjustment and BMR's with 3 holes for adjustment... both weld-in and bolt-in. Did you or will you be doing this as well? If so, which type of relocation bracket did you go with?

Strano bolt in (2 hole): Strano Performance Parts - Part Details

AM, BMR bolt-in (3 hole) : BMR Mustang Rear Lower Control Arm Relocation Brackets - Hammertone Finish (05-12 All) CAB005H - Free Shipping!
 
#34 ·
OK, so I think I found the answer to my own question. Good links below regarding lowering and LCAs. First one is totally awesome, with a cross link to a posting on this forum related to the same.

BEST: cherod.com/mustang - LCAs

CROSS REFERENCE from this forum: http://www.allfordmustangs.com/foru...r-control-arm-relocation-lowered-vehicle.html

Midlife, now that you are lowered, what is the angle of your front LCA bushing center in relation to the rear?

Note this from post #8 from cshiznitzi:

I believe if you lower the car moderately ~1.5" you could use a stock length UCA if you replace the controls arms with stiffer bushings. The pinion angle would come closer to zero than stock but the control arm bushings will have less deflection.

Also, these recent notes:

http://www.allfordmustangs.com/foru...-stop-before-you-buy-lower-controls-arms.html

http://www.allfordmustangs.com/foru...top-before-you-buy-lower-controls-arms-2.html (See Sharad's input for a summary)
 
#35 ·
Note from Stano regarding same

Strano Performance Parts - Part Details

Lowered Vehicles: When lowering your Mustang you change the lower control arm angle causing the rear mounting point of the control arm to sit higher than the front mounting point. This will, in return, cause wheel hop and a great deal of traction loss. Lower control arm relocation brackets allow you to correct this angle and gain back much needed traction. Relocation brackets are designed to correct instant center, eliminate wheel hop and increase traction. Relocation brackets installed will also help 60-foot times, lower ET’s and increase track consistency--a must for all lowered vehicles!



Non-Lowered Vehicles: Product installed on a stock height vehicle will also see a great increase in traction by lowering the rearward angle of the lower control arm, allowing more force to be placed on the rear tires. Relocation brackets have two settings to allow the lower control arm to be lowered either 2" or 3", depending on your preference. Settings are placed in a correct pattern that will allow use of all OEM control arms or any aftermarket control arm (brackets do not require a longer control arm.) Brackets installed on a non-lowered Mustang can provide a .10 or better 60-foot reduction and an increase in track consistency.
 
#36 ·
Hey Cuda, I have never had any issue with wheel hop or traction, so I didn't get the relocation brackets.
 
#38 ·
There are two spacers in the KW kit that are positioned on either side of the factory mounts, but they are not needed with the Steeda mounts.

I recently purchased the KW V3's for my 2013 V6.

I was told that the S197's did not have the capability to adjust caster and camber so I purchased the J&M CC Plates. Looks like the Steeda adjusted Camber but not Caster, did you have any issues with that?

How did you conclude that the spacers (bushes) included with the KW Kit were not needed? I am going back and forth with tech about this with no luck.

Attached is my mock up as per their instructions, but that spacer up top doesn't look right to me. Do you think the spacers are not required?
 

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