Kw v1 vs koni yellow/swift

[LowFlyin]

Hey girls, I have a bit of an issue on my pu. I cracked a rear coil spring so would like to just go the aftermarket route(obviously). My question is wtf do i get? I've done the research , looked at all the brands and came down to these two which should be the best in my price range. I don't track, don't want very much low as I live in PA. Im just so unsure what to spend in the $1000 price range..

Any input on what I listed? If not kw v1 or koni/swift what else?

Is there any other ish I should replace as well? Kw I believe come with upper bearings but other than that what else? Camber arms?

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[Solarsurge]

I can only tell you that I got KW v3s on mine and they are fantastic, but the amount of adjustability means you have about a 1000% greater chance of fucking it up than getting it right. I sort of wish I had gotten a lesser complicated set of shocks, to be honest. But, race car.

KW makes amazing stuff and their lifetime warranty can be hit or miss. It does tend to be a bit finicky and unforgiving if you mess it up. Koni/Swift combo seems to be more of the go-to "set it and forget it" type of setup for DDs and light duty people who don't want to bother with setups, but any KW suspension is quality. It all boils down to how you plan to drive the car, how you want it to feel, and how much effort you're willing to put in to the setup.

[LowFlyin]

It kind of seems like I should stick to a spring and strut setup in that case. I don't want to have to mess with anything really, I race atvs so I mess with that enough.. I'm wondering if I should wait for black Friday as well if I can, Isnt that when koni has their sale ?

Really my overall goal is better corner performance, not an unbearably harsh ride and to lower the car 1.5" or less. Thanks

Originally Posted by Solarsurge I can only tell you that I got KW v3s on mine and they are fantastic, but the amount of adjustability means you have about a 1000% greater chance of fucking it up than getting it right. I sort of wish I had gotten a lesser complicated set of shocks, to be honest. But, race car. KW makes amazing stuff and their lifetime warranty can be hit or miss. It does tend to be a bit finicky and unforgiving if you mess it up. Koni/Swift combo seems to be more of the go-to "set it and forget it" type of setup for DDs and light duty people who don't want to bother with setups, but any KW suspension is quality. It all boils down to how you plan to drive the car, how you want it to feel, and how much effort you're willing to put in to the setup.

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[Solarsurge]

Originally Posted by LowFlyin It kind of seems like I should stick to a spring and strut setup in that case. I don't want to have to mess with anything really, I race atvs so I mess with that enough.. I'm wondering if I should wait for black Friday as well if I can, Isnt that when koni has their sale ? Really my overall goal is better corner performance, not an unbearably harsh ride and to lower the car 1.5" or less. Thanks Sent from my LG-H820 using Tapatalk

The thing people like about the Swift springs is that they are not super hard. They are 252 lbs/inch front and rear. The KWs are noticeably stiffer in the front at 400lbs/inch and softer in the rear with progressive springs. For drag racing, the KW rears are TERRIBLE because your ass just sags on take-off. The OEM set is stiffer in front than in the rear for a reason, and that's for better cornering. KW maintains that balance.

[LowFlyin]

Hmm that is a pretty big difference. I'm not sure how those rates compare to stock but really I'm just going for at least a somewhat noticeable improvement over stock.

Originally Posted by Solarsurge The thing people like about the Swift springs is that they are not super hard. They are 252 lbs/inch front and rear. The KWs are noticeably stiffer in the front at 400lbs/inch and softer in the rear with progressive springs. For drag racing, the KW rears are TERRIBLE because your ass just sags on take-off. The OEM set is stiffer in front than in the rear for a reason, and that's for better cornering. KW maintains that balance.

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[Solarsurge]

Stock Genpu uses progressive springs:
200/215 lbs/inch front
160/208 lbs/inch rear

So, in essence, the KW front spring rate is about double stock, which is normal for a coilover kit expected to produce at least 1" of lowering. The rears are a little trickier because they are progressive. That means when you corner, the outer spring gets a much higher spring rate than the inner spring. They do this to reduce rear end roll. But I can tell you from experience the rears are pretty soft and the front is stiff -- so stiff that it's a bit bouncy at times for a DD.

[LowFlyin]

Originally Posted by Solarsurge Stock Genpu uses progressive springs: 200/215 lbs/inch front 160/208 lbs/inch rear So, in essence, the KW front spring rate is about double stock, which is normal for a coilover kit expected to produce at least 1" of lowering. The rears are a little trickier because they are progressive. That means when you corner, the outer spring gets a much higher spring rate than the inner spring. They do this to reduce rear end roll. But I can tell you from experience the rears are pretty soft and the front is stiff -- so stiff that it's a bit bouncy at times for a DD.

It seems the swifts would be best for me, a bit stiffer than stock for better launch and cornering I would imagine.

Is there anything else you recommend to get with the springs/struts such as camber arms or any bearings/bushings? The car has 70k fwiw.

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[Solarsurge]

Originally Posted by LowFlyin Is there anything else you recommend to get with the springs/struts such as camber arms or any bearings/bushings? The car has 70k fwiw.

Adjustable camber arms for the rear if you’re lowering it. End links and bushings as needed. If the rubber is dry and brittle or anything moves easily, replace it.



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[LowFlyin]

Originally Posted by Solarsurge Adjustable camber arms for the rear if you’re lowering it. End links and bushings as needed. If the rubber is dry and brittle or anything moves easily, replace it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Are the SPCs good enough for camber arms? I'd like to get all my stuff from edge if possible

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[Solarsurge]

Originally Posted by LowFlyin Are the SPCs good enough for camber arms? I'd like to get all my stuff from edge if possible Sent from my LG-H820 using Tapatalk

SPC is what I use, but I got them before they had ones you could adjust without undoing the entire freaking suspension. The whole end has to rotate to adjust them. I would strongly recommend getting something you can adjust easily.


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[LowFlyin]

Originally Posted by Solarsurge SPC is what I use, but I got them before they had ones you could adjust without undoing the entire freaking suspension. The whole end has to rotate to adjust them. I would strongly recommend getting something you can adjust easily. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Seems the spcs wouldnt be too bad to adjust on the car now. I'm taking it somewhere for alignment after anyhow, do I need to tell the alignment guys any certain values to set things at or is this something theyll know already.

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[Solarsurge]

Originally Posted by LowFlyin Seems the spcs wouldnt be too bad to adjust on the car now. I'm taking it somewhere for alignment after anyhow, do I need to tell the alignment guys any certain values to set things at or is this something theyll know already. Sent from my LG-H820 using Tapatalk

Alignment shops WILL NOT touch aftermarket camber arms unless they are outside of spec and that range is entirely too big. It goes from like +1 to -2.5 degrees of camber. So you can be +1 on one side and -2.5 on the other, which is fucking visually goofy looking and they won’t do shit for you because technically it’s within spec. Just a heads up.


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[LowFlyin]

That's what I thought which is why I asked.. Is this something I can do myself? Front and rear or not really

Originally Posted by Solarsurge Alignment shops WILL NOT touch aftermarket camber arms unless they are outside of spec and that range is entirely too big. It goes from like +1 to -2.5 degrees of camber. So you can be +1 on one side and -2.5 on the other, which is fucking visually goofy looking and they won’t do shit for you because technically it’s within spec. Just a heads up. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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[Solarsurge]

Originally Posted by LowFlyin That's what I thought which is why I asked.. Is this something I can do myself? Front and rear or not really

Honestly, if you have never done a suspension before, I would get help from someone who has. The struts love to bind to the knuckles in our cars and can sometimes require a good deal of ingenuity or "experience" to get out. Also, proper tools are required to compress springs and to tighten the top nut properly on your front struts. But otherwise, if that chick on EverythingDIY on Youtube can do it, I'm pretty sure you can too. Go watch that video for confidence.