KW Variant 3 Coil-Overs Tested

Friday, April 23, 2010 by Tire Rack Motorsports
Now that the KW Variant 3 Coil-Over suspension has been installed and the car re-aligned, it was time to see what sort of improvement in lap times the suspension upgrade brings. KW’s installation and tuning information included with the kit provide initial recommendations for ride height, as well as rebound and compression settings. Figuring this was the best place to start, we dialed in the system to their recommendations, and headed for the track.

We ran the car on both the O.E. Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires, as well as on our wide Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec competition tires. As expected, both configurations went faster than the last time we drove the car with the stock springs and shocks. Interestingly, the Dunlops gained more than the O.E. tires did, suggesting they have more potential not realized with the O.E. suspension. Subjectively, the car now feels more at home on the track, responding to driver inputs with greater authority than before.

Comments on KW Variant 3 Coil-Overs Tested

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 by Bryan:
What was the difference in times?
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 by Tire Rack Motorsports:
Bryan: Since this is a project done in conjunction with Grassroots Motorsports magazine and the development of the project will be detailed in upcoming issues of the magazine, the specifics will appear in GRM later this summer. Thanks for watching the blog, and be sure to pick up a copy of the magazine for all the details.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 by Dave:
What tire pressures was used to run on the oem tire and the Star Specs? Also, will there be testing on different tire pressures, different shock setting in the future?
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 by Tire Rack Motorsports:
Dave: We found 28 psi in the OE tires worked pretty well. Using the wider Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Specs we zero'd in on 29psi, which controlled roll over and provided reasonably even tire temps. For the sake of purity we left these pressures alone during this phase of testing. In the future, if time and editorial space allow we will explore a full article on tuning through the range of suspension adjustments (there are a lot of knobs to turn) and tire pressures. Thanks.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 by Ant:
Any updates on the tire pressure that you guys are running on the Dunlop’s now?
Wednesday, June 1, 2011 by Tire Rack Motorsports:
Our last competitive outing on the Dunlops we have upped the pressures a little, using low 30s front and rear. Precision in the steering and rear end stability driving off the corner is a little better at the slightly higher pressures.

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