[bheng89]

Hey everyone,

I think I am finally ready to pull the trigger on a set of coil overs but a bit unsure of which ones given my current situation. Things that I know: KW and ST V1 are essentially the same coil over except KW has an SS body and ST has galvanized.

The problem: I am tentatively moving from an area that salts their roads to California within the next year. I prefer these two options for my X drive vehicle because of the progressive spring rate (more forgiving on rough road conditions) as my car is used for a daily commute to work/school and I doubt it will see time on the track in the near future. I would like to take advantage of the KW rebate while it is still available but I noticed that the ST is still cheaper by about ~$300 - 400. I also read somewhere on the forums (I think the m5 board) that ST usually has a rebate floating around May so I can wait to potentially save a bit more cash.

My question: is it worth the savings since the car will be in California? Does the galvanized body rust with even light salt applications (near the ocean water cities)?

Final considerations: I did consider BC racing but decided to not opt for them due to the stiffer linear spring. I considered Bilstein B14 but they are on backorder for what seems like an eternity lol. Looking for a lowered (ideally 1-3 finger gap), more aggressive look with less body roll than the x drive is famous for.

I am open to any and all discussion and suggestions.

[jaysal555]

My B14s will be here tomorrow from ECS. I live around the corner from the BC racing factory and decided not to go with them unless I was upgrading to the Swift springs. at that point you should just go with the the V1s.

[bheng89]

Originally Posted by jaysal555

My B14s will be here tomorrow from ECS. I live around the corner from the BC racing factory and decided not to go with them unless I was upgrading to the Swift springs. at that point you should just go with the the V1s.

I was kind of shocked when you said youd have your B14s... then I realized they are available for the RWD variant but not the AWD variant until June

congrats on your purchase! any reason you went with B14s over KW?

[jaysal555]

Originally Posted by bheng89

I was kind of shocked when you said youd have your B14s... then I realized they are available for the RWD variant but not the AWD variant until June

congrats on your purchase! any reason you went with B14s over KW?

Mostly due to price. If I had the ability to install them myself I would have gone that route, buy I'm paying another $400 for install and got these for $1044.

[Maxwagen]

If one is going for coil overs, is there any difference in going for one made for the x-drive as opposed to a RDW variant? Other than ride height, is there any other real difference or consideration if coil overs are concerned? Are the RWD variants stiffer?

[deadserial]

just as a heads up, I was looking into the V1 and ST coilovers for my xdrive. The common theme about them is they are pretty stiff, not bouncy, and the max height is still pretty low. 1.2" in the rear which is lower then most lowering springs will go. I'd recommend getting some boosters to lift the rear if you're wanting the finger gap you said.

[kern417]

After having coilovers rust out and having to constantly scape them with a brush to keep the threads from jamming, I'll say that a SS body shock is very important. KW>ST. I love my V1s.

[bheng89]

Originally Posted by jaysal555

Mostly due to price. If I had the ability to install them myself I would have gone that route, buy I'm paying another $400 for install and got these for $1044.

Just realized you have an xdrive too lol. if you bought the RWD variant, let us know if there are fitment issues?

Originally Posted by Maxwagen

If one is going for coil overs, is there any difference in going for one made for the x-drive as opposed to a RDW variant? Other than ride height, is there any other real difference or consideration if coil overs are concerned? Are the RWD variants stiffer?

I was wondering this too... but I assume something about the spring rate is different to account for the weight difference between X Drive and RWD. (honest shot in the dark)

Originally Posted by deadserial

just as a heads up, I was looking into the V1 and ST coilovers for my xdrive. The common theme about them is they are pretty stiff, not bouncy, and the max height is still pretty low. 1.2" in the rear which is lower then most lowering springs will go. I'd recommend getting some boosters to lift the rear if you're wanting the finger gap you said.

Yeah I saw on an F32 or F36 thread that they purchased an extra perch thing to make it a bit taller. I might just do that for the rears.

I imagine them to be more compliant on the compared to the B14 because of the twin tube design.

Originally Posted by kern417

After having coilovers rust out and having to constantly scape them with a brush to keep the threads from jamming, I'll say that a SS body shock is very important. KW>ST. I love my V1s.

how stiff would you say compared to stock xdrive characteristics? Not stiff enough to hate your daily commute on terrible pot hole driven roads?

[CarolinaBavaro]

Originally Posted by bheng89

Hey everyone,

I think I am finally ready to pull the trigger on a set of coil overs but a bit unsure of which ones given my current situation. Things that I know: KW and ST V1 are essentially the same coil over except KW has an SS body and ST has galvanized.

The problem: I am tentatively moving from an area that salts their roads to California within the next year. I prefer these two options for my X drive vehicle because of the progressive spring rate (more forgiving on rough road conditions) as my car is used for a daily commute to work/school and I doubt it will see time on the track in the near future. I would like to take advantage of the KW rebate while it is still available but I noticed that the ST is still cheaper by about ~$300 - 400. I also read somewhere on the forums (I think the m5 board) that ST usually has a rebate floating around May so I can wait to potentially save a bit more cash.

My question: is it worth the savings since the car will be in California? Does the galvanized body rust with even light salt applications (near the ocean water cities)?

Final considerations: I did consider BC racing but decided to not opt for them due to the stiffer linear spring. I considered Bilstein B14 but they are on backorder for what seems like an eternity lol. Looking for a lowered (ideally 1-3 finger gap), more aggressive look with less body roll than the x drive is famous for.

I am open to any and all discussion and suggestions.

I used to have Subaru WRX with ST coilovers. I had that survived snow and etc in Charlotte NC. If you're moving to California buy the ST and save the money and look at the KW stamps on the shock body and smile from the money saved.

[kern417]

Originally Posted by bheng89

how stiff would you say compared to stock xdrive characteristics? Not stiff enough to hate your daily commute on terrible pot hole driven roads?

My car is an F32 RWD MSport with non-adaptive suspension so it pretty much came with the stiffest suspension option from the factory. The KWs aren't really that much stiffer, but you feel big potholes more. I've had BC coilovers in the past and they are stiff, but more on the jarring side. KW's are stiff, but composed. Personally I'd just call it a sporty ride, but like everything else it just depends on your tolerance. I'm also very low (tucking some tire) so that contributes to the ride quality.