Project FR-S- Ultimatizing Our Suspension With KW 3-Way Adjustable Clubsport Coilovers
If you have been following the build of Project FR-S till now, you have probably noted that we have spent a lot of time working on our suspension and brake systems, laying down the foundation for a really good track car.
If you read our last segment about how our car performed in a track evaluation against both a stock and another well built tuner car you can see just how well our car really does work. Our car's big advantages were in the braking and handling departments with both of our resident pro drivers, Tyler McQuarrie and Dai Yoshihara, raving about how well our car works.
Could we make our superbly handling car even better? We are sure going to try and with some new developments from KW Suspension we think we can definitely make our car even better, especially as we start to upgrade our car with more and more power. Since we last wrote about coilovers on our car, KW Suspension has since come out with some 3-way adjustable Clubsport coilover. Are these the ultimate street capable shocks? Read on.
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The KW Suspension 3-way adjustable Clubsport coilovers are an unusual shock. They have the adjustability and performance of a high end Motorsports damper but with the corrosion resistance and durability features of an all weather daily driving street shock. The seals and bushing are all appropriate for long term use. Motorsports dampers tend to worry about friction first and long term sealing second. The 3-Way Clubsports have dust shields and scraper seals for long service between rebuilds. The spindle mounting tabs are slotted for additional camber adjustments to supplement the camber plate.
The front 3-way Clubsports come with a camber plate. The design is really good as it has a super low stack height and lowers the car an additional .5 inch without sacrificing bump travel. The upper bearing is a high quality corrosion resistant stainless part that is fully sealed. The Variant 3 shocks use the stock rubber upper which is better for NVH reduction but the bearing used in the camber plates puts every bit of wheel motion through the damper instead of flexing rubber.
The 3-way Clubsports have a remote reservoir with the high and low speed compression adjusters mounted at the bottom of the canister. You can also see the stainless reinforced corrosion proof plastic spring seat. You can drive these coilover all winter in the rust belt and the collar will still turn freely afterwards. Other coilovers seize up solid under the same conditions.
The rear 3-Way Clubsport shock uses a bearing equipped top mount to get rid of the squishy rubber. Like the front camber plate, the rear top mount uses a corrosion resistant well sealed bearing. Bearing mounts transfer a little more noise and vibration into the cabin, particularly in the rear. However putting all movement under damper control makes a big difference that a driver can easily feel.
