Project Nissan 350Z Part 2 – Installing KW Clubsport Suspension and Whiteline Sway Bars

Project 350Z Part 2 – Installing KW Clubsports and Whiteline Sway Bars

 By Mike Kojima

When we last left off with our Project 350Z we had installed a WPC treated Nismo LSD, an ACT clutch and lightweight flywheel.  Since the purpose of our build is to create an all around fun and practice car for our friend Sera who is a professional stunt driver our next focus is going to be on the suspension.  Sera uses her Z to practice her stunt driving which includes everything from drifting to NASA HPDE’s.  Thus her car has to be adjustable and not too specialized for either drift or grip driving.

Read more about Project 350Z here!

We chose KW Suspension's Clubsport coilovers because we feel that they are one of the best all around motorsports suspensions for the serious driver for the price, maybe period!  We have had good luck with KW Clubsports and Whitleine bars giving competitive service in both Time Attack and Drift events with Dai Yoshihara’s demo GT Channel 350Z so we decided to do something similar for Sera’s car.

The KW Clubsports are works of awesomeness!  Rust free stainless steel bodies, double adjustable damping, sealed pillow ball mounts and remote accumulators.

KW Clubsports are a unique advanced gas charged double adjustable twin tube damper.  Although some people may dismiss twin tubes as low end dampers compared to monotubes, the KW’s are a high precision twin tube with the characteristics of a monotube.  We have always felt that independent adjustability of compression and rebound damping is important for any car that is going to be tuned for optimal handling.  The Clubsports are similar to the dual use street/track Variant III coilovers but have a few features that give them a more track going bias.  Generally Clubsports have stiffer valving and spring rates for a more track going bias.

The KW front coilovers have a shorter body so the car can be lowered without losing wheel travel.  The coilovers feature tender springs and pillow ball upper mounts.  Note the high quality OEM like mounts for the front brake lines.

Like the V3s the Clubsports have the rod and piston riding in the shock's inner tube with the rebound damping adjuster built into the low speed bleed circuit of the piston.  A spring loaded needle valve controls the size of the low speed bleed orifice.  The needle valve is attached to a long rod extending to the top of the piston shaft where it can be reached and adjusted with an allen wrench. The rebound adjustment primarily affects the low speed damping–shock piston velocities in the 0-2″ per second range.  Low speed damping adjustment affects body motions such as roll and pitch, this is in the area which the driver feels the most when driving fast.  The piston also has a conventional deflected disc valve system for controlling the rest of the velocity range.

The Clubsports in place.