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Tested: KW Suspensions BMW F30 DDC Remote Adjustable Suspension

  • Mike Kojima

,

The sub harnesses from all four solenoid valves are connected to the main harness. 
Paying very close attention to the KW instructions we tap into the CAN system. This wire will be plugged into the DDC control unit and it will be used to monitor vehicle speed.
The ground wire attaches to a ground junction in the rear of the car, which happens to be right above where we will be mounting our KW DDC control box. 
The DDC activation button is mounted in the cabin where the driver can easily access it. KW supplies adapters that will allow you to install the activation button in the OE cigarrate lighter location.
The KW DDC control box mounted on top of the OE power distribution block. After connecting all the solenoid valves and DDC activation button, tapping into the CAN system, and providing power and ground to the system the trunk liner can be reinstalled. 
The KW DDC coilover system has the ride height adjustment and performance advantages KW coilover systems are known for, while adding an adaptive damping system that works as seamless as factory system.
 

When driving our car with the KW DDC suspension, one of the first things we noticed was how much better the car rode. The stock suspension was softer, but felt underdamped.  This lack of damping meant that sometimes violent head tossing movements were transmitted to the driver. 

The other unpleasant feel in the stock car that the DDC eliminated was a queasy fast wallow. The wallow was probably caused by a lack of mid-speed damping. These things gave the BMW a feeling of stiffness but a lack of body motion control as well.

The DDC eliminated this on the soft setting giving the car a more controlled more luxurious ride.  When we switched to stiff, we could definitely feel that we were in a performance car.  The ride became firm but not excessively so.  Many people will probably wish to drive around in the stiffer setting all the time. Nosedive and body roll were reduced in firm and although we didn't take the car to the track the DDC suspension would have worked just fine. 

Now the DDC isn't really a track day type suspension.  You don't have the ability to fine tune the damping to your individual preference and set up differences like you can with the double adjustable Variant 3 and Clubsport. 

If you tried to seriously track a DDC equipped car with really sticky and wide R-compound tires, you would probably find the damping inadequate for this extreme use of a street car.  In this case, you would be better off with Variant 3's or Clubsports. 

However, for a daily driven commuter car that occasionally sees the track with street tires, a car that you might take clients to lunch in, the KW DDC suspension is really hard to beat!

 

Sources

KW Suspension

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