Suspension Brakes Rear coilover adjustment through hatch tutorial?

Discussion in 'Tuning and Performance' started by Bster13, Feb 18, 2014.

  1. Bster13

    Bster13 New Member

    Dec 26, 2013
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    Hello,

    I'm wondering if there is a tutorial out there for drilling through the body of the car to gain access to the top of the dampening for a coilover like the KW Variant 2s?

    Many thanks!
     
  2. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
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    Best way to do it is to mark it when you do the coilover installation from below.

    Drill a pilot hole from below if you want to drill from above; that would work.

    Not sure what you have to do to the interior on an R56, but on an R53, it's really hard to get to the top of the towers without cutting holes into the panels for quick access, which I finally did.
     
  3. Bster13

    Bster13 New Member

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    Actually I was just thinking ....as I was installing the RSB yesterday, I see it only takes removing the wheel plus two bolts for the top of the strut, then rotate it back and you can gain access to the rebound adjuster for the KW V2. Maybe that won't be so bad? Or did you grow tired of that quickly?

    I figure I'll fiddle with it in the beginning quite a bit until I am happy with a setting for the street, then repeat the process for HPDEs until I am happy with a setting for my home track?

    Back when I did motorcycles I rode around the suspension settings more so than fiddling with various adjusters.
     
  4. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
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    I didn't bother with that, plus you run the risk of screwing up your rear alignment each time you do it. Best option it to put a hole in the top, but it's tough to get the allen wrench to the top without holes in the rear panels. I don't know if KW ever came up with extenders, but if they did I'd get them.
     
  5. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    I have the KW V2 and they do not make the top adjusters extenders for them. (Which sucks)

    To be honest it only took me a couple of times to get the shock setting were I wanted it and you can drive the car before you get it aligned. I set mine to the middle setting and adjusted / fine tuned them till I got them and my Swift springs set up the way I wanted.

    Then I went and got my car aligned.
     
  6. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
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    That works on a daily driver, and it will work when you get started on the track, but long term it won't--you end up changing settings depending on the track, if the tracks are different. Road America, for example, which is fast, well maintained and relatively smooth, is an entirely different animal than Autobahn with it's rough surface (a washboard in a few places), where the settings I use at Road America are simply too jarring, or Blackhawk, with it's lower speeds and roughness (I think they put a few speed bumps in there to keep everyone slow).
     
  7. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    ^^^ 100% agree the track is a totally different story than the street.
     
  8. Bster13

    Bster13 New Member

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  9. N2MINI

    N2MINI MINI of the Month

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    Would the Megan's flexible adjustor extensions maybe fit your coilovers, or maybe modify the end to fit yours. Makes it a lot easier to adjust..
     
  10. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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  11. Bster13

    Bster13 New Member

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    That's unfortunate Dave, oh well.

    @N2MINI, the Megan/BC remote adjuster seem to be a larger cap that fits over the Megan / BC adjuster dial. From what I understand the TSW KW V2s don't come with a dial to put a cap over, just a (2mm?) allen hole.
     
  12. N2MINI

    N2MINI MINI of the Month

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    That is actually how the Megans work. The sheath has about that size metal cable inside it which goes into the top of the strut, and the top has the knob on it to turn. Which is held in place on that cable with a set screw.. On Way's site you can see the top of the strut where the cable going in.. The Megan site doesn't have a good pic of it that I could easily find.
     
  13. Bster13

    Bster13 New Member

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    Ok, so if the KWs don't have the knob for the Megan remote adjuster to "grab" with the set screw, we're still not in business, right?
     
  14. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    The KW's do not have a set screw they use a 2mm Allen key.
     
  15. Bster13

    Bster13 New Member

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    Understood, the set screw is apart of the Megan remote adjusters that is incorporated in the remote adjusters to grab the Megan Dampening wheel... which the KW does not have (instead it has a 2mm female allen as I understand it)
     
  16. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    Yup you are correct about the KW's.

    2mm female so you need a 2mm male.

    That just sounds so wrong. ^^^:lol::lol::lol::eek6::frown2::frown2::frown2:
     
  17. Bster13

    Bster13 New Member

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    Seems like the rear benefit of a true remote adjuster would be:

    - No fiddling blindly for the 2mm female hole for the allen key.

    - Smaller hole drilled through the interior plastics. Could make it a class install.

    Eh?
     
  18. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    Yup, you got it.
     
  19. N2MINI

    N2MINI MINI of the Month

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    The set screw on the megan's is at the other end of the flexible adjuster not where it touches the strut. Set screw holds the knob on that you touch to turn for adjustment. I do think there is a set screw that holds the 2mm rod inside the sheath into the strut but even if you can't use the set screw once you have it all in place it ain't going anywhere unless you pull up on the cord. Just tape the sheath to something so you can't do that..
     
  20. Bster13

    Bster13 New Member

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    I guess I'd have to see more details of the Megan adjuster in action, then compare it to my VWs when they arrive.
     

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