[_fast4lfa]

Hello folks, this is meant to be a walkthrough and review of my installation of my KW V3 coilover set on my 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Sport Q4. I don’t have adaptive suspension. But the installation process for those is similar except for needing a special tool to remove the middle bolt from the front strut top hat (In order to get a socket around the cable)

Ease of installation: 7.5/10

tools needed:

hydraulic jacks (car)
jack stands (safety)
bottle jack/ scissor jack (control arms)
impact gun (lug nuts and spring compressor
full set of 3/8 metric socket 6 or 12 point (ideal)
break free lube / deep creep (old or rusty bolts
socket wrenches
pass through wrenches with pass through sockets
pry bar set
offset spring mcpherson strut sprint compressor
torque wrench
e torx socket set
star bit set
allen key set
vice grips

So im moving overseas soon and needed a more quality suspension for my car, as well as the ability to raise and lower it as needed. The H&R springs previously on my car were starting the wear and the shocks were degrading as expected after many miles and hard use, so time to upgrade.

Quality of the KW V3 kit is amazing, as expected. Looks like that have upgrade their initial design by adding some reinforcements to the front lower shock mounts, which is good. Everything feels solid and very well designed.

I highly suggest you read the entire instruction manual before setting ride height or messing with rebound/damping settings

Step. 1.

Jack the front of the car up safely, take off the wheels and identify the bolts that need to be removed. Should be the top 3 nuts/bolts holding the strut to the chassis visible inside the engine bay, the UCA to LCA pinch bolt, the upper sway bar endlink bolt and the LCA to shock bolt

Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18

Show Content

The strut is a little bit of a wiggle to get out but should should come out pretty simply as long as you let the lower control arm hang as low as possible and raise the upper control arm as high as possible. Top of the strut will come out first, followed by the bottom. Re installation is the opposite, seat the bottom of the strut first over the drive axle and lower control arm, then swing the top hat of the strut up and under the the U shaped upper control arm

Step 2. Remove and re-install the old top hat onto the new strut

Using the McPherson strut spring compressor with the golden cups attached, compress the oem spring until the top hat is loose, then remove the top hat with a burst from an impact gun. Spring compressor takes a 21mm socket.

*PLEASE READ MCPHERSON STRUT SPRING COMPRESSOR INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE USE AND ASSEMBLE CORRECTLY

Re-align the old top hat with the new strut making sure to line up the detent with the end of the new coil. Then torque the top hat down to spec using a vice grip and towel to hold shock from moving, or use the proper pass through socket

Kw shock strut next to oem + hR springs. Both 100% made in Germany lol


Re-install new front suspension, check torque and bolts, re install wheels and lower the car

Step 3. Remove rear suspension

jack up rear of the car and remove the rear wheels.

remove 3 nuts holding the top hat of the rear shock in place

Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18

Show Content

loosen the lower shock bolt as far as it will go until it has cleared the shock, this bolt doesnt need to be fully removed

( old guys/gals so the forum has said ive exceeded the maximum number of attachments, so ill continue down in the comments, forgive me)

 

[_fast4lfa]

…then take a pry bar and pull the bolt past the shock mount. Placing a jack under the control arm to take tension off the bolt is a good idea.

The shock should now be free to remove easily. Shock will remove ahe re-install from the bottom

Step 4. Remove the spring

this is the hardest part. make sure the car is jacked up high enough to install the spring compressor on the rear spring. Proper placement will take some work, move the brake wire sensor out of the way. Once seated, compress the spring

With the spring compressed, you should be able to wiggle the spring around freely. Use a pry bar on the bottom of the spring to help it over the bottom rubber seat. You may need to tear some of the rubber seat away, this is ok since it will not be re-used. Spring should come out

Step 5: swap rear shock mounts and rear spring

MAKE SURE TO CLEAN REAR SPRING SEATS BEFORE RE INSTALLING NEW SUSPENSION

Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18

Show Content

Remove old top hat from oem shock via the same method as the front, and re install on the new shock. When you re install ENSURE THAT THE REBOUND AND DAMPING ADJUSTERS ARE FACING THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR and use loctite on the new top mount hardware

Re install shock, bring it up from the bottom (yes it will fit) and attac the 3 top bolt first then re-install the bottom

To install the new spring, first, set the lower spring mount (purple) on the bottom LCA spring perch. Then, with the upper spring mount/height adjuster sitting loosely at the top of the spring (that is being held compressed by the compressor), move spring into position. Slow un compress spring until it is firmly seated on both ends

 

[_fast4lfa]

Step 6: Done! Inspect your work, make final adjustments and test drive

At this point, the spring and shocks should be properly installed. CHECK AND RE CHECK ALL BOLTS AND ATTATCHMENTS

RE-ATTACH BRAKE SENSOR WIRE

Now is the part to make height adjustments and get an alignment

Front ride height adjustment is easy, follow instructions

for rear ride height, KW calls for complete removal of the spring. However, you should be able to simply use the compressor to compress the spring until the upper perch ‘ height adjuster has zero tension on it and is loose at the top of the coil. In this state, you should be able to easily adjust height. You will need a buddy or some way to support the weight of the spring compressor and spring while you adjust height to ideal settings

 

[Triumph23]

Good write up!

 

[08fordgt]

How's it ride?

 

[JeFizz]

awesome writeup, stickied!!

I have a strange question... do you think this can be adjusted to the 2017 ride height? Maybe something in between 2017 and 2018? I don't want a drop, but I want the better suspension.

 

[_fast4lfa]

How's it ride?

Rides absolutely amazing!! Ill have a review video up shortly

 

[_fast4lfa]

awesome writeup, stickied!!

I have a strange question... do you think this can be adjusted to the 2017 ride height? Maybe something in between 2017 and 2018? I don't want a drop, but I want the better suspension.

Thanks!

This suspension can go waaaay up or way down. i love it. this is currently how she sits