KW Variant 3 Coilover Install - 2004 CTS-V

KW Variant 3 Coilover Install - 2004 CTS-V
by Jaysen Baker (aka philistine)
Before - H&R springs stock dampeners.
After - KW Variant 3 coilovers (1 week after install)
Front
Rear
UN-BOXED
The instructions provided by KW are
thorough for adjusting
Bump/Compression. The settings are
pre-adjusted as recommended from
KW.
Height Adjustment - Front Axle
Measurement - A
Set the height of the spring contact area Setting A. This is measured from the lower
fastening screw of the spring contact area to
the center of the mounting housing as
shown.
Height Adjustment - Rear Axle
Measurement - A
Set the height of the spring contact area Setting A. This is measured from the rubber
insulator (outer contact area) to the fastening
screw of the spring contact area.
Actual Height
Measurement - B
This height is measured from the
fender edge to the center of the
wheel hub.
KW Variant 3 Coilover Projected Height Adjustment
Component Setting A (inch) Expected Height B (inch)
Iteration
Front
Rear
Front
Rear
1
11.800
0.800
13.400
13.400
2
11.875
0.875
13.475
13.513
3
12.000
1.000
13.600
13.700
4
12.125
1.125
13.725
13.888
5
12.250
1.250
13.850
14.075
6
12.375
1.375
13.975
14.263
7
12.500
1.500
14.100
14.450
8
12.625
1.563
14.225
14.544
9
12.750
1.600
14.350
14.600
10
12.875
--14.475
--11
13.000
--14.600
---
Height Table
The height table shows the component
setting A for the coilovers before the
installation and the expected height B
after the install.
The data given from KW was
interpolated to give these projections.
Actual heights may vary. This table
serves as a reference for setting the ride
height.
Rear KW Coilover Installation - 2004 CTS-V
Step - 1
The rear seat needs to be removed.
Remove the 4 bolts (10mm) from the
trunk.
Step - 2
Remove the rear seat cushion - it pops
out easily. Then remove the 4 bolts
(15mm) from the back rest of the rear
seats.
Step - 3
Lift the sound deadening material away
to access the rear upper dampener
mount. Remove the 2 bolts as shown.
[The picture shown shows an
aftermarket support bracket for the
dampening travel using H&R springs not stock. If this is your set-up, remove
all three bolts.]
Step - 4
Raise the rear and place on jack stands.
The red arrow points to the area
selected for placing the jack stands on
the passenger-rear. Therefore, place the
lifting jack just before it.
[Finding a central lift point on the rear is
difficult. The stock differential was
considered however, the cooling fins
look too fragile. So the decision was
made to lift one side at a time.]
Place a block of wood on the frame to
avoid contact with the brake lines.
Raise the passenger rear and place on
jack stands.
Step - 5
Similarly, place a block of wood on the
driver side rear at the same location.
Raise the vehicle and place on jack
stands.
The jack stand is placed on the frame
where the owner’s manual suggested as
the lift point (the arrow marked on the
lower side of the car). The jack stand
straddles the brake line but does not
come in contact with it. A wooden shim
was used to level the contact surface.
Step - 6
Remove wheel lug nuts (19mm). Take
off rear tires. Torque is 100 lb-ft.
[An impact wrench is used after the
vehicle is raised. If not using an impact
wrench then loosen (not remove) the
wheel lug nuts before raising and placing
on jack stands.]
Step - 7
The top picture shows the stock
dampener. It is already unbolted at the
top from step - 3. The dampener is now
only connected to the knuckle at the
bottom.
This picture shows an aftermarket
support bracket when using H&R
springs. A rubber mallet was used to
free the top mount after unbolted in
step-3. Torque is 18 lb-ft.
Step - 8
Remove the bottom bolt (21mm) from
dampener. The dampener can then be
removed. A jack was placed under the
knuckle for support. Torque is 111 lb-ft.
Step - 9
Remove the stabilizer link. It uses 2 nuts
(15mm) and an allen wrench. Torque is
37 lb-ft.
[Although not evident from the picture,
these are Hotchkis rear sways.]
Step - 10
Unbolt the lower control arm from the
knuckle (21mm). This gives clearance to
remove the spring from the perch.
Torque is 129 lb-ft.
Step - 11
Remove upper and lower insulators.
They will not be used for the KW
coilovers.
The lower insulator ring is removed. Pry
it out with a screwdriver or soak it with
penetrating oil if it is difficult to remove.
Clean the housing.
Step - 12
Place the aluminum KW lower adapter in
the lower control arm spring perch
housing. Tap it with a rubber mallet to
ensure it fits squarely.
Step - 13
Assemble the KW dampener. The three
parts shown are transferred to the KW
dampener - lower rubber adapter, top
mount, and black washer.
Use the supplied nut in the KW kit,
fasten everything together using a
17mm wrench and 7mm socket.
Step - 14
Mount the spring and aluminum KW top
adapter in the upper spring perch.
Fasten the dampener to the knuckle
(bottom part) and associated parts
previously removed in the wheel well.
Place a jack under the knuckle and raise
slowly until the top dampener is aligned
into the bolt holes. Access the top
mount from inside at the rear seats and
fasten the two nuts.
[Alternatively, you can lower the car and
line up the top mount with the bolt
holes.]
Step - 15
Rear installation complete. Remember
to torque all nuts to the required
specifications.
Front KW Coilover Installation - 2004 CTS-V
Step - 1
Place two or three pieces of 2x6
(depending on reach of your jack)
stacked on one another at each front
wheel and drive onto it. This gives
enough clearance to raise the front at a
central point.
Pop the release for the hood and raise
the hood.
Step - 2
Raise the car at the central point at the
cross-member (engine cradle).
Use one piece of 2x6 at 25 inches long
(shorter is fine too). Place it as shown
and raise the car. Make sure there is no
interference on either side using a piece
of wood this long.
[I wanted to use the longest piece of
wood I could get in there to distribute
the weight evenly since lifting at a
central point.]
Place jack stands on frame rails at the
specified jacking points in the owner’s
manual (arrow on bottom body panel of
car points to location).
[Once on the jack stands, I removed this
jack and replaced it with a scissor jack
for additional support - just snug against
the wood.]
Step - 3
Remove wheel and spray bolts with
penetrating oil. Spray the upper control
arm bolt (red arrow), the 2 bolts on the
bottom of the dampener (not shown),
and the 2 stabilizer bolts (not shown).
Step - 4
Place a jack under the lower control arm
and raise slowly. Raise until the jack
stand on that side is no longer touching
the car. This relieves some tension on
the upper control arm bolt and will
come out relatively eactsy.
Step - 5
Remove nut on the upper control arm
(18mm). Slide out the bolt. Torque is 44
lb-ft.
Step - 6
Pry up on the upper ball joint to remove
from socket. This should be relatively
easy.
Step - 7
Remove the 2 nuts from the stabilizer
link and remove. Remove the 2 lower
bolts from the dampener (13mm).
Torque is 18 lb-ft on lower bolts. Torque
is 37 lb-ft for sway bar end links.
Lower jack from the lower control arm.
The dampener is now connected only at
the top.
Step - 8
Remove the 5 bolts shown in red circles
(18mm). Torque is 83 lb-ft.
Remove the bolt (red arrow) that snugs
against the battery and remove the
battery. This will give a little more room
for getting to the bolt on the side.
Step - 9
Remove the spring/dampening upper
control arm assembly. Support the
lower control arm with cable ties or lock
wire.
Step - 10
Use a spring compressor to take the load
off the top mount and undo the top nut
(15mm nut, shaft is 6mm). Remove the
dampener and spring.
Step - 11
The only things that get re-used are the
upper control arm assembly and the big
dished washer that sits in the upper
rubber perch. Assemble the KW
coilovers.
Step - 12
Install the KW coilovers in reverse order.
The KW coilovers have aluminum
adapters that sit up against the bottom
of the upper control arm assembly - the
adapter is visible in this picture showing
everything installed
KW Variant 3 Coilover Height Constraints
Front Axle (inch)
Min
Max
Measurement A
11.8
13
Measurement B
13.4
14.6
Rear Axle (inch)
Min
Max
0.8
1.6
13.4
14.6
The Height Constraints Table is the minimum and maximum allowable heights taken from the KW
installation instructions.
KW Variant 3 Coilover Height Adjustment
Component Setting A (inch)
Iteration
Front
Rear
initial
----1 hr
12.125
1.250
1 wk
12.125
1.250
Exterior Measurement B (inch)
Front - D
13.625
13.500
13.250
Front - P
13.625
13.500
13.250
Rear - D
13.125
14.500
14.000
Rear - P
13.125
14.500
14.125
The Height Adjustment Table shows the results from the settings of the KW coilover, Component Setting
A, and the measurement from the fender edge to the center of the wheel hub, Exterior Measurement B.
The initial set-up had H&R springs. The car was lower in the rear. After one hour following the KW
install, baseline measurements were taken for a later comparison and possible adjustment.
The car has been driven ~50 miles at the time of this write up. The rear height has dropped ~1/2 (inch)
in just one week. The fronts have dropped evenly so far by 1/4 (inch) in one week. Already the car is
out of specifications because the minimum allowable height in the front is 13.4 (inch) and the car has
settled to 13.25 (inch). There is a total of 0.15 (inch) lower than the KW specifications for the front axle
measurement-B height.
Reminder
Remember to torque your nuts/bolts to the correct specification. Shown here is a sheared bolt
from the top mount of the upper control arm assembly - my torque wrench didn't click, was set
to the correct specification and was properly calibrated. My car was previously touched by other
hands...