What can cause a damaged Kw v3 dust caps?

[Wepeel]

Originally Posted by eyedeez

I called KW support and spoke with Phil. Usually KW doesn't cover the dust caps under warranty because breaking one of those would fall under the "wear and tear" clause, however, because my coilovers are only a week old, Phil told me he could replace them under warranty. All I have to provide is proof of purchase and a photo of the damage.

Phil recommended double checking all the ride height settings to make sure I was within the recommended thresholds. He could only speculate as to what my issue was, but he echoed what everyone hear has already stated: if you exceed KW's recommended settings (i.e. are too low) the dust cap could experience more load than it was designed to handle (which isn't much because it's just plastic). Also, he reminded me that the coilovers do not come preset and are adjusted from the factory to fit in the package and be safe during transportation. So, be sure to use the A & B measurements they give you when installing and adjusting your ride height!

Good info.

When mine broke I was lowered 1" from stock - well within the range of the KW settings. And my KW were actually adjusted within their ranges in the manual when they arrived. I don't think it's possible for me to get high enough in the back to make the dustcap touch the lower perch... I suppose I could call them to get it replaced. The other one seems to be fine .

[eyedeez]

Originally Posted by Wepeel

Good info.

When mine broke I was lowered 1" from stock - well within the range of the KW settings. And my KW were actually adjusted within their ranges in the manual when they arrived. I don't think it's possible for me to get high enough in the back to make the dustcap touch the lower perch... I suppose I could call them to get it replaced. The other one seems to be fine .

I double checked my A & B measurements and I'm within KW's recommended range too. I sent in the info to KW along with a few questions like, "Is this a known issue?" and "Can I safely drive without the dust caps?" That last question is more related to warranty than anything else. I'll post up again when I hear back.

[eyedeez]

Response from KW (in bold):

The dust cover and bump stops are 2 piece but need to be together. It looks like the installer took them both apart. I have attached how they should look from a shock we have here.

1) Is this a known issue? Apparently there are other FR-S owners who have experienced the same thing.

No this is not a known issue since this seems to be a user error on install. All of our dust covers are the same and there are no issues.

2) Can I drive without the dust caps?

Yes you can. Dust cover prevents dust going on the top cap.

3) Will driving without the dust caps void the warranty?

If you drive on it for a while and dirt some how gets inside the shock . yes it will.

4) Seeing as my A/B measurements are within spec, could the damage be related to something else (i.e. problems with installation)?

You are correct.

Please look at the other shocks and see if they are separated as well. if so you will need to install them as on the photo I have provided.





One final question: is the fact that the bump stops and dust covers are supposed to be attached as on piece outlined in the installation instructions? I seem to recall that they weren't connected out of the box and if connecting them is outlined in the instructions, then that is where the oversight was on my part.

Unfortunately it does not state this in the install notes but you can clearly see they are together in the photos in our installation instructions.

http://docs.kwsuspension.de/ea-KWGFwEA-h68658004.pdf

kind of odd if they were not. I know 100% of the shocks here I have ever open and all of our rebuilds they are together.