How to Lower a McLaren 570S: KW H.A.S. Spring Guide

Lowering a McLaren 570S is one of the highest-impact bolt-on changes you can make — it tightens the stance, closes the fender gap, and drops the center of gravity — but the Sports Series runs a sophisticated adaptive damper system that most lowering springs simply fight against. The KW Height Adjustable Spring kit (KW H.A.S., part 25337002) solves that problem: it lowers your 570S up to 20 mm front and rear while leaving the factory adaptive dampers fully active. This how-to walks through exactly what the kit does, how it installs on the 562 hp twin-turbo V8 coupe, how to dial in ride height, and which brake upgrades pair with it for track days. At NLP Performance in Tampa, FL, this is the first suspension question almost every Sports Series owner asks.

How Do You Lower a McLaren 570S Without Losing the Adaptive Dampers?

You lower a McLaren 570S without losing the adaptive dampers by using a height-adjustable spring kit that replaces only the springs, not the shock absorbers. The KW H.A.S. system does exactly this: it installs KW's height-adjustable perches over the factory adaptive dampers, so McLaren's electronically controlled damping and the optional front-axle lift keep working normally. Conventional lowering springs force a fixed drop and can confuse the adaptive damper valving; full coilovers usually delete the adaptive dampers entirely. The H.A.S. kit is the only mainstream option that gives a Sports Series owner an adjustable drop and keeps the OEM adaptive hardware intact.

The 570S sits on a carbon-fiber MonoCell II tub with double-wishbone suspension at all four corners and adaptive dampers that continuously vary firmness based on driving mode (Normal, Sport, Track). That system is a big part of why the car rides so well for a 204 mph mid-engine supercar. The 3.8-liter twin-turbo M838TE V8 makes 562 hp and 443 lb-ft, launches the roughly 2,900 lb coupe to 60 mph in about 3.2 seconds through a 7-speed dual-clutch, and drives the rear wheels only — so keeping the adaptive dampers' body control intact matters even more once the car sits lower. Throwing that system away just to gain a lower stance is a poor trade, which is exactly why KW engineered the H.A.S. kit to preserve it.

What Are KW Height Adjustable Springs (H.A.S.)?

KW Height Adjustable Springs are a spring-and-perch kit that replaces the factory springs with KW's progressive-rate springs mounted on threaded, adjustable perches. Unlike a fixed lowering spring, the perch height is adjustable after installation, so you can raise or lower the car with a spanner wrench instead of buying a new spring. Unlike a full coilover, the H.A.S. kit keeps the original dampers — critical on the 570S, where the dampers are adaptive and electronically controlled.

The kit is made from KW's corrosion-resistant materials and uses springs cold-wound to KW's own rates so the ride stays composed rather than crashy. Because the adaptive dampers stay in the loop, the car still stiffens in Sport and Track and softens in Normal — you just get a lower, better-planted starting point. This is the same H.A.S. concept KW offers on other supercars where owners want a lower look without giving up factory ride comfort or electronic damping.

One kit (part 25337002) covers the whole Sports Series: the 533 hp 540C, the 562 hp 570S, and the more grand-touring 570GT, in both Base and Spider body styles from 2015 through 2021. That breadth is possible because all three share the same MonoCell II chassis and adaptive-damper hardware, so the same adjustable springs and perches bolt in regardless of trim.

How to Install the KW H.A.S. Kit on a McLaren 570S

Installing the KW H.A.S. kit on a 570S is a spring-swap onto the existing adaptive dampers, and a professional shop typically completes it in 4–6 hours plus an alignment. It is not a driveway job — the carbon tub, tight packaging, and adaptive damper wiring leave no margin for error — but the process itself is straightforward for an experienced technician. Here is the sequence our Tampa shop follows.

Step 1: Lift, support, and remove the wheels

Raise the 570S on a lift with the manufacturer-specified jacking points, support the chassis, and remove all four wheels. If the car has the optional hydraulic nose lift, drop it to its lowest setting and disable it before starting so there is no residual pressure in the front lift circuit.

Step 2: Unload and remove the damper/spring assemblies

Disconnect the lower control-arm hardware and any sway-bar end links needed for clearance, then carefully unbolt and remove each adaptive damper-and-spring assembly. Keep the adaptive damper wiring connectors clean and protected — they are staying in the car.

Step 3: Transfer the OEM adaptive dampers into the KW springs

Using a proper spring compressor, remove the factory springs and install the KW H.A.S. springs and adjustable perches onto the original adaptive dampers. This is the heart of the kit: the electronic dampers are reused, so all adaptive damping and drive-mode function is preserved. Set the perches to a conservative starting height for the first fit.

Step 4: Reinstall, torque, and reconnect

Reinstall each assembly, torque all fasteners to McLaren's specifications, reconnect the sway-bar links and the adaptive damper connectors, and confirm the front lift system (if equipped) cycles normally. Refit the wheels and lower the car to settle the suspension before measuring ride height.

How to Set Ride Height and Corner-Balance the Car

Set 570S ride height by adjusting the KW perches on a level surface with the car settled and rolled a few feet to relax the suspension. The MA3 Street kit gives a continuously adjustable range of roughly 0–20 mm at each axle, so start mild — around 10 mm — and measure fender-to-hub height at all four corners before deciding to go lower. Because the drop is adjustable, you can fine-tune the look and function later without disassembly.

For owners who track the car, a corner-balance (weight-scaling) session with a driver-weight bag installed gets cross-weights close to 50 percent for consistent handling left-to-right. Once ride height is locked, a full four-wheel alignment is mandatory: lowering changes camber and toe, and dialing in McLaren's performance alignment protects the tires and preserves the car's sharp turn-in. If your 570S has the factory front lift, re-verify that it still raises and lowers cleanly at the new ride height.

Upgrade the Brakes While the 570S Is on the Lift

If you plan to use the lower, better-planted 570S on track, the smart time to refresh the brakes is while it is already on the lift. Cars with McLaren's carbon-ceramic (CCM) brakes can run GiroDisc two-piece slotted rotors for improved bite and easier future rotor replacement, while EBC Yellowstuff pads for the AP Racing CP7040 caliper add cold bite and a wider heat range than street pads — a common pairing for owners who mix canyon runs and track days.

The GiroDisc rotors are a two-piece design: a replaceable slotted iron ring on an aluminum center hat. When the friction ring eventually wears, you replace just the ring rather than a full one-piece rotor, which lowers long-term running costs on a car whose OE replacement brakes are famously expensive. The slots help de-gas the pad and keep bite consistent lap after lap, while the EBC Yellowstuff compound is aramid-fiber based and works from cold, so it does not need a warm-up lap to deliver strong pedal — useful on a street-and-track 570S. Match the pads to how you drive, and remember that carbon-ceramic and iron brake systems use different rotor and pad part numbers, so confirm your car's brake package before ordering.

McLaren 570S Chassis & Brake Upgrade Comparison

Here is how the suspension and brake upgrades in this guide stack up. The KW H.A.S. kit is the foundation for stance and handling; the GiroDisc rotors and EBC pads are the track-ready brake add-ons for cars already equipped with the AP Racing / carbon-ceramic package.