Refresh rear camber adjustment

[sorka]

Price is $500, including install and alignment. I asked what the alignment kit looks includes, and specifically said I really don't want to pay a few hundred bucks for some washers. They said the shims "will look like washers".

Curious to hear how thick these "shims" need to be.

Here is a screenshot of parts3xpress's video and you can sort of see the shim behind the upper control arm mount. I hear what others are saying about it needing to match the mating surface, but round really is the mating surface. I think the biggest consideration would be material. If it's aluminum on aluminum, you will not want to use steel washers/spacers.

I may just bite the bullet and have parts3xpress do the alignment with their spacers, but I want to see them first.
View attachment 909129

The bolts are already steel. I seriously doubt there's an galvanic issue here given there's no electron differential in this case. I would not go with an aluminum shim. It will compress over time and the bolts will become loose. Yes, the subframe is aluminum, but the structure has far more cross section and won't permanently compress as easily.


Also, did they say whether the bolts are stock or did they source longer bolts?

$500 isn't a bad deal if you consider it's basically a full service solution. I personally wouldn't spend $500 on it but I can see how some might. My only other concern is if they have Toolbox 3 to redo the ride height calibration which is part of the alignment....which if they do, you can also effect a lowering without having to use different length links. You just lie in the software and add an inch to every height measurement if you want to also lower the vehicle.

 

[cmarshack]

The bolts are already steel. I seriously doubt there's an galvanic issue here given there's no electron differential in this case. I would not go with an aluminum shim. It will compress over time and the bolts will become loose. Yes, the subframe is aluminum, but the structure has far more cross section and won't permanently compress as easily.


Also, did they say whether the bolts are stock or did they source longer bolts?

$500 isn't a bad deal if you consider it's basically a full service solution. I personally wouldn't spend $500 on it but I can see how some might. My only other concern is if they have Toolbox 3 to redo the ride height calibration which is part of the alignment....which if they do, you can also effect a lowering without having to use different length links. You just lie in the software and add an inch to every height measurement if you want to also lower the vehicle.

I have lowering links, so no need to recalibrate the ride height. I can make any adjustments I need (or ideally they can while it's on and off the lift).

 

[sorka]

I have lowering links, so no need to recalibrate the ride height. I can make any adjustments I need (or ideally they can while it's on and off the lift).

You may not need to lower the car any more but any time you change suspension geometry you need to recalibrate the ride height because the slightest asymmetries in subframe alignments between the front and the back will result in your heights changing unequally when you change camber even if it's an equal change on both sides.

This is why the alignment in the FSM includes ride height calibration during the alignment.

 

[cmarshack]

The only time Telsa recalibrated my Model S ride height while on lowering links, they accidentally slammed it. The picture below was on the highest ride height. (this was my older 2013 P85). They could not fix it with the software and after an hour, the below picture was what I had to leave the shop with. I had to dial all that out with the lowering links, not ideal. I would say, unless your service center knows what they are doing, be very careful with ride height calibration.

 

[sorka]

The only time Telsa recalibrated my Model S ride height while on lowering links, they accidentally slammed it. The picture below was on the highest ride height. (this was my older 2013 P85). They could not fix it with the software and after an hour, the below picture was what I had to leave the shop with. I had to dial all that out with the lowering links, not ideal. I would say, unless your service center knows what they are doing, be very careful with ride height calibration.

View attachment 910062View attachment 910063

Your existing lowering exceeded the range of Toolbox's chassis height entry range.

The way the calibration works is at the beginning of alignment, TB3 will prompt the technician to measure the chassis height at 4 points at the corners of the battery (see the FSM for the exact points).

If you have TB3, you can lower the car by up to 1.5" by lying to TB3 and telling it that it's 1.5 inches higher than it really is. The software will then lower the car by 1.5 inches.

The problem with lowering links is that if you have any shop including Tesla doing a ride height calibration, they will follow the directions and measure the actual height and the car will now go to the stock height with the lowering links on.

Conversely, if you have access to TB3, you can lower the car by about 1.5 inches lower than stock by lying to the software when you take the measurements.

In terms of what the technician needs to know, it's nothing. The software won't even allow them to proceed with the alignment until they've entered the chassis heights at the 4 measurement locations.

 

[Tiger]

Thread continues here Alternative, DIY refresh Model X rear camber correction