3D printed lowering links

[sorka]

The sensor brackets probably twisted. I don't think you're borked...

These are not that strong of a part and can be bent back into shape.

In fact, you can fine tune the ride height by careful bending. (Instead of using adjustable links!) This is actually how the service center returned one corner back to OE ride height, when I put OE links on the car.

I thought theyd just use software calibration tweaking to change height on one corner, but nope. He said he didnt need to do a recal, just a bend. He said this sometimes happens when doing alignments.

I'll check but I don't think they're bent. They look the same in the before pictures as they do now. Unfortunately my before pictures are after I removed the original links so I still can't see the way they were on before.

 

[sorka]

Yup, so I found another photo of the stock links and they confirm with "A". So I had it right before and now I have it wrong. There's no way the links got bent prior to me swapping them to the wrong position so I'm at a complete loss as to how the car shot up so high in the rear.

When I get home, I'll reverse them and do a cluster/MCU reset and hope it clears.

 

[MP3Mike]

Yup, so I found another photo of the stock links and they confirm with "A". So I had it right before and now I have it wrong. There's no way the links got bent prior to me swapping them to the wrong position so I'm at a complete loss as to how the car shot up so high in the rear.

When I get home, I'll reverse them and do a cluster/MCU reset and hope it clears.

Nobody said anything about the links getting bent. They said that the sensor brackets were probably twisted/bent.

 

[scottm]

Putting on rear links.

It's possible to install a rear link with the sensor arm pivoted the wrong way.
If you do that the ride height will be terribly off.

Pay attention to which way the sensor arm is in relation to the link when you're talking the stock link off.
Install the new lowering link with that same angular relationship with the sensor arm.

Here pix of two ways of installing a rear link.
(A) is correct.
(B) is the wrong way.
When you're doing the job, you'll see the right way... follow that way.

View attachment 223264 View attachment 223265

Here's a picture of a stock rear link, showing which way the sensor arm should be oriented: downward. And the link, also downward. So it's Vee shaped elbow down in the middle. .

 

[sorka]

Nobody said anything about the links getting bent. They said that the sensor brackets were probably twisted/bent.

Yea, I knew that's what they meant and that's what I meant. The sensor brackets don't look bent. Also what would have bent them in the first place? Put the links on in the right configuration.

 

[sorka]

Here's a picture of a stock rear link, showing which way the sensor arm should be oriented: downward. And the link, also downward. So it's Vee shaped elbow down in the middle. . View attachment 352037

That's the way I had it last night which ended up with the rear shooting up to 32".

When I get home, I'll swap it from wrong (B) back to right (A) and reboot but I suspect the service error will have to be cleared by tesla or a certified body shop.

Wonder if I can do it by disconnecting the battery?

 

[scottm]

.. or pull fuses. There is an air suspension controller box. Give it a power cycle maybe.

 

[scottm]

Here's an idea.. if the sensor arm is only press-fit onto the dial it may have slipped at that interface when the upsidedown mount hyperflexed the suspension up or down pushing the sensor arm hard beyond the dial's limit. Check that possibility out when you're in there next.

Take the link off, then by hand, emulate the range of motion the link moves the sensor arm in an arc, and a little bit more, and see if you are near the limit of the dial. Tesla would probably design mid-height suspension to be about mid-dial for the arm.

Maybe the sensor arm is mounted more solidly onto the dial and it's not possible to over rotated the arm beyond dial limit without busting the arm or dial.

 

[scottm]

All this link work is happening in Jack Mode. You don't want the car fighting the lift or going bonkers when you pull a link off...

 

[sorka]

OK, got home checked car. Error with links swapped to A position cleared and is gone.

Now back to the original problem with car way too high...32" in the back in the LOW position. If I set it to normal, it strains to hit 32.5" but it does it.

This is with stock links:

And last but not least....JACKED

The only thing that is different is the adjustable links I installed. I think I'm going to have to remove them and but the stock ones back in.

Notice that they are installed with the sensor link attachment on the sub arm that attaches to the frame, NOT the knuckle which would be wrong.

I meaured the distance to the sensor attachment and it's EXACTLY the same as stock.

The brackets do not appear to be bent at all and bending them up or down would be difficult given the folded lip that gives it vertical resistance to deforming. Also, this is 3" higher than stock.

 

[sorka]

Here's an idea.. if the sensor arm is only press-fit onto the dial it may have slipped at that interface when the upsidedown mount hyperflexed the suspension up or down pushing the sensor arm hard beyond the dial's limit. Check that possibility out when you're in there next.

Take the link off, then by hand, emulate the range of motion the link moves the sensor arm in an arc, and a little bit more, and see if you are near the limit of the dial. Tesla would probably design mid-height suspension to be about mid-dial for the arm.

Maybe the sensor arm is mounted more solidly onto the dial and it's not possible to over rotated the arm beyond dial limit without busting the arm or dial.

I checked. The sensor rotates freely 360 degrees. I suspect it's just a photo electric rotary wheel.

Close up of the sensor bracket currently.

 

[sorka]

I figured it out.

My ARMS are UPSIDE DOWN! I suck!!!

 

[sorka]

Arms flipped. Everything is back to normal. Car is evenly lowered to 28" on all corners in the lowest setting.

So it feels totally different. I'm sure it's partly that it needs an alignment. The suspension for the very first time is not rock hard like it used to be. I know that lowering the car will soften the suspension because there's less pressure in the air springs to keep the car higher up hence the spring rate is lower now and there's a slightly more bouncy floaty feeling to it.

I adjusted the arms to about -1.5 camber down from -2.0. I'll shoot for negative 1.2 when I take it in for alignment but didn't want to mess with the camber too much since that would also make the rear toe turn inwards which is probably partly what I'm feeling.

 

[BigCity]

lol, I had done the flip of the arms on one of my many swaps by accident, just going to quickly not realizing. I've also had the reverse where the adjustable links came completely unscrewed and thus no arm connected, which set the car ALL the way down. Lastly I've had the dreaded service warning for air ride when I forgot to plug in one of the sensor. So I've covered all the bases and now know all the wrong ways of doing it lol.

 

[scottm]

I figured it out.

My ARMS are UPSIDE DOWN! I suck!!!

If they were upside down then they were probably also on the wrong side of car... so you had to swap them L to R as well when you flipped them over to right side up, is that right?

Maybe the vendor should clearly mark L and R sides.

 

[sorka]

If they were upside down then they were probably also on the wrong side of car... so you had to swap them L to R as well when you flipped them over to right side up, is that right?

Maybe the vendor should clearly mark L and R sides.

The BBC arms are not side specific.

 

[Doanster1]

Hmm, been following this thread and decided to (loosely) measure the ride height this morning. On low, my fronts are at 28 5/8” and rears at at 28” even. Both sides are identical as well, which is good. Looking back at old records, when I put brand new tires/wheels on, the heights were 28 7/8” and 28 1/4” respectively so I’ve burned through a quarter in of rubber.
My point is that I’m on stock links so my values seem like they are most of your guys’ new longer link settings. The wheelwell gap is still over three fingers-worth (I know, highly scientific! will properly measure tonight), so could stand to be lowered just a tad. If I’m already this low, 58/78 might be too much?

 

[sorka]

Hmm, been following this thread and decided to (loosely) measure the ride height this morning. On low, my fronts are at 28 5/8” and rears at at 28” even. Both sides are identical as well, which is good. Looking back at old records, when I put brand new tires/wheels on, the heights were 28 7/8” and 28 1/4” respectively so I’ve burned through a quarter in of rubber.
My point is that I’m on stock links so my values seem like they are most of your guys’ new longer link settings. The wheelwell gap is still over three fingers-worth (I know, highly scientific! will properly measure tonight), so could stand to be lowered just a tad. If I’m already this low, 58/78 might be too much?

The tech at the Fremont service center said my car was higher than others he saw which is why he performed the ride height calibration but it made no difference. He speculated that my vin or range of vins for the Performance Plus on the P85D might have different values for ride height.

 

[Doanster1]

The tech at the Fremont service center said my car was higher than others he saw which is why he performed the ride height calibration but it made no difference. He speculated that my vin or range of vins for the Performance Plus on the P85D might have different values for ride height.

Thanks. That’s what I was thinking after I posted my response. The Plus suspension is prob calibrated to be a tad lower than regular cars.
So the question is whether 56/76 is what I should go with or 58/78? Def don’t want ground scraping.

 

[sorka]

Thanks. That’s what I was thinking after I posted my response. The Plus suspension is prob calibrated to be a tad lower than regular cars.
So the question is whether 56/76 is what I should go with or 58/78? Def don’t want ground scraping.

Note, in order for me to keep level front to back, I had to use 56 front and 74 rear. 76 rear was about 1/2" lower than the front.

And then I reprinted the 72 rear and oversized it to 1030 (3% larger) because the ball was too tight in the holder. 3% larger was JUST perfect and makes 72 EXACTLY the same length as 74.