Highland suspension on 2019 Model 3

[Veiko Kuusk]

Thanks everyone for the information in this thread, I've been following it closely.

I, like M3 2018, have a LR RWD. So the larger, heavier battery, but only a rear motor. I wanted to double check that these would be the "recommended" highland parts for this setup.

Thanks in advance!

In your case I would go with RWD dampers. Yours is a LR with a heavy battery and no front drive unit. New RWD also has heavy battery (due to LFP chemistry) and no front drive unit. Rear dampers are the same anyway.

 

[vinvango]

This is what the front dampers (dual-motor variant) look like:

 

[vinvango]

For those of you who've successfully replaced the fronts, will it be an issue if my top hats came crooked from Tesla (see attached)? I'm not sure how this will play out during installation, since I need to align the top hat studs into three holes while re-installing the 21mm bolt through the lower control arm. Maybe I need a spring compressor to allow me to adjust the angle of the top hat during installation.

 

[Heckraiser]

I would go ahead and install it. Get the 3 top hat studs through the holes and loosely install the the 3 nuts. Then wiggle the bottom into place and intstall the bottom bolt. Then torque down the top nuts. It will straighten out.

 

[Kaja Dhaka]

hi yall im thinking of doing this sometime soon! i have a 2018 model 3 lr rwd. for the rears do I have to replace the springs too? im thinking of just replacing shocks

 

[MountainPass]

For those of you who've successfully replaced the fronts, will it be an issue if my top hats came crooked from Tesla (see attached)? I'm not sure how this will play out during installation, since I need to align the top hat studs into three holes while re-installing the 21mm bolt through the lower control arm. Maybe I need a spring compressor to allow me to adjust the angle of the top hat during installation.

That's normal (to a degree) but it may result in the nuts that secure the top hat to the damper shaft bottoming out prematurely. Once you get the damper and top hat bolted up to the car, I would recheck those nuts and make sure the damper isn't going to be clunking up and down.

 

[enemji]

For those of you who've successfully replaced the fronts, will it be an issue if my top hats came crooked from Tesla (see attached)? I'm not sure how this will play out during installation, since I need to align the top hat studs into three holes while re-installing the 21mm bolt through the lower control arm. Maybe I need a spring compressor to allow me to adjust the angle of the top hat during installation.

me thinks it will align itself when you tighten the bolts slowly and steadily around the circle.

 

[vinvango]

Thanks all. Will give the advice a try this weekend. Happy Friday

 

[SS_M3]

I currently have Konis FSD on my 19 Model 3 performance with OEM springs. Did you have the clicking noise / clunk noise over small bumps? I’m having this same issue and not sure why and where it’s coming from? I’m hoping it’s not the shocks themselves.

Did you get the noises figured out?

I just finished installing highland springs and dampers to my ’22 M3 LR. It has been over a month since I test drove a highland so my memory might not be accurate, but the improvementfrom stock is huge. Swallows larger bumps much better and does not have any jerkiness over smaller imperfections. It still has suspension ‘sound’ eg when there is a bump you can still hear suspension ‘thumps’ when it rebounds. This might improve over next weeks as the car is noticeably higher than before, new springs need to settle. I would say this upgrade gives 90% of the highland suspension.

I previously tried KONI Active frequency dampers with original springs. I would say it was mostly as harsh as original. There might have been a defect in the front KONI dampers, in 2000-3000km they developed a clunk and I retorqued everything with no improvement. Switched back to original dampers and clunk was gone.

Part numbers for highland suspension:
1344362-00-D Front Left Spring and Damper assembly (185€)
1344362-01-D Front Right Spring and Damper assembly (185€)
1344462-00-D Rear Damper (140€/piece)
1344472-00-B Rear Spring (120€(piece)

How about handling on the highland suspension versus the old stiffer setup?

 

[Veiko Kuusk]

Did you get the noises figured out?


How about handling on the highland suspension versus the old stiffer setup?

Handling is a bit worse. It’s softer so it rolls a bit more during cornering and overall feels less percise. But nothing mayor, tradeoff is rather small given how much better overall ride quality is.
If you are not sure - just test drive a new Model 3. It will not be as soft, but about 90% there.

 

[vinvango]

Lining up the studs to the FUCA mount was a real pain in the ass. I used a jack to help press the top hat into the mount, leveling it out so I could screw on the nuts. The new damper has slightly longer studs than the old one (2018), which makes it a little harder to clear the upper control arm when placing the new damper into position (that is, if you don't remove the FUCA mount). I decided not to remove the FUCA mount because I wasn't sure if that messes with wheel alignment.

 

[afadeev]

I decided not to remove the FUCA mount because I wasn't sure if that messes with wheel alignment.

Removing front strut/carrier/FUCA assembly has no effect on alignment as long as you outline the original location of the attachment bolts with a sharpie, and tighten them in that exact place. Removing FUCA is not required for swapping front struts, but it does make the job of reassembling the stack way easier outside of the car.

Details with pic in the Ohlins Coilover Install Guide below:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0074/6746/6850/files/TM3_Ohlins_Coilover_Install_Guide_1.pdf?v=1590116656

HTH,
a

 

[Sweed269]

Changing your springs is going to change your ride height and mess up your alignment.

 

[sneadle]

Anyone got thoughts on the upper control arms?

Feel like I need to replace mine and thinking about this

 

[Dangerous Fish]

Anyone got thoughts on the upper control arms?

Feel like I need to replace mine and thinking about this

You want more camber?

 

[sneadle]

You want more camber?

No, why do you say that?
just wondering if the Highland ones have any improvements over the old ones.

 

[Dangerous Fish]

No, why do you say that?
just wondering if the Highland ones have any improvements over the old ones.

Some do if they intend to track their cars, that's all.
The part numbers in the U.S. EPC are slightly different between Highland and late 2023 ones but personally I doubt there's much of an improvement worth spending the money on them.
If you have 'old' FUCAs (2019-early 2023) and haven't had them creak yet it can't hurt to fit the latest ones (Highland or non-) though as the design is better.

 

[sneadle]

Some do if they intend to track their cars, that's all.
The part numbers in the U.S. EPC are slightly different between Highland and previous, but personally I doubt there's much of an improvement worth spending the money on them. If you have 'old' FUCAs and haven't had them creak yet it can't hurt to fit the latest ones (Highland or non-) though as the design is better.

Ahhh, I am fixing up a salvage 22 model 3 so it has the improved UCA However, the wheel on side where the accident happened is sitting about an inch further back than the other side.
Stuff that I thought was damaged and replaced on front right:
Suspension assembly
Lateral link
Wishbone (curved one)
Steering inner tie rod
Wheel bearing
Brake disc(old one warped)

So my guess is the UCA is also bent back and if I'm going to replace one I might as well replace the other with Highland ones if they are a significant upgrade

 

[Veiko Kuusk]

Ahhh, I am fixing up a salvage 22 model 3 so it has the improved UCA However, the wheel on side where the accident happened is sitting about an inch further back than the other side.
Stuff that I thought was damaged and replaced on front right:
Suspension assembly
Lateral link
Wishbone (curved one)
Steering inner tie rod
Wheel bearing
Brake disc(old one warped)

So my guess is the UCA is also bent back and if I'm going to replace one I might as well replace the other with Highland ones if they are a significant upgrade

When researching highland suspension I found out that highland has different geometry front knuckles and upper control arms. Upper control arm connection point to knuckle has been changed towards back of the car. So I am fairly confident that upper control arms from highland won’t fit with older models. Changing upper control arms and knuckles together would be the correct way to do this IMO.

Actually, they will probably *Fit* but will put knuckle on a slight angle. I would not advise this mismatch.

 

[vinvango]

When researching highland suspension I found out that highland has different geometry front knuckles and upper control arms. Upper control arm connection point to knuckle has been changed towards back of the car. So I am fairly confident that upper control arms from highland won’t fit with older models. Changing upper control arms and knuckles together would be the correct way to do this IMO.

Actually, they will probably *Fit* but will put knuckle on a slight angle. I would not advise this mismatch.

I'm not seeing the difference. Can you elaborate?