yes, for air suspension only
yes, for improved handling (lower cg)
yes, for reduced tire life (camber gain)
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Lowered my car this morning with adjustable links: Key steps that ensure precision
- Thread starter artsci
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- Driving Dynamics Model S
yes, for air suspension only
yes, for improved handling (lower cg)
yes, for reduced tire life (camber gain)
chriSharek
Member
Wow! How do I "save" this thread? I've had a horrible time trying to "search" and find anything here . . . hence my million repeat posts! Sorry.
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chriSharek
Member
DavidB, thanks!
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Artsci, would you consider doing a test to see if you gained any efficiency on the highway? Maybe 60 MPH or higher at the lowest setting? I'll bet you did - would love to hear results though. cs
I'm willing to do such a test but I have serious doubts that it will be reliable -- road conditions, wind, etc, even over the same route. But I trust Tesla's judgement that lowest is more aerodynamic. My lowest setting is now the equivalent of the lowest setting before that battery fire problems resulted in Tesla raising the lowest setting .75 inches.
Thanks Artsci, would definitely be interested in seeing if it has any impact. Stock cars run low to the ground with their air dam. Must make some type of difference. 
Your results will probably determine whether I drop that extra .75"
Your results will probably determine whether I drop that extra .75"
chriSharek
Member
Thanks Artsci, would definitely be interested in seeing if it has any impact. Stock cars run low to the ground with their air dam. Must make some type of difference.
Yeah. Me too. I'm totally game to try and squeak out another 1% if we can drop it back to that .75" lower spot.
OK, I'll admit, it actually looks really good too!
Hi Artsci, faster the speed the better as that is when aero dynamics really kick in. 70? 75? The typical average speed for freeways. One way to tell is the avg wh/hr burned when in a higher position vs. low I would think. A good 10 mileage stretch if you have one. That's my opinion. I'll take anything you can get.
I'll take anything you can get.
I live near a stretch of Interstate where I can run 70-80 mph for ten miles, so I'll do it over the weekend, taking care to replicate conditions as much as I can for runs at both heights. Will post results Sunday night.
chriSharek
Member
That would be awesome. Someone (can't remember name and can't find the link) did this test with it in standard and in low. He did it at 60 mph and at 80 mph with varying results. If you could do both, that would be great - of course the longer the trip, the more reliable and noticeable the results.
Thanks for this.
By the way, once you lowered your car, did it automatically self-level itself or did you have to have service perform any kind of update to the car? I understand the air suspension self-levels and if you've modified the linkages, it could influence the car's ability to self-level.
It self-leveled. Now the problem I have is remembering to raise it when I go over 20 mph.
A better and longer test will be my run to California from Baltimore for TMC Connect. I'll have long stretches on Interstates that are flat so I can perhaps do 25 mile test runs.
Did the test this morning at both standard and low settings (remember the low setting was Tesla's low before it was raised about 3/4 inches after the battery fire-road debris incidents. The course was 14.2 miles on I-695, the Baltimore beltway. Ran it first in the standard height setting, then in the low setting. I tried to keep the speed at about 75mph, although traffic sometimes forced me to slow down. I averaged about 70mph for both runs.
The outcome: that car runs more efficiently at the low setting. At low setting it consumed 299 Wh/mile; at the standard setting 320 Wh/mile.
But we have to be careful to draw too many conclusions from these results. The test was not performed under controlled conditions. Nonetheless, it is fair to conclude that the car's aerodynamic profile is improved at the low setting, resulting in lower energy consumption and enhanced range.
As I indicated in an earlier post I'm going to take many more measurements on the 6,000 mile roundtrip drive to California for TMC Connect in July.
The outcome: that car runs more efficiently at the low setting. At low setting it consumed 299 Wh/mile; at the standard setting 320 Wh/mile.
But we have to be careful to draw too many conclusions from these results. The test was not performed under controlled conditions. Nonetheless, it is fair to conclude that the car's aerodynamic profile is improved at the low setting, resulting in lower energy consumption and enhanced range.
As I indicated in an earlier post I'm going to take many more measurements on the 6,000 mile roundtrip drive to California for TMC Connect in July.
Thanks Artsci! Much appreciated. Scientific or not, you just twisted my arm to lower my car.
I presume the elevation is pretty much level?
Thanks!
I presume the elevation is pretty much level?
Thanks!
chriSharek
Member
Pimp-boy may be talking about your route/run in your car - elevation. Artsci you might have thought he was talking about your suspension leveling. Hopefully they were both flat.
This begs the next question then - how low can you go?
I'm sure at some point, it really could have an impact on the safety and the potential for something to ding the underside of the car is there, especially at highway speeds, but this is very interesting. I'm still 92 days away from my delivery, so I can't help yet, but plan to do some additional testing down here in the flattest state in the nation. Artsci, thanks for trying that. Interesting.
Pimp-boy may be talking about your route/run in your car - elevation. Artsci you might have thought he was talking about your suspension leveling. Hopefully they were both flat.
This begs the next question then - how low can you go?
Artsci, thanks for trying that. Interesting.
The run was as level as it can get in this part of Maryland, which is not much
But it was the same for both runs.I wouldn't go much lower -- the rear tire wear is worse at the lowest setting and the camber and toe-in are at the limits of adjustment, so tire wear is a major trade off. And there is safety and ground clearance considerations as well.
chriSharek
Member
The run was as level as it can get in this part of Maryland, which is not much
I wouldn't go much lower -- the rear tire wear is worse at the lowest setting and the camber and toe-in are at the limits of adjustment, so tire wear is a major trade off. And there is safety and ground clearance considerations as well.
Artsci, did you have to adjust the camber and toe-in when you adjusted the suspension? I understood you replaced the little linkages with the red aftermarket ones (after adjusting them individually), the car self leveled, and you were golden. No?
I had already adjusted the camber and toe-in alignment before lowering. After lowering the shop told me, and it was confirmed by Tesla Service, that no further adjustment was possible. And this is with the adjustable camber links. When I'm in standard height rear tire wear is minimized. At the low setting there's more wear and nothing can be done other than raising the car to standard height.
I'm thinking of lowering the front 3/4" and maybe not touch the rear at all.
This would leave the rear tire wear issue alone, and give a more balanced look to the car getting the front down more in line with or slightly below the rear.
I'm thinking it would probably get the aerodynamics improved a little, but maybe not as much as lowering the whole car.
If it returns better fuel efficiency, great. If not, oh well, electricity is cheap and I'm happy with the existing economy.
For me, it seems to be around 8 months total electricity cost of running the vehicle is equivalent to cost of one tire.
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Anybody got a hypothesis on how important it is to have the equal lowering around the car, or how important it is to have the floor flat and parallel to the road.... to reap aerodynamic benefits of saved fuel / efficiency??
This would leave the rear tire wear issue alone, and give a more balanced look to the car getting the front down more in line with or slightly below the rear.
I'm thinking it would probably get the aerodynamics improved a little, but maybe not as much as lowering the whole car.
If it returns better fuel efficiency, great. If not, oh well, electricity is cheap and I'm happy with the existing economy.
For me, it seems to be around 8 months total electricity cost of running the vehicle is equivalent to cost of one tire.
---
Anybody got a hypothesis on how important it is to have the equal lowering around the car, or how important it is to have the floor flat and parallel to the road.... to reap aerodynamic benefits of saved fuel / efficiency??
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