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P85D Ride too Harsh?
- Thread starter AMN
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- Driving Dynamics Model S
dennis
Model S Plaid
Maybe there is something wrong with you PD's suspension. I put 15K miles on my P+ and have 4K miles on my late Feb. delivery PD. Both fitted with the staggered 21" PS2 tires. I have found the PD suspension to be more compliant than the P+ suspension.
My car is having a problem as acknowledged by my SC - going from normal to a very harsh ride. They are working on finding the culprit. The air suspension controller is also doing the self leveling function. The controller showed a "self leveling" error. I recommend you driving another P85D to see if your car performs properly.
The car performs fine. It's just too harsh. The P85D test drives prior to purchase were more like the P85+. I've already complained to the SC multiple times about this and they say it's normal.
Please let me know what your SC says is the final problem and fix.
That said, no electronic failure could result in what you're experiencing. Nothing about about the ride quality is controlled electronically, on the the height.
My personal guess about the most likely cuprit is that they have been making spec changes to the suspension that they're not telling us about. So depending on when your car was produced will determine what you have. The other possibility is that suppliers have changed something without Tesla's knowledge and in house testing didn't find it. Perhaps the Bilstein shocks changed and have much more compression damping than they used to. Who knows.
So what was the verdict? They should have been able to figure it out by now I assume?
I read this forum, took delivery of a P85D with air and 19s, was surprised to note that the suspensions felt a bit harsh. Measured the pressure in all 4 tires as 49 psi. I lowered it to 45, now its stiff but not harsh. I think the air/19s are calibrated for 45 psi and they just haven't yet updated the software to anything higher.
I think Porsche has always made the Turbo the softest of the 911's (GT3, GT2, GTS, C4S, C2, C2S....) The GT2 is the "track" 911 Turbo. Otherwise, most of the whole lineup is meant to be downright pleasant, on the street. So, point being this is a testiment to the P85D not being a harsh ride. I just drove a coil P85D a couple thousand miles, and am surprised by this thread.
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mike-415
Member
I also find the P85D's ride pretty stiff. We have the 19s. "Normal" height is better than "Low", especially on the highway. Our car is jittery enough on normal pavement in "Low" mode that resting my head on the headrest on the highway feels a lot like someone beating me in the back head continuously. Even in "normal" mode, it's a LOT stiffer than our Cadillac CTS-V with its MR dampers in "Tour" mode and close to it in Nurburgring-crushing "Sport" mode.
I too am puzzled by this thread. Tesla most definitely does not behave like the typical "floating boat" school of sedan motoring, as most seem to do these days. The ride is firm and precise, precisely as I wish it to be. It is such a relief to me to have the car do exactly when I tell it to do, when I tell it to, and give tactile feedback all the time. My previous standard of handling excellence was the Ferrari FF, compared to which the P85D is cheap. Not to mention that the P85D is actually quicker, though not faster. Oddly, the 4WD of the FF is infinitely more complex than the two-motors of the P85D, but to me seems more sophisticated.
My guess is that many of us may actually prefer a softer ride and the expense of handling quality. I wonder why tesla does not make more software-adjustable ride and handling options. One would not think that would be so very expensive to do. I would not use it, but this thread suggests many would.
As a driver, I want it "tight" most of the time. My passengers want it "comfortable" most of the time. Having software adjustable options (settings) would potentially allow both to get everything they want all the time.
My Inifniti FX50S has adjustable damping rates and it makes a very large different when you adjust from soft to hard. However, my PD is like 10 times stiffer than than the Infiniti even at it's stiffest.
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I prefer a stiffer ride, buy my particular PD is so stiff that it skitters off of minor street imperfections. It's too stiff for typical street driving. The P85+ loaner I had was perfect for street driving. Very firm but still compliant. My PD feels like it's driving without any suspension at all except for the sidewall of the wheels.
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Not possible. The spring rate of the air suspension depends on how much are is pumped into the bags. The more the air, the higher the spring rate and the stiffer the suspension. However, the amount of air also controls the height. The higher you make the suspension, the more air is pumped into the bags increasing both height and spring rate.
We drive at the lowest possible setting as that provides the softest ride we can currently get.
To decrease the spring rate further, the bottom of the bag can be mounted higher on the shock which will alow the car to ride at the same height but with less air. I strongly suspect that if we measure the difference between various MSs we'll see the bags mounted at various points along the shocks depending on the model and when it was produced.
But who would want lower spring rates, when they lower the car to reach for performance, and higher spring rates when they pickup their mother in-law?
dennis
Model S Plaid
There must be something wrong with your particular car. I find my P85D to be slightly more compliant than my previous P85+. And it is WAY more compliant over street imperfections than my McLaren 12C, which in its softest setting is more compliant than Ferraris, Lambos etc.
I agree there is something wrong. The most likely difference is the airbag mounting height on the shocks. The p85+ Was perfect for the street.
dennis
Model S Plaid
I meant YOUR car, not P85D's in general. I'm making the same comparison (P85D to P85+) and find my D slightly more compliant.
m6bigdog
Member
+1. yeah baby!!
One drive in the P85D and I knew what is was.
I'll never sell my E34M5 or 850 but the 740i Sport is gone!!
ArtInCT
Always Learning
Simple questions.....
1) does anyone have access to the Tesla Parts Manuals - recently published?
if so...
Can you check on the following....
Front and Rear Air Shocks and Springs.... same part on 85D and P85D?
Sway Bars .... same parts on 85D and P85D?
2) I noticed that back in the P85+ and early P85D design studio, that Tesla provided verbiage to the effect that the suspension
was a "Sport" suspension. I now notice that the verbiage is no longer mentioned on the Design Studio for the P85D.
What is UP?
1) does anyone have access to the Tesla Parts Manuals - recently published?
if so...
Can you check on the following....
Front and Rear Air Shocks and Springs.... same part on 85D and P85D?
Sway Bars .... same parts on 85D and P85D?
2) I noticed that back in the P85+ and early P85D design studio, that Tesla provided verbiage to the effect that the suspension
was a "Sport" suspension. I now notice that the verbiage is no longer mentioned on the Design Studio for the P85D.
What is UP?
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