Performance Suspension not so Performance

[DayTrippin]

Happy 4th to you as well.

I would suggest getting the car first, drive it for a while, maybe even track it like you plan, then invest where it will benefit YOU the most. What I think, or others think, are just subjective viewpoints. We are all coming at it from our own microcosms. I am enjoying our MY LR a lot more than I thought I would originally.

Yesterday I added acceleration boost to it and very nicely closed the gap with MYP's acceleration level. It isn't high 3 second range like the M3P but now I am in the lower 4 second range. Definitely increased the fun factor and my efficiency hasn't taken a hit except when I am hard on it.

Enjoy whatever you buy. If you are tracking it a lot more than you think, see what Doug did to his M3P for some ideas that mostly will apply to the MY as well. It is on another forum and I didn't want to link her but Google "Building the Teslarossa - A Max Model 3 for the Street?"

​

​

​

 

[1QYKMY]

Happy 4th to you as well.

I would suggest getting the car first, drive it for a while, maybe even track it like you plan, then invest where it will benefit YOU the most. What I think, or others think, are just subjective viewpoints. We are all coming at it from our own microcosms. I am enjoying our MY LR a lot more than I thought I would originally.

Yesterday I added acceleration boost to it and very nicely closed the gap with MYP's acceleration level. It isn't high 3 second range like the M3P but now I am in the lower 4 second range. Definitely increased the fun factor and my efficiency hasn't taken a hit except when I am hard on it.

Enjoy whatever you buy. If you are tracking it a lot more than you think, see what Doug did to his M3P for some ideas that mostly will apply to the MY as well. It is on another forum and I didn't want to link her but Google "Building the Teslarossa - A Max Model 3 for the Street?"

​

​

​

Thanks for the additional insight! I have some highly modified cars that I have autocrossed, road raced and dragged race. The first thing I noticed with my new Tesla is too much body roll. So, I'd like to address that concern first.

Congrats on the new found power! I wish they would come out with another upgrade as I would buy it immediately. I am ready for more power.

 

[DayTrippin]

That is the most frustrating aspect of most electric cars. What you get is what you are usually stuck with after you buy it from a power perspective. Kudos to Tesla for offering an acceleration boost as an upgrade for the M3 LR and the MY LR. Now if they had done that for the MYP, that would have been more enticement to go that route.

As for body roll, I have an interesting anecdote. I was living in Austria at the time and drove to Chamonix in the BMW 63csi (regret not bringing it back to the US) I owned at the time. There were some very twisty mountain roads on the way there. About 100km out, I got stuck behind a Citroen 2cv. They have been around since the 30's in France. Even appear in a James Bond movie car chase (For Your Eyes Only). They have a top speed, at least the later models, of about 70 mph.

So I was stuck behind it in my 635 which would easily go twice as fast on any straight. With a 2cv, you used a sundial to measure 0-60 times it was so slow. I followed this buy for about 30km through the mountains and was totally amazed by that little car. It has tall spindly little tires and incredibly soft suspension. That car had so much body roll I thought it would fall over in the first turn I followed him through. After about 10km in, on all kinds of switchbacks, I realized that driver was one hell of a driver and that car clung to the road like a cat holding on to a table cloth and didn't want to fall the rest of the way over the edge.

I was mesmerized watch it the ballet the guy performed while driving. Uphill he didn't have to brake as it was so slow. Downhill, it would dive like a dolphin, he would let the chassis recover, then pitch it into the turn, smoothly but quickly. Very quickly max lean angle would be set and a subtle sawing of the wheel kept the car on its intended line. Overall he was surprisingly fast and on downhill sections he overtook "faster" cars. A long uphill and a bus could pass him.

I had spent my fair share of racing motorcycles and cars from the age of 10, so I wasn't clueless about how to go fast. This was a masterclass in using what you have. I finally decided to pass him and gave him a salute as I went by and he smiled from ear to ear. It planted the seed of thought that germinated a few years later. It is more fun to drive a slow car fast, than a fast car slow. That applies to motorcycles as well.

Here is a link to a 2cv in case you don't know what they look like. They are the antithesis of a performance car. I drove a few while in Europe and there is a perverse pleasure about them. They are incredibly simple and as I'd had seen, handled better than I would have ever imagined and swallowed up bumps a lot better than my BMW. The suspension maintained very good tire contact even over bumps which helped out traction.

Your handy Citroën 2CV (1948–90) buyer's guide - Hagerty Media

The Citroen 2CV is the car that put France on wheels, and even today these rustic runabouts are buckets of fun. Here's what you need to know before buying.

www.hagerty.com

 

[1QYKMY]

That is the most frustrating aspect of most electric cars. What you get is what you are usually stuck with after you buy it from a power perspective. Kudos to Tesla for offering an acceleration boost as an upgrade for the M3 LR and the MY LR. Now if they had done that for the MYP, that would have been more enticement to go that route.

As for body roll, I have an interesting anecdote. I was living in Austria at the time and drove to Chamonix in the BMW 63csi (regret not bringing it back to the US) I owned at the time. There were some very twisty mountain roads on the way there. About 100km out, I got stuck behind a Citroen 2cv. They have been around since the 30's in France. Even appear in a James Bond movie car chase (For Your Eyes Only). They have a top speed, at least the later models, of about 70 mph.

So I was stuck behind it in my 635 which would easily go twice as fast on any straight. With a 2cv, you used a sundial to measure 0-60 times it was so slow. I followed this buy for about 30km through the mountains and was totally amazed by that little car. It has tall spindly little tires and incredibly soft suspension. That car had so much body roll I thought it would fall over in the first turn I followed him through. After about 10km in, on all kinds of switchbacks, I realized that driver was one hell of a driver and that car clung to the road like a cat holding on to a table cloth and didn't want to fall the rest of the way over the edge.

I was mesmerized watch it the ballet the guy performed while driving. Uphill he didn't have to brake as it was so slow. Downhill, it would dive like a dolphin, he would let the chassis recover, then pitch it into the turn, smoothly but quickly. Very quickly max lean angle would be set and a subtle sawing of the wheel kept the car on its intended line. Overall he was surprisingly fast and on downhill sections he overtook "faster" cars. A long uphill and a bus could pass him.

I had spent my fair share of racing motorcycles and cars from the age of 10, so I wasn't clueless about how to go fast. This was a masterclass in using what you have. I finally decided to pass him and gave him a salute as I went by and he smiled from ear to ear. It planted the seed of thought that germinated a few years later. It is more fun to drive a slow car fast, than a fast car slow. That applies to motorcycles as well.

Here is a link to a 2cv in case you don't know what they look like. They are the antithesis of a performance car. I drove a few while in Europe and there is a perverse pleasure about them. They are incredibly simple and as I'd had seen, handled better than I would have ever imagined and swallowed up bumps a lot better than my BMW. The suspension maintained very good tire contact even over bumps which helped out traction.

Your handy Citroën 2CV (1948–90) buyer's guide - Hagerty Media

The Citroen 2CV is the car that put France on wheels, and even today these rustic runabouts are buckets of fun. Here's what you need to know before buying.

www.hagerty.com

Extremely insight, thanks!

 

[DayTrippin]

I think there are may areas where Tesla missed the boat with the performance version and I've commented about it elsewhere as have others. One that has become more obvious the more I drive my long range (as it suffers in this area) are the seats. They are fine for normal driving but when you driving in a more spirited fashion, they are definitely lacking.

This would be even worse with the MYP as it has a little bit higher cornering limits and ostensibly to be driven in a more aggressive way. At least for my body style, there isn't a lot of lateral support. If I drive aggressively I find I need to brace myself against the door or the center console. The seats are a little slippery too compared to more sport oriented cars I've owned or driven. Since the MYP gets the same seats as the MY LR it might be an issue for those considering that car as well. Given the reason I bought the MY LR I am more tolerant of it than I would have been if I bought the MYP and wanted to track the car.

 

[1QYKMY]

I think there are may areas where Tesla missed the boat with the performance version and I've commented about it elsewhere as have others. One that has become more obvious the more I drive my long range (as it suffers in this area) are the seats. They are fine for normal driving but when you driving in a more spirited fashion, they are definitely lacking.

This would be even worse with the MYP as it has a little bit higher cornering limits and ostensibly to be driven in a more aggressive way. At least for my body style, there isn't a lot of lateral support. If I drive aggressively I find I need to brace myself against the door or the center console. The seats are a little slippery too compared to more sport oriented cars I've owned or driven. Since the MYP gets the same seats as the MY LR it might be an issue for those considering that car as well. Given the reason I bought the MY LR I am more tolerant of it than I would have been if I bought the MYP and wanted to track the car.

Agreed! I wonder if someone will design a harness bar that can be used with factory seats. I like everything else about the seats and won't change them.

 

[1QYKMY]

I am contemplating suspensions mods between Unplugged Performance and Redwood. I have some information from Redwood, but UP has yet to respond to me. UP is less than 2 hours away from me and therefore very convenient. I just need them to respond so I can make a more informed decision. Seems like they must be crazy and don't have time to interface with prospective customers.

 

[1QYKMY]

I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the following parts from UPP:

Race suspension kit
Adjustable sway bar set
Rear camber set
Stainless steel braided brake lines

The UPP front upper camber control looks like a very nice product, but I can’t see myself paying $1600 for it. All of the above parts have been put on order; awaiting to hear notional delivery time. UPP will be installing all of these items and doing an alignment.

I plan on running my MYP at a TeslaCorsa event at Buttonwillow in October. I will by no means push the car to the limits, but will have some fun in a controlled environment. I will post some pictures after install and a review once I’ve had enough seat time. I am pretty excited as you can imagine.

 

[DayTrippin]

Sounds like fun. Let us know what you think when you get it all put together. Hopefully it will live up to your expectations.

 

[1QYKMY]

Sounds like fun. Let us know what you think when you get it all put together. Hopefully it will live up to your expectations.

Will do! I am getting a full PPF on the car next week and am really looking forward to that too. It’s coming together nicely.

 

[rugger]

Does the MYP effectively have the same suspension as the LR, just 1" lower? (and yes, 21s). Thanks

 

[DayTrippin]

Will do! I am getting a full PPF on the car next week and am really looking forward to that too. It’s coming together nicely.

I assume you've thought of this, but make sure your insurance company covers all your mods or get a rider to have them covered. PPF for the entire car is a not a minor investment compared to the purchase price.

@rugger - basically all I've read is they lowered it. I haven't looked to see if any parts differences but maybe someone has. Here is what Car and Driver saidl

" Performance Upgrade Package lowers the Model Y's suspension, fits it with 21-inch wheels and high-performance tires (other Model Ys ride on 19- or 20-inch wheels), and upgrades the brakes....

Although both ride surprisingly stiff, the lowered Model Y PUP is the slightly harsher of the two."

Tesla doesn't say a lot on their website. Lowered suspension doesn't mean they changed the shocks. They could have just gone cheap and put on different springs to lower it. Maybe someone else knows more.

Performance Upgrade​

Included

1. Increased top speed from 135mph to 155mph
2. 21’’ Überturbine Wheels
3. Performance Brakes
4. Lowered suspension
5. Aluminum alloy pedals

 

[1QYKMY]

Does the MYP effectively have the same suspension as the LR, just 1" lower? (and yes, 21s). Thanks

I assume you've thought of this, but make sure your insurance company covers all your mods or get a rider to have them covered. PPF for the entire car is a not a minor investment compared to the purchase price.

@rugger - basically all I've read is they lowered it. I haven't looked to see if any parts differences but maybe someone has. Here is what Car and Driver saidl

" Performance Upgrade Package lowers the Model Y's suspension, fits it with 21-inch wheels and high-performance tires (other Model Ys ride on 19- or 20-inch wheels), and upgrades the brakes....

Although both ride surprisingly stiff, the lowered Model Y PUP is the slightly harsher of the two."

Tesla doesn't say a lot on their website. Lowered suspension doesn't mean they changed the shocks. They could have just gone cheap and put on different springs to lower it. Maybe someone else knows more.

Performance Upgrade​

Included

1. Increased top speed from 135mph to 155mph
2. 21’’ Überturbine Wheels
3. Performance Brakes
4. Lowered suspension
5. Aluminum alloy pedals

Yes, I have put a lot of thought into my mod path here. I spent a lot of money modifying other cars in the past and have a general idea what works well. I will admit that the Tesla is a different animal given it is an electric vehicle.

I am using a highly reputable company to do the PPF. They normally charge $3,000 to do the complete car but I got them to discount down to $2,500.

 

[DayTrippin]

That is the cheapest I've ever heard for a full wrap. Until now, 4500 was the best I'd heard.

I've gone down the rabbit hole of modifying too many cars and motorcycles in my lifetime. I used to enjoy it but I don't have time anymore. I have several completed project vehicles in the garage that in hindsight I wish I had spent my time differently. I always do my own wrenching as many decades ago my parents said the only way I could buy a car is if I could maintain and fix it myself.

Enjoy your project.

 

[1QYKMY]

That is the cheapest I've ever heard for a full wrap. Until now, 4500 was the best I'd heard.

I've gone down the rabbit hole of modifying too many cars and motorcycles in my lifetime. I used to enjoy it but I don't have time anymore. I have several completed project vehicles in the garage that in hindsight I wish I had spent my time differently. I always do my own wrenching as many decades ago my parents said the only way I could buy a car is if I could maintain and fix it myself.

Enjoy your project.

It’s not a vinyl wrap—that was $6k. This is a clear protection film like 3M. I will still be able to enjoy the factory color and not have to worry about waxing, paint chips, etc.

 

[DayTrippin]

That is what I am talking about PPF. Paint protection film such as xPel. Not a vinyl wrap. I have it on the front of my car, all the way to the doors and up the a pillars and mirrors.

 

[1QYKMY]

That is what I am talking about PPF. Paint protection film such as xPel. Not a vinyl wrap. I have it on the front of my car, all the way to the doors and up the a pillars and mirrors.

Okay cool. I am getting almost entire car done. Only the A/B/C pillars and the roof won’t be done.

 

[1QYKMY]

Totaled or not? McLaren hit me on passenger side and knocked me over center divide. Definite damage under my car. I will know in next few days if insurance considers it total loss, but am curious what you think.

 

[DayTrippin]

Wow, looks like he just turned into you. The passenger door is bowing out a bit. It doesn't look good with all the damage on the front. You just got your car too. So sorry dude or dudette.

Total Loss Formula​

Once the repair costs, salvage value, and ACV (actual cash valuse) are calculated, your insurance provider will use a Total Loss Formula (TLF) to see if your vehicle is totaled. The TLF in California is Cost of Repairs + Salvage Value ≥ Actual Cash Value.

If the sum of the repair costs and the salvage value is more than or equal to the ACV, your car is deemed a total loss.

Teslas have a high salvage value so very likely it will be totaled.

 

[1QYKMY]

Wow, looks like he just turned into you. The passenger door is bowing out a bit. It doesn't look good with all the damage on the front. You just got your car too. So sorry dude or dudette.

Total Loss Formula​

Once the repair costs, salvage value, and ACV (actual cash valuse) are calculated, your insurance provider will use a Total Loss Formula (TLF) to see if your vehicle is totaled. The TLF in California is Cost of Repairs + Salvage Value ≥ Actual Cash Value.

If the sum of the repair costs and the salvage value is more than or equal to the ACV, your car is deemed a total loss.

Teslas have a high salvage value so very likely it will be totaled.

I am not sure exactly what this guy was thinking. I am not sure how anyone just abruptly turns into another person unless they are drunk. The police didn’t mention anything about him being intoxicated though. His car was absolutely gorgeous. $360k or more potentially down the drain.

2 of the wheels are broken in places and the other 2 have scratches. So that’s a complete replacement of wheels and tires. Passenger door needs to be replaced and there is some sort of damage to inner door well as it is tweeted a bit. Passenger front quarter panel, front bumper, driver front quarter panel and side skirts need to be replaced. Maybe front hood. There is damage underneath but I don’t know the extent. It was making a bad grinding sound when the tow truck driver tried to drive it forward a bit. I don’t know if that is transmission, axles, both or something else.

I am hoping the car is considered totaled because: (1) cars never seen to drive the same after an accident and (2) there is now emotional baggage with the car. Police said it was totaled but I am not sure how much they know. I went ahead and ordered another one knowing the lead time. If, in a few days, I am told it isn’t totaled I will cancel the order.

I now have a Model S P75d as rental car. Pretty nice. Controls are a bit different than the Y. Has a few extra nice features like electronic ride height adjustment.

I canceled my order with UPP because quite honestly I am shook that someone could just abruptly hit me and I had zero ability to prevent the accident.