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Vendor Redwood Motorsports - Official factory 'Road & Track' Ohlins kit release, pre-order, specs, RWMS Ohlins accessories, and discussion!

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We'll see about that.

Hmm... I just tracked my car at TeslaCorsa 25 with stock suspension. Tesla makes a fantastic OEM suspension, but I was still experiencing lots of lift over the hills and loss of grip around tight turns at speed. TeslaCorsa is run by Unplugged Performance, so there are tons of employees promoting their products. I know UP makes fantastic products (Reviews all over TMC and beyond + I run their Flugplatz wheels + Many cars running UP have sub 2:00 time at Buttonwillow), but the moment I brought up Redwood Motorsports, they began shitting on their coilovers (ie. RM doesn't offer warranty on track). TBH I found their promoting to be overall pretentious, despite their proven quality (I hope no UP employees read this lol). Some part of me wants to support RM because they're a smaller Bay Area company with a proven track record with Sakebomb Garage. RM uses real Ohlins DFV, has a lighter aluminum construction, uses a helper spring in addition to Swift springs, high-load front fork, and the adjustment can be done without taking off the wheel. That's just all I could think of & I don't know how UP can say RM coilovers are "inferior". However, I wish RM could do a better job proving why spending an additional $1000 vs UP is worth it. I would love to run their coilovers at TeslaCorsa someday and prove UP wrong (Sponsorship???). However, UP did just come out with the new $15k Ohlins TTX coilovers. At the end of the day, it always a game of who can out level the other.

My social on IG is the same as my username on TMC, follow and DM me! It would be a dream to test out the RM setup.
Props for getting your Tesla out on track. 👍 Having that experience pushing this car to its limits should really help with figuring out what you want from suspension upgrades.

UP has grown big and is a marketing machine. Fast drivers are fast, if you have the funds to hire Randy Pobst and sponsor really fast drivers, you're going to see some good lap times, no matter your suspension nuances. I've no experience with UP's suspension parts. I've read mixed things here, enough that there's multiple other options I'd go to first for sporty coilovers (Redwood, MPP, Ohlins R&T, KW v3 - in that order). UP has a huge Tesla catalog, some of it is pretty unique, but some of it is obviously much more for show than go. 4-way TTX is drool worthy but that's pro racecar stuff...who is the audience for that with a Model 3? Is there a Tesla wheel-to-wheel racing series out there?

PM coming. :)
 
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Props for getting your Tesla out on track. 👍 Having that experience pushing this car to its limits should really help with figuring out what you want from suspension upgrades.

UP has grown big and is a marketing machine. Fast drivers are fast, if you have the funds to hire Randy Pobst and sponsor really fast drivers, you're going to see some good lap times, no matter your suspension nuances. I've no experience with UP's suspension parts. I've read mixed things here, enough that there's multiple other options I'd go to first for sporty coilovers (Redwood, MPP, Ohlins R&T, KW v3 - in that order). UP has a huge Tesla catalog, some of it is pretty unique, but some of it is obviously much more for show than go. 4-way TTX is drool worthy but that's pro racecar stuff...who is the audience for that with a Model 3? Is there a Tesla wheel-to-wheel racing series out there?

PM coming. :)
You have to be careful not to drink too much of the Unplugged Kool-Aid.
 
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We'll see about that.

Hmm... I just tracked my car at TeslaCorsa 25 with stock suspension. Tesla makes a fantastic OEM suspension, but I was still experiencing lots of lift over the hills and loss of grip around tight turns at speed. TeslaCorsa is run by Unplugged Performance, so there are tons of employees promoting their products. I know UP makes fantastic products (Reviews all over TMC and beyond + I run their Flugplatz wheels + Many cars running UP have sub 2:00 time at Buttonwillow), but the moment I brought up Redwood Motorsports, they began shitting on their coilovers (ie. RM doesn't offer warranty on track). TBH I found their promoting to be overall pretentious, despite their proven quality (I hope no UP employees read this lol). Some part of me wants to support RM because they're a smaller Bay Area company with a proven track record with Sakebomb Garage. RM uses real Ohlins DFV, has a lighter aluminum construction, uses a helper spring in addition to Swift springs, high-load front fork, and the adjustment can be done without taking off the wheel. That's just all I could think of & I don't know how UP can say RM coilovers are "inferior". However, I wish RM could do a better job proving why spending an additional $1000 vs UP is worth it. I would love to run their coilovers at TeslaCorsa someday and prove UP wrong (Sponsorship???). However, UP did just come out with the new $15k Ohlins TTX coilovers. At the end of the day, it always a game of who can out level the other.

My social on IG is the same as my username on TMC, follow and DM me! It would be a dream to test out the RM setup.
UP did a lot of tuning, which helps a lot for performance on track. That's I suppose what you're paying for. Fortune Auto and other lesser-quality brands can do just fine on track with a fast driver, and anything is fast with a fast driver. I'm not going to track a Tesla. I wanted suspension that could handle a lift without spacers and had stiff enough springs to stay off the bump stops. I didn't want
Props for getting your Tesla out on track. 👍 Having that experience pushing this car to its limits should really help with figuring out what you want from suspension upgrades.

UP has grown big and is a marketing machine. Fast drivers are fast, if you have the funds to hire Randy Pobst and sponsor really fast drivers, you're going to see some good lap times, no matter your suspension nuances. I've no experience with UP's suspension parts. I've read mixed things here, enough that there's multiple other options I'd go to first for sporty coilovers (Redwood, MPP, Ohlins R&T, KW v3 - in that order). UP has a huge Tesla catalog, some of it is pretty unique, but some of it is obviously much more for show than go. 4-way TTX is drool worthy but that's pro racecar stuff...who is the audience for that with a Model 3? Is there a Tesla wheel-to-wheel racing series out there?

PM coming. :)
Fast driver is fast. I've no idea how a TT would handle on the road. It's pointless for the road.
You have to be careful not to drink too much of the Unplugged Kool-Aid.
I just don't trust suspension with shocks not made by one of the big brands.

With Redwood close to us and making quality gear, they can do the install and stand by what they do. That's worth a hell of a lot.
 
UP did a lot of tuning, which helps a lot for performance on track. That's I suppose what you're paying for. Fortune Auto and other lesser-quality brands can do just fine on track with a fast driver, and anything is fast with a fast driver. I'm not going to track a Tesla. I wanted suspension that could handle a lift without spacers and had stiff enough springs to stay off the bump stops. I didn't want

Fast driver is fast. I've no idea how a TT would handle on the road. It's pointless for the road.

I just don't trust suspension with shocks not made by one of the big brands.

With Redwood close to us and making quality gear, they can do the install and stand by what they do. That's worth a hell of a lot.
All very true/sound advice. I ran a 2:17 PB at Buttonwillow (Started at 2:28). Which is an okay time, but leaves a lot of room for improvement. The ultimate goal is to join the sub two minute club someday. One of the UP employees running a performance model, coilovers (I think) and summer tires was running a 2:11.

I did feel as if I was driving a little timid because it was my first track day ever. I was also on all-seasons and overheated my brakes. The nervousness eventually turned into passion and confidence by the end of the day. I know I can push the car harder next time by selecting better lines and braking points at a minimum. The RM seems like the highest quality setup, for all the reasons mentioned above, despite the fact that I haven't tested either setup.

You're right, I don't know of a single Tesla owner who could make use of the Ohlin's TTX coilovers on a regular basis & still enjoy them off-track. Let alone just affording them. IMO, they seem like more of a "flex" product put out by UP with little-to-zero market. I'm sure with a pro driver behind the wheel, they're amazing on track, but again who is buying these? You could buy an early 2000s Porsche Boxster for less money and take it to the track!

Have you put on the RM sway bars and endlinks? A lot of people at TeslaCorsa were saying they are great easy and quick way to control body roll.
 
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Have you put on the RM sway bars and endlinks? A lot of people at TeslaCorsa were saying they are great easy and quick way to control body roll.
I'm not sure this question was directed at me at all but I'll throw my 2c in. :) I'm on stock sways on my M3P but I've upgraded to stiffer, adjustable aftermarket sways (with and without aftermarket endlinks) on two different ICE cars.

Most important: Get coilovers first, dial them in, and see how you feel about the handling from there. Some cars have good, sporty factory suspension where simply upgrading the sways might achieve certain goals. (2021) Model 3 isn't one of them. The stock dampers need to go, don't bother with any suspension upgrades before that.

The Redwood coilovers have great handling balance with adjusters set the same front & rear. Very close to neutral. Adjustable sways give another tool for adjusting front:rear stiffness bias, besides swapping springs or damper adjustments, which can be useful, but you may or may not feel a need for that in this car with good well-balanced coilovers.

Stiffer sways really do reduce side-to-side suspension independence. I could feel that tradeoff in past cars. Did I regret the stiffer sways on my last ICE car? No not at all, I was very happy with the improvements on that car, for reduced lean and quicker steering response and somewhat better balance. But there was a tradeoff. Not terrible by any means but it was there.

My M3P on coilovers with stock sways has great suspension independence, and lean is very well controlled. For street use including tearing up the twisties I think stiffer sways would be detrimental overall, on this car.

Track driving where you're constantly aiming for that ragged edge of the car's limits is different. You can adjust handling bias other ways, and you can use stiffer springs to reduce lean without sacrificing independence, but those have tradeoffs too and I could certainly believe that stiffer, adjustable sways might be worthwhile if you're tracking this car regularly. (I did track that ICE car of mine.)

Note that most every aftermarket sway bar I've seen (for any car) uses polyurethane bushings. That includes the ones I upgraded my ICE cars to. In my experience keeping those bushings greased is a regular maintenance item. I tried seemingly everything - the grease the bar shipped with, marine grease, teflon tape, lithium grease, a couple other kinds...most of it worked but none of it lasted, the poly bushings would start squeaking again in a few months to a year. Now I was putting a lot of street miles on that car as a daily driver, and it saw some serious snow use in the winter, so depending on your usage perhaps poly bushings could go longer between regresses. I wouldn't count on it though.

Last warning, on the first car I upgraded sway bars on, I also put on aftermarket spherical endlinks. They were cheap ones and didn't last, got noisy within a year or two. I do trust Redwood to use much better bearings though than that junk I was using. (It was my first foray into any performance modding, I had some lessons to learn.)
 
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I'm not sure this question was directed at me at all but I'll throw my 2c in. :) I'm on stock sways on my M3P but I've upgraded to stiffer, adjustable aftermarket sways (with and without aftermarket endlinks) on two different ICE cars.

Most important: Get coilovers first, dial them in, and see how you feel about the handling from there. Some cars have good, sporty factory suspension where simply upgrading the sways might achieve certain goals. (2021) Model 3 isn't one of them. The stock dampers need to go, don't bother with any suspension upgrades before that.

The Redwood coilovers have great handling balance with adjusters set the same front & rear. Very close to neutral. Adjustable sways give another tool for adjusting front:rear stiffness bias, besides swapping springs or damper adjustments, which can be useful, but you may or may not feel a need for that in this car with good well-balanced coilovers.

Stiffer sways really do reduce side-to-side suspension independence. I could feel that tradeoff in past cars. Did I regret the stiffer sways on my last ICE car? No not at all, I was very happy with the improvements on that car, for reduced lean and quicker steering response and somewhat better balance. But there was a tradeoff. Not terrible by any means but it was there.

My M3P on coilovers with stock sways has great suspension independence, and lean is very well controlled. For street use including tearing up the twisties I think stiffer sways would be detrimental overall, on this car.

Track driving where you're constantly aiming for that ragged edge of the car's limits is different. You can adjust handling bias other ways, and you can use stiffer springs to reduce lean without sacrificing independence, but those have tradeoffs too and I could certainly believe that stiffer, adjustable sways might be worthwhile if you're tracking this car regularly. (I did track that ICE car of mine.)

Note that most every aftermarket sway bar I've seen (for any car) uses polyurethane bushings. That includes the ones I upgraded my ICE cars to. In my experience keeping those bushings greased is a regular maintenance item. I tried seemingly everything - the grease the bar shipped with, marine grease, teflon tape, lithium grease, a couple other kinds...most of it worked but none of it lasted, the poly bushings would start squeaking again in a few months to a year. Now I was putting a lot of street miles on that car as a daily driver, and it saw some serious snow use in the winter, so depending on your usage perhaps poly bushings could go longer between regresses. I wouldn't count on it though.

Last warning, on the first car I upgraded sway bars on, I also put on aftermarket spherical endlinks. They were cheap ones and didn't last, got noisy within a year or two. I do trust Redwood to use much better bearings though than that junk I was using. (It was my first foray into any performance modding, I had some lessons to learn.)
Talked to Heath on the phone today. That was his overall impression as well, sway bars are useless for model 3 until you get coilovers first.
 
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All very true/sound advice. I ran a 2:17 PB at Buttonwillow (Started at 2:28). Which is an okay time, but leaves a lot of room for improvement. The ultimate goal is to join the sub two minute club someday. One of the UP employees running a performance model, coilovers (I think) and summer tires was running a 2:11.

I did feel as if I was driving a little timid because it was my first track day ever. I was also on all-seasons and overheated my brakes. The nervousness eventually turned into passion and confidence by the end of the day. I know I can push the car harder next time by selecting better lines and braking points at a minimum. The RM seems like the highest quality setup, for all the reasons mentioned above, despite the fact that I haven't tested either setup.

You're right, I don't know of a single Tesla owner who could make use of the Ohlin's TTX coilovers on a regular basis & still enjoy them off-track. Let alone just affording them. IMO, they seem like more of a "flex" product put out by UP with little-to-zero market. I'm sure with a pro driver behind the wheel, they're amazing on track, but again who is buying these? You could buy an early 2000s Porsche Boxster for less money and take it to the track!

Have you put on the RM sway bars and endlinks? A lot of people at TeslaCorsa were saying they are great easy and quick way to control body roll.
If you want to be fast on the track, don't upgrade the car. Just get more seat time. Once you are using every erg your car offers, then you can upgrade your car.
 
If you want to be fast on the track, don't upgrade the car. Just get more seat time. Once you are using every erg your car offers, then you can upgrade your car.
Does sim racing seat time count 😂? JK! I already pushed the car beyond some of its stock limits on track my first go. I overheated my braking system in session 3 and had to pull into the hot pits. Luckily, I didn't boil my fluid and experience brake failure. So braking needs attention asap. As for stability and handling, I was left wanting more around the corners and felt generally unsafe when lifting over hills/bumps. My friend drives a Porsche 911 and BMW Z3 and both cars feel much more stabile at speed and while cornering. So an upgrade in that department would be just be nice to have.

At least for my safety, as I progress in skill, braking and suspension should be my main priority.
 
Does sim racing seat time count 😂? JK! I already pushed the car beyond some of its stock limits on track my first go. I overheated my braking system in session 3 and had to pull into the hot pits. Luckily, I didn't boil my fluid and experience brake failure. So braking needs attention asap. As for stability and handling, I was left wanting more around the corners and felt generally unsafe when lifting over hills/bumps. My friend drives a Porsche 911 and BMW Z3 and both cars feel much more stabile at speed and while cornering. So an upgrade in that department would be just be nice to have.

At least for my safety, as I progress in skill, braking and suspension should be my main priority.
You can always upgrade the brake pads and fluid, but no, that's not a sign of your driving skill. A good driver can get around faster with less brakes, though their best times would probably heat those puppies up. Inexperienced drivers, myself included, spend more time on the brakes and do shed more energy before turns. I'm not claiming to be some pro here. Far from it.

Sim seat time can count, yes. I remember some sim league where they took the winner to the track and his real time was off by only a few seconds. That didn't mean he was suddenly a pro, but it was damn impressive. Pros racers do tons of sim driving, though their sims are usually not off the shelf.
 
Eh, one track day on a soft floaty suspension is enough. You don't need to become an expert racer to know you want a more responsive and buttoned-down car.

That was exactly my first track day, several cars and many years ago. Spent most of each corner on the bump stops. Had a blast and it got me hooked on the sport (till other life priorities took precedence). But keep going back with that same car setup? Literally didn't even occur to me. Immediately afterwards I knew I had decisions and purchases to make.
 
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You can always upgrade the brake pads and fluid, but no, that's not a sign of your driving skill. A good driver can get around faster with less brakes, though their best times would probably heat those puppies up. Inexperienced drivers, myself included, spend more time on the brakes and do shed more energy before turns. I'm not claiming to be some pro here. Far from it.

Sim seat time can count, yes. I remember some sim league where they took the winner to the track and his real time was off by only a few seconds. That didn't mean he was suddenly a pro, but it was damn impressive. Pros racers do tons of sim driving, though their sims are usually not off the shelf.
Very true, but I'm sure we could agree that the OEM braking system (Especially on Non-P) is no where near up to the task for aggressive repeated braking. Tesla's come with an impressive brake system out of the box (4-piston Brembos), but at the end of the day these brakes are still trying to stop a car that weighs as much as an F150. They stop fantastic on the street, but cannot handle even the slightest thermal load. Before I tracked my car and replaced my pads/fluid, I could smell my brakes on the shortest of canyon runs. After too many canyon runs, while improving my overall times, the problem continued to occur. A clear sign of a stock braking system without a sufficient thermal limit. If the brakes begin to fail in the canyons, I could never expect them to hold up on track, nor did they even with upgrades. In addition to this, brake components are expensive consumables. Constantly bringing your braking system over its thermal limit puts significant wear and tear on the whole system and shortens its life. Not to mention it is extremely unsafe.

I'm absolutely no Randy Probst or Craig Coker, I'm not claiming to be nor will I ever be as good as them 😂. But I know how to pick a half decent racing line & when to brake/accelerate. I also didn't show up to my first trackday completely modded out, why? Because I wanted to benchmark my car as close to stock as possible for its capabilities and my own. To help guide me in my priorities and the modifications I will value.

The same Tesla I took to the track is also my only car. So having a car that can be comfortable on the street, potentially even more than stock, is very appealing to me. I frequently road trip and car camp out of my Tesla, so a ride that is not upset my road bumps or potholes would be a large improvement. Turn the coilovers to stiff and I'm quickly ready for the track. Let's just say my Tesla is dual-purpose, therefore has higher requirements + adjustability would be nice lol...
Oct-16-2022-Speed Ventures (Sun) [[7df72c9f09]] - Tesla Corsa B - Session 3 (Outside Grapevine...jpg

IMG_5708.jpg

In the first photo you'll see how much lift my car was getting at Cotton Corners at Buttonwillow. Unacceptable IMO.
 
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Love the camp setup.
Thank you! I built the frunk wood table myself with the help of some Youtube videos. Just search "Tesla camp table". Depending on how large you cut the wood, the table can be folded up and stored in the trunk for convivence. A fantastic addition for camping, tailgating, beach days, etc. All in, the build costed ~$50.

The same guy who created the design I have started a company that makes a more premium larger option. Includes premium wood, metal supports, integration with the hood latch, can be used in the trunk, plus more. However, it does cost at least 10x the amount as building your own for the entry level wood. Check out the link if you're interested: Fruble Table
 
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THIS JUST IN!

For those interested in NOT lowering your Model 3/Y, we now have DAMPER ONLY versions of our FPX and Redwood-Ohlins Long-Stroke kits! These include front spring adapters, instead of front and rear replacement springs, in order to reuse your factory springs in conjunction with the benefits of our custom Redwood-Ohlins and Redwood-FPX adjustable Grand Touring (GT) dampers - for a more affordable price, and more affordable install as it takes less labor to install and setup (no front spring height adjustment, and no removal of the rear spring). Since these use the same components from our FPX and Ohlins Long-Stroke kits, they can also be *upgraded* to full coilovers at a later date!

In addition, all kits (including full coilover kits) come with our *new and improved* one piece FULLY FORGED lower forks - stronger, and lighter than our previous version!