Hi everyone,
I purchased the TSportline lowering springs about 2 months ago and finally got around to installing them about 2 weeks ago. I gave the springs 2 weeks so they could settle + allow me some time to drive on them extensively prior to leaving a review. My car is a 2014 Model S 85 with stock coilover suspension.
I originally chose to go with the coilover suspension because people on the forums mentioned that it had better overall performance and a less bouncy ride compared to the air suspension. After approximately 1 year of ownership, I didn't notice much difference when driving compared to my buddy's Model S with air suspension and I really didn't like how much gap there was between the fender and the wheel. In retrospect, I should've gotten the air suspension and added the lowering links. I got the TSportline springs for a) improved performance and b) improved aesthetics.
Review:
Some BEFORE photos:
Directly after install:
Today:
The install: I have a friendly shop that is willing to allow me to document the step-by-step process with photos of installing the springs. They took a look at my suspension and mentioned that the install was fairly simple process as the suspension was basically a Mercedes setup.
First they jacked my car up and removed my wheels:
The coilovers are bolted to the car through the frunk and the trunk. All they had to do was remove a couple plastic covers to access:
Once the bolts were removed, they removed the front coilovers by detaching the sway bar and a few bolts.
The rears were a tiny bit more tricky because I had to disable the parking brake before they were able to remove it
Once removed, they compressed the springs, removed the top hat and installed the new springs in its place.
As you can tell, the new springs aren't much shorter than the current and it has identical spring rates as the OEM springs
Finally, they reinstalled the coilovers and put my wheels back on. The process took about 2 hours and my car was immediately about half an inch lower. Over the course of the next week, the car settled into the springs and lowered it by about .25-.5 inches more.
I purchased the TSportline lowering springs about 2 months ago and finally got around to installing them about 2 weeks ago. I gave the springs 2 weeks so they could settle + allow me some time to drive on them extensively prior to leaving a review. My car is a 2014 Model S 85 with stock coilover suspension.
I originally chose to go with the coilover suspension because people on the forums mentioned that it had better overall performance and a less bouncy ride compared to the air suspension. After approximately 1 year of ownership, I didn't notice much difference when driving compared to my buddy's Model S with air suspension and I really didn't like how much gap there was between the fender and the wheel. In retrospect, I should've gotten the air suspension and added the lowering links. I got the TSportline springs for a) improved performance and b) improved aesthetics.
Review:
- Ride quality: the ride quality after the install did not change at all. I believe the spring rates on the TSportline lowering springs are very similar to OEM. I could not notice any difference at all
- Handling in daily driving and spirited driving: as the car was marginally closer to the ground, it did feel like the cornering and handling was overall slightly better. Again, the drop was not extreme so the difference wasn't super noticable
- Rubbing: one concern I had before the install was that my wheels would rub my fender or when I turned. I am currently riding on 22x9.5 fronts and 22x10.5 rears so it was a real concern. However, I was relieved when my wheels did not rub at all after install
- Difference in range: none
- Overall: was fairly satisfied with the purchase. The springs made my car lower and look much better as it closed the fender/wheel gap. My only wish is that the springs would lower the car another .5 inches or so since I'm a big fan of the flush look. I suspect for most people on these forums, these springs will give you the perfect amount of drop.
Some BEFORE photos:
Directly after install:
Today:
The install: I have a friendly shop that is willing to allow me to document the step-by-step process with photos of installing the springs. They took a look at my suspension and mentioned that the install was fairly simple process as the suspension was basically a Mercedes setup.
First they jacked my car up and removed my wheels:
The coilovers are bolted to the car through the frunk and the trunk. All they had to do was remove a couple plastic covers to access:
Once the bolts were removed, they removed the front coilovers by detaching the sway bar and a few bolts.
The rears were a tiny bit more tricky because I had to disable the parking brake before they were able to remove it
Once removed, they compressed the springs, removed the top hat and installed the new springs in its place.
As you can tell, the new springs aren't much shorter than the current and it has identical spring rates as the OEM springs
Finally, they reinstalled the coilovers and put my wheels back on. The process took about 2 hours and my car was immediately about half an inch lower. Over the course of the next week, the car settled into the springs and lowered it by about .25-.5 inches more.
