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Suspension upgrade recommendation for 2021 MY LR AWD comfortable ride

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miracj

2021 Model Y LR AWD
Jul 15, 2021
114
85
Waltham, MA
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Just like others that have experienced a firm ride with their Model Y, my wife complains about its handling. I have a 2021 Model Y, Long Range, AWD with 19" Gemini wheels. I am looking for recommendations to improve the local roads (Boston), with their complements of potholes all over and speed bumps installed to slow traffic.

I also have a driveway hill with a dip, that my car would bottom out if lowered too much, so I'd probably want to keep the car at stock height, or maybe just a bit lower

I am considering the Mountain Pass Performance (MPP) Luxury Coilovers or Unplugged Performance (UP) Comfort Coilovers, although I am leaning towards the MPP. Is there much difference between the two, and what would you recommend? And I would certainly consider any others you might suggest instead.

I believe the UP sway bars will also help with comfort in the cornering, but may not make much different for a comfortable ride with just coilovers. Any thoughts here would be helpful.

Finally, if you have any other recommendations as to items to add with comfort in mind, I'd like to hear them.

Thanks!
 
Just like others that have experienced a firm ride with their Model Y, my wife complains about its handling. I have a 2021 Model Y, Long Range, AWD with 19" Gemini wheels. I am looking for recommendations to improve the local roads (Boston), with their complements of potholes all over and speed bumps installed to slow traffic.

I also have a driveway hill with a dip, that my car would bottom out if lowered too much, so I'd probably want to keep the car at stock height, or maybe just a bit lower

I am considering the Mountain Pass Performance (MPP) Luxury Coilovers or Unplugged Performance (UP) Comfort Coilovers, although I am leaning towards the MPP. Is there much difference between the two, and what would you recommend? And I would certainly consider any others you might suggest instead.

I believe the UP sway bars will also help with comfort in the cornering, but may not make much different for a comfortable ride with just coilovers. Any thoughts here would be helpful.

Finally, if you have any other recommendations as to items to add with comfort in mind, I'd like to hear them.

Thanks!
I’m in the same boat in Northern NJ. It’s my only real gripe with the car. I haven’t found many people with helpful information to my similar post. I’m trying to find the right product and the right installer. I may monitor your post as well. Good luck.
 
Some discussion about comfort here, may have some other options:


Worst case you can reach out to either of those companies and ask them what their targeting with their shocks. In essence, the springs are likely the same, but adjusted for different weight of the vehicle. The shocks, however, should vary in high speed and low speed compression damping, as well as high and low rebound damping.

Presumably either company will have a "target" so it may do you a great service to talk to them about their products. One may focus on performance while the other is focusing on comfort without sacrificing feel, etc...

Edit: briefly looking at the two, they offer high and low spring rate, and adjustable damping. What will matter more than what you buy, is how you tune it. If there is a shop in your area that has more experience with one vs the other, I would go with that one. Since ride quality is 100% subjective and by feel, you will likely have more than one conversation and adjustment with your installer to dial your suspension in.
 
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Based upon the thread link you gave, It seems like Redwood Ohlins Grand Touring version might be the best, albeit at about $1000 more than MPP or UP. Which version did you purchase?

The ability to more easily get to the rear adjustment might be worth it as well. I'll be interested to hear how they work out for you after you get them installed.
 
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This is another great thing about the Ohlins rear shocks!! Not sure about the MPP, but with the UPP kit I had to jack the car up to adjust the rear shocks.
If you keep the stock ride height, you can adjust the MPP rear shocks without lifting the car. Since mine is lowered, I can't fit my arm between the tire and fender so I just lift it to make it easier.
 
Based upon the thread link you gave, It seems like Redwood Ohlins Grand Touring version might be the best, albeit at about $1000 more than MPP or UP. Which version did you purchase?

The ability to more easily get to the rear adjustment might be worth it as well. I'll be interested to hear how they work out for you after you get them installed.
The Ohlins valve is a really great valve and its been tried and tested for decades. They've sold over 2 million and counting of their valves. You can't go wrong there but yea they charge a lot for it. The Ohlins bodies are not as durable though, alu plus coating vs the KW stainless + inox coating. The Ohlins valve is probably better than the KW. The KW and their private label MPP are a great balance of performance and cost.

As for adjust especially on lowered cars it, it's really a by product of the lowered height. It's a problem on most lowered cars anyways. Keep a set of rhino ramps or other ramps handy which makes adjustments easier.
 
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The Ohlins valve is a really great valve and its been tried and tested for decades. They've sold over 2 million and counting of their valves. You can't go wrong there but yea they charge a lot for it. The Ohlins bodies are not as durable though, alu plus coating vs the KW stainless + inox coating. The Ohlins valve is probably better than the KW. The KW and their private label MPP are a great balance of performance and cost.

As for adjust especially on lowered cars it, it's really a by product of the lowered height. It's a problem on most lowered cars anyways. Keep a set of rhino ramps or other ramps handy which makes adjustments easier.
The above is very helpful!

Do you have any concept of how the Ohlins GT compare to the MPP comfort coilovers at stock height? The occasionally big bump is not an issue, but just the typical non-highway driving with potholes and bad road repair. And for stock height (winter snow and speed bumps) would the MPP still be a good comfort choice?

On the other hand, Redwood Motosports says it comes with a limited lifetime warranty, however that is defined

And maybe you know, would a 3rd party tophat be better than Tesla's for comfort?

Thanks
 
If you keep the stock ride height, you can adjust the MPP rear shocks without lifting the car. Since mine is lowered, I can't fit my arm between the tire and fender so I just lift it to make it easier.
Well having support from a vendor like MPP on a forum is great, as it allows all users to benefit.

And Not that I intend to change it once the coilover is dialed in, that's good to know that I may need some ramps, for ease anyway.!

Thanks.
 
The above is very helpful!

Do you have any concept of how the Ohlins GT compare to the MPP comfort coilovers at stock height? The occasionally big bump is not an issue, but just the typical non-highway driving with potholes and bad road repair. And for stock height (winter snow and speed bumps) would the MPP still be a good comfort choice?

On the other hand, Redwood Motosports says it comes with a limited lifetime warranty, however that is defined

And maybe you know, would a 3rd party tophat be better than Tesla's for comfort?

Thanks
The thing to consider is that 2-way adjustments are usually only available when you hit the high end bracket 4-5K range cost historically. Then along came KW and brought those features to the market over a decade ago for 2500-3000k.

Now since both sets are 2-way adjustable you can tailor the bump, in the case low speed bump/compression. Low speed bump is crucial to dialing in the "comfort" at low speeds thus since you have that control in both sets either will do so it just comes down finding a setting that fits you. In this regard the Ohlins has a finer range of adjustment almost twice the range, but that's not to say you can't find a setting on the KW's that is just as pleasing.

As for the top hats... different schools of thought. The stock mounts use rubber. Some sus systems use the rubber mounts of the whole system to add to the damping. When you get to coilovers that changes somewhat. Your tires for instance become an issue as the sidewall flexes removing a bit of the coilovers effectiveness, however luckily on Tesla's they run a silly high amount of air pressure. On cars with more tire sidewall this will be an issue and as tire pressures defalte the car will bob and bounce more on coilovers. I have to remember to keep the tire pressures on my sti inflated closer to 40 or else the car starts to bob for instance, ie. bouncing on its tires which means the coilovers can't do their job.

Going back to the schools of thought, some stay on rubber mounts and keep a degree of bounciness in the system that they cannot control, ie. that amount of built in damping. Some think it adds comfort, but I'm not sure about that as you're removing damping control from the coilovers. I'm of the school of thought that I wanna control all that with the coils, thus I run spherical top mounts in front. And then my only variable are my tire pressures. As long as the sphericals do not click or make bad noises I can tune my coils for a balance that I like. On the sti I've been thru a ton of coils and they each cost 3-4K dollars, from stiff as hell JIC Flights, AST, Tein, etc etc and that on top of the Koni's and Bilsteins. This was over a decade ago and it wasn't until KW's V3 came out that I stopped looking for coilovers. Yea, the Ohlins are really nice. The milling and how they come together it's obvious they are cherry, The KW's look plain next to them. I don't really care how they look though as I run my coilovers behind coilover covers anyways but the stainless bodies and coating means they still look like new even over a decade old. That's just my imo so as I wrote Ohlins then KW. I'm good with the KW. You should also contact your private label, in this case Redwood and ask how they handle warranty and cross shipping. Private labels don't come with manufacturers warranty unless stated, ie. they worked out a deal with the OEM.
 
**Edit, I looked more closely at the Ohlins and saw that those are dual height adjustable on the front whereas the KW are single height adjustable. One could write pages on the preload and droop ramifications of maxing height on a singe height adjustable or fixed perch setup so I linked the bible on the topic below. Basically it's this, you have to be more comfortable with the "designed" height of the KW coilovers which is an inch or so lower than stock. If you raise it the ride height to the max then you end up riding at it's extended extreme, ie you're on its bump stops all the time. On my sti I run top hat spacers to get more height since I don't like it so low for street driving. In other words you don't want to jack the height all the way up on a fixed perch design such as the KW. If you like a higher ride height such as closer to stock then go Ohlins. On a KW or fixed perch it's a compromise so that extra grand will give you that range w/o giving much up... well except the cost. *Or you can run one of those lift kits on top.


Good explanation on droop travel compromise on single perch or singe height adjustable coilovers.

 
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I'd also add that on my subie, I have a whole slew of spacers from 1/4 to 3/4 that I use to adjust height. Instead of raising the perch I slap in a spacer, especailly when corner balancing when there's a corner that droops too much like my left rear corner by a 1/2in due to the weight of the subwoofer there. There isn't a product like that on the Tesla but there should be. The spacers are cheap too and really could be even cheaper. They're just made of delrin aka acetal. Can buy it at home depot and cut it with a jigsaw but I'm lazy and get mine from a shop.
 
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I'd also add that on my subie, I have a whole slew of spacers from 1/4 to 3/4 that I use to adjust height. Instead of raising the perch I slap in a spacer, especailly when corner balancing when there's a corner that droops too much like my left rear corner by a 1/2in due to the weight of the subwoofer there. There isn't a product like that on the Tesla but there should be. The spacers are cheap too and really could be even cheaper. They're just made of delrin aka acetal. Can buy it at home depot and cut it with a jigsaw but I'm lazy and get mine from a shop.
All of your posts have been really great information!

I've been also looking at the warranties
  • The Redwood coilovers come with a lifetime defects & failures warranty for the mounts and all hardware but the dampers have a 2 Year Factory Warranty & unlimited miles with Ohlins. I don't know how difficult or expensive it would be to replace the dampers (not something I would do myself).

  • UP has a 2 Year Factory Warranty & unlimited miles on their products.

  • MPP has a 2 Year Factory Warranty.
Do you think the Ohlins dampers, with typical street driving, would typically last at least as long as the others, even though they seem a bit more complicated? If that is the case, I think that might be the final deciding factor. The difference in cost, while not insignificant, might be a well spent choice.

Thanks!
 
All of your posts have been really great information!

I've been also looking at the warranties
  • The Redwood coilovers come with a lifetime defects & failures warranty for the mounts and all hardware but the dampers have a 2 Year Factory Warranty & unlimited miles with Ohlins. I don't know how difficult or expensive it would be to replace the dampers (not something I would do myself).

  • UP has a 2 Year Factory Warranty & unlimited miles on their products.

  • MPP has a 2 Year Factory Warranty.
Do you think the Ohlins dampers, with typical street driving, would typically last at least as long as the others, even though they seem a bit more complicated? If that is the case, I think that might be the final deciding factor. The difference in cost, while not insignificant, might be a well spent choice.

Thanks!
Hmm, the thing with warranties is that they are for defects. Thus generally speaking you'll find out if there are any flaws or defects within a few thousand miles of hard driving, ie. blown seals/valves and leaking oil real fast. Well before a lifetime... It's not gonna be a case of five years later you find a defect type of thing. Thus beyond that it comes down to the body material and coating. In this case I think the KW is superior with its stainless body and inox coating, however they are heavier and are fixed perch design so its a trade off. The Ohlins will not be impervious to the elements so you'll have to be very mindful if you're on the east coast (salt) or near the oceans. Every time you wash the car, pressure spray the gunk off them. This is why I run coilover covers on mine. Beyond the defect warranty you will have swap replacement policies which are how a shop handles rebuilds or valving orders. Say your coilovers leak 5 years from now, will the shop even be in business then? And if so, do they do cross shipping which is not something all shops or brands do? Most often you will need to remove your old part and ship it in for the work to be done. KW for instance doesn't do cross shipping so if you need a rebuild or are ordering custom valving (competition) after initial purchase you have to send in your old unit/s wait two weeks to recieve your rebuilt units, etc.

All that said, if it were me I'd probably lean towards the Ohlins just for the dual height adjustment. That alone is a huge advantage. Looking more deeply at their rear damper assembly it looks like due to the separate spring design of the Tesla 3/Y there are collars on both the damper and spring collar so if I'm assuming right the rear does have dual height as well. Though I'd confirm with Redwood to be sure. Having dual collars aka adjustable perches makes removing the dampers for service incredibly easy. After jacking the car up on stands you just release the dampers from the top mount (unscrew) and then you just spin them off their lower bodies and can then ship pack them up w/o ever having to undo anything on the lower end.

covers
 
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Hmm, the thing with warranties is that they are for defects. Thus generally speaking you'll find out if there are any flaws or defects within a few thousand miles of hard driving, ie. blown seals/valves and leaking oil real fast. Well before a lifetime... It's not gonna be a case of five years later you find a defect type of thing. Thus beyond that it comes down to the body material and coating. In this case I think the KW is superior with its stainless body and inox coating, however they are heavier and are fixed perch design so its a trade off. The Ohlins will not be impervious to the elements so you'll have to be very mindful if you're on the east coast (salt) or near the oceans. Every time you wash the car, pressure spray the gunk off them. This is why I run coilover covers on mine. Beyond the defect warranty you will have swap replacement policies which are how a shop handles rebuilds or valving orders. Say your coilovers leak 5 years from now, will the shop even be in business then? And if so, do they do cross shipping which is not something all shops or brands do? Most often you will need to remove your old part and ship it in for the work to be done. KW for instance doesn't do cross shipping so if you need a rebuild or are ordering custom valving (competition) after initial purchase you have to send in your old unit/s wait two weeks to recieve your rebuilt units, etc.

All that said, if it were me I'd probably lean towards the Ohlins just for the dual height adjustment. That alone is a huge advantage. Looking more deeply at their rear damper assembly it looks like due to the separate spring design of the Tesla 3/Y there are collars on both the damper and spring collar so if I'm assuming right the rear does have dual height as well. Though I'd confirm with Redwood to be sure. Having dual collars aka adjustable perches makes removing the dampers for service incredibly easy. After jacking the car up on stands you just release the dampers from the top mount (unscrew) and then you just spin them off their lower bodies and can then ship pack them up w/o ever having to undo anything on the lower end.

covers
A couple of facts I got from Redwood about their GT Coilovers
  • They can go to stock height, but is near the limit going up
  • Don't add tophats for comfort. While their spherical bearing tophats have significant performance benefits, they introduce a considerable amount of NVH
  • Their Model 3 Sway Bar and Endlinks will fit a Model Y without issues, but would be a minor improvement over just the coilovers for comfort. They are currently evaluating if it makes sense to develop a Model Y specific sway bar kit.
So it seems like that Redwood's Ohlins would meet my needs (ok, my wife's needs :) ) best. I'll add coilover covers to protect them a bit more and will report back about 3 months from now after I get them and have them installed.

I really want to thank you for your input as it was invaluable! 👍
 
Nice, I'm jelly. I'd mod out our MYP but it's the wife's car and she barely drives. Though I did put in a stupid amount of man hours applying ceramic to the whole car. I should have just paid a shop to do it in retrospect lol.

Going to stock height is the key though as fixed perch coils can't even do that w/o hurting the travel and affecting droop greatly. Regarding the NVH.... yea I suppose its better to err on the comfort side of things for the wife.

I doubt you need sways... the Y has so damn much understeer dialed in that adding a bigger bar will only make it worse. Plus you have coils so you have full control of the amount of stiff you want to dial in. Let us know how it goes.
 
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All of your posts have been really great information!

I've been also looking at the warranties
  • The Redwood coilovers come with a lifetime defects & failures warranty for the mounts and all hardware but the dampers have a 2 Year Factory Warranty & unlimited miles with Ohlins. I don't know how difficult or expensive it would be to replace the dampers (not something I would do myself).

  • UP has a 2 Year Factory Warranty & unlimited miles on their products.

  • MPP has a 2 Year Factory Warranty.
Do you think the Ohlins dampers, with typical street driving, would typically last at least as long as the others, even though they seem a bit more complicated? If that is the case, I think that might be the final deciding factor. The difference in cost, while not insignificant, might be a well spent choice.

Thanks!
Correction to the above after getting some more info from MPP. They said the comfort coil overs have a 3-year warranty. They said that they really stand behind their products, and not to worry too much about warranties. In addition, they said that larger sway bars would be detrimental for comfort and would not improve ride quality.

While I have decided to get the Redwood Ohlins coilovers for their dual adjustability, I would probably go with the MPP for the longer warranty and commitment as my second choice, and UP as the lower-end price. However all 3 companies are excellent in their answering of questions and all are probably still very good for comfort street driving depending upon your needs.

And another big thank you to TheSmokingMan for his help in weighing the pros and cons of the coilovers!
 
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