Tesla factory air suspension or MPP comfort coilover?

[Chasis]

Currently own a P3D+. Looking to get rid of the horrendous wheel gaps. I don't track the car...
I remember reading somewhere about Tesla beginning to produce Model 3 with air suspension early 2019.

Anyone think/know if Tesla will be offering the air suspension as a retrofit? Or should I just go with MPP comfort and call it a day?

 

[SD_Engnr]

Currently own a P3D+. Looking to get rid of the horrendous wheel gaps. I don't track the car...
I remember reading somewhere about Tesla beginning to produce Model 3 with air suspension early 2019.

Anyone think/know if Tesla will be offering the air suspension as a retrofit? Or should I just go with MPP comfort and call it a day?

Doubtful that Tesla would provide a retrofit. Plus, no one but Tesla knows when/if they'll provide the air suspension as an option.

I vote that you go with @MountainPass coils and call it a day. They have a pre-order special right now, so I'd jump on it if I were you. (I did, and cannot wait until they come in and I can get rid of the horrendous gap, and have a great setup for the track.)

 

[Skione65]

Doubtful that Tesla would provide a retrofit. Plus, no one but Tesla knows when/if they'll provide the air suspension as an option.

I vote that you go with @MountainPass coils and call it a day. They have a pre-order special right now, so I'd jump on it if I were you. (I did, and cannot wait until they come in and I can get rid of the horrendous gap, and have a great setup for the track.)

@SD_Engnr,

Did you order the Sport or Comforts?

Ski

 

[MountainPass]

I think a retrofit could be possible for a guy like RichRebuilds, but you might have to get updated body harnesses for all the electronics involved with air suspension, and the compressor itself. As for controlling it via the centre screen, that may also be an issue.

 

[SD_Engnr]

@SD_Engnr,

Did you order the Sport or Comforts?

Ski

I ordered the Sports.

Currently own a P3D+. Looking to get rid of the horrendous wheel gaps. I don't track the car...
I remember reading somewhere about Tesla beginning to produce Model 3 with air suspension early 2019.

Anyone think/know if Tesla will be offering the air suspension as a retrofit? Or should I just go with MPP comfort and call it a day?

Another option is to go with an aftermarket air suspension kit. The Unofficial Aftermarket Air Suspension Thread

 

[pdxrunr]

MP, any eta updates for those with pre orders for the awd/ p3d comforts?

Thanks!

 

[MountainPass]

MP, any eta updates for those with pre orders for the awd/ p3d comforts?

Thanks!

Hoping for April, waiting on KW for an up-to-date estimate. Will keep everyone posted!

 

[Skione65]

Hoping for April, waiting on KW for an up-to-date estimate. Will keep everyone posted!

@MountainPass,

Is that just for Comforts or Sport too?

Ski

 

[MountainPass]

@MountainPass,

Is that just for Comforts or Sport too?

Ski

The Sports pre-orders will be done at the end of February, but they're all sold now! Will continue regular production afterwards though.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

just got a S loaner w/air suspension. OMG I missed this ride... How can I make my 3 ride so smoothly?

 

[lbowroom]

April?

 

[MountainPass]

April?

KW can only make one version at a time, so they are producing the Sports right now followed by the Comforts. It was the same with our RWD versions. Roughly 1-2 months in between their release.

 

[lbowroom]

Hmmm, so I can get sports earlier? Damn you

 

[coleAK]

Now I know they are two very differant beasts but. I was involved in assisting my buddy pull the air suspension off his grand Cherokee trailhawlk and replaced it with A Fox set up. He got sick of it failing in the cold. It took probably around 30 hours of labor and we didn’t remove the controllers. So what I’m getting at is even if it was possible to retrofit I’m sure it would be crazy expensive $10k+ so then it would be less expensive to take the hit and get a new 3.

Also I’m sure I’ll get some grief for this but... Has anyone ever produced a long term reliable air suspension? Not MB, not Rover, deffinetly not Jeep/Ram. Tesla has only had theirs a few years and not on many vehicles so time will tell there.

So the MMP comfort get my vote.

 

[mikevbf]

Tesla has only had theirs a few years and not on many vehicles so time will tell there.

Actually Tesla first introduced air suspension as an option on the Model S in 2012. I can not speak to the reliability of that vintage air suspension, but can say the one I have had for over 2 years has had no problems. Why would Tesla make air suspension standard in their Model S and X unless they thought it reliable? I know other brand cars have had their fair share of issues with air suspension especially the older ones, but I believe Tesla has figured out how to make theirs reliable.

 

[Vines]

From what i hear, the air suspension is pretty good in the model S, but the bladders do go bad in 2-5 years depending on how badly you torture them. About $1000 to replace each front corner assembly, so not a cheap solution by any means.

Doubt you'd be able to retrofit the factory versions down the road, but with enough money anything is possible. There's a lot that would need to be installed to make the upcoming factory air suspension a retrofit for the model 3.

 

[coleAK]

Actually Tesla first introduced air suspension as an option on the Model S in 2012. I can not speak to the reliability of that vintage air suspension, but can say the one I have had for over 2 years has had no problems. Why would Tesla make air suspension standard in their Model S and X unless they thought it reliable? I know other brand cars have had their fair share of issues with air suspension especially the older ones, but I believe Tesla has figured out how to make theirs reliable.

MB also tries to make a highly reliable car and they’ve been trying to make the air suspension work for decades. The reliability issues is why Toyota/Lexus when with a hydraulic set up for the adjustable suspension in the land cruiser/LX.

 

[MountainPass]

It may be different for Tesla's, but I have replaced my fair share of airbags working in a BMW/MB repair shop. The bags fold over themselves and rub through. Failures range from a sad "pftttttttt" like a balloon to a huge bang when they burst.

 

[mikevbf]

MB also tries to make a highly reliable car and they’ve been trying to make the air suspension work for decades. The reliability issues is why Toyota/Lexus when with a hydraulic set up for the adjustable suspension in the land cruiser/LX.

The key difference here is that Tesla no longer makes it an option on the S and the X; it is the only way they make them now unless you maybe request something off menu. If after 5 years of putting them on their cars many were coming back needing repairs, Tesla would have discontinued them, switched to hydraulic or something else other than making them the only suspension available.

Another key difference between MB, BMW, Audi etc and Tesla is Tesla's rate of innovation. An indication of this is how many changes are made every week and month not just year which results in Tesla being able to debug engineering problems like air suspension more quickly. This is not to say the big German manufactures don't have chops (they most certainly do) it is to say Tesla has a much more nimble process which allows their engineers to make corrections in a much shorter time frame. This nimbleness also has to do with over the air updates and a much higher level of vertical integration which is a topic discussed well in other threads. Bottom line is because of all of this, Tesla has been able to make a more reliable air suspension than the rest of the industry. My advice for the OP is to not go with an after market air suspension that Tesla has not chosen and integrated into the car.

 

[Skione65]

I ordered the Sports.


@SD_Engnr,

Sweet...think I may pull the trigger on the same. Let me know what you think after they’re installed.

Ski