What suspension height is everyone using

[JoshV]

Hi Everyone,

I have a 2019 Model X LR pre-Raven with 12k miles.

I’ve been keeping an eye on all the acceleration shudder posts and on my own MX for the issue.

I have automatic suspension adjust set and it always defaults to Low. If I change while driving it will eventually go back to low and maybe that’s why I haven’t seen the issue.

What does everyone else set their suspension to? Why would someone use the Standard height vs. the default Low setting? Does the Standard have a softer ride on bumpy roads.

thanks in advanced.

-Josh

 

[Stirthepot]

Low. never change it.

 

[Krazaak]

Always low, only change height for certain parking lots. Some people complain of inside tire wear on low, but it is not a problem for a properly aligned vehicle. 3 sets of tires on my car have worn perfectly evenly.

Haven't noticed any difference in ride comfort at any setting.

 

[JoshV]

Low. never change it.

How many miles on your vehicle? Have you experienced the dreaded shudder issue?

 

[JoshV]

Always low, only change height for certain parking lots. Some people complain of inside tire wear on low, but it is not a problem for a properly aligned vehicle. 3 sets of tires on my car have worn perfectly evenly.

Haven't noticed any difference in ride comfort at any setting.

How many miles on your vehicle? Have you experienced the dreaded shudder issue?

 

[Krazaak]

How many miles on your vehicle? Have you experienced the dreaded shudder issue?

Mine was set to auto-lower at 55mph when I got it, half shafts replaced pretty early on for shudder. It's been in low since then and now at 40k miles it needs them again. I plan to bring it in for the "permanent" shudder fix and screen UV as soon as I get my other car back from BMW...

 

[mmomega]

Typically change to very low manually but it stays on the low setting always.

If the wife gets in I occasionally put it in 'cushy mode' - standard height, non sport settings but leave in ludicrous speed.

 

[NewFavThing]

I’ve 18k in 13 months, Tesla standard height settings, and No acceleration shudder.

 

[Vitaman]

Standard Height
Never considered low.
What are the advantages?

 

[MrTomP]

Just curious, what are advantages and disadvantages between low vs standard?

 

[alphainfinity]

On my winter tires I run standard height. More cushion for those potholes and clearance for any snow buildup on the roads or my driveway. In the summer I swap back to my 22’s and run low.

 

[Yoitskenn]

Is there a way to keep it in “very low”

it always seem to want to go back into “low mode”

 

[BenderTmoc]

I've been curious about the "what do the different suspension heights REALLY do" topic for awhile. I considered making my own post, but hijacking this one seems appropriate.

Here is my guess. The suspension has some absolute values for maximum extension and maximum compression that are unaffected by your settings - they are the physical limits of the car hardware. Your suspension settings affect where the car's resting point is between those two limits. So a "low" setting = less upward play = more downward play = better for potholes, and a "high" setting = more upward play = less downward play = better for bumps.

So since the car wants to be equally comfortable going over bumps as over potholes, you get Standard on city streets where they are equally likely, and Low on freeways where a pothole is more likely than a bump.

I am purposefully ignoring tire wear and aerodynamics because I want to just focus on the basic theory. Does it sound plausible or are there other explanations?

 

[shinytop]

I don't use hard acceleration unless needed which is very seldom. So I leave my suspension in always standard.d Have read here that it puts off the shudder and tire wear. Only have 3k On my LR so time with tell.

 

[Seattle Tom]

I use Standard.

Low is better for avoiding the acceleration shudder but the slight negative camber it creates causes excessive wear on the inner part of the tire (in my opinion).

I will put it in Low if I know I’m going to punch it, but I also prefer the look of the X when it’s not lowered. That’s personal preference though!

 

[NHK X]

I use Standard.

Low is better for avoiding the acceleration shudder but the slight negative camber it creates causes excessive wear on the inner part of the tire (in my opinion).

I will put it in Low if I know I’m going to punch it, but I also prefer the look of the X when it’s not lowered. That’s personal preference though!

I’ve had mine in low for 60k miles, so far first set of tires went 40k miles with mildly uneven tread wear. For most of the tire wear it was solid even.

But not sure if that applies to rest of cars.

 

[mswlogo]

I run mine on Auto low.

 

[davezforce]

I have the the unplugged performance lowering brackets installed in mine. So basically every setting is an inch lower than normal. I’m assuming I will experience the uneven tire wear when mine is in standard now because that would be the low setting without them and even worse when in low/very low. Might bring it to to my friends shop and throw it on the alignment rack and run it thru the height setting and see how much it affects it when switching them and adjust accordingly.

 

[Krazaak]

In my experience, tire size (20s vs 22s) has a bigger impact on ride comfort than driving in standard vs low. Negative camber can increase tire wear slightly, but it's usually only a serious problem if the toe is off. Any performance automobile runs negative camber on the rear, usually more pronounced than what I see in low on the X. Personally, I think auto lower at speed is the worst of both worlds if you're concerned about wear. It puts more strain on the drive shafts when you accelerate, then you spend most of the miles at low suspension anyway.

 

[Soey22]

I don't use hard acceleration unless needed which is very seldom. So I leave my suspension in always standard.d Have read here that it puts off the shudder and tire wear. Only have 3k On my LR so time with tell.

If you eventually do any towing you will get the shudder... the load you tow simulates same wear as hard acceleration.