Is this a linear or a progressive spring?
Neither. It is a third category. The dual rate nature of this product is a direct descendant to motorsports “stacked’ spring setups. A stacked spring is two linear springs of differing spring rates and lengths that are stacked together with a predetermined location for a transition point between spring rates. This strategy employed on high end motorsports suspensions provides predictable results yet allows advanced tuning of handling characteristics by using two independent linear spring rates. The dual rate spring we offer is of equivalent concept. It employs two specifically engineered linear spring rates with a specifically located transition point between the two rates. Therefore, it is more linear spring than progressive spring in nature, yet is a third category.
Will Tesla warranty non-Tesla parts such as these springs?
We warranty our spring kit with our lifetime product warranty. Tesla’s warranty covers their products but Tesla does not keep inventory or purchase non Tesla products for warranty repair, they only warranty what they manufacture.
Will Tesla void my warranty if I install aftermarket parts?
A vehicle’s comprehensive warranty as a whole may not be voided due to use of aftermarket parts per the Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act (https://www.sema.org/sema-enews/2011/01/ftc-validates-right-to-install-aftermarket-parts). However, a manufacturer may require a customer to pay for parts and labor for a repair if there is direct causation between a customer’s alteration and the product or service repair being requested. It is in both manufacturer and customer’s interest to follow logic and reason so that the system of good faith is not abused. If this topic interests you please read the law as well as your warranty documentation. Ultimately we are Tesla owners and enthusiasts, we are not lawyers and cannot provide legal advice.
Will the longevity of my shocks be impacted by lowering the car?
Shock life on a vehicle depends on many variables such as driving prolonged periods of time on unpaved surfaces in rural routes, high performance driving on winding roads, motorsports use, and/or other high impact situations. It has been reported at times that extreme lowering of a vehicle can in instances shorten the life cycle of shocks for example. If you research online you may see examples of extreme cases in which a car was lowered well outside of the safe operating range of the shock valving, and doing so can lead to excessive wear. In those extreme cases, when driving a vehicle that is too low and operating outside of the shock’s range, it can be typically felt with noticeable degradation of ride quality resulting in rough and bouncy driving. Our product does not fall into such an extreme and this particular topic has shades of gray in between the extremes. There is ultimately no definitive formula in determining how much or how little wear a shock will incur over time because shock wear encompasses many use factors, height being one of them. Out of an abundance of caution, we encourage that precaution is taken with regards to the possibility of more frequent purchasing or rebuilding of shocks or related components in correlation with driving style and lowering. This topic is largely similar to the understanding that when driving aggressively tires will wear faster and tire costs may increase as a result of more aggressive driving. Ultimately if this is of concern then lowering your car may not be the right choice for you.
What happens to alignment when a car is lowered?
Every vehicle’s alignment correlates to ride height and adjusts freely as height changes. For example, if you ask any Model S or Model X owner with air suspension, they will tell you that they love how the car looks and performs when driving on the lower range of settings. They will also often advise that they experience some additional tire wear from negative camber. What they are experiencing is that the car is aligned at a fixed height, and when air suspension lowers the car lowers and the alignment changes relative to height. A lower height typically results in more negative camber which can both increase handling and decrease tire lifespan. Getting a car re-aligned allows each owner options for setting an adjustable alignment characteristics. This enables you to to inform your alignment shop as to whether you would like alignment to be more aggressive (trading tire wear for handling) or more economical (trading off maximum grip for better tire wear). Please note that while alignment shops can adjust these settings to your tastes, there is a limitation on the ranges of adjustment.
What happens when my car has passengers in the rear, or a full trunk? Is rear height negatively impacted?
The benefit of dual rate linear springs is that there are two discrete spring rates. As a result, we were able to design a firmer secondary rate that is stiff enough to prevent excessive sagging when extra weight is applied.
Will lowering my car reduce my ground clearance and what happens if I scrape my car?
Yes, your ground clearance will be adjusted by equivalent lowering value of the lowering spring you select. We address this question in greater depth above within the subject “which version should I get?”. Cars of factory height and of all shapes and sizes unfortunately sometimes encounter situations in which they scrape and/or incur damage. In such cases the cost of that damage is the responsibility of the driver and not of the vehicle or aftermarket part manufacturer. When choosing to lower your vehicle, we encourage you to be aware that you are reducing ground clearance and therefore increasing your chances of impact. Drivers of previously low cars tend to understand this inherently, however if this topic is new to you please take consideration of all facts before making your decision.
I'm thinking of upgrading my wheels / tires in addition to springs, is there anything I should know?
For any car, tire sizing is a very important topic; specifically, maintaining the correct ratio of width and diameter when replacing / upgrading tires. Model 3 is available from Tesla with several wheel options, in three different diameters. Despite the different sizes, the overall tire size ratio is almost identical, and as it can affect the height of the car, this ratio plays a role in how your Model 3 will look post-spring installation. We’ve seen several owners install tires which have significantly different overall diameters than suggested, which causes the vehicle to either sit higher or lower than the height for which our springs are intended. When choosing tires, we strongly recommend keeping within the very precise margin for overall diameter as spec’d from Tesla. For more information, please refer to our wheel and tire sizing guide here: https://unpluggedperformance.com/tesla-wheel-and-tire-guide
I would like to read your terms & conditions
The link is conveniently found across our entire website at the bottom. The link is also here for your review: https://unpluggedperformance.com/terms-and-conditions
Tim Hedstrom (verified owner) –
These are exactly what I was expecting. I waited over a year for them. Pandemic backorders and all. It took me about 6 hours to install with help from a friend. The fronts were the worst part. You have to have the spring compressors mounted just right and really compress them a lot to assemble the strut again. The rears are super easy.
The ride isn’t as soft as my wife’s LR but I suspect it’s due to her sidewall being more. I’m running the stock tires until they wear out then I’ll be going with a smaller wheel that is lighter than these stock ubertubines.
The area where these gain the most is initial bumps. Large bumps still punch your kidneys but smaller ones don’t. Turns are still sharp. Body roll is a little more but was to be expected with a lighter start of the spring. These are worth it. I’d do this again 100%!
Jeroen Weijenberg (verified owner) –
I really like the new moderate lowering spring for my Model Y performance.
The set lowered the car by roughly 1 inch (2.5cm)
I have the feeling that the car provides a smoother ride than stock.
You feel it when driving over small bumps. The car is still stiff but I like it better that stock and obviously it looks amazing.
Installation was easy. If you have some basic mechanic skills than this should be easy to do at home.
Only took the front shocks to a shop to get the spring replaced.