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
Andrew Petrella (verified owner) –
Loved the dual rate feature. A more comfortable ride for daily driving and a stiffer more controlled feel for spirited driving!
zackfeldstein9 (verified owner) –
Drove on these for 60,000 miles and they were perfect. Never heard any noise from these and it’s such a great and affordable way to increase the performance of your car easily and without a huge financial commitment. Super impressed with what these could do. Highly recommend.
Sof (verified owner) –
I had these on for a few thousand miles before getting coil overs. The car looked and and felt great with and without a full load of passengers. I got the moderate stiffness, and the car was planted. Highly recommend!
Shaul (verified owner) –
After ordering the springs I waited a bit because they were on back order. However they were worth the wait. I was afraid that the improved stance would compromise the ride, but it totally didn’t. The ride is improved and the look is perfect! Thank you Blake for the friendly service!
Stephen Lortz (verified owner) –
For my 2018 Model 3P I got the mild springs. Amazing! The ride feel is even better than I was hoping for. The car is my daily driver and the harshness of the stock springs with the 20″ rims made me consider switching to 19″.
Instead I figured I try UP’s dual rate springs first since it seemed to advertise what I was looking for.
Now, no need to go to the 19″s. The street ride is less harsh and at the same time the car control feels more solid.
It did take a while for the parts to arrive but more than worth the wait.
Thank you Adam and the installers at UP!
deeidson (verified owner) –
Exactly what I wanted. Much better appearance. Beautiful stance. Both stiffer in the corners and smoother on the regular road imperfections. Feels more tuned and prepared. Will recommend to all my Tesla owning friends.
850arrrsaylikepirate (verified owner) –
My 2022 3 Performance was a monster truck in stock form, wasn’t pleased with the look or the softness. A car of this caliber shouldn’t look this way and thank goodness Unplugged had the fix. I got their Moderate Springs and they are the perfect amount of drop to daily the car. They eliminate the hideous wheel gap and improved the mushy handling (I did combine my order with their Street/Track sway-bars, oh so much better and highly recommended). Could I go lower, yes for sure, but the Moderates are perfect for usability with great looks and me being a bit older now, I don’t need to scrape the dots off the road anymore. However…I may still go with their coil-over setup in the future 🙂 When I placed my order, Blake with customer service was fantastic, he contacted me and answered all my questions plus found a shop near me to do the install. Really pleased with Unplugged Performance, they are top notch!!
jim.talbot (verified owner) –
My 2019 Performance Model 3 is great, but with the heavy weight of this EV the cornering at high speeds was disappointing. I recently added these Dual Rate Lowering Springs to the UP Sway Bars, and the handling is definitely getting better! The initial spring rate makes the bumps less jarring with the 20″ wheels and low profile tires. The second spring rate helps minimize vehicle roll, coupled with the sway bars.
The Moderate drop makes the Model 3 look awesome, like a true sport sedan! I wanted to decrease the wheel gap but not go too low, for both looks and practicality. I measured a 0.75″ drop at the midline of the vehicle which is ideal in terms of aesthetics, performance, and usability.
Ross was very patient answering my technical questions, and finding a local installer.
mrenology (verified owner) –
Moto Miwa definitely made the right recommendation for the Moderate Lowering springs for my Model 3 Performance. They gave it the perfect balance between drop and functionality – good ride quality and no scraping. Also, in another conversation regarding tire wear, Moto suggested I purchase the camber arms. Another good recommendation as I have read horror stories from the Tesla community about inner tire wear when the car was lowered without the ability to adjust the camber settings with the non-adjustable OEM camber arms.
Overall great experience speaking with Moto who provided much needed guidance.
DR Scott
davidseldenbrooke (verified owner) –
These dual rate springs were the most noticeable and effective upgrade I’ve made to my Model Y. Much better handling and comfort compared to the stock standard rate springs.