Suspension Poll: Lifted, Lowered, or Standard Height?

[metroshot]

Lowered. Can anyone tell me if it is factory-installed, or am I supposed to get it done after delivery?

Pros: Its a tiny truck. It will look better low IMO.

Cons: My Model 3 Performance is lowered, and it kinda eats rear tires... my right foot does need to share some of the blame.

Installation is on you or an installation center (any suspension shop or RepairPal).

Unless you have the tools and experience, Slate says it a "Professional" level of difficulty.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

Installation is on you or an installation center (any suspension shop or RepairPal).

Unless you have the tools and experience, Slate says it a "Professional" level of difficulty.

Having looked into doing a lift on my Lightning last year, I agree with this assessment. A 2" front "level" is one thing, but getting into springs/struts/realignments/getting the software to correctly understand the new assignment, etc. I opted not to tackle it.

 

[metroshot]

Having looked into doing a lift on my Lightning last year, I agree with this assessment. A 2" front "level" is one thing, but getting into springs/struts/realignments/getting the software to correctly understand the new assignment, etc. I opted not to tackle it.

My Ford Mach E has a 2" lift all around plus it's on taller tires, making the entire car 3" lifted.

No issues with having to calibrate any sensor or camera.

BlueCruise works perfect.

 

[E90400K]

It would be nice to know what the lift kit is comprised of. We've debated whether it is just strut and spring bushing inserts or full-on strut/shocks and springs replacement. I hope it is the latter. Being Slate has not finalized the price, I'd bet it is the latter. 🤞

 

[E90400K]

Installation is on you or an installation center (any suspension shop or RepairPal).

Unless you have the tools and experience, Slate says it a "Professional" level of difficulty.

That would be me...

 

[phidauex]

I'd agree with "professional" as the category. You need to be able to safely lift a 4000lb vehicle with the wheels off the ground (so no ramps), have and be able to use a spring compressor, and be have the tools and understanding to torque big fasteners and perform an alignment.

Not rocket science, but also not the kind of thing you can teach someone to do with just a video and a set of written instructions.

However I assume most people diving into projects like that will know what they are getting into.

 

[danielt1263]

I'm going for the lowering... To be completely honest it's because my wife has a Mini Countryman at 61" tall. The Slate is 68" normally. I want to shave some off.

 

[coregrind]

I plan for factory or aftermarket lowering springs, and will handle installation myself.

 

[Trace26]

I'm hoping Eibach makes some springs. Stock or slight lift but with better dynamics. Or bigger sway bars. I'll have to drive it before I'll be able to determine what it needs.

 

[kvermeer]

I'd agree with "professional" as the category. You need to be able to safely lift a 4000lb vehicle with the wheels off the ground (so no ramps), have and be able to use a spring compressor, and be [sic] have the tools and understanding to torque big fasteners and perform an alignment.

Not rocket science, but also not the kind of thing you can teach someone to do with just a video and a set of written instructions.

However I assume most people diving into projects like that will know what they are getting into.

I could not disagree more with just about all 7 of those clauses.

1. Lifting a wheel off the ground of a 4000 lbs vehicle is a trivial process involving a floor jack and a jack stand or two. It's step 1 of almost all car repairs.

Spring compressors are (for better or worse) a standard loaner tool at basically any auto parts store. You walk in, tell them you need a spring compressor, put down a deposit of $80, and walk out with this pro-grade tool:

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...-strut-spring-compressor-kit-648627/9150007-P

You don't even need to buy anything. A few days later, you can bring it back, and you get your entire deposit back.

I will grant you one point: spring compressors store a terrifying amount of potential energy. If you use them wrong, you can hurt yourself or others. But this is a 4000 lbs truck that goes 90 mph, there are all kinds of ways (AEB notwithstanding) to hurt yourself or others, there are like 5 million crashes requiring medical care per year from things like this. Just follow the instructions: Lube the threads, use the locking pins, turn it by hand (not with an impact), turn the two sides evenly, it'll be fine. Any adult who ought to be trusted to drive a vehicle can be trusted to do this. Perhaps there are some adults with licenses who don't deserve them, but that's not what I said. Do it right, don't do it wrong, and you'll succeed.

You do need a 1/2" ratchet, maybe a breaker bar (if it's been a few years and the fasteners have rusted), and some large sockets/wrenches. Those are basic tools. Torque the fasteners to German torque specs: Gütenteight! That's not going anywhere!

You don't need to have the tools at home to do an alignment. Get it close enough with a couple straight boards and a tape measure, then drive it to your tire shop and pay them $75 to touch it up with their giant laser system. They do alignments all day every day, if you bought the tires there they'll often check it for free.

This is a straightforward thing to teach with a video/instruction manual. It would be great if they had an instructor leaning over your shoulder, but people have been learning way more difficult procedures from grainy black-and-white photocopies forever. There are 20,000 videos on how to replace a McPherson strut on Youtube, there are some lug nuts and a half dozen fasteners per wheel, it's not that complicated.

And I think that most people diving into projects started by diving into projects when they had no idea what they're getting into. They struggled, thought, researched, and pushed through until they figured it out.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

I could not disagree more with just about all 7 of those clauses.

1. Lifting a wheel off the ground of a 4000 lbs vehicle is a trivial process involving a floor jack and a jack stand or two. It's step 1 of almost all car repairs.

Spring compressors are (for better or worse) a standard loaner tool at basically any auto parts store. You walk in, tell them you need a spring compressor, put down a deposit of $80, and walk out with this pro-grade tool:

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...-strut-spring-compressor-kit-648627/9150007-P

You don't even need to buy anything. A few days later, you can bring it back, and you get your entire deposit back.

I will grant you one point: spring compressors store a terrifying amount of potential energy. If you use them wrong, you can hurt yourself or others. But this is a 4000 lbs truck that goes 90 mph, there are all kinds of ways (AEB notwithstanding) to hurt yourself or others, there are like 5 million crashes requiring medical care per year from things like this. Just follow the instructions: Lube the threads, use the locking pins, turn it by hand (not with an impact), turn the two sides evenly, it'll be fine. Any adult who ought to be trusted to drive a vehicle can be trusted to do this. Perhaps there are some adults with licenses who don't deserve them, but that's not what I said. Do it right, don't do it wrong, and you'll succeed.

You do need a 1/2" ratchet, maybe a breaker bar (if it's been a few years and the fasteners have rusted), and some large sockets/wrenches. Those are basic tools. Torque the fasteners to German torque specs: Gütenteight! That's not going anywhere!

You don't need to have the tools at home to do an alignment. Get it close enough with a couple straight boards and a tape measure, then drive it to your tire shop and pay them $75 to touch it up with their giant laser system. They do alignments all day every day, if you bought the tires there they'll often check it for free.

This is a straightforward thing to teach with a video/instruction manual. It would be great if they had an instructor leaning over your shoulder, but people have been learning way more difficult procedures from grainy black-and-white photocopies forever. There are 20,000 videos on how to replace a McPherson strut on Youtube, there are some lug nuts and a half dozen fasteners per wheel, it's not that complicated.

And I think that most people diving into projects started by diving into projects when they had no idea what they're getting into. They struggled, thought, researched, and pushed through until they figured it out.

When I was going to do my Lightning they kept making a big deal out of reprogramming computer software to account for more drag, doing a whole new alignment, yada yada yada…so, I just put AT’s on and made sure they fit without leveling and went on. Blessings in disguise bc months later I was out of the Lightning bc Big Blue Oval couldn’t figure out the software to fix the infotainment and the freaking Frunk. After 11 days without the truck and 2 dealerships and both giving up hope…I was out.

 

[metroshot]

I'm hoping Eibach makes some springs. Stock or slight lift but with better dynamics. Or bigger sway bars. I'll have to drive it before I'll be able to determine what it needs.

Yes, I love Eibach!

Have Eibach lift springs and sway bars on my Mach E and love them.

Rides more comfortable and planted.

Much better ride than the OEM springs and sway bars.

 

[AZFox]

Eibach lowering springs and some high-zoot (Koni, etc.) shocks could be fun!

 

[kvermeer]

Eibach lowering springs and some high-zoot (Koni, etc.) shocks could be fun!

High... zoot? I've never heard that term before. If I don't have Koni shocks, are my vehicles lacking in zoot?

 

[AZFox]

High... zoot? I've never heard that term before. If I don't have Koni shocks, are my vehicles lacking in zoot?

Just the shocks.

High zoot refers to something that is expensive, extravagant, and over the top, often associated with luxury and high-class style. It can imply a sense of being stylish or "hep" in a more intense way than just "zoot."​