Suspension Poll: Lifted, Lowered, or Standard Height?

[metroshot]

I like it.
What range hit have you experienced? I'd think it would be very little.

Haven't driven highway speeds to find out, next weekend planning on 400 mile road trip that I know so well - will report back.

I drive in bumper to bumper traffic daily so no range loss - actually I get better range due to the smoother, regen cruising with the smoother LRR EV tires.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Lifted trucks with tires that don't require the lift look goofy to me.

It's my understanding that sometimes those lifted trucks are running their smaller tires to avoid wear on the bigger, more expensive set. Or the bigger ones are worn down & need replacing...

Just going through older threads getting caught up on past conversations. Lots of good info & food for thought even though the Slate hasn't yet hit the streets.

Personally I'm inclined to keep stock height for a few reasons:
1. Avoiding feature creep and concurrent additional cost (which goes against the whole Slate ethos...)
2. Lifting & lowering changes suspension & drivetrain geometry which can come with negative outcomes such as

• increased suspension and/or drivetrain wear from angular misalignment
• weird handling (death wobble not expected here)

 

[metroshot]

Haven't driven highway speeds to find out, next weekend planning on 400 mile road trip that I know so well - will report back.

I drive in bumper to bumper traffic daily so no range loss - actually I get better range due to the smoother, regen cruising with the smoother LRR EV tires.

After 7,000 miles in, these new RFT tires and new wheels with 1.5" lift are showing about 10% range hit on my total actual driving distance at high speeds.

At low speeds (urban commuting) 5 days a week, about 5% range hit.

Even though the speedometer has not been recalibrated for the larger tires and wheels, the difference according to the tire RPM vs distance is about 5%.

Plus I am getting a better ride with the taller & wider tires along with the suspension lift.

 

[AZFox]

Personally I'm inclined to keep stock height for a few reasons:
1. Avoiding feature creep and concurrent additional cost (which goes against the whole Slate ethos...)
2. Lifting & lowering changes suspension & drivetrain geometry which can come with negative outcomes such as

• increased suspension and/or drivetrain wear from angular misalignment
• weird handling (death wobble not expected here)

Regarding when lifted trucks look goofy, lifted trucks with tires that don't require the lift look goofy to me because the reason to lift a 4x4 should be to improve its 4x4 capability.

Generally speaking I think reducing a 4x4's off-road capability for the sake of a lifted appearance is doing it wrong. I understand there are other opinions.

Same goes for large-diameter wheels on a 4x4.

Those things are like high heels, but for trucks.


That said, I don't think an unnecessary 2-inch lift on a Slate would put it into the Goofy Looks Zone if the tires are big enough to adequately fill the fenderwells.


I'm optimistic that the two ride-height kits will work pretty well and without drama, but that's mainly because they're being designed-in from the beginning.

 

[phidauex]

I'd like to see them in person first to assess the lift question. Also curious what the stock ground clearance is (more like 5"? Or more like 9"?).

Generally speaking, I feel like the sequence of operations should be to mount taller tires to increase ground clearance (the only change that increases total ground clearance). From there you use a suspension lift if you need it to hit your target tire size. Going the other way around usually results in the odd appearances, or super jacked up trucks that still have a pumpkin 8" off the ground.

I'm mostly curious on the method of lift. I suspect it will be a spacer lift, which I'd probably pass on and wait for aftermarket options. If it is an actual taller progressive spring then it could improve clearance, comfort, and maybe slightly increase total articulation, and that would be a lot more appealing.

 

[beatle]

Personally I'm inclined to keep stock height for a few reasons:
1. Avoiding feature creep and concurrent additional cost (which goes against the whole Slate ethos...)
2. Lifting & lowering changes suspension & drivetrain geometry which can come with negative outcomes such as

• increased suspension and/or drivetrain wear from angular misalignment
• weird handling (death wobble not expected here)

This is generally the right approach to avoid the pitfalls you mention, but I'm hoping that Slate's OEM lift and lowering kits are properly designed for the truck.

I read about people wearing out axles on slightly lifted Ridgelines so I always kept mine stock height, but the R1T has 7 inches of adjustment on its factory suspension. Some of these settings are speed limited, though you have about 3.5" between standard and lowest which let you drive at all speeds.

 

[AZFox]

I feel like the sequence of operations should be to mount taller tires to increase ground clearance (the only change that increases total ground clearance). From there you use a suspension lift if you need it to hit your target tire size.

This is the way.

I'm mostly curious on the method of lift. I suspect it will be a spacer lift, which I'd probably pass on and wait for aftermarket options. If it is an actual taller progressive spring then it could improve clearance, comfort, and maybe slightly increase total articulation, and that would be a lot more appealing.

Yes it would!

 

[AZFox]

This is generally the right approach to avoid the pitfalls you mention, but I'm hoping that Slate's OEM lift and lowering kits are properly designed for the truck.

Well the kits are planned from the beginning so they certainly could be designed properly. There's cause for optimism here.

I read about people wearing out axles on slightly lifted Ridgelines so I always kept mine stock height, but the R1T has 7 inches of adjustment on its factory suspension. Some of these settings are speed limited, though you have about 3.5" between standard and lowest which let you drive at all speeds.

7 inches is a lot of difference! Wow.

It seems reasonable to expect the modest 2" lift / 1" drop will be workable without drama.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, you can buy 4x4 shocks that have 2.5" of adjustment just by moving a circlip from one groove to another.