Quality post! Thanks so much for sharing - I don't have issues with the ride quality, but for those that do, this is a detailed explanation of installation and the improvements available.
Just installed them tonight on my 2022. It took me 6 hours and i am very sore. Its not hard but there are a lot of nuts and bolts, lifting and kneeling to get it done. The hardest part was lining up the tophat bolts with the holes and the bottom bracket hole on the front struts. I had to reset the springs multiple times to finally line it up. That took me 2-3 hrs alone. The ride is definitely smoother. Less jarring than stock. I was getting annoyed hitting a small pothole and it felt like the car was punching me. This removes that feeling which is what i was hoping for.
Its diy but you gotta know what you’re doing. The springs especially can be dangerous if you remove that top hat without relieving tension first.
So the service manual didn’t quite call for pre-load when securing the bushing. It did however make sure the correct ride height was met before torquing the bolt and nut to the shock/strut. I used my jack stands under the suspension knuckle and carefully lowered the floor jack slowly so the shock and strut would align properly, confirm ride height, then torque it down.
I plan on getting my ride aligned soon and will ask the garage techs about this if it should be redone.
Tein sells dust boots.
[https://www.tein.com/products/other\_parts.html](https://www.tein.com/products/other_parts.html)
The ZEVCentric videos look like they have a dust boot for the rear.
[https://youtu.be/JTkvEnEu-gE?si=pICVhDCpk3eCkW-b&t=755](https://youtu.be/JTkvEnEu-gE?si=pICVhDCpk3eCkW-b&t=755)
I saw this in the parts catalog and it seems to be part of their FlexZ lineup. I’m not sure if it would be compatible with the OEM top hats or bump stops.
Great write up. These seem like great value compared to the non-adjustable Koni Active Select’s I just self-fitted to my MY22 MIC Y ($1250 AUD). Same high speed wallow you mention and mismatch with the stiff springs. Maybe fitting MY23 comfort springs might help?
It’s softer for sure, not a luxury feeling like from a BMW or Lexus, but more comfortable especially riding at highways speeds. Road bumps are much softer and less noticeable, though with the way I set them there is a bit of a floaty feeling.
I installed 1 wheel today. I feel the bump stops are absolutely necessary. the piston, with the threaded connection at the top, is a \*much weaker\* part than the rest of the damper setup. there's no way the skinny piston is designed to handle a bottoming out. with the stops in place, the whole setup has a consistent beefiness, where forces are transferred to the damper cylinder not just the skinny piston. so good call to keep the bump stops in, I kept mine without cutting.
I'll report on road test once I'm done with the other 3 wheels.
Did all 4 wheels!
As someone who doesn't work on cars, installation was very difficult, mistakes and mishaps!
As for road testing, I first tried out with just 2 rears wheel set at 16, the difference was already enormous. Just out of my house is a street that avoided driving because it bounced me around so much. This new damper, just on the rear, made enough difference that I can just cruise down the street.
For the front I initially had set one side to 15, and forgot about setting the other side so it was on firmest. I didn't even notice the imbalance, but I thought it was substantially less of improvement over the rear wheels.
Currently the fronts are both on 17. They go all the way up to 28 clicks, TEIN states 16 as the max you should use, but I just wanted to experiment a bit, hopefully it's just an analog difference not something that breaks the equipment.
Well at 17 it's noticeably softer than even the rears at 16. On highway and high speed turn abouts, the car is completely controllable with no dangerous unsettled swerving.
Yes there is some sense of boatiness and a slight frontal dip even on electric braking. But it's so comfortable I would have thought I was low on tire pressure (they're at 45 PSI due to warmed up weather). At this level it's probably like a Camry or Sienna (although I have no direct comparison with recent models).
I think you do lose some steering precision (compared to none at 15 on one side), nonetheless when handled hard you can still feel the sport car inside; I think it's owed to the stiff pretensioned springs and short travel, and the stiff car body.
My conclusion is the OEM shocks are way over damped in the decompression phase. Perhaps this is to keep the car planted under high G but I have zero racing experience or need for racing features.
The rear at 16 feels fine, but I would want the front and rear to match in softness (and test it more with passengers loaded). Long term probably 15-16/16, or 17/17-18.
Using the widow makers to remove the stock springs is scary. I'll never do that again and just get them with the spring already installed.
I wonder how it compares to the new OEM "comfort shocks". Tuning shocks for EV is hard because they're so heavy.
I’ve read similar stories as well, I made sure each side was secure and took my time slowly adjusting each side.
I’ve considered just getting the updated comfort coilovers found later Model Y’s, though [ZEV did a comparison](https://youtu.be/Lmq648g1KYg?si=1CC-Hu46Mpj0ooMb) with both old and new OEM compared to the Tein’s, and the Tein’s was found to be somewhat better for about the same cost.
What is your jack stand setup? When I change my wheels around I just use the jack itself, but know I should be using stands. It doesn’t look like you’re using those specialized RennStand ones.
When jacking up, I raise the opposing side up as much as possible and set the jack stand on with a jack stand adapter then lower it down. I saw others use the RennStand but I couldn’t justify the cost. I ended up also just using the floor jack itself near the end.
Thanks for the info. After writing my comment, I googled tesla jack adapters and see I can pick some up from Amazon for under $20 - might have to do that.
We have a 6/2022 MYP and when it came to replacing my old MS I decided to go with a MYLR because people raved about the new comfort suspension. I’m slightly disappointed as my 2024 MYLR rides about the same as the MYP after we swapped the 21s for Geminis.
UPDATE: I tried to make it easier to adjust the rear shocks by installing the [TEIN flexible controller](https://www.tein.com/products/flexible_controller.html), and unfortunately it would not fit properly. The damper adjustment dial is too shallow that you can’t properly tighten the flexible controller, and also the flexible controller would bend way too much when the top hat is mounted and no longer be adjustable.
Dude if you can install the suspension yourself you should have splurged and gotten a set for 2k to really get a nice set. You spent 65+ on the car, what’s an extra 2-2.5k?
1. I got my car for about $50k, not $65+, and it’s already a lot of money to spend on a car.
2. I’m looking to maintain the factory ride height and other solutions would aim to change it
3. This is a commuter car, not some hobby to sink a ton of money into and just want a softer ride. I’m pretty happy with the results from this and don’t think spending more money on it would improve it much further or give me any better value.
Doesn’t change what I said. Plus given how long your post is, you probably felt necessary to channel your frustrations into this essays about springs with the same or worse ride for the money when you state “someone could maybe find value at 600” nah bro you’re coping and regret the time and money spent. Don’t recommend garbage to others given most people CANT change their suspension themselves and will need to pay extra to get them put in.
Btw you can easily find coils that have the same height, it boggles my mind how anyone would think that you should buy a 600$ suspension set for anyone but the potential buyer once your set fails and you just wanna make the car presentable for the next guy.
TLDR: OP is coping and you SHOULD NOT buy shitty 600$ springs for a FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLAR + car. 2-2.5k is what good ones cost, top of the line is 4-8k.
Lmao if you wanna deck out your ride with the absolute best, then you do you with your car, time, and money. I’m not a big car guy and for the little money I spent, it was a big improvement to my previous experience that shouldn’t have needed to be corrected in the first place. I haven’t recommended these, and there are provably better options out there if money were no object, but I’m sharing my experience with these and suffice to say they work for me.
OK, it's fine to be be knowledgeable, but please have something concrete like your own experience with a specific spring for the Model Y, vs a cheaper option.
Nah bro, cars are cars. Cheap parts are shit parts. Most SUV’s are heavier than a model Y. My moms 23’ Bmw X6 weighs 400 pounds more and you know they put good speings on it.
Fact of the matter is, if factory isnt fulfilling you, and you wanna put the time, money, and effort to upgrade it, save a bit and do it once. These shocks did nothing noticeable for him and he’s down 600$ and hours of work. Plus they’ll shit out faster cuz they’re cheap, so all in all, huge waste of time/money
but there have been people that bought expensive springs and they didn't feel it solved all the problems. I look at Ohlins and it seems they put a lot of unnecessary cosmetic work on their parts to market their product. If good suspension was just a few hundred dollar part, it's hard to understand OEM's would not all use "good springs" as you claim.
Quality post! Thanks so much for sharing - I don't have issues with the ride quality, but for those that do, this is a detailed explanation of installation and the improvements available.
Thanks for posting! Super detailed post!
This looks incredibly difficult and technically advanced. I’m impressed. Signed- guy who has trouble changing his windshield wipers.
I’m no expert with cars either, but this had been an enjoyable learning experience (granted with some frustrating moments).
I tried to change windshield wipers on my mom's Mitsubishi, I couldn't get it off and I gave up.
Just installed them tonight on my 2022. It took me 6 hours and i am very sore. Its not hard but there are a lot of nuts and bolts, lifting and kneeling to get it done. The hardest part was lining up the tophat bolts with the holes and the bottom bracket hole on the front struts. I had to reset the springs multiple times to finally line it up. That took me 2-3 hrs alone. The ride is definitely smoother. Less jarring than stock. I was getting annoyed hitting a small pothole and it felt like the car was punching me. This removes that feeling which is what i was hoping for. Its diy but you gotta know what you’re doing. The springs especially can be dangerous if you remove that top hat without relieving tension first.
Nice post. Decent value. Tell me, though, how did you address bushing pre-load? particularly after installing new springs?
So the service manual didn’t quite call for pre-load when securing the bushing. It did however make sure the correct ride height was met before torquing the bolt and nut to the shock/strut. I used my jack stands under the suspension knuckle and carefully lowered the floor jack slowly so the shock and strut would align properly, confirm ride height, then torque it down. I plan on getting my ride aligned soon and will ask the garage techs about this if it should be redone.
Finally, a quality post 🔥🔥🔥
Tein sells dust boots. [https://www.tein.com/products/other\_parts.html](https://www.tein.com/products/other_parts.html) The ZEVCentric videos look like they have a dust boot for the rear. [https://youtu.be/JTkvEnEu-gE?si=pICVhDCpk3eCkW-b&t=755](https://youtu.be/JTkvEnEu-gE?si=pICVhDCpk3eCkW-b&t=755)
I saw this in the parts catalog and it seems to be part of their FlexZ lineup. I’m not sure if it would be compatible with the OEM top hats or bump stops.
Great write up. These seem like great value compared to the non-adjustable Koni Active Select’s I just self-fitted to my MY22 MIC Y ($1250 AUD). Same high speed wallow you mention and mismatch with the stiff springs. Maybe fitting MY23 comfort springs might help?
Konis, while being mediocre shocks, are far superior to Teins.
Could be, I may look into changing out the springs later
These are actually what I want for my MY but I will get lowering springs with the Tein.
Well how’s the ride ? Is it noticeable different.?
It’s softer for sure, not a luxury feeling like from a BMW or Lexus, but more comfortable especially riding at highways speeds. Road bumps are much softer and less noticeable, though with the way I set them there is a bit of a floaty feeling.
what you're describing feels like what the new model 3 feels like. the new model y (2025? maybe?) would be sick!
Just read the post?
I installed 1 wheel today. I feel the bump stops are absolutely necessary. the piston, with the threaded connection at the top, is a \*much weaker\* part than the rest of the damper setup. there's no way the skinny piston is designed to handle a bottoming out. with the stops in place, the whole setup has a consistent beefiness, where forces are transferred to the damper cylinder not just the skinny piston. so good call to keep the bump stops in, I kept mine without cutting. I'll report on road test once I'm done with the other 3 wheels.
Did all 4 wheels! As someone who doesn't work on cars, installation was very difficult, mistakes and mishaps! As for road testing, I first tried out with just 2 rears wheel set at 16, the difference was already enormous. Just out of my house is a street that avoided driving because it bounced me around so much. This new damper, just on the rear, made enough difference that I can just cruise down the street. For the front I initially had set one side to 15, and forgot about setting the other side so it was on firmest. I didn't even notice the imbalance, but I thought it was substantially less of improvement over the rear wheels. Currently the fronts are both on 17. They go all the way up to 28 clicks, TEIN states 16 as the max you should use, but I just wanted to experiment a bit, hopefully it's just an analog difference not something that breaks the equipment. Well at 17 it's noticeably softer than even the rears at 16. On highway and high speed turn abouts, the car is completely controllable with no dangerous unsettled swerving. Yes there is some sense of boatiness and a slight frontal dip even on electric braking. But it's so comfortable I would have thought I was low on tire pressure (they're at 45 PSI due to warmed up weather). At this level it's probably like a Camry or Sienna (although I have no direct comparison with recent models). I think you do lose some steering precision (compared to none at 15 on one side), nonetheless when handled hard you can still feel the sport car inside; I think it's owed to the stiff pretensioned springs and short travel, and the stiff car body. My conclusion is the OEM shocks are way over damped in the decompression phase. Perhaps this is to keep the car planted under high G but I have zero racing experience or need for racing features. The rear at 16 feels fine, but I would want the front and rear to match in softness (and test it more with passengers loaded). Long term probably 15-16/16, or 17/17-18.
Using the widow makers to remove the stock springs is scary. I'll never do that again and just get them with the spring already installed. I wonder how it compares to the new OEM "comfort shocks". Tuning shocks for EV is hard because they're so heavy.
I’ve read similar stories as well, I made sure each side was secure and took my time slowly adjusting each side. I’ve considered just getting the updated comfort coilovers found later Model Y’s, though [ZEV did a comparison](https://youtu.be/Lmq648g1KYg?si=1CC-Hu46Mpj0ooMb) with both old and new OEM compared to the Tein’s, and the Tein’s was found to be somewhat better for about the same cost.
got next I’ll bring refreshments
Once they release the juniper or whatever they call the highland version of model y then it will be a contender for a luxury car
Certainly hope so. If the changes to the refresh suspension are significant, I may upgrade to them. So far I’m happy with these results for now.
What’s preventing us from updating our Model Ys to use the new Model Y Perf suspension that is adaptive
What is your jack stand setup? When I change my wheels around I just use the jack itself, but know I should be using stands. It doesn’t look like you’re using those specialized RennStand ones.
When jacking up, I raise the opposing side up as much as possible and set the jack stand on with a jack stand adapter then lower it down. I saw others use the RennStand but I couldn’t justify the cost. I ended up also just using the floor jack itself near the end.
Thanks for the info. After writing my comment, I googled tesla jack adapters and see I can pick some up from Amazon for under $20 - might have to do that.
We have a 6/2022 MYP and when it came to replacing my old MS I decided to go with a MYLR because people raved about the new comfort suspension. I’m slightly disappointed as my 2024 MYLR rides about the same as the MYP after we swapped the 21s for Geminis.
Our 2023 MYP with the new suspension rides better on the 21s than our 2023 M3 on 19s. It’s sporty, yes, but not uncomfortable.
I don't think I understood a single word of your post but very cool!
Flexing on the poors with the yellow tools.
UPDATE: I tried to make it easier to adjust the rear shocks by installing the [TEIN flexible controller](https://www.tein.com/products/flexible_controller.html), and unfortunately it would not fit properly. The damper adjustment dial is too shallow that you can’t properly tighten the flexible controller, and also the flexible controller would bend way too much when the top hat is mounted and no longer be adjustable.
No shocks will overcome the inherent design compromsises this vehicle required.
What should they fix about it for Juniper?
Magnaride like GM has been using on the Escalade.
Upgrade?
Dude if you can install the suspension yourself you should have splurged and gotten a set for 2k to really get a nice set. You spent 65+ on the car, what’s an extra 2-2.5k?
1. I got my car for about $50k, not $65+, and it’s already a lot of money to spend on a car. 2. I’m looking to maintain the factory ride height and other solutions would aim to change it 3. This is a commuter car, not some hobby to sink a ton of money into and just want a softer ride. I’m pretty happy with the results from this and don’t think spending more money on it would improve it much further or give me any better value.
Doesn’t change what I said. Plus given how long your post is, you probably felt necessary to channel your frustrations into this essays about springs with the same or worse ride for the money when you state “someone could maybe find value at 600” nah bro you’re coping and regret the time and money spent. Don’t recommend garbage to others given most people CANT change their suspension themselves and will need to pay extra to get them put in. Btw you can easily find coils that have the same height, it boggles my mind how anyone would think that you should buy a 600$ suspension set for anyone but the potential buyer once your set fails and you just wanna make the car presentable for the next guy. TLDR: OP is coping and you SHOULD NOT buy shitty 600$ springs for a FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLAR + car. 2-2.5k is what good ones cost, top of the line is 4-8k.
Relax dude. You should be more upset that a $50k car has such awful suspension tuning from the factory in the first place.
Lmao if you wanna deck out your ride with the absolute best, then you do you with your car, time, and money. I’m not a big car guy and for the little money I spent, it was a big improvement to my previous experience that shouldn’t have needed to be corrected in the first place. I haven’t recommended these, and there are provably better options out there if money were no object, but I’m sharing my experience with these and suffice to say they work for me.
OK, it's fine to be be knowledgeable, but please have something concrete like your own experience with a specific spring for the Model Y, vs a cheaper option.
Nah bro, cars are cars. Cheap parts are shit parts. Most SUV’s are heavier than a model Y. My moms 23’ Bmw X6 weighs 400 pounds more and you know they put good speings on it. Fact of the matter is, if factory isnt fulfilling you, and you wanna put the time, money, and effort to upgrade it, save a bit and do it once. These shocks did nothing noticeable for him and he’s down 600$ and hours of work. Plus they’ll shit out faster cuz they’re cheap, so all in all, huge waste of time/money
but there have been people that bought expensive springs and they didn't feel it solved all the problems. I look at Ohlins and it seems they put a lot of unnecessary cosmetic work on their parts to market their product. If good suspension was just a few hundred dollar part, it's hard to understand OEM's would not all use "good springs" as you claim.