Rivian Mom
Member
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2024
- Messages
- 148
- Reaction score
- 24
- Rivian
- R1S
So we've been working on a unique air suspension height adjustment solution for our R1S. For myself, the main motivation to get this product was the dislike I have of the excessive rake the R1S has in low mode. This also causes a rough ride as the front axle is riding on the bump stop all the time, while the rear has comparatively plenty of travel. This results in a lot of seesawing!
After raising the front slightly the R1S looks much better, and the ride quality is so far improved. Most of the time the front bumpstops are no longer significantly engaged, and when they are the car now lands on both front and rear bump stops evenly and the fore/aft seesawing is gone.
Now about the parts - normally "lowering links" are complete link replacements that are adjustable in length. In the case of the Rivian, there are brackets on the control arms which we've been able to redesign making them easily adjustable. This is a unique approach, and I don't think anything similar has been done before - but it gives us the great benefit of being very accessible and easy to adjust compared to lowering links. We can make adjustments to the full R1S in less than 2 minutes - without removing the wheels! (but we've also done it about 100 times now to be fair)
Adding laser-etched marks allows for repetitive and precise adjustments (although don't bother getting too OCD about it - the R1S works within a window, so ride heights will always be moving around a little bit). The front is a bit more challenging because it is impossible to see the marks without a mirror or some kind of micro drone flying in your wheel well. To make life easy for everyone we laser cut some "keys" and designed slots both top and bottom in the adjusters to allow for consistent adjustments even when running blind. Yes, it's so easy even a blind person can do it. You probably shouldn't let them drive your truck though!
We also include some new flanged head bolts to replace the OEM Torx hardware that are difficult to access. We're currently trying to see how the Triple-Ls work on several different applications such as a slight lift, lowered, towing, levelling, sprayed with mud and dirt, etc.
As with all MPP machined parts, these are designed, developed, and tested by ourselves and some friends. Being vertically integrated allows us to rapidly go from idea to design to working prototype in weeks, and we have many other upgrades for the Rivian in the works that we're excited to share in the coming weeks and months!
Obviously, these parts allow you to run the vehicle above and below the limits preset by Rivian. You have to use these responsibly and understand that it's not impossible you might get some CV joint/axle wear or other adverse effects - don't expect Rivian to cover things under warranty that are the result of you pushing the limits of their design!
Now, with that being said I feel the best use case of these products will not cause any issues. For example - set the ride height super low before a car show (if that's your thing). Raise the ride height for some off-roading, but run standard height or "low" when at high speeds for a long time. Levelling the truck shouldn't cause any issues at all because the vehicle is operating inside of the minimum and maximum windows defined by Rivian - in fact, it should extend the longevity of the components if you're keeping the front axle out of the bump stops all the time!
After raising the front slightly the R1S looks much better, and the ride quality is so far improved. Most of the time the front bumpstops are no longer significantly engaged, and when they are the car now lands on both front and rear bump stops evenly and the fore/aft seesawing is gone.
Now about the parts - normally "lowering links" are complete link replacements that are adjustable in length. In the case of the Rivian, there are brackets on the control arms which we've been able to redesign making them easily adjustable. This is a unique approach, and I don't think anything similar has been done before - but it gives us the great benefit of being very accessible and easy to adjust compared to lowering links. We can make adjustments to the full R1S in less than 2 minutes - without removing the wheels! (but we've also done it about 100 times now to be fair)
Adding laser-etched marks allows for repetitive and precise adjustments (although don't bother getting too OCD about it - the R1S works within a window, so ride heights will always be moving around a little bit). The front is a bit more challenging because it is impossible to see the marks without a mirror or some kind of micro drone flying in your wheel well. To make life easy for everyone we laser cut some "keys" and designed slots both top and bottom in the adjusters to allow for consistent adjustments even when running blind. Yes, it's so easy even a blind person can do it. You probably shouldn't let them drive your truck though!
We also include some new flanged head bolts to replace the OEM Torx hardware that are difficult to access. We're currently trying to see how the Triple-Ls work on several different applications such as a slight lift, lowered, towing, levelling, sprayed with mud and dirt, etc.
As with all MPP machined parts, these are designed, developed, and tested by ourselves and some friends. Being vertically integrated allows us to rapidly go from idea to design to working prototype in weeks, and we have many other upgrades for the Rivian in the works that we're excited to share in the coming weeks and months!
Obviously, these parts allow you to run the vehicle above and below the limits preset by Rivian. You have to use these responsibly and understand that it's not impossible you might get some CV joint/axle wear or other adverse effects - don't expect Rivian to cover things under warranty that are the result of you pushing the limits of their design!
Now, with that being said I feel the best use case of these products will not cause any issues. For example - set the ride height super low before a car show (if that's your thing). Raise the ride height for some off-roading, but run standard height or "low" when at high speeds for a long time. Levelling the truck shouldn't cause any issues at all because the vehicle is operating inside of the minimum and maximum windows defined by Rivian - in fact, it should extend the longevity of the components if you're keeping the front axle out of the bump stops all the time!
