The job took about 1.5 hour and I lengthened the lowering links by 15mm compared to the stock plastic links, which results in a lowering of approx 37mm. GTS looks cool but the ride is uncomfortable even in "comfort" setting and in the normal height setting. It is as if the progressiveness of the suspension is gone and it is now a linear compression.

What do you guys think, shall I re-install the stock links, go back to stock length but using the lowering links or just reduce the lowering to say 15mm and hopefully achive a slightly lowered look and a more progressive suspension feel?

Ciao, JE

 

Stock height looks like crap on the cayenne, but too low makes it look like the Air Suspension is leaked or broken, I thing the TechArt Module height is ideal IMO, but lowering links are a different story. My ride is not stiff with a modded module, but with links it would be (Drove my friends 05 CTT with links and 20s, mine has 21s + Module and its a lot softer)

 

Wow!

I came here to post about whether I should lower or not and here's a post already.
Love this forum.

I would hate sacrifice comfort but I don't like that I can fit my head in this things wheel gap either. (04 ctt)

I'm guessing the module just tells the air ride to go lower?

Would the quality of the links have anything to do with comfort?

Maybe an alignment would do something?

 

Do you have a Durametric? I currently have my CTT lowered by hooking into the Level Control module with my Durametric. I essential re-calibrated the the air suspension to tell it it was riding about 1" too high (it wasn't), so it lowered the vehicle an additional 1" to compensate. So the net was a factory dropped air suspension. The dampening is good. I normally keep it in "sport" mode on 22"s. Firm like an Audi, but progressive with much better handling characteristics. "Comfort" mode has even more dampening- more than enough for my tastes. You might want to give this a shot before trying a module since it can be cheaper.

I am not sure if a lowering module will add more dampening than this setup. Ask me in a couple of weeks and I can let you know how my new Techart lowering module compares.

 

I'm curious what a module can do that the links do not from a physical perspective?

I would think that X amount of air equals Y ride height. So no matter how you get to X the ride would be the same unless you change something else. (Which the cayenne must have the ability to do since you can change the quality of the ride).

 

Your statement piqued my curiosity, so I started digging around for an answer on how the Porsche PASM system works. To be fair, VW/Audi/Porsche/Bentley all use a similar system - not too surprising considering the complication of the air suspension setup and the component sharing between these op-cos.

The air suspension and dampening is much more complicated than what-meets-the-eye. The short answer is that there is an oil valve that continually adjusts a bypass valve (in milliseconds) according to other sensors to determine the "right" amount of dampening per mode by using a predetermined map defined by the Level Control module.

As quoted from VW "Air Suspension with Controlled Damping: Design and Function":

"Continuous damping control is based on
vibration dampers whose characteristics are
electrically adjustable.
These vibration dampers are integrated in the air
spring struts.
Damping force can be set depending on the
characteristic map via the proportional valve
built into the vibration damper.
As a result, it can adapt the damping force to the
driving situation and road condition within
milliseconds."


So in theory, a lowering module can redefine the dampening maps with the knowledge that vehicle will be lowered. They can also take into consideration that most people will probably have 20"+ wheels and factor that in as well.

Here is the best reference material I found. The Porsche doc is more of a top-level perspective. The VW document is much more of a technical deep dive and more interesting:

Porsche PASM

VW Air Suspension with Controlled Damping: Design and Function

I think these documents make a strong case that a lowering module can be better than lowering links as other members have suggested from experience.

 

Sweet! Thanks!


Now if we could just get parts manufacturers to depreciate parts prices at an equal rte to the Cayenne depreciation!

 

I've seen where people have discussed more significant uneven tire wear driving in lowered positions or with the lowering modules due to the camber changes as the suspension cycles. Do the link possibly correct this? I've not looked at any of the links so I'm not clear as to what pieces of the suspension they belong to in order to modify ride height.

I ask the question because I'm interested to understand the advantage of going that route, since it seems the performance is not as good and it seems like a good solution to re-calibrate the suspension to get the lower effect.

 

I had lowering links for one day... they were so bad we took them out. If you do a search on them here you will find most people find them too harsh for everyday driving. I had the Techart lowering module on my CTT and love it. Works great and overall ride quality is not bad at all even with my 22" rims.

Good luck! but unfortunately this is one case where you truly do get what you pay for......

 

Had the lowering links on for 1 day, took them out and shortened them to stock link length and re-installed as they are a lot easier to fit back compared to the hardened stock links. Lesson learned!