Replace the lower ball joint on a 2024 Tesla Cybertruck Dual Motor. On Cybertruck, the lower ball joint is integral to the lower control arm assembly on most build variants — verify with parts catalog before ordering a standalone ball joint. This job involves air suspension and steer-by-wire considerations unique to Cybertruck.

Warnings

Tools required

Parts

• Lower ball joint or lower control arm assembly (verify per VIN) × 1 — Tesla Cybertruck front lower control arm / ball joint — confirm via Tesla EPC
• New ball joint castle nut and cotter pin × 1 — OEM replacement hardware
• New steering knuckle pinch bolt × 1 — OEM single-use pinch bolt

Preparation

1. Park on level ground, place in P, engage parking brake.
2. Exit ALL doors with the key fob away from the vehicle. Wait at least 2 minutes for HV systems to fully de-energize, even on this non-HV job.
3. Disconnect the 48V low-voltage battery per Tesla service procedure (Cybertruck uses 48V — NOT 12V — confirm location and connector type in the service manual).
4. DO NOT touch, cut, or pierce ANY orange cable — these are high-voltage (800V on Cybertruck) and lethal.
5. If at any point you encounter an orange cable, an HV component, or are unsure if a system is de-energized: STOP and consult a Tesla-certified technician.
6. Place the vehicle in Service Mode / Jack Mode via the touchscreen to disable air suspension self-leveling and lock out steer-by-wire actuation.
7. Allow the air suspension to fully settle/depressurize at the affected corner before lifting.
8. Loosen wheel lug nuts while tires are still on the ground.
9. Lift the vehicle on a heavy-duty rated lift at the manufacturer-specified jacking points and support with rated stands.
10. Remove the front wheel on the affected side.

Procedure

1. 1

   Document and photograph current suspension geometry
   Before disassembly, photograph the lower control arm, ball joint orientation, and any alignment shims or eccentric markings. This aids reassembly and pre-alignment setup.
2. 2

   Disconnect sway bar end link at the lower control arm
   Hold the end-link stud with an Allen key and remove the nut. Swing the link clear of the work area.
   Torque spec

   Sway Bar Link61 Nm (45 lb-ft)
3. 3

   Remove brake caliper and rotor (support, do not hang by hose)
   Unbolt the caliper carrier and suspend the caliper from the suspension with a bungee or hook — never let it hang by the brake hose. Remove the rotor to gain access to the knuckle.
   ⚠Do not depress the brake pedal with the caliper removed.
4. 4

   Disconnect wheel speed sensor and any wiring at the knuckle
   Carefully unclip the ABS/wheel speed sensor harness and any brake pad wear sensor leads. Move them aside to prevent damage during knuckle separation.
5. 5

   Separate outer tie rod from the steering knuckle
   Remove the cotter pin and castle nut from the outer tie rod, then separate using a manufacturer-specified tie rod separator. Note: on Cybertruck, the steering rack is electrically actuated (steer-by-wire) — do NOT rotate the rack with vehicle powered on.
   ⚠️Steer-by-wire rack can actuate under power. Service Mode must be active.
6. 6

   Remove the strut-to-knuckle pinch bolt (or strut lower bolts, per design)
   Remove the pinch bolt that secures the strut into the steering knuckle. Discard the bolt — it is single-use. If the design uses through-bolts to the strut, remove those instead.
   Torque spec

   Pinch Bolt61 Nm (45 lb-ft)
7. 7

   Remove ball joint cotter pin and castle nut
   Cut and discard the cotter pin. Loosen the castle nut but leave it threaded on a few turns to protect the threads and prevent the knuckle from dropping when separated.
8. 8

   Separate the ball joint from the steering knuckle
   Use a press-style ball joint separator. Avoid a pickle fork on the OEM joint if you intend to reuse any boot — and never strike adjacent stainless body panels. Once free, fully remove the castle nut and lift the knuckle clear of the ball joint stud.
   ⚠Support the knuckle/hub assembly — do not let it hang by the half-shaft or harnesses.
9. 9

   Remove the lower control arm (if ball joint is integral) or unbolt the ball joint from the LCA
   On most Cybertruck variants the lower ball joint is integral to the lower control arm and the entire LCA must be replaced. Remove the inboard control arm bolts at the subframe, noting orientation of any alignment cams. If the build uses a serviceable bolt-in ball joint, remove its retaining hardware per the manufacturer-specified procedure.
   Torque spec

   Control Arm Bolts165 Nm (122 lb-ft)
10. 10

    Install new ball joint / control arm assembly
    Fit the new component into position. Start all inboard fasteners by hand to avoid cross-threading. Do NOT fully torque control arm bolts yet — those must be torqued at ride height.
11. 11

    Reattach knuckle to ball joint stud with new castle nut
    Seat the ball joint stud into the knuckle taper. Install the new castle nut and torque to specification. Install a new cotter pin — if castellations don't align, tighten further (never loosen) to align.
    Torque spec

    Ball Joint Nut88 Nm (65 lb-ft)
12. 12

    Reinstall strut pinch bolt (new bolt) or strut lower bolts
    Install a new single-use pinch bolt (or strut bolts as applicable) and torque to specification.
    Torque spec

    Pinch Bolt61 Nm (45 lb-ft)

    Strut Bolts115 Nm (85 lb-ft)
13. 13

    Reconnect tie rod, sway bar link, ABS sensor, and brake components
    Reinstall the outer tie rod to the knuckle (new cotter pin), reattach sway bar end link holding the stud with an Allen key, reseat the wheel speed sensor harness, and reinstall the rotor and caliper. Torque to OEM specification — refer to Tesla Service Manual for any value not in the verified list.
    Torque spec

    Sway Bar Link61 Nm (45 lb-ft)
14. 14

    Reinstall wheel and lower vehicle to ride height
    Reinstall the wheel and snug lug nuts. Lower the vehicle until the suspension is loaded at normal ride height (tires bearing weight) before final torque on the control arm bolts.
15. 15

    Final-torque control arm bolts at ride height and torque lug nuts
    With the suspension loaded, final-torque the inboard control arm bolts. Then torque the wheel lug nuts in a star pattern.
    Torque spec

    Control Arm Bolts165 Nm (122 lb-ft)

    Wheel Lug Nuts136 Nm (100 lb-ft)

Reassembly

1. Verify all cotter pins are new and properly bent.
2. Confirm sway bar link, tie rod, caliper, and wheel speed sensor are fully reconnected and routed clear of moving suspension.
3. Reconnect the 48V low-voltage battery per Tesla procedure.
4. Exit Service Mode / Jack Mode via the touchscreen and allow air suspension to repressurize and self-level.
5. Cycle the steering lock-to-lock at low speed in a safe area to confirm steer-by-wire response is normal and no fault codes appear on the instrument cluster.

Verification

• Confirm no suspension, steering, ABS, or air suspension fault messages on the touchscreen.
• Inspect ball joint boot for proper seating and no tears.
• With the vehicle at ride height, visually confirm no binding through full steering sweep (at low speed only — steer-by-wire).
• Perform a 4-wheel alignment on a Tesla-capable rack — Cybertruck's rear-wheel-steering and steer-by-wire system require correct calibration after any front suspension work.
• Road test at low speed first, listening for clunks or pops over bumps; then progressively increase speed.
• Re-inspect ball joint nut and cotter pin after the first 100–200 miles of driving.
• Note: this is a structural safety component. If anything feels wrong (vague steering, clunking, pulling), stop driving and re-inspect.

More procedures for this vehicle