Replace a front or rear air spring (air strut) on a 2024 Model S Plaid equipped with adaptive air suspension. The system must be placed in Jack Mode and depressurized before strut removal to avoid sudden decompression injury.

Warnings

Tools required

Parts

• Air spring / air strut assembly (front or rear, side-specific) × 1 — Tesla OEM Model S Plaid air strut — verify by VIN and corner
• Cotter pin (if ball joint is disturbed) × 1 — OEM specification
• Strut top mount nuts (if single-use) × 3 — OEM specification — replace if specified as single-use

Preparation

1. Park on level ground, place in P, engage parking brake.
2. Exit ALL doors with 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 12V (or 16V lithium under rear seat on applicable 2021+ Plaid units) low-voltage battery — refer to architecture notes for exact location under the frunk nose cowl.
4. DO NOT touch, cut, or pierce ANY orange cable — these are high-voltage 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. Before disconnecting 12V: via the touchscreen, enter Service Mode and activate Jack Mode (this disables auto-leveling and depressurizes the air system to a safe service level). Confirm the suspension is at its service height and the system shows depressurized.
7. Loosen the wheel lug nuts on the affected corner while the wheel is still on the ground.
8. Verify VIN-correct replacement strut is on hand (front and rear struts differ; left/right may differ).
9. Inspect the area for any orange HV cabling routing — none should be present at the strut towers, but verify before proceeding.

Procedure

1. 1

   Lift vehicle and remove wheel
   Lift the affected corner using a Tesla-approved jack pad on the factory-designated lift point (avoid the HV battery enclosure). Support with a rated jack stand. Remove the lug nuts and wheel.
   ⚠Lifting on the wrong point can puncture or deform the HV battery floor pan — verify the Tesla-marked lift pad location.
2. 2

   Confirm air system is depressurized
   With Jack Mode active and 12V disconnected, verify residual pressure has bled from the strut. Listen for any hissing when the wheel is unloaded. The strut should not be supporting any vehicle weight at this stage.
   ⚠️If the strut feels pressurized or you hear pressure in the air lines, STOP. Do not disconnect the air line under pressure.
3. 3

   Disconnect ride-height sensor link
   Locate the ride-height (leveling) sensor link arm at the lower control arm and unclip it. Position it aside without bending the sensor body. These sensors are a known wear item — inspect for play and replace if loose.
4. 4

   Disconnect sway bar end link
   Disconnect the sway bar end link from the lower control arm or strut bracket (location varies by corner). Hold the stud with an Allen key while loosening the nut to prevent stud spin.
   Torque spec

   Sway Bar Link61 Nm (45 lb-ft)
5. 5

   Disconnect air line and electrical connector at strut
   Release the quick-connect air line fitting at the top of the strut using a pick tool to depress the collar — pull the line straight out without side-loading. Disconnect the damper solenoid electrical connector. Cap the air line opening to prevent contamination.
   ⚠The air line and fitting are plastic — do not pry with metal tools or use excessive force. A damaged fitting requires line replacement.
6. 6

   Support the lower control arm
   Place a jack under the lower control arm to support it. This prevents the arm from dropping when the strut is unbolted, which would stress the CV joint, brake hose, and wheel speed sensor wiring.
7. 7

   Remove lower strut-to-knuckle bolt(s)
   Remove the through-bolt(s) securing the bottom of the strut to the steering knuckle or lower control arm. Mark orientation if any cam/eccentric bolts are present so alignment is preserved as closely as possible.
   Torque spec

   Strut Bolts115 Nm (85 lb-ft)
8. 8

   Remove upper strut tower nuts
   From the frunk area (front strut) or rear trunk trim area (rear strut), remove the trim panel as needed to expose the upper strut mount. Support the strut from below, then remove the upper strut tower nuts.
   ⚠Do not remove the center shaft nut — only the perimeter mount nuts. Removing the center nut on a pressurized or assembled strut can release stored energy.
   Torque spec

   Strut Tower Nuts50 Nm (37 lb-ft)
9. 9

   Remove the air strut assembly
   Carefully lower and maneuver the strut out of the wheel well. Note the orientation of the upper mount and any indexing tabs for installation of the new unit.
10. 10

    Install replacement air strut
    Position the new strut into the tower, aligning any index tab with the chassis notch. Hand-start the upper mount nuts. Then align the lower mount and hand-start the lower bolt(s). Do not fully torque yet.
11. 11

    Torque upper strut mount
    Torque the upper strut tower nuts to specification in a cross pattern.
    Torque spec

    Strut Tower Nuts50 Nm (37 lb-ft)
12. 12

    Reconnect air line, electrical connector, sway bar link, and ride-height sensor
    Reseat the air line fully into the quick-connect (listen/feel for the click and pull-test). Reconnect the damper solenoid connector. Reattach the sway bar end link and ride-height sensor link.
    Torque spec

    Sway Bar Link61 Nm (45 lb-ft)
13. 13

    Reinstall wheel and lower vehicle
    Reinstall the wheel, hand-tighten lug nuts, and lower the vehicle so the suspension is at curb load before final torquing of the lower strut bolts and any control arm bolts disturbed.
    Torque spec

    Wheel Lug Nuts136 Nm (100 lb-ft)
14. 14

    Final torque suspension fasteners at curb load
    With the vehicle weight on the wheels, torque the lower strut bolts and any control arm bolts that were loosened. Torquing rubber-bushed joints at full droop pre-loads the bushing and shortens its life.
    Torque spec

    Strut Bolts115 Nm (85 lb-ft)

    Control Arm Bolts165 Nm (122 lb-ft)
15. 15

    Torque wheel lug nuts
    Final-torque the lug nuts in a star pattern to specification.
    Torque spec

    Wheel Lug Nuts136 Nm (100 lb-ft)

Reassembly

1. Reinstall any frunk or trunk trim panels removed for upper mount access.
2. Reconnect the 12V (or 16V) low-voltage battery.
3. Power up the vehicle and exit Jack Mode through the touchscreen Service Mode.
4. Allow the air suspension to repressurize and self-level — this may take 30–60 seconds. Listen for leaks at the new strut's air line connection.
5. Cycle the suspension through Very High / High / Standard / Low (where available) and verify the corner rises/falls smoothly without faults.
6. Clear any suspension or ride-height fault codes if present; some calibrations may require Tesla service tooling.

Verification

• Confirm no air leak: with the vehicle off and locked overnight, verify the corner has not visibly sagged compared to the opposite side the next morning.
• Verify no 'Suspension service required' or 'Air suspension fault' alerts on the touchscreen after a full drive cycle.
• Confirm ride height is even side-to-side (measure fender-to-ground at all four corners — within ~10 mm tolerance).
• Schedule a four-wheel alignment — strut replacement disturbs camber on this chassis.
• Note: leveling sensors and air struts on Model S air suspension are known to wear after ~80K mi — inspect the opposite-side strut and all four ride-height sensors while the vehicle is in the air.
• While the suspension is being serviced, this is also a good opportunity to confirm brake fluid service interval (every 2 years on Tesla) and cabin air filter interval (every 2 years, or 3 years if HEPA-equipped) are current.

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