Replacement of a rear upper control arm on a 2024 Tesla Model S Plaid. This job involves working around the rear air suspension and rear drive unit area — care must be taken not to disturb HV cabling or air lines.

Warnings

Tools required

Parts

• Rear Upper Control Arm Assembly (manufacturer-specified for Model S Plaid) × 1 — OEM Tesla rear upper control arm — verify by VIN
• Ball joint cotter pin × 1 — New cotter pin — do not reuse
• Control arm fasteners (if specified single-use by Tesla) × 1 — Verify single-use status by VIN

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 on 2021+ Plaid) low-voltage battery. The 12V is in the frunk under the nose cowl panel; the 16V lithium (if equipped) is under the rear seat — verify your configuration before removing rear seat trim.
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 lifting: enable Jack Mode in the touchscreen (Service menu) to disable air suspension self-leveling.
7. Loosen rear wheel lug nuts while the vehicle is still on the ground.
8. Lift the vehicle at the manufacturer-specified rear jack points using proper pucks. Support on jack stands rated for EV weight.
9. Remove the rear wheel on the affected side.

Procedure

1. 1

   Inspect work area and confirm no HV exposure
   Visually inspect the rear suspension area. Confirm no orange HV cabling, no exposed battery pack penetrations, and no damaged air suspension lines near your work zone. The rear upper control arm attaches to the rear subframe and the upper knuckle/hub carrier — both should be free of HV components, but verify before proceeding.
   ⚠️If any orange cable is visible in the work area, STOP and reassess.
2. 2

   Support the rear knuckle
   Place a floor jack with a wood block under the rear lower control arm or hub carrier to support the knuckle. Apply just enough pressure to hold the knuckle stable — do not lift the vehicle off its stands. This prevents the air strut and axle from being stressed when the upper arm is removed.
3. 3

   Disconnect any sensor or wiring routed along the upper arm
   The rear upper control arm area on Model S may have a ride height sensor link, ABS/wheel speed sensor harness clips, or brake line clips routed nearby. Carefully unclip any harness or sensor link from the arm. Do not stretch or kink the air suspension height sensor link.
   ⚠Damaging the air suspension height sensor link will require recalibration and possible replacement.
4. 4

   Remove the outboard ball joint / pinch bolt at the knuckle
   Remove the cotter pin from the upper ball joint castle nut, then loosen and remove the ball joint nut. Use a ball joint separator to release the tapered stud from the knuckle. Do NOT strike the knuckle with a steel hammer — use a separator tool or a brass drift if needed. Discard the cotter pin.
   ⚠Aluminum knuckle — pickle fork use can damage the boot; prefer a press-style separator.
   Torque spec

   Ball Joint Nut88 Nm (65 lb-ft)
5. 5

   Remove the inboard control arm pivot bolts
   Locate the inboard mounting bolts where the upper control arm attaches to the rear subframe. Mark the position of any cam/eccentric alignment bolts before removal so the alignment is preserved as a baseline (final alignment is still required). Remove the bolts and withdraw the control arm from the vehicle.
   ℹ️If the bolts are eccentric (alignment cams), mark their rotational position with a paint pen before removal.
   Torque spec

   Control Arm Bolts165 Nm (122 lb-ft)
6. 6

   Compare old and new control arms
   Lay the new arm next to the old one. Confirm bushing orientation, ball joint stud taper direction, and overall geometry match. Verify the part is the correct side (left vs right) and correct trim level for Plaid air suspension.
7. 7

   Install the new upper control arm — inboard side
   Position the new control arm at the subframe mounting points. Hand-thread the inboard pivot bolts. If eccentric cams are used, return them to the marked position as a starting point. Do not fully torque yet — the final torque must be applied at ride height.
8. 8

   Install the outboard ball joint into the knuckle
   Insert the ball joint stud into the knuckle. Install the castle nut and torque to specification. Install a NEW cotter pin — never reuse the old one. If the castle nut slot does not align with the cotter pin hole at spec torque, tighten further (do not loosen) to the next slot.
   ⚠Always tighten — never loosen — to align a castle nut with the cotter pin hole.
   Torque spec

   Ball Joint Nut88 Nm (65 lb-ft)
9. 9

   Reattach harness clips and sensors
   Reclip any harness, ABS sensor lead, brake line, or ride height sensor link that was disconnected from the arm. Verify routing matches OEM and nothing is under tension or contacting moving suspension parts.
10. 10

    Reinstall the wheel
    Mount the rear wheel. Hand-thread all lug nuts, then snug in a star pattern. Final torque will be applied after the vehicle is on the ground.
    Torque spec

    Wheel Lug Nuts136 Nm (100 lb-ft)
11. 11

    Lower vehicle to ride height and final torque the control arm bolts
    Lower the vehicle so the full curb weight is on the wheels (or use drive-on ramps / alignment stands so the suspension is at normal ride height). Then torque the inboard control arm pivot bolts to specification. This is critical — torquing at full droop pre-loads the bushings and causes early failure.
    ⚠Final torque MUST be at ride height with weight on wheels.
    Torque spec

    Control Arm Bolts165 Nm (122 lb-ft)
12. 12

    Final torque the wheel lug nuts
    With the vehicle on the ground, torque the lug nuts in a star pattern to specification.
    Torque spec

    Wheel Lug Nuts136 Nm (100 lb-ft)

Reassembly

1. Reconnect the 12V (or 16V) low-voltage battery.
2. Close the frunk (or rear seat panel) and ensure all trim is reseated.
3. Disable Jack Mode via the touchscreen.
4. Allow the air suspension to self-level — observe for any error messages or uneven ride height.
5. Have a four-wheel alignment performed before returning the vehicle to normal use.

Verification

• With the vehicle at ride height, visually confirm the new control arm sits parallel to its mate on the opposite side and that bushings are not twisted.
• Check for any suspension or chassis warnings on the touchscreen — particularly air suspension height sensor faults.
• Take the vehicle on a slow test drive (parking lot speeds first) and listen for clunks, binding, or air suspension irregularities. Then drive at moderate speed and confirm tracking is straight.
• Confirm an alignment appointment is scheduled or completed — rear control arm replacement always disturbs camber/toe on Model S.
• Re-inspect the ball joint cotter pin and all torqued fasteners after the first 100–500 miles.
• While under the vehicle, this is also a good opportunity to note any other Tesla service intervals due: brake fluid (every 2 years), cabin air filter (2 years standard / 3 years HEPA), drive unit gear oil inspection, and battery coolant inspection (4 years / 50,000 mi).

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