Four-wheel alignment on a 2024 Model S Plaid with adaptive air suspension. Ride height must be at the standard setting and confirmed via the touchscreen before measurements; Plaid's tri-motor torque and heavy curb weight make precise toe and camber critical for tire life.

Warnings

Tools required

Parts

• Tie rod jam nuts (inspect, replace if deformed) × 2 — manufacturer-specified front tie rod jam nut
• Rear cam bolt hardware (replace if seized or damaged) × 1 — manufacturer-specified rear suspension cam bolt kit

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 low-voltage battery in the frunk (under the nose cowl panel). On 2021+ Plaid equipped with the 16V lithium auxiliary located under the rear seat, disconnect that unit instead — verify by VIN/build before opening 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. NOTE: For an alignment-only job, the 12V/16V disconnect can be deferred until AFTER the pre-alignment ride-height check, since the air suspension must be active to set ride height. Reconnect or leave connected during measurement, then disconnect only if removing/replacing suspension hardware.
7. Verify VIN, trim (Plaid tri-motor AWD), and wheel/tire size. Set tire pressures cold to the door-jamb placard.
8. Inspect suspension: ball joints, control arm bushings, tie rod ends, wheel bearings, and air strut bellows for leaks or play. Do NOT align a vehicle with worn components.
9. On the touchscreen: Controls > Suspension > set ride height to Standard. Confirm vehicle has fully settled. Disable any Auto Lower / Easy Entry features for the duration of service.
10. Drive vehicle onto alignment rack with turn plates and rear slip plates pinned. Center steering wheel; install steering wheel holder and brake pedal depressor.
11. Compensate/runout each wheel target per the alignment machine procedure. Load Tesla Model S (2024 Plaid) spec into the aligner.

Procedure

1. 1

   Verify and record ride height
   With the air suspension at Standard and vehicle settled, measure ride height at all four corners per the manufacturer-specified reference points. Plaid alignment specs are tied to ride height — if any corner is out of tolerance, diagnose the air suspension (leveling sensors, strut leaks) BEFORE proceeding. Do not shim or adjust suspension to mask a ride-height fault.
   ⚠Air struts and leveling sensors are known wear items after ~80K mi. A sagging corner will throw camber and produce a false alignment.
2. 2

   Take initial readings (4-wheel)
   Capture and print the as-found alignment: front and rear camber, caster, toe, thrust angle, and SAI/included angle. Compare against Tesla 2024 Model S Plaid specifications loaded in the aligner. Note which values are out of spec — this drives the adjustment plan.
3. 3

   Adjust rear camber (if out of spec)
   Rear camber on Model S is adjusted via the eccentric/cam bolt at the inner pivot of the rear lower control link. Loosen the cam bolt nut just enough to allow rotation, rotate the cam to bring camber into the middle of spec, then hold the cam from rotating while torquing the nut. Recheck reading after torque — cam bolts shift slightly during tightening.
   ⚠Cam bolts can seize in aluminum control arms. Apply penetrant, never force — a snapped cam bolt is a multi-hour repair.
   Torque spec

   Cam Bolts129 Nm (95 lb-ft)
4. 4

   Adjust rear toe
   Rear toe is set via the toe link adjustment sleeve. Break the jam nut(s) loose, rotate the toe link sleeve to set each side individually to spec (split toe equally to maintain thrust angle near 0°). Hold the link from rotating while tightening the jam nut.
   ⚠Setting individual rear toe affects thrust angle. Aim for thrust angle within ±0.05° to avoid steering wheel offset and dog-tracking.
   Torque spec

   Tie Rod Jam Nuts55 Nm (41 lb-ft)
5. 5

   Adjust front camber (if equipped/required)
   Front camber on Model S is adjusted via camber bolts at the upper or lower control arm mount, where fitted. If the bolts are non-adjustable from factory and camber is out of spec, an aftermarket camber bolt kit per OEM-equivalent specification may be required. Set camber to the middle of spec, holding the eccentric while torquing.
   ℹ️Many Model S front suspensions have limited factory camber adjustment. Persistent out-of-spec camber may indicate bent components or a shifted subframe — investigate before forcing adjustment.
   Torque spec

   Camber Bolts75 Nm (55 lb-ft)
6. 6

   Verify and (if needed) adjust front caster / subframe position
   Caster is largely fixed by suspension geometry on Model S. If caster is significantly out and side-to-side caster split exceeds spec, inspect for a shifted front subframe or collision damage. Subframe repositioning is a major operation — only adjust if you have verified procedure and slotted mounting. After any subframe movement, retorque per the verified subframe spec.
   ⚠Subframe relocation affects steering geometry, ADAS camera aim, and crash structure. Do not adjust casually.
   Torque spec

   Subframe Bolts115 Nm (85 lb-ft)
7. 7

   Center the steering wheel
   With the steering wheel holder set straight and locked, confirm the steering wheel is level on the aligner. If off-center, plan front toe adjustment to equalize tie rod lengths and bring the wheel level.
8. 8

   Adjust front toe
   Loosen the inner tie rod jam/lock nut at each side. Rotate each tie rod equally (or unequally if centering the wheel) to bring total front toe to the middle of spec with the wheel centered. Hold the tie rod flats from rotating, then torque the lock nut. Verify the rubber boot did not twist during adjustment — re-seat if needed.
   ⚠A twisted tie rod boot will tear within weeks. Free the boot from the tie rod before final tightening if it has wound up.
   Torque spec

   Tie Rod Lock Nut68 Nm (50 lb-ft)

   Tie Rod Jam Nuts55 Nm (41 lb-ft)
9. 9

   Re-torque any disturbed hardware
   Verify final torque on all adjusted hardware: cam bolts, camber bolts, tie rod lock nuts and jam nuts, and any bracket or sensor bolts that were loosened. For unlisted fasteners, torque to OEM specification — refer to Tesla Service Manual.
   Torque spec

   Cam Bolts129 Nm (95 lb-ft)

   Camber Bolts75 Nm (55 lb-ft)

   Tie Rod Lock Nut68 Nm (50 lb-ft)

   Tie Rod Jam Nuts55 Nm (41 lb-ft)

   Bracket Bolts20 Nm (15 lb-ft)

   Sensor Bolts11 Nm (8 lb-ft)

   Mounting Bolts27 Nm (20 lb-ft)
10. 10

    Final readings and printout
    Jounce the suspension, re-settle the vehicle, recompensate if the aligner requests, and capture final readings. All values should be within Tesla spec, with thrust angle near 0° and steering wheel level. Print and retain before/after sheets.
11. 11

    Steering angle sensor / ADAS check
    Drive the vehicle off the rack on a straight, flat surface. The EPS will typically auto-learn straight-ahead within a short drive cycle. If the steering wheel displays as off-center on the touchscreen or any chassis/ADAS alerts appear, a steering angle sensor relearn and/or Autopilot camera recalibration may be required — these typically need Tesla Toolbox and should be referred to a Tesla-certified technician.
    ℹ️Significant alignment changes can require Autopilot camera recalibration. The vehicle will prompt this on the touchscreen if needed.

Reassembly

1. Remove steering wheel holder and brake pedal depressor.
2. Reinstall any underbody covers or splash shields disturbed for access; torque cover and bracket fasteners to spec.
3. If the 12V/16V battery was disconnected, reconnect it and allow the vehicle to fully wake (touchscreen boot, HVAC and suspension self-check complete).
4. Restore ride height setting to the customer's preference on the touchscreen.
5. Reset tire pressures cold to door-jamb specification.
6. Clear any transient suspension or steering faults via the touchscreen service alerts; persistent faults require diagnostic tooling.

Verification

• Final alignment printout shows all four corners within Tesla 2024 Model S Plaid specification, thrust angle within ±0.05°.
• Test drive on a known-flat road: vehicle tracks straight with no hands at 30–50 mph, no pull, steering wheel level within ±2°.
• No suspension, EPS, or stability control warnings on the instrument cluster or touchscreen after a 5–10 minute drive cycle.
• Re-inspect tie rod boots and cam bolt positions after the test drive — nothing should have backed off or twisted.
• Reminder: Tesla recommends tire rotation every 6,250 mi on Model S Plaid due to high torque and curb weight — note next rotation interval on the service record.
• Reminder: brake fluid service is due every 2 years on this platform regardless of mileage — verify status while the vehicle is in the shop.

More procedures for this vehicle