Replacement of a rear lower control arm on the 2012 Tesla Roadster. Because the Roadster shares its chassis with the Lotus Elise/Exige, much of the rear suspension hardware is Lotus-derived rather than Tesla-specific — confirm part fitment before ordering.

Warnings

Tools required

Parts

• Rear lower control arm (Roadster/Lotus-spec) × 1 — Manufacturer-specified rear LCA — verify against VIN; many Lotus Elise/Exige arms are dimensionally compatible but bushings/finish differ
• New ball joint cotter pin × 1 — OEM-spec cotter pin matching ball joint stud
• Control arm pivot bolt hardware (if damaged on removal) × 1 — OEM-spec replacement bolts/nuts

Preparation

1. Park on level ground, place transmission in gear (or P on 2-speed early units), 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 12V low-voltage battery. On the Roadster the 12V auxiliary battery is typically located in the front trunk area — refer to the Roadster Owner's Manual for exact location on your VIN.
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. Loosen rear wheel lug nuts while the vehicle is still on the ground.
7. Raise the rear of the vehicle using factory-designated lift points only (the bonded aluminum tub will deform if jacked in the wrong location). Support on jack stands.
8. Remove the rear wheel on the affected side.
9. Inspect the surrounding suspension (sway bar link, strut, upper arm, toe link, ball joint boot) and note anything else worth replacing while apart.

Procedure

1. 1

   Support the rear hub assembly
   Place a floor jack with a wood block or rubber pad under the rear hub/upright to support its weight. This prevents the upright from dropping and stressing the brake line, ABS sensor wiring, and CV/halfshaft when the control arm is disconnected.
   ⚠Do not let the upright hang on the brake hose or ABS wiring.
2. 2

   Disconnect the sway bar end link
   Locate the sway bar end link at the lower control arm (or upright, depending on configuration). Hold the link's internal shaft with the appropriate Allen/hex key and remove the nut. Swing the link clear of the control arm.
   Torque spec

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

   Separate the ball joint (if the arm uses a ball joint at the upright)
   Remove and discard the cotter pin from the ball joint stud nut. Loosen the nut but leave it threaded a few turns to catch the joint. Separate the ball joint from the upright using a proper ball joint separator — do NOT hammer on the upright. Once separated, remove the nut completely. If the rear LCA on your Roadster instead bolts to the upright via a through-bolt rather than a ball joint, skip the ball joint step and remove that bolt instead.
   ⚠Always use a new cotter pin on reassembly — never reuse.
   Torque spec

   Ball Joint Nut88 Nm (65 lb-ft)
4. 4

   Mark alignment references
   Before loosening the inboard pivot bolts, mark the position of any eccentric/cam bolts and washers with a paint pen so the camber/toe setting can be approximated on reassembly. An alignment is still required afterward.
5. 5

   Remove inboard control arm pivot bolts
   Support the arm by hand, then remove the inboard pivot bolt(s) securing the lower control arm to the chassis/subframe. Note the orientation of any washers, spacers, or cam plates. Withdraw the control arm from the vehicle.
   ℹ️The Roadster's rear subframe is shared with Lotus architecture; hardware may be metric Lotus-spec rather than Tesla-spec.
   Torque spec

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

   Compare old and new arm
   Lay the old and new arms side-by-side. Confirm bushing positions, ball joint orientation, sway bar mount location, and overall length match exactly. Roadster-specific arms can look similar to Lotus Elise/Exige arms but may differ in bushing durometer or finish — verify before installing.
   ⚠If anything does not match, STOP and verify part number with a Roadster specialist.
7. 7

   Install the new lower control arm — inboard side
   Position the new arm at the chassis/subframe pivot. Install the pivot bolt(s) with washers/cams in their original orientation. Snug the hardware but do NOT final-torque yet — bushings must be torqued at ride height.
8. 8

   Reconnect the outboard end (ball joint or through-bolt)
   Reattach the outboard end of the arm to the upright. If a ball joint: seat the stud into the upright, install the nut, torque to spec, and install a NEW cotter pin (never reuse). If a through-bolt design: install the bolt and torque to the manufacturer-specified value — refer to Tesla Roadster Service Manual for any unlisted value.
   ⚠️A loose or improperly pinned ball joint can separate at speed. Verify the cotter pin is fully seated and the legs spread.
   Torque spec

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

   Reconnect the sway bar end link
   Reinstall the sway bar end link to the control arm. Hold the internal shaft with an Allen key and torque the nut to spec.
   Torque spec

   Sway Bar Link61 Nm (45 lb-ft)
10. 10

    Reinstall wheel and lower vehicle
    Reinstall the rear wheel. Hand-thread all lug nuts, then snug in a star pattern. Lower the vehicle until the suspension is loaded at ride height (tire on ground or on drive-on ramps/alignment plates).
    Torque spec

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

    Final-torque the inboard pivot bolts at ride height
    With the suspension fully loaded at ride height, final-torque the inboard control arm pivot bolt(s). This is mandatory — torquing with the suspension hanging will preload the bushing and cause early failure or harsh ride.
    ⚠If the bolt was torqued in the air by mistake, loosen it and re-torque at ride height.
    Torque spec

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

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

    Wheel Lug Nuts136 Nm (100 lb-ft)

Reassembly

1. Reconnect the 12V low-voltage battery.
2. Verify no tools, rags, or hardware are left in the wheel well or under the car.
3. Cycle the steering and suspension by rolling the car forward and back several feet to settle bushings before driving.

Verification

• With the wheel on the ground, grasp the tire at 12 and 6 o'clock and rock — there should be no clunking from the new arm.
• Inspect the new ball joint cotter pin: legs spread, seated flush.
• Confirm the inboard pivot bolt(s) were torqued with the suspension at ride height (mark with a torque-seal paint stripe for future inspection).
• Test drive at low speed first, listening for clunks, then at highway speed checking for pulling, vibration, or steering wander.
• Schedule a 4-wheel alignment immediately — rear toe and camber must be reset after any rear LCA service.
• Re-check fastener torque after the first 100 miles, as Roadster suspension hardware can settle.
• Note: the 2012 Roadster does not share Tesla's modern 'no scheduled maintenance' claim. While performing rear suspension work, also verify brake fluid age (Tesla recommends replacement every 2 years) and rear gearbox oil condition (75W-90 GL-5, ~2.0 qt) — both are commonly neglected on Roadsters.

More procedures for this vehicle