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Another bad ball joint after 43,000 miles
- Thread starter timk225
- Start date
islandbayy
Active Member
This works on all current Tesla Models. Links are in the video description if you need. I'm now 20,000 miles in since greasing the ball joints using my method and zero noise, and I get between 3-5 emails and private messages/DAY (YES, EACH DAY) thanking me for this and that it worked. Tesla has a MAJOR issue. These need to be recalled and better version released. Actually, all the suspension components. Failure and problem after failure and problem. I do recommend submitting a NHTSA safety complaint. Because Unaddressed, the next step would be failure of the joint.
Complaint Form:
www.nhtsa.gov
Complaint Form:
Report a Safety Problem | NHTSA
File a complaint with NHTSA if you experienced a vehicle, tire, car seat or equipment safety problem that could be a safety defect.
This might be a bit dramatic. The ball joint outright failing in a structural sense (and thus the ball joint assembly separating from its socket on the control arm) would require many years of rusting, increasing noise, the owner ignoring the noise, which would eventually become loud enough to make driving down the street pretty uncomfortable.This works on all current Tesla Models. Links are in the video description if you need. I'm now 20,000 miles in since greasing the ball joints using my method and zero noise, and I get between 3-5 emails and private messages/DAY (YES, EACH DAY) thanking me for this and that it worked. Tesla has a MAJOR issue. These need to be recalled and better version released. Actually, all the suspension components. Failure and problem after failure and problem. I do recommend submitting a NHTSA safety complaint. Because Unaddressed, the next step would be failure of the joint.
Complaint Form:
Report a Safety Problem | NHTSA
File a complaint with NHTSA if you experienced a vehicle, tire, car seat or equipment safety problem that could be a safety defect.
Although Tesla clearly put in a substandard part in terms of the ball joint seals, they admitted as much, and replaced both if either one showed any noise at all, no questions asked for the most part. Additionally, they have often times replaced them even if someone was somewhat over the warrantee period. So your "building a case" here against Tesla for some kind of gross negligence seems somewhat uninformed.
Far more serious in terms of a real and serious potential safety issue are the phantom braking issues in autopilot.
Another update a few weeks later. The ball joint has been quiet, I haven't added any more grease yet.
Prices across Europe for the 'kit' part no (which includes both FUCAs and hardware) average around 300-350 euro.
www.distri-auto.es
Lowest Ive found is 277 euro. Great price, if theyd ship to the US.
finavto.si
MEYLE-HD-KIT: Better solution for you! 70-16 050 0039/HD Juego de Barras, Suspensión de las Ruedas barato | Distriauto
MEYLE-HD-KIT: Better solution for you! 70-16 050 0039/HD Juego de Barras, Suspensión de las Ruedas a precio rebajado en Distriauto. Compre las piezas de su vehículo más baratas en Distriauto. Entrega rápida.
www.distri-auto.es
Lowest Ive found is 277 euro. Great price, if theyd ship to the US.
Komplet krmilja , obesa koles MEYLE 70-16 050 0039/HD
Številka dela: 70-16 050 0039/HD Enostavna številka dela: 70160500039HD OEM številke (proizvajalec originalne opreme): TESLA 1044321-00-H TESLA 1044321-00-F TESLA 1044321-00-G TESLA 1044326-00-F TESLA 1044326-00-H TESLA 1044326-00-G TESLA 1044326-00-J TESLA 1044321-00-J TESLA 1288321-00-A...
finavto.si
heavyD
Member
I looked into this but the distributors they gave me were pretty useless. Seems like it's going to take a while to get to North America. I would love to get my hands on a set to have installed at the same time as my MPP comfort coilovers but these guys don't make it easy to get a hold of their product.
heavyD
Member
I just ordered a set as I have MPP comfort coilovers waiting to be installed so I will get this all done in one shot.
heavyD
Member
Will do. I'm not expecting miracles as it's job is solely not to be noisy which shouldn't be an issue given it's a superior design. I'm putting them in because once the coilovers get installed Tesla isn't likely going to warranty the control arms so I may as well get everything done at once and save on the labour to replace them now.
For a bit more money you can get the adjustable upper control arms from Mountain Pass. These offer camber but not Caster adjustment. If you want Caster adjustment Unplugged Performance has a set of upper control arms for about the same money.
Actually that's not true. We had both sets of upper control arms replaced under warranty on both cars that have Mountain Pass coilover kits. They did not consider it even remotely related which is in fact the correct assessment. And the new Tesla part by the way appears to be significantly better quality in terms of the ball joint seal. Which was the source of functional failure on those upper control arms. The grease seal did not hold up, typically tearing in the middle of the bellows, allowing water into the ball joint, with predictable results.
heavyD
Member
They are quite a bit more money. As for warranty that's always going to vary from service center to service center.
Yes they are significantly more money. But they are much higher quality even than the part you are thinking about. As for there being wide variation on warranty I really doubt it. I know of three separate instances where people had coilover kits and had absolutely no issues with the upper control arm being replaced because it is a known vulnerability. Indeed if you take your car in and say that you want it replaced under warranty because you know it's going to fail they will take care of it even if it is not currently making noise. But it's your money. If you want to pay somebody to put in an aftermarket part go for it.
Is there any reason you cant drill through the top of the ball joint and install a 90 degree grease zerk ?
has anyone tried that yet ? I've used a needle grease tool and injected grease to quiet mine down. a grease fitting would make it much easier and would only take me a couple minutes per side .
has anyone tried that yet ? I've used a needle grease tool and injected grease to quiet mine down. a grease fitting would make it much easier and would only take me a couple minutes per side .
islandbayy
Active Member
It wasn't designed for it, and given these aren't a Honda civic, I'd be concerned about structural integrity.
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