Front Driver's Steering Knuckle FRACTURED while driving at 55mph [Video]

[Catbiscuits]

At first I was really scared and wondered how the steering wheel could make the driver’s knuckle shatter like that.

 

[sorka]

That is not the normal ride height of the car. Here's a picture of the car under normal conditions, and is how I purchased the car.

So the number 1 question is the height shown in post #1 the height it was right before hitting that joint? Could the car have deflated and you maybe didn't notice prior to hitting the joint?

 

[George Marley]

Try putting some Viagra in the air-suspension.
It's having trouble keeping it up.

 

[Aggmeister2010]

Wow. This photo definitely looks lower than stock even with 21" wheels...

M
View attachment 563276

Folks, this is NOT OP's DAILY DRIVING RIDE HEIGHT.

This is after the incident, where the air strut cracked and dumped all of the air out of the system, so the car's basically rolling on the bump stops. (hence the flatbed....)

The picture he posted on page 2 with aftermarket wheels looks like a pretty normal ride height.

While I don't blame Tesla, I still lean towards a manufacturing issue with that particular air strut - or perhaps a previous incident from its prior owner that was poorly repaired (i.e., hit a curb and just replaced the wheel without inspecting other suspension components).

Like another person mentioned, the S used to be an inch lower, but was raised for battery strikes (not suspension failure). So, it was *designed* to be an inch lower than it is now, yes? My S is lowered with Unplugged brackets (1.5" drop, 0.5" lower than previous stock), and even on the crap roads in my city I never hit the bump stops. My normal driving is still well within the normal range of suspension travel, even with it lowered. And I've had plenty of lowered cars over the years...catastrophic suspension failure has never, ever, ever been an issue.

After all, If OP's car was lowered enough for constantly bottoming out was an issue, he'd visually notice it wasn't 'normal', and he'd feel it all the time via the horrible ride quality. I feel like he'd have to be lowered quite a substantial amount and drive like a real hooligan to inflict enough regular strain to disintegrate a healthy strut tower.