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Front upper control arm squeak

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I know failed control arms have been discussed ad nauseum here. I actually had all four of my rear control arms replaced 5 months ago because they were cracked.

I’ve developed a squeaky upper arm. I know it’s because it just needs to be lubed and not because it’s failing. I also know tesla will charge me three arms to replace it. Has anyone effectively just lubed it?
 
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Front suspension points are bushed, not lubed. Squirting something may temporarily stop the squeak, but the bushings need replacement to permanently stop the squeaks
Hmm. Interesting. The bushings can’t be replaced alone. I was under the impression that there is grease Inside the housing and it needs to be spun more or grease added. From the few videos I’ve seen that seems to be the case.
 
Hmm. Interesting. The bushings can’t be replaced alone. I was under the impression that there is grease Inside the housing and it needs to be spun more or grease added. From the few videos I’ve seen that seems to be the case.

There is grease in the ball joints of the front upper control arms, for sure. And you can get a "grease needle" and inject some grease in there. But that seems to be really hit or miss.

Can you post a recording of the squeak you're hearing? IIRC, SQUEAKS tend to be more from the Model 3 upper arms...the S/X upper arms are more prone to KNOCKS.
 
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There is grease in the ball joints of the front upper control arms, for sure. And you can get a "grease needle" and inject some grease in there. But that seems to be really hit or miss.

Can you post a recording of the squeak you're hearing? IIRC, SQUEAKS tend to be more from the Model 3 upper arms...the S/X upper arms are more prone to KNOCKS.
It sounds EXACTLY like the 3 control arm squeaks. I haven’t recorded it yet. Wanted to try to grease it myself since I’m out of warranty and see how that goes first.
 
I lifted that wheel off the ground and when turning it was squeaky.

I got a grease gun and it seems to have taken care of the issue for now.
Can you tell me exactly what grease you injected, the size of the needle, and where (red or green arrow)? Thanks!

UpperControlArm.jpg
 
My creaking noises occur during turning and when driving on bumpy roads (leading me to think shocks/struts). But I'm far from a mechanic, so perhaps the control arm is the culprit. This just started about a week ago. Then on my latest drive a warning pops up: "steering alignment service recommended-OK to drive-schedule service soon". Related issues, or two separate problems?
I think separate. I've read that after replacing the control arms, no alignment is necessary.
 
Can you tell me exactly what grease you injected, the size of the needle, and where (red or green arrow)? Thanks!

View attachment 783663
I went to my local Grainger store (not sure if they’re all over the place) explained what I wanted to do and he gave me a silicone grease, gun (which came with a needle). I inserted it anywhere I could get the needle inside mine without breaking anything that was still adhered. (Mine was closer to the green area where I just literally inserted the needle and sprayed it in until it started to ooze back out. Did both front and haven’t heard a peep since.
 
I went to my local Grainger store (not sure if they’re all over the place) explained what I wanted to do and he gave me a silicone grease, gun (which came with a needle). I inserted it anywhere I could get the needle inside mine without breaking anything that was still adhered. (Mine was closer to the green area where I just literally inserted the needle and sprayed it in until it started to ooze back out. Did both front and haven’t heard a peep since.
Did you pierce the rubber boot or were you able to insert the needle below the rubber? I've got to do mine in a few days so wanted to know what I should be doing.

Did the fix last a while?
 
Did you pierce the rubber boot or were you able to insert the needle below the rubber? I've got to do mine in a few days so wanted to know what I should be doing.

Did the fix last a while
I pierced it, in two places actually. Noise is totally gone now (about 500 miles later). Heard the fix lasts for thousands at least.

See my other posts on this topic for details and advice.
 
Upper control arm squeaking? $8 fix and 15 minutes of your time.
Watch this video, get $8 RedNTacky Grease from HomeDepot (or similar grease, read somewhere marine grease good too).
I modified the approach using an 18Gauge needle and a 10 mL syringe.
I was able to put air suspension in high and there was wide open easy access.
Injected 8 mL (seemed like the max) and it instantly fixed the problem. See the picture. I have a 2018 Model X.
Good luck!

(I donated to his PayPal, cuz this fix is just awesome!)

 

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