Potential sway bar link issues from factory?

[DennyL]

I am having issues installing my new coil overs. I can say I’m pretty experienced with working on cars and heck removing the sway bar it was very difficult from the stock strut because of the angle. Comes down to do I force it in? Or is the sway bar possibly installed incorrectly from the factory?

Note this picture is passenger side. Notice the sway bar will turn to the right (point towards front) of the car but why? It’s the opposite direction of the strut.

https://imgur.com/jNCcOf0

Now I am trying to line it up but that’s the max the arm will turn to the left. Is this by design or the sway bar is installed incorrectly from the factory?

https://imgur.com/FH0DW8B

 

[Wreckz]

Just spitballing here...

When comparing Barry’s install looks like you mpp coil tab is misaligned. Hard to tell cause both of your picks are from different angle.

 

[DennyL]

When comparing Barry’s install looks like you mpp coil tab is misaligned. Hard to tell cause both of your picks are from different angle.
View attachment 644215

Look at the sway bar joint on the bottom. Very different from mines. Mines is fully turned to the left and it’s 1 inch off alignment from the slot.

 

[DennyL]

I wanted to ask if the sway bar supposed to be able to turn to the left all the way? When I took it off from the stock strut it was a struggle. It’s off by 1 inch on the stock strut as well and I would assume since it was forced in from the factory it’s putting a lot of stress on the joints. Idk

 

[Wreckz]

Copy that.

When your wheel is straight it does it line up?

 

[DennyL]

Copy that.

When your wheel is straight it does it line up?

Take note of the first picture I was able to turn it to the right all the way and you can see the joint fully turned. In your picture it does look like it didn’t need to turned at all to align. And yes my wheel was straight and it didn’t align.

 

[MP3Mike]

Or is the control arm possibly installed incorrectly from the factory?

Note this picture is passenger side. Notice the control arm will twist to the right (point towards front) of the car but why? It’s the opposite direction of the strut.

It would probably help if we knew for sure what you were talking about. As I don't think you are looking at a control arm issue. From the pictures, and what moved in them it looks like you are talking about the sway bar link.

When comparing Barry’s install looks like you mpp coil tab is misaligned.

That looks like the problem to me. The coil isn't "clocked" correctly so the tab isn't where it should be to allow the sway bar link to connect.

 

[DennyL]

It would probably help if we knew for sure what you were talking about. As I don't think you are looking at a control arm issue. From the pictures, and what moved in them it looks like you are talking about the sway bar link.



That looks like the problem to me. The coil isn't "clocked" correctly so the tab isn't where it should be to allow the sway bar link to connect.

Yes sway bar. My mistake. I will clock it and see if it will align.

 

[MacZ]

Are you talking about the "control arm" with ball joints close to the top end of the strut? It did not show in your pics, but I can see it from Wreckz's pic.

 

[MP3Mike]

Is it possible that you have the right and left strut/coil assemblies swapped? (I don't know if they are different or not.) I ask because it looks like your tab is slanted towards the outside of the car, and the other persons is slanted towards the inside of the car.

 

[DennyL]

Are you talking about the "control arm" with ball joints close to the top end of the strut? It did not show in your pics, but I can see it from Wreckz's pic.

Are you talking about the "control arm" with ball joints close to the top end of the strut? It did not show in your pics, but I can see it from Wreckz's pic.

It’s the anti roll bar or sway bar? Yes I am getting them mixed just been a long day...

 

[DennyL]

Is it possible that you have the right and left strut/coil assemblies swapped? (I don't know if they are different or not.) I ask because it looks like your tab is slanted towards the outside of the car, and the other persons is slanted towards the inside of the car.

Yes I will clock the strut and see. Im just confused why it was not aligned with the stock strut as well and it was very difficult to remove the anti roll bar or if it’s called sway bar.

I just want to make sure the anti roll bar/sway bar supposed to be able to turn all the way to the right or left. In my case it was able to turn all the way to the right.

 

[Wreckz]

Sway bar links. Hope you get it worked out. I wanted to see pics of your MY tonight!!

 

[DennyL]

Sway bar links. Hope you get it worked out. I wanted to see pics of your MY tonight!!

Haha yes long day. It took me about 15 minutes to remove it which was concerning. But if it’s by design then we are good. Wanted to make sure because it’s a May 2020 build.

 

[JHCCAZ]

I don't have my model Y yet so I'm sorry I can't look at it directly. But just a couple of comments:
1. I think the part you're asking about is not one of the control arms, it is a called a link - in this case a stabilizer link aka sway bar link.
2. According to the Tesla parts catalog drawings, the left and right stabilizer links are different parts. It's hard to tell exactly from the line drawings, but it appears they may have a different twist angle. So, consider the possibility that you may have swapped the driver and passenger side links in the disassembly/reassembly process, and/or that you may have the link upside-down which could give it the wrong splay angle.
3. Even if you manage to wrestle it into place, it's definitely wrong if the rest position is at the extreme hard-stop limit of the link joint. It should be somewhere near the middle of its rotation range.

 

[DennyL]

I don't have my model Y yet so I'm sorry I can't look at it directly. But just a couple of comments:
1. I think the part you're asking about is not one of the control arms, it is a called a link - in this case a stabilizer link aka sway bar link.
2. According to the Tesla parts catalog drawings, the left and right stabilizer links are different parts. It's hard to tell exactly from the line drawings, but it appears they may have a different twist angle. So, consider the possibility that you may have swapped the driver and passenger side links in the disassembly/reassembly process, and/or that you may have the link upside-down which could give it the wrong splay angle.
3. Even if you manage to wrestle it into place, it's definitely wrong if the rest position is at the extreme hard-stop limit of the link joint. It should be somewhere near the middle of its rotation range.

Yes sway bar. I am concerned because it was very difficult to remove from the stock strut and I am just thinking out loud since it’s a May 2020 build which was in in the 3000 range. If I was going to install the stock strut and align with the sway bar link it would be a struggle because it’s off by 1 inch as well.

I didn’t removed the entire sway bar links so I couldn’t have mixed them up. I had only removed the top 18mm nut and that’s it. But I had to fight it for 15 minutes to remove the sway bar from the strut.

 

[Wreckz]

Don’t take this the wrong way. I’ve done this with my Mini Cooper.

is it possible you installed the wrong strut? Aka you put right on left strut?

Is the strut specific? I’m still waiting for my MPPs so I have no reference to work with.

 

[DennyL]

Don’t take this the wrong way. I’ve done this with my Mini Cooper.

is it possible you installed the wrong strut? Aka you put right on left strut?

Is the strut specific? I’m still waiting for my MPPs

Yes possible. I will swap to verify.

 

[DennyL]

Is it possibly to change the title to Sway bar link? Not sure how to change it.

 

[Wreckz]

Can’t. Anyways get to work. Better have pics by tomorrow