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Replace rear lower control arm with spindle/hub in place?
- Thread starter sorka
- Start date
Never mind. The service manual has the removal procedure for removing JUST the lower control arm without anything else. Looks like about 5 minutes once the car is jacked and the hub is supported. The only thing it says about the suspension is to place it in jack mode first.
....and the usual warning about tightening bolts at ride height so that the bushings are unsprung at rest.
....and the usual warning about tightening bolts at ride height so that the bushings are unsprung at rest.
Newscutter
Member
Might have to do this soon -- coil suspension. Is there enough room to get under there with tools to torque when it's on the ground?? I'm not a big guy but it seems like it'd be hard to access anything without a lift. I have some old ramps, but they're way too steep to get the Tesla on.
You pretty much need to use a jack to jack the hub up to ride height with the wheel off.
Newscutter
Member
Thanks -- that is what I figured.
Confirmed yesterday that I have a broken rear lower control arm, totally fractured and missing end. What I also noticed, while walking through the repair mentally using service manual (still no parts in hand) is that neither side has drop links from the sway bar. I wrote that off at the time as possibly a difference between air and coil suspension (I have coil)... but now I'm wondering if the sway bar itself was even in there! I will have to go back and look.
My car had a drive unit replacement years ago and I'm thinking it's possible they just left off parts-- which would explain a crosswind sensitivity I'd just gotten used to.
So... if the sway bar is also missing -- or even if it is not, the drop links to the rear lower control arm are definitely not present -- and this isn't a "supported" configuration, then surely that led to more movement/accelerated wear on the failed arm because its motion was not dampened... right??
I don't know how to begin to get this made right... but I certainly can't drop the rear subframe/drive unit to add the sway bar. I have asked a contact at the service center about this and I guess I'll see if there's a path forward, but the company has so gone to *sugar* I doubt they'll lift a finger to help. I'm many months out of every warranty at this point.
Confirmed yesterday that I have a broken rear lower control arm, totally fractured and missing end. What I also noticed, while walking through the repair mentally using service manual (still no parts in hand) is that neither side has drop links from the sway bar. I wrote that off at the time as possibly a difference between air and coil suspension (I have coil)... but now I'm wondering if the sway bar itself was even in there! I will have to go back and look.
My car had a drive unit replacement years ago and I'm thinking it's possible they just left off parts-- which would explain a crosswind sensitivity I'd just gotten used to.
So... if the sway bar is also missing -- or even if it is not, the drop links to the rear lower control arm are definitely not present -- and this isn't a "supported" configuration, then surely that led to more movement/accelerated wear on the failed arm because its motion was not dampened... right??
I don't know how to begin to get this made right... but I certainly can't drop the rear subframe/drive unit to add the sway bar. I have asked a contact at the service center about this and I guess I'll see if there's a path forward, but the company has so gone to *sugar* I doubt they'll lift a finger to help. I'm many months out of every warranty at this point.
Gtech
Active Member
Not all model S came out of the factory with a rear sway bar. My S85 1-2015 w coil hasn't one either.
A friend of mine has a S85 12-2014 with coil but his car does has a rear stabilisor so not sure what the exact requirements where back then
Newscutter
Member
Okay that makes me feel somewhat less enraged. Going by the service manual it seems like supposed to be there. I'm still waiting on my service contact to confirm that, but at least if he does -- I'll have your vouch that he's being honest about it. My mind was really going on a "do I need a lawyer" track pretty quickly.
Newscutter
Member
It seems very strange though. Even my non-sporty lightweight Subaru truck has a rear sway bar/ links.
Gtech
Active Member
yeah it is strange but I did see a few pre-facelift (w coil) without one.
If you ever want to add the rear sway bar, if you drop the rear subframe a few cm you have enough space to add or replace the rear sway bar. You don't even need to disconnect the logic/HV/coolant lines
Newscutter
Member
Good to know -- yeah, for right now just getting back on the road is priority #1. My wife recently shattered both wrists, so I "fortunately" have her car to use during this... but also have ridiculous inbound bills/absent income so getting just back to normal is all I'm after. I haven't received part prices from SC yet, but I know these arms are $$ and that plus the investment of time are all I can manage. I'd need different ramps to really get under the car for that too, I suspect.
Newscutter
Member
Hmm. So to access the front, inboard nut I guess I need a flex head ratchet wrench? There's very very little access.
The thing with air suspension is that both rear airbags are in the same air circuit. In corner, air tends to leak from outside bag to the inside, and car leans outwards.
Coil suspension doesn't suffer from this, as the coils are obviously independent. There is some sag on the outside coil, but it's not as bad as with air suspension.
This might explain why they have left out the stabilizer with coil suspension..
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