Model 3/Y: rear lower control arm — wear diagnosis, full assembly replacement vs bushing pressing

Summary

The rear lower arm on M3/Y is a structural aluminum arm carrying the coil spring (or air bladder on adaptive suspension), plus the knuckle-to-subframe attachment. It takes the entire vertical load. The bushings on it are the most heavily loaded in the rear suspension and often "go" first after 80–120 thousand km.

Symptoms / Diagnosis

• Knock over a bump from the rear — muffled, like "aluminum hitting aluminum."
• Rocking on rebound (after a bump the rear corner nods longer than it should).
• Camber drift — tire chewed on the inner edge.
• At low speed over an obstacle/curb — a characteristic "bam" from one side.
• On longitudinal grooves — pulls to one side.
• Sometimes squeak on rebound in wet weather.

What to do

1. Diagnosis. On a pit / lift: rock the arm with a pry bar from the subframe and from the knuckle. If play is visible — the bushing is dead. Quote from chat (Daniil): "On a pit place an obstacle under the wheel, drive up onto it; that way the rear lower arm shows itself very well" — loading the wheel reveals play better than just rocking with a pry bar.

2. Repair options.

   a) Replace the arm as an assembly (Tesla / aftermarket). On M3 part 1044451-00-x (rear lower rear position). Replaced as a single unit. Pros: fast, all-new (including the ball joint). Cons: price, and sometimes overpaying for a working ball joint.

   b) Press in polyurethane bushings. Powerflex and SuperPro make kits that press into the old arm. Last longer, slightly stiffer on the road. Note: if the seat surface in the arm is already damaged (bushing has spun) — polyurethane won't save it, you need a new arm.

   c) Refurbish (rubber or bushing separately). Technically possible, but Tesla doesn't officially provide for it. Sometimes shops press in universal bushings from other makes in matching seat dimensions — the most "lottery-like" option, but if the arm is healthy and you don't want to replace it — acceptable.

3. Parts selection. Tesla part numbers:

   • 1044451-00-F — rear lower rear position M3 (later revisions).
   • 1188451-00-x — Model Y, same position, different suffixes by year.
   • 1044439-00-x — sometimes designated as "integral link," adjacent rear lower component. Brands for aftermarket assemblies: Lemforder, Mevotech, Teknorot, Delphi. Polyurethane: Powerflex, SuperPro (search by part number in the catalog, there's a separate position for the rear lower).

4. AliExpress note. On AliExpress for this arm there's both "full arm assembly for $50–80" and "Chinese rubber for pressing" — both options are losers. With high probability you'll get an arm with a weak ball joint or with a bushing that won't last a season. Take care of yourself — buy Lemforder/Teknorot or, if really economizing — Powerflex into your own aluminum.

Belarus budget

Parts (one side):

• Tesla OEM: ~$200–290
• Lemforder / Mevotech / Teknorot (aftermarket assembly): ~$110–180
• Powerflex / SuperPro (polyurethane): ~$60–120 (without arm)
• AliExpress "kit": ~$40–80 (at your own risk)

Labor (Minsk shop labor ≈ $50/h):

• Replace one rear lower assembly: ~2 h × $50 = $100
• With spring removal (required): +0.5 h ≈ $25
• Pressing bushings (with R&I): ~2.5 h × $50 = $125
• Both sides: ~3.5–4 h ≈ $175–200

Total per side:

• Aftermarket assembly + labor: ≈ $210–305
• Polyurethane in your own arm + labor: ≈ $185–245
• Tesla OEM + labor: ≈ $300–390

After replacement — alignment is mandatory (~$50).

DIY notes

General-level:

• Lift the car, remove the wheel.
• Carefully unload the spring (lower the arm gradually, or use a spring compressor — designs vary, some Y have adaptive suspension).
• Unbolt the integral link at the knuckle side — torque per manual 130 Nm.
• Unbolt the sway bar end link (TMC recommends: "always disconnect the sway bar so the knuckle can move freely").
• Unbolt the arm from the subframe (torque 115 Nm) and from the knuckle (torque 190 Nm for final tightening).
• ⚠ Before final torque, compress the spring under the car's weight (so the bushing sits at the working point, not at an extreme). If you skip this — the bushing will quickly die.
• On M3/Y rear arms often have a camber eccentric — mark the position before unbolting!
• On rear active CCD shocks — zero out the sensor positions in Service Mode afterward.
• Often (NOT ALWAYS — every Tesla is different): disconnecting 12V isn't critical, but if you have active suspension — disconnect HV before working with the electrical connectors of the shocks.
• After — mandatory four-wheel alignment.

Links / Sources

• EVANNEX — Rear Lower Rear Position Control Arm 1044451-00-F
• TMC: Rear Control Arm Replacement (detailed owner experience with torque values)
• MPP — diagnosing rear M3/Y noises
• Tesla Service Manual — Control Arm Assembly Rear Lower (S, similar procedure)
• Motronix — Tesla Control Arm & Bushing Failure Guide
• YouTube: EVANNEX Front Control Arm DIY (front, but the R&I and torque techniques are similar)

Community experience

Search through the archive of the TESLA owner's group BELARUS chat — the rear lower arm and its bushings are discussed regularly, especially together with topics like "tramlining" and "rear camber issues."

Additional fixes from chat:

1. The "obstacle under the wheel" test. Daniil: "On a pit place an obstacle under the wheel, drive up onto it; that way the rear lower arm shows itself very well." A simple and effective way to expose a blown bushing without a lift.
2. "Right rear arm not torqued" as a symptom. Nikita: "4 floating bushings blown, right rear arm not torqued, and front shock on driver's side is hammering metal" — on rear arms, the bolt often doesn't reach the proper torque due to corrosion, and the assembly works "loose."
3. Car wanders on ruts. Pasha n1claus: "on my Three, when both regular and floating bushings were tired — it would wander on the road, especially on small irregularities. Did the suspension, then alignment, and it all went away."
4. Parts and selection. Chat repeatedly compared: "New OEM is 260 and there's no guarantee it will last better than China." Advice: buy from trusted Tesla shops with VIN-based selection, not from "AliExpress catalog photos."
5. After replacement — alignment without exception. Without it, the tire gets "chewed up" within 10–15 thousand km on the inner edge.

Who reported the issue: Nikita, Molchaliviy Bob, Stinger

Who found the fix: Pasha n1claus, Daniil, Ilya, Alexey

Discussion in Telegram: #3152, #4060, #194622, #263404, #324536, #342391