Model 3/Y: rear upper control arm bushings, specs, replacement options, who does it in Belarus

Summary

The M3/Y rear suspension has two upper arms per side: front upper and rear upper. Both are non-adjustable (rear camber is not factory-adjustable, only toe is adjusted via the toe link; adjustable camber comes only from aftermarket arms like MPP/SPL). On both, the bushings are press-fit and vulcanized into the aluminum arm, and removing just the rubber separately is hard, so Tesla officially replaces the arm as an assembly. Alternatives are polyurethane bushings from Powerflex and SuperPro, which press into the old arm (sometimes with replacement of the metal sleeve).

Symptoms / Diagnosis

• Dull knock/clunk on small bumps from the rear, especially in cold weather.
• On ruts or longitudinal seams the rear axle "darts," with a "floaty" rear-end feel.
• On a lifted wheel with a pry bar, visible play at the subframe or knuckle attachment (where the bushing has gone bad).
• Rear camber drift: tire "chewed up" on the inner edge.
• Sometimes squeak on suspension articulation (in cold/damp weather).

What to do

1. Diagnosis. Lift the rear axle, rock the arms with a pry bar. A bad bushing shows rubber delaminating, cracks visible, the metal sleeve rotated. With a bad bushing, rotating the arm produces a click/knock. ⚠ Don't confuse with bad rear lower arm bushings or toe link: those also knock, but differently. Better to inspect on a pit, working each arm separately.

2. Repair options.

   a) Replace the arm as an assembly (Tesla way). The "cleanest" option: remove the old, install a new aluminum arm with factory bushings. The downside is price, and if the arm itself is fine, you're overpaying for aluminum.

   b) Polyurethane bushings Powerflex / SuperPro. Press into the old arm. Stiffer than factory, slightly more rigid on the road (more "sporty" character), but last 2–3× longer. Powerflex PFR75-311 for front-position, SuperPro has full kits for rear-upper-front (TRC1153) and rear-upper-rear (TRC1154); sometimes they come already with a ball joint as an assembly.

   c) Pressing rubber aftermarket. Less common. You can find a third-party rubber "polly" in matching dimensions, but without a 1-to-1 analog it's "lottery squared."

3. Parts selection. Tesla part numbers:

   • 1044423-00-x: rear upper rear (rear upper, rear position) M3.
   • 1044421-00-x (cast) / 1044427-00-x (stamped): rear upper front (rear upper, front position) M3.
   • On Y they differ by part-number prefix: 1044 → 1188 (the trailing letter is the part revision, not the year). For Powerflex/SuperPro, parts selection by polyurethane part number:
   • Powerflex PFR75-311: rear upper front bushings.
   • SuperPro TRC1153 / TRC1154: kits for front and rear positions of rear upper.

4. AliExpress note. On AliExpress, assembly arms for M3/Y are sold as "OEM Tesla" at $40–80. These arms often have bushings noticeably stiffer or softer than factory, sometimes the seats are off, resulting in renewed knocking after a year. Powerflex and SuperPro buy only from official distributors (european auto source, evannex, etc.). "Powerflex polly" on AliExpress is likely a fake, with the wrong shape and material.

Cost (Minsk shop prices)

Parts (one side, both upper arms):

• Tesla OEM (2 arm assemblies): ~$160–280
• Lemforder / Mevotech / Teknorot (aftermarket assembly, 2 arms): ~$80–160
• Powerflex / SuperPro (polyurethane, kit per side): ~$80–140
• AliExpress "rear suspension 4-arm kit": ~$50–90 (at your own risk)

Labor (Minsk shop labor ≈ $50/h):

• Replace 2 upper arm assemblies on one side: ~2.5 h × $50 = $125
• Pressing polyurethane into your own arms (with R&I): ~3 h × $50 = $150
• Both sides at once: around 5 h ≈ $250 of labor

Total per side:

• Aftermarket assembly + labor: ≈ $165–290
• Polyurethane + labor: ≈ $230–290
• Tesla OEM + labor: ≈ $280–410

After replacement, a rear-axle alignment is mandatory (~$50).

DIY notes

General-level:

• Lift the car, remove the rear wheel.
• Remove the sway bar end link (if it blocks access).
• Unbolt the arm itself with the suspension loaded (place a support under the spring or arm so geometry doesn't push both bushings to an extreme).
• Subframe and knuckle attachment bolts, torque per Tesla manual: upper fore 76 Nm (to subframe on later revisions 115 Nm), upper aft 134 Nm; check the manual for your VIN for exact values.
• When pressing polyurethane, don't pull out the outer sleeve unless that's required by the kit (some Powerflex come with a new steel sleeve, some don't).
• Before final torque, compress the spring, otherwise the bushing will live in skew → quick death.
• Often (NOT ALWAYS, every Tesla is different): disconnecting 12V isn't required.
• After assembly, a rear-axle alignment is mandatory.

Links / Sources

• Powerflex PFR75-311 — bushings for rear upper front M3/Y
• European Auto Source — Powerflex Rear Upper Front bushings
• SuperPro TRC1154 — Rear Upper Rear Control Arm Kit
• SuperPro TRC1153 — Rear Upper Front Control Arm Kit
• TMC: Rear Control Arm Replacement (forum, owner experience)
• Tesla Service Manual — Rear Upper Knuckle Ball Joint
• Motronix — Tesla Control Arm & Bushing Failure Guide
• YouTube: EVANNEX Front Control Arm DIY (general principle, front, but R&I technique is similar)

Community experience

Search through the archive of the TESLA owner's group BELARUS chat: rear bushings are actively discussed on cars with 80k+ mileage.

Additional fixes from chat:

1. Bushing wear shows up 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." Replacing the bushings eliminates rear-axle "floatiness."
2. "4 floating bushings" is the typical wear pattern. Nikita: "4 floating bushings blown, right rear arm not torqued." On M3/Y this often kills several bushings at once (both front and rear of the upper).
3. Rubber vs China vs OEM. In chat they discussed: "New OEM is 260 and there's no guarantee it will last better than China. There's no guarantee that 'OEM' isn't China either." If the budget allows, go with Powerflex/SuperPro: replace once and forget.
4. Rear arm bushings aren't always visible without a lift: on a pit you can miss them, you need a lift + pry bar to check play.
5. After replacement, bolts must be torqued with the suspension loaded. Otherwise the bushing will live in skew and die in half a year.

Who reported the issue: Evgeny Sedousov, Nikita, Molchaliviy Bob

Who found the fix: Pasha n1claus, Ilya, Molchaliviy Bob

Discussion in Telegram: #3152, #4060, #12175, #194622, #324536