Steering Gear Replacement Guidelines
Provides guidelines on replacing steering gear after a collision.
For safety, the steering gear must be replaced after a collision or any impact that results in any of the following conditions:
- Damage to any of the components listed in “Component Damage".
- Changes in the operation of the steering gear, as described in “Changes in the Operation of the Steering Gear.”
- The vehicle cannot be aligned within specifications using normal adjustment procedures, as described in “Alignment Issues.”
A steering gear without external or visible damage might have internal damage from a collision or other impact that could lead to a steering gear failure. It is not feasible to directly diagnose internal damage to a steering gear, so the conditions listed above should be used to assess whether to replace a steering gear after a collision or other impact.
Contact Tesla Collision Repair with any questions on these guidelines or on a specific repair:
Component Damage
Replace damaged steering gear components after a collision or other impact that damages any of the following:
| Component | Image |
|---|---|
| Steering gear mount |
|
| Outer tie rod |
|
| Inner tie rod |
|
| Front subframe |
|
| Front air spring module or coil spring |
|
| Front knuckle |
|
| Front hub |
|
| Fore link |
|
| Aft link |
|
| Upper control arm |
|
| Front half shafts (Dual Motor vehicles) |
|
| Steering column Note For
steering column inspection information, refer to SRS Inspection and Component
Replacement. |
|
| Stabilizer bar |
|
| Stabilizer bar links |
|
Changes in the Operation of the Steering Gear
Replace the steering gear after a collision or other impact that results in any of the following issues when turning the steering wheel from stop to stop:
- Jamming
- Catching
- An increase in the effort needed to turn the wheel compared to a non-damaged steering gear
Alignment Issues
Perform a four wheel alignment. If the front wheels cannot be aligned within the specifications listed in the Service Manual (General Information > Technical Data > Wheel alignment) using normal adjustment procedures, replace the steering gear.