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.”

Specific tests make sure that seals are not leaking under pressure and that the internal gearing has not been damaged cannot be performed at a repair facility. Since the required tests cannot be performed, the steering gear must be replaced.

Warning

Always replace a steering gear that has visible external damage.

Warning

A steering gear without external or visible damage might have internal damage from a collision or other impact that could lead to failure. A shock transmitted to the steering gear through other components may cause internal damage to the steering gear or seals, and it is not feasible to test for these types of damage at the repair facility, so the conditions listed above must be used to assess whether to replace a steering gear after a collision or other impact.

Note

Use only new, genuine Tesla parts. Do not replace steering gear components with used, recycled, or aftermarket parts or components.

Contact Tesla Collision Repair with any questions on these guidelines or on a specific repair:

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

Testing the Operation of the Steering Gear

To test the operation of the steering gear:

Move the vehicle to a flat and level surface.
Power off the vehicle.
Power on the vehicle, but do not press the brake pedal.
Turn the steering wheel from stop to stop.
Power off the vehicle.
Raise the front wheels so that they move freely.
Turn the steering wheel from stop to stop.

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.

Component Damage

Replace damaged steering gear components after a collision or other impact that damages any of the following:

Note

The following images are representative of the components, and may not look exactly like the components on the vehicle.


Component	Image
Steering gear assembly
Outer tie rod
Inner tie rod
Front subframe
Front air spring module or coil spring
Front knuckle
Front hub
Compliance link
Lateral 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