Do you have questions or tips? Just give us a word at post@teslasuspension.com 

INTRODUCTION

This blog post is mainly based on procedures for replacement of air struts in Tesla Service Manual for Model S. It covers both rear wheel drive (RWD) and dual motor cars (DM, or AWD), left hand side (corresponding procedure on the right side).  Large parts of the manual are followed, except for the procedures to depressurize the air strut and the order of the work. Differences between the 5 versions of air struts introduced in the period, are also more highlighted:

(1) RWD version 2012-16 (pre-facelift) is the starting point. Differences are then shown to

(2) AWD vehicles produced from 2014 to March 2016 (pre-facelift)

(3) AWD vehicles from April 2016 (facelift)

(4) RWD vehicles from April 2016 (facelift)

(5) ADAPTIVE air suspension type, which came in production in 2018/19

DISCLAIMER

Be cautious not to start any work of this sort without having the necessary skills and knowledge. Teslasuspension.com is not responsible in any way for your action in this regard. If you are unsure, it is better to take our Vigor® air strut shocks to a local workshop, and ask them to do it. 

If you still go ahead, remember to put the air suspension in Service mode (or activate "Jack" mode) on the screen menu, and secure the car from free rolling and falling. Always follow standard safety instructions for raising and working on the car.

TESLA PARTS CATALOG NUMBERS

The Tesla Parts Catalog numbers for these items are: 

(1) 6006351 as main number, followed by variants of 00C, 00D, 04A.  It fits pre-facelift vehicles with rear wheel drive cars (RWD) produced between 2012 and March 2016, air suspension type Smart, Standard and Plus.

(2) 1030608 as main number, followed by variants of 00c, 01A. It fits pre-facelift vehicles with all wheel drive (AWD) produced between 2014 and March 2016, air suspension type Smart, Standard and Plus.

(3) 1067361 as main number, followed by variants of 00C, 77C (AWD) and 77B (RWD). It fits facelift vehicles manufactured from April 2016 onwards, with standard air suspension type.

(4) 1067362-77-B. It fits facelift RWD vehicles manufactured from April 2016, with air suspension type standard.

(5) 1066361-00-E left side, and 1066366-00-E right side. It fits AWD vehicles manufactured from autumn 2018, with air suspension type adaptive.

We also recommend that everyone take a look at these Youtube videos. The first deals with replacing a facelift AWD air strut, 2016 model. The second is a short video, and shows only in pictures the installation on a RWD facelift 2017 model. Regardless of which type of air suspension you have, you get a good indication of what to expect. On the first video, turn on English subtitles via the settings icon at the bottom, lots of extra information there.

FACELIFT AWD

FACELIFT RWD

REMOVAL

• Tesla Service Manuals first point is to depressurize the air suspension. It's done by a laptop with toolbox connected to the car. Obviously, except for Tesla itself, and a few private workshops, we must instead do this manually, or let it be. See below for the steps recommended.   

• Remove the rear underhood. 
• Remove the wheel arch liner, if best access is wanted.

• Release the nuts (x3, 13mm, torque 39Nm) ) that secure the air suspension module to the shock tower. In picture 1, we see the nuts on top of a pre-facelift air strut. Picture 2 shows a corresponding facelift air strut, with the valve entrance located in the middle.
• Release the air pressure line from the chassis rail clip.
  
• NOTE. When installing the new air strut, hitting the upper holes can be a bit tricky. If you have an assistant available, it's a little easier.
  

• Loosen the air nipple that fasten the pressure line (10 or 12mm, torque 2-3Nm).
  
• For pre-facelift versions, this is indicated by the red arrow in picture 1. You detach the air nipple from a residual pressure valve. The air that is then released reduces the pressure in the bellows to approx. 3bar/45psi. Otherwise, it is mostly air from the pressure hose (6mm) that comes out.
• For facelift air struts in picture 2, we see that the pressure line (4mm) inlet is at the top, and that the air nipple is attached directly to the strut. If you loosen this, and compress the air strut s bit, the bellow will also be emptied. 
  
• Depressurize the air strut for pre-facelift versions: we recommend at this point to do so. Use a polygrip plier (picture 3), or appropriate tool (picture 4), to carefully loose the residual pressure valve from the air strut (picture 5-6), and release air from the bellows.

• NOTE 1. It may be that the air in the bellows needs a little help to be pushed out. This is after you have loosened the valve(s), and removed the bolt that attaches the air strut to the lower control arm. Particularly, it applies if you are standing in the garage, only jacked up on one side. The strut attachment/or lower fork leg, may be difficult to get over the arm. It will help a bit to have both sides jacked up. Having air suspension on 'low', with the least possible pressure in the shock absorber, may also be a good thing.
• NOTE 2. Feedback from customers, suggests it might be a good idea to put such a jack stand under the thick hub part of the brake disc (other type of stands under the lower control arm should also work/use protection). Lower the jack very carefully, to decompress the air bellows. At this point, you may attach the new valve with the plastic plug, to the old intakte at the top. This prevents air from getting back into the bellows. Then, raise the jack again. Now the air strut becomes properly compressed, and the distance between the shock mount at the top and the suspension is large enough, so that you should be able to relatively easily release the lower part of the strut from the arm.
• NOTE 3. You can remove a pre-facelift air strut, even if you do not depressurize it /releases the residual pressure valve. But you may, accordingly, run into problems due to the downward pressure. You can try to push the arm down, but if you are too heavy-handed with the suspension to pull out the air strut, this can cause the height sensors to go out of calibration. This also applies, if you jack down carelessly to compress the damper in note 2 above. In such cases, you may have go to Tesla for adjustment.
• NOTE 4. An alternative that some people prefer, is to loosen the control arm itself, but only on the wheel side (thereby avoiding wheel position control afterwards). The strut/lower fork leg should come out easily when the arm is open at one end. Another tip is to use a jack strap to push the air strut together. But don't tighten too hard, if you're thinking about fixing the old air strut. In worst case, it may be destroyed by shifting the position of the bellows in relation to the shock absorber (and it is completely impossible to get it back in place). In general, the stabilizer bar can also be loosened to get more room. But anyway, all this is a lot of extra work. Which you largely get away with, if you get the old air strut properly compressed from the start.

• Picture 1 shows the brake attachment for a pre-facelift RWD air suspension module. The air strut in a vehicle with dual motor (AWD) and later facelift versions, looks different. Pictures at the end of the blog gives you a view of this.
• Be aware of the orientation of the clip that attaches the brake hose to the air suspension module.
• Release the clip (upper red arrow in picture). Use a small flathead screwdriver to pry it out.
• Remove the nut and bolt that attach the air strut to the lower arm - lower red arrow in picture (21mm, torque 140 Nm). Picture 2 shows the corresponding bolt on facelift air strut with fork, seen from below. If necessary, use a hammer/mandrel or suitable tool to knock out the bolt.

• On the adaptive air suspension type, before loosening the main bolt in the previous point, you must remove the connectors and bracket. 

• Carefulle compress the air strut module together with some force and release it from the lower arm (see notes above). The picture below shows a pre-facelift RWD air strut, but exactly the same principle for AWD vehicles with fork.

• Remove the air suspension module.

INSTALLATION

• If you have bought air suspension without the lower fork strut (or received a loose one), you must first install this. Commonly, you get it in place with simple hand power. See video 1 below (from Vigor® manufacturer).
• But in some cases, you must help it out. Extra corrosion paint down at the air strut, can make the fork leg to meet resistance. We do not recommend using a hammer to knuck it into place, as this scratches up the anti-corrosion paintwork.
• Instead, use a large screwdriver and extend the span of the fork strut (video 2). Or apply a chisel (video 3).
• The method shown in these videos, is also good to use if you're going to disassemble a lower fork strut from the old air suspension (can often be reused).
• Supplementary subtitle in English, you turn on via the settings wheel icon at the bottom.
• NOTE. Feedback from pre-facelift AWD customers suggests that it may be a good idea to start the assembly without the lower fork strut mounted. There are of course various ways to install an air strut. But if you go for this approach, attach first the air strut into the top three holes and fasten the nuts, but just enough so that it hangs there. The fork strut is then slid down over the link arm. Angle both the air- and fork strut correctly, and put them together. Put in place the main bolt and the screw for the fork strut. Then, tighten everything, but finish with the screw on the fork strut, so that you get the correct orientation in relation to the air strut. On the left side, it can be a bit difficult to get to the screw on the fork strut, as the head of the screw points inwards and the arms and drive shaft are in the way. If the head is unbraco, you can, if no other other solution present itself, just grind down an key, as shown in the picture below, thus getting enouch room to tighten the screw.  Alternatively, use a wrench with a ratchet function and attach a bits to the screw. You should then be able to turn it around quite easily and also fasten properly.
  

Video 1 Hand power

Video 2 Screwdriver

Video 3 Chisel

• Installation procedure is otherwise the reverse of removal. Some additions. First, do the following steps to resecure air suspension lines.

• Remove the collet with a flat blade screw driver (picture 1)
• Remove the collet (arrow one in picture 2)
• Pull out the mounting nut from the air pressure line. You can discard them. NOTE. Good to keep them as spare parts until you have installed the new fittings, and you are sure everything work as it should. In that case, do not destroy the old collet, when removing it with the screwdriver.

• HAND-tighten the new mounting nut, collet and plastic plug into the air strut module. Note that the plastic plug holds the fitting together before and during installation (picture 1-3). 
  
• Remove the plastic plug from the fitting (picture 4).
• REMBEMBER. Tighten the mounting nut with an appropriate tool (10 or 12mm, torque 2-3Nm). Few people have such a small torque wrench. But you must pull just enough (don't overdo it!) until you feel that the o-ring is compressed and the nut is tight.
• Remove a bit of the air pressure line if there is a lot of wear. Use a hose cutter to get a square and clean cut.
• Pry carefully the air pressure line a little bit inside the fitting, so it's ready to go. Then, use a little force (not too much, of course) and quickly push the line all the way in (picture 5).
• Lightly pull on the air pressure line to make sure the line is fully secured to the collet inside the mounting nut (picture 6).
• If it gives in (it should sit tight!) you have done something wrong, and the process must be repeated.
• If you can't make it, there are alternatives (recommend this method on all facelift variants and the adaptive air suspension type): 
  

1. First, open the collet slightly with a screwdriver. Easiest to do when the collet is still on the plastic plug. 
2. Insert the nut itself onto the hose. 
3. Then, thread the collet with the conical end first, after the nut, until it reaches approx. 2-3mm into the hose (or as far as the old one went). 
4. Squeeze the collet very carefully and lightly with pliers (it must sit tight on the hose!)
5. Insert the nut into the conical end of the collet, so that they sit well and tightly together. 
6. Screw the whole thing into the air strut module. Be aware that the fitting may slide apart a little when you screw it in. Therefore, pull the hose back a little after you have attached it, so you are sure that the conical end is firmly in the nut. Be careful, the collet does not withstand much.
   

• All our Vigor® air struts are depressurized before they are sent out to customers (operating pressure when driving is from 7-9 bar). This makes them easier to work with, they can be pressed together. However, don't be too harsh. The bellows can be damaged if it is pressed completely together. For the pre-facelift RWD variant and the adaptive type in particular, it is the pressure in the bellows that pushes the strut/piston down, and holds the sealing rings/cover in place. Without pressure, you must therefore ensure that the lower cover does not come out of position during work. Also make sure that the cover meets the sealing rings correctly when the bellows is filled with air.
• Also, NEVER put a car with air struts without pressure, all the way down to the floor with the jack, but only low enough that it has good clearance to normal/standard high (or where you put it in service mode). Then start the car, switch off service mode (or disable Jack mode), and wait for the car to lift from the jack. Compressor will run for a little while, since you are filling up empty bellows.
  
• Never either inflate an air strut by starting the car/compressor before the wheels are safely on the ground. 
  

Next, ensure that the clip that secures the brake hose to the air suspension module is installed correctly:

• For pre-facelift vehicles with rear wheel drive (RWD): the hose and the clip are installed from the same direction.
• Ensure that the clip is fully seated, with the "fingers" both remaining on the bottom side of the retaining bracket.

Top view (correct) 

Bottom view (correct)

• For AWD vehicles produced 2014-March 2016 and later facelift versions: the clip is installed from the rear.
• Ensure that the clip is fully seated, with the "fingers" both remaining on the bottom side of the retaining bracket.

Top view, (incorrect) 

Top view, (correct)

Bottom view, (correct)

• After you have got the brake hose mounted, and connectors for the adaptive suspension type in place, reinstall the wheel arch liner if you have removed it, jack the car down and switch off service-mode for the air suspension in the screen menu.
• Remember that all doors etc. must be closed.
• Let the compressor work to pump air and adjust the system (height calibration not necessary since the sensor is not touched).
• Its done in a moment - but make sure that the compressor does not run for too long/runs hot, it should not run for much more than a minute. 
• Do a test drive and try the height adjustments, and you're ready to go.