We cure the common Tesla Model 3 front suspension clunk with MEYLE HD Forged Aluminum Upper Control Arms, and improve the looks, ride quality, and handling with a set of BC Racing “DS Series” coilovers.
Yes, the “racecar driver, car guy, purist” gave in and bought a Tesla. Letting Full Self-Driving (FSD) handle the drudgery of traffic was a game-changer, and the equivalent of 154 mpg in running costs (stay tuned for the math behind that), all for less than $16K, was too good to pass up.
However, like many Model 3s, our used 2018 example developed the infamous front suspension clunk when turning the wheel and driving over bumps. The culprit is the stock front upper control arm, whose ball joint is notorious for wearing out prematurely.
THE PROBLEM
The stock Tesla upper control arm is a multi-piece hybrid design made from plastic and steel. While it’s inexpensive to produce and plenty strong, it has a weak point where the steel ball joint meets the plastic arm. Over time, water seeps through that joint and into the ball joint itself, displacing grease, causing corrosion, and causing it to wear out prematurely with an obnoxious “clunk” from the front suspension. Making matters worse, the windshield drainage dumps water directly on top of the upper control arm, so the joint is regularly soaked.
THE SOLUTION
MEYLE HD Forged Aluminum Upper Control Arms are forged from a single piece of aluminum with the ball joint installed from the under side of the arm. This one-piece aluminum design and mounting the ball joint from below, means water can’t seep into the ball joint, eliminating the root cause of the stock arm’s failure.
MEYLE’S HISTORY
Founded in 1958 in Hamburg, Germany; MEYLE has grown from an exporter of suspension components into a global automotive aftermarket component manufacturer and supplier to over 120 countries with the goal to create high-quality products and smart solutions that cater to the needs of the independent aftermarket while lasting longer and are user-friendly. MEYLE’s state-of-the-art production facilities feature fully automated modern robotics in the production line and have OEM approvals in accordance with IATF 16949 and specialize in the manufacture of products for the independent aftermarket. Their products meet OEM requirements but also exceeds OEM requirements with their MEYLE HD line of products.
In 2002, MEYLE launched their HD “High Durability” product line wit the slogan “Better than OE”. MEYLE engineers take apart factory components known to fail prematurely, determine why they fail, then reinforce or redesign the part and validate it in MEYLE’s own testing center. The result is a better-than-OE part that fixes problems built into the factory design, backed by a four-year guarantee. Offering engineered solutions to known problems, rather than simply copying the factory part, is what sets MEYLE apart from its competition.
MEYLE’s founder Wulf Gaertner was not only an entrepreneur, but also a racing driver who supports many different motorsports in Europe from junior touring cars to DTM as well as competitors in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Motorsports is part of their identity with brand values that reflect the passion, precision, and performance to excel both on and off the track. It is always great to see companies owned and operated by enthusiasts and who actively participate in supporting motorsports, which makes me a big fan of the company, along with the founder being a racecar driver.
BLOWN SHOCKS AND REPLACEMENT PLAN
Our used 2018 Model 3 had just under 60,000 miles on the clock, and the left rear damper was already completely blown. Surprisingly, the car didn’t flop around or bounce uncontrollably on just three working shocks. The Tesla’s low center of gravity probably deserves some of the credit. Still, it needed fixing. Looking up replacement options from sport shocks and lowering springs to coilovers were all pricey, which felt hard to justify for an inexpensive daily driver bought to save money.
Shortly after buying the Tesla, I did some development work for a big-name manufacturer whose test car was running BC Racing 3-way coilovers. After several days of track testing, I was blown away by their ride quality, damping performance, response, and build quality. Because BC Racing built its reputation offering entry-level coilovers, the brand had never been on my radar, so this was a real surprise.
I was impressed enough to dig into the rest of BC’s lineup. That’s how I found their “DS Series”, which uses digressive valving. A digressive damper is relatively softer at high shaft speeds, like hitting bumps or apex curbs, than a linear damper and tends to be more compliant and ride better on rough roads. Linear valving is the cheaper, more common choice, especially in entry-level coilovers.
The BC Racing “DS Series” coilover also came in as one of the least expensive Tesla coilover options on the market. Given how impressed I’d been with their 3-way coilover, I decided to give the single-adjustable DS Series coilover a try on my daily-driven Tesla.
To improve the handling, ride quality, and looks of our rear-wheel-drive (RWD) Model 3, we are installing a set of BC Racing “DS Series” digressive coilovers (PN: YG-03-DS-DS). The “DS Series” are designed to bridge the gap between aggressive track performance and daily street comfort using a proprietary digressive piston that has adjustable low piston velocity control for body roll, pitch, dive, and cornering, while high velocity impacts are absorbed with compliance for improved ride quality, grip, and chassis control.
These mono-tube coilovers have 8K (457lb) front spring rates, 11K (628lb) rear spring rates, and 30-clicks of simultaneous compression/rebound adjustment (“30-Way Damping Adjustment”)
BC RACING HISTORY
BC Racing was founded in 1999 as an OEM shock absorber manufacturer in Taiwan. In 2003, the company released its first branded coilover, and a year later, launched the brand “BC” globally, expanding into the North American market. BC has built an empire offering entry-level coilovers to countless platforms from Japan, Germany, USA, England, Italy, and France; while expanding and white-labeling coilovers for multiple brands. They have expanded over the years offering monotube dampers and now, 3-way adjustable dampers for the extreme tuning demands of high levels of competition.
5 comments
For some reason I cannot see any photos using multiple browsers.
Are the photo links broken?
Seems fine to me
BTW, is there no “tesla,” section under projects?
The stock upper control arm design is the real story here, and it is good to see it called out. A plastic and steel hybrid arm with a water-trapping ball joint is a failure waiting to happen, especially on a car that sees rain and road salt. Replacing it with a one-piece forged aluminum arm is the right fix, not just a performance upgrade. My tip for Model 3 owners hearing a clunk over bumps is to check that arm first and not let a shop replace the whole strut assembly when the arm alone is the problem, because the cost difference is large and the arm is a known weak point on these cars.
The new Tesla Y-L seems to have a magnetic damper in the rear. It would be interesting to see what the aftermarket brings out for that, that still works with the dash settings, but offers better valving or perhaps an aftermarket controller that offers even more settings than comfort and standard.