Tesla Model S sway bar link replacement and suspension system walkthrough, common failures explained

I had a loud knocking/rattling in my front suspension which I traced to sway bar links. One joint failed, other side was going to fail SOON-- both uppers, due to corrosion and failing boots. Was an easy DIY for under $100. 

The driver side upper boot was completely split and corrosion was visible inside the loose joint. The passenger side upper boot was split about halfway through-- so failure was coming and Tesla recommends replacing them in pairs anyway.

The repair is easy and pretty straightforward with common tools. I made a video that walks you through the repair and also gives a little tour of the front suspension of the Model S (and X) with discussion on common failure points and their remedy.

Video here:

Interestingly, when I had both of the sway bar links out of the car, I looked them over and noted that the upper joints of both were very rusty. The corrosion seems oddly placed, because they're sheltered from the wheels behind the steering knuckle and I'd think that moisture would drain off the upper joints quickly just from gravity... unless they're somehow getting dripped on from above?  

A notable data point-- as you can see the video-- one of the new sway bar links arrived with most of the paint on the backside of the upper joint missing/removed. Could this be a common defect in that even links that appear to have proper paint are actually NOT properly ADHERED paint and that leads to the corrosion and failure?  

Video is here on YouTube if you weren't able to see it above:

Thanks for visiting us here! If I've helped you make the leap to #Tesla, please message me so I can answer your questions. Order through my personal referral link and you'll also get Free Supercharging: https://www.tesla.com/referral/matt327 

 CLICK to read more at www.TeslaPittsburgh.com, check out the videos on our YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/NZCUTR and follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeslaPittsburgh. 

 Local owners/enthusiasts are encouraged to join our CLUB page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TeslaPittsburgh/ 

 Please note: We are not specifically authorized, sponsored by, or otherwise directly associated with Tesla Motors and make no claims to be so.