Tesla Model 3 and Model Y Billet Rear Traction Arms and Rear Trailing Arms

What Do Rear Traction Arms and Trailing Arms Actually Do?

Every time you accelerate, brake, or turn your Tesla Model 3 or Model Y, the rear suspension absorbs and redirects thousands of pounds of force. At the center of that system sit two critical linkages: the rear traction arms and the rear trailing arms. Together, they locate the rear knuckle and wheel assembly relative to the chassis, controlling fore-aft movement during acceleration and braking while maintaining precise wheel geometry through every corner.

In short, they are the structural backbone of your rear suspension. When those linkages flex, deflect, or respond inconsistently, you feel it as vague steering feedback, lazy turn-in, or a rear end that shifts and settles instead of planting and driving.

The Problem with Factory Components

Tesla’s factory rear arms are stamped from steel and use soft rubber compliance bushings. That design makes sense for a mass-produced vehicle: rubber bushings are inexpensive, absorb vibration broadly, and keep NVH low for the widest possible range of buyers. However, rubber introduces compromise. Under hard cornering, heavy braking, or spirited driving, those bushings compress, twist, and deflect, allowing the wheel to move in ways the geometry was never designed for. The result is lost motion at the contact patch, inconsistent toe and camber behavior mid-corner, and a general lack of precision that performance-oriented drivers feel immediately.

Rubber also degrades over time. Heat cycles, UV exposure, and the constant loading of daily driving break down the material, increasing slop and diminishing handling quality with every passing mile.

Why Billet Aluminum Changes Everything

Unplugged Performance’s Billet Rear Traction and Trailing Arms solve every one of those issues through three key engineering decisions.

Forged 6061 billet aluminum construction. Each arm is CNC-machined from a single forged billet, not cast, not stamped, not welded from tubes. This process yields a part that is both stronger and dramatically lighter than the factory steel piece, coming in at under two pounds per arm. Lower unsprung mass means the suspension reacts faster to surface changes, improving ride quality and grip simultaneously.

Sealed spherical bearings with Teflon liners. Replacing the factory rubber bushings with precision spherical bearings eliminates deflection entirely. Force transfers from the wheel to the chassis through a rigid, zero-compliance joint, giving you immediate feedback and repeatable geometry under load. The self-lubricating Teflon lining ensures smooth, consistent articulation over the life of the bearing, while sealed housings keep out water, grit, and road contaminants so daily-driver reliability never takes a back seat to track-level precision.

Military-grade Cerakote ceramic coating. Every arm is finished in Cerakote ceramic hard coat, the same surface treatment used on firearms and aerospace hardware. It resists corrosion, stone chips, and chemical exposure far beyond conventional anodizing or powder coat, ensuring these arms look and perform like new for years of real-world use.

Engineered for Every Driver

Whether your Tesla is a daily commuter, a weekend canyon carver, or a dedicated track machine, these arms deliver a sharper, more connected driving experience with zero increase in noise, vibration, or harshness. Installation is completely plug-and-play with no modifications required, and every set ships with Unplugged Performance’s 200,000-mile warranty because race-proven engineering should never come with an asterisk.