19" vs 20" Snow Tires?

[hiroshiy]

This begs the question, then, of why there isn't a 19" option for permanent year-round use, not just for winter tires. Adding to the reduced cost of the 19" option is the ability to rotate the tires (the 19s are symmetric) for increased tire life.

It is always cheaper and economical to use lower inched wheel with higher profile tires (50 rather than 40) in summer and in winter. The reason why Tesla doesn't offer as a year round, standard wheel options is probably these:
- better looks
- more solid steering feel
- stiffer ride

 

[hiroshiy]

This begs the question, then, of why there isn't a 19" option for permanent year-round use, not just for winter tires. Adding to the reduced cost of the 19" option is the ability to rotate the tires (the 19s are symmetric) for increased tire life.

It is always cheaper and economical to use lower inched wheel with higher profile tires (50 rather than 40) in summer and in winter. The reason why Tesla doesn't offer as a year round, standard wheel options is probably these:
- better looks
- more solid steering feel
- stiffer ride

 

[G77P]

I found some stock take off 20" wheels on E-bay - just went to Discount Tire here in MN and ordered the Blizzak DM-V2's - front 255/50 R20 rear 275/45 R20. I did the calculations and the overall diameter for the 255/50 is within .1 inches. Total cost for install tires taxes - not including TPMS - was ~$1000. Discount Tire will match prices for Tire Rack if you ask so that helped with the price. There is also a Bridgestone $70 rebate for winter tires (ends October 31st).

Discount did not have the TPMS in their system, so we had to purchase them from Tesla and then bring along and Discount will install the TPMS when putting the tires on (TPMS are $50 each from SC and they had in stock for pickup).

We'd have gone with non-staggered 19's, but after spending some time on the forum, it seemed like there were still some questions about reliability of aftermarket wheels. Because we ordered our X with the 20's we decided that it would be good to have a second set of wheels that are the same as the stock wheels we have as it will give us more flexibility in the future.

 

[FP Falcon 9]

I'd like to share my experience, so that other members can save time for winter tires for their Model X in Canada.
I'd also like to apologize to modelxancaster for being skeptical and making my own research instead of just copy/paste his own order

First off, i needed to find the right tire size.
But i started looking for the same 20' staggered setup that Tesla suggested. But it's hard to find and expensive and most tire garage will suggest a smaller tire for better snow grip.

That's when I realized that Tesla also suggested a 19' non-staggered setup on their webstore (265/50/19).
So I started to look around my local tire shops, but all they were suggesting was around 2800$.

Then I started browsing online tire shops and finally ended with the same order as modelxancaster with PMC tire (Canada Online Tires & Wheels for sale - PMCtire - Canada) :
- Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2. They are very well rated for snow/ice performance and comfort/noise. They have a deep thread and they have a high load rating (110 XL). Real important because the Model X is around 6000 pounds.
-19' alloy rims Replika R187. Don't try to find cheap, simple steel rims, they don't exist past 18 inch. And i checked the diameter and bolt pattern and it should fit the Model X perfectly
- 4 original Tesla Tire Pressure Monitor Sensor
- balancing, mounting and TPMS programming included
- Free shipping in Quebec
All for 2267.54$ CAD (don't forget to mention the Tesla Rebate (5%)
And modelxancaster was right ; I talked to Dominic and he's real helpful and offers a great service.

I've just received them yesterday. Now all I need to do is to install them on the car when the time is right. No worries, no fuss.

Here's a copy of the invoice (sorry it's in French) and a pic of what the tire/wheel looks like.

Hope it helps you guys out.

Question for happy even
Did you get them installed. do they ride ok. do the tire sensors work?

 

[Macgaver]

Just had my Tesla 19" Winter package installed. I have been able to come back home with the 4 original tires in the car.

Here some pictures

 

[Solarman004]

Just had my Tesla 19" Winter package installed. I have been able to come back home with the 4 original tires in the car.

@Macgaver , the 19s look great, and I'm impressed with your loadmaster skills... another benefit of the 6 seat version.
The TM Store site shows the winter wheels as 19 x 8.5, but they don't list the offset. The staggered 20" wheels have a 40mm rear and 35mm front offset arrangement. Did you happen to get the offset from the back of your 19" wheels before installation? Or is it on any of your documentation?

 

[Macgaver]

@Macgaver , the 19s look great, and I'm impressed with your loadmaster skills... another benefit of the 6 seat version.
The TM Store site shows the winter wheels as 19 x 8.5, but they don't list the offset. The staggered 20" wheels have a 40mm rear and 35mm front offset arrangement. Did you happen to get the offset from the back of your 19" wheels before installation? Or is it on any of your documentation?

Did the order online and had everything done by tesla, including having my tires in the car. So I haven't seen the wheels before installation. Anyway for me to see now ?

 

[Solarman004]

Did the order online and had everything done by tesla, including having my tires in the car. So I haven't seen the wheels before installation. Anyway for me to see now ?

I just checked a reference an discovered that the stamped numbers on the inside rim face include diameter, width and bolt pattern, but not the offset. I guess if the specs aren't on your invoice, there is no way to find this value other than measuring it.
Another TMC member posted his aftermarket (non-Tesla) 19" wheels as having a 40mm offset. If I go aftermarket, I want to make sure that 40mm is safe for the front. There is very little space between tires and suspension in the front.

 

[Macgaver]

Here what I see on my invoice:

WHEEL, 19X8.5" ET35 (1027241-00-A) 4

TPMS, SENSOR, 433 MHz SILVER VALVE STEM (1034602-00-B) 4

TIRE, 265/50R19 PIRELLI SCORPION WINTER (1066117-00-A) 4

WHEEL ORNAMENTATION CENTER CAP (6005879-00-A) 4

TPMS, NUT, SILVER (1038973-00-A) 4

 

[Solarman004]

Here what I see on my invoice:

WHEEL, 19X8.5" ET35 (1027241-00-A) 4

TPMS, SENSOR, 433 MHz SILVER VALVE STEM (1034602-00-B) 4

TIRE, 265/50R19 PIRELLI SCORPION WINTER (1066117-00-A) 4

WHEEL ORNAMENTATION CENTER CAP (6005879-00-A) 4

TPMS, NUT, SILVER (1038973-00-A) 4

Bingo! The "ET" is the offset number (from the German for "insertion depth"). These wheels use 35mm. Thank you for taking the time to post the invoice data.

 

[Macgaver]

Happy to help. Let us know what you get

 

[phatteus]

Today was the day to swap out my Summer rubber 22's for Winter 20's. Here's the before:

And after the T-Sportlines. All-in for $3600 with tires and TPMS and balanced, about the same price as the Tesla offering.

 

[ASP168]

Can I use the winter wheel and tire from my Model S?
Wheel: 19/8.5, offset 32 mm,
Tire: Michelin X-Ice Xi3; 245/45R19.

 

[bikeandsail]

Here what I see on my invoice:

WHEEL, 19X8.5" ET35 (1027241-00-A) 4

TPMS, SENSOR, 433 MHz SILVER VALVE STEM (1034602-00-B) 4

TIRE, 265/50R19 PIRELLI SCORPION WINTER (1066117-00-A) 4

WHEEL ORNAMENTATION CENTER CAP (6005879-00-A) 4

TPMS, NUT, SILVER (1038973-00-A) 4

Hi Macgaver,

I am also having the Tesla 19 inch package installed on my Model X this Thursday. I have asked the local service center a question and have no tyet received an answer.

What is Tesla's recommended tire pressure Front and Rear for the 19 inch wheels? Did they provide you with recommended pressures? If so was it necessary to reset the TPMS to the new pressures?

Ron

 

[vandacca]

When I picked up my X from the SC with the new 19" winter tire package, they had pumped up the tires to around 44 psi. It's hard to find/see the max psi rating on these tires, but if you look closely, it's 50psi.

 

[bikeandsail]

The standard Model X 20 inch wheels and tires are also rated for 50 psig max although Tesla recommends a much lower pressure. The max is just that not the same as recommended pressure.

 

[bak_phy]

Is it necessary to get new wheels or would it be fine to just have the tires replaced?

 

[Macgaver]

Hi Macgaver,

I am also having the Tesla 19 inch package installed on my Model X this Thursday. I have asked the local service center a question and have no tyet received an answer.

What is Tesla's recommended tire pressure Front and Rear for the 19 inch wheels? Did they provide you with recommended pressures? If so was it necessary to reset the TPMS to the new pressures?

Ron

They had 42 psi when I got the car. I assume it's the same as usual (42 is also what I have on my summer michelin 20")

 

[matblk]

Is it necessary to get new wheels or would it be fine to just have the tires replaced?

Outside of the Tesla ecosystem, you can keep the wheel rims and swap out the tires. The cost to mount and balance the tires ranges from $40 ($10 each) to $200 ($50 each). Financially, it is difficult to justify buying a second set of rims. If you pay $100 twice a year for a mount and balance, it would take 6 years before you broke-even on buying a set of $1,200 rims ($300 each).

Some people will buy the rims so they can do the summer/winter swap at home. This is more practical for rural and DIY owners. This is unlikely for Tesla vehicles. The jack required to safely lift a 5000-6000 lbs Tesla is not something I expect to see Tesla owners buying just to swap tires twice a year.

I only see 2 benefits of owning a second set of rims:

1. Allows you to use a smaller rim size for better winter handling and a larger rim for summer driving/looks.
2. The time needed to swap winter/summer tires will be shorter.

I would love to know why people see getting a second set of rims as the default choice.

 

[bikeandsail]

I finally got an answer back from the local SC. Set the pressure for the 19 inch wheels and snow tires to 45 psig.

I would have thought that the front and rear would have been different since they are the same not staggered but guess not.