20" Model X Slipstream Wheels on Model S

[mike-415]

I wanted a factory look, sticky rubber, and the freedom to drive without the fear of imminent pothole related wheel damage. The 20" Model X Slipstreams fit perfectly and only a Tesla aficionado would ever know they aren't a stock fitment.

Wheels are 20x9 ET 35MM and 20x9.5 ET 40MM. Tires are 245/40 and 285/35 Michelin Pilot Super Sport. No rubbing (except the fronts in reverse at certain angles, like the OEM 21s), no issues.

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[derekmw]

How much did you pay for them? I assume not very cheap. I would think (especially since you say you still DO rub a little), it would make more sense to just buy aftermarket 20" that fit properly without causing any rubbing issues. Or if you wanted to keep stock look, why not just get one of the 19" OEM (the slipstream looks just like those in my opinion and will actually fit properly) ones and put sticky tires on them?

 

[RichardD]

Thank you for the post! They look amazing. How does it ride as compared to the factory 19's or 21's? Any range loss? Any way to update the LCD to update the rim change?

 

[mike-415]

I bought these from a Model X owner who swapped them for 22s, so they weren't expensive. The ride is what you'd expect: firmer than the 19s but softer than the 21s. I have a set of 19s, but the best tires (Pilot Super Sports) aren't made for the 19-inch size, probably because the sidewalls would be too tall. The 20-inch tire sizes I am running are nearly identical in overall diameter to stock and seem ideal for handling/durability.

As for rubbing and offset, the rubbing is only in reverse and only at a certain angle; it isn't material. The tradeoff is that the offsets look a lot better than stock (the wheel isn't so far into the wheel well). Aftermarket 20-inch wheels from TSportline, HRE, TSW, and everyone else I found use identical width (20x9) and offset (+35MM) in the front, so there's no better option even if you did want no rubbing whatsoever. I've heard rubbing from OEM 21s, so it may not be possible with any wide tire.

I don't believe there's any way to make the screen show these wheels; Tesla wouldn't have loaded the images for these into the Model S body mask.

I can't comment on range. I've run 20s almost since new. I previously had TSW wheels in this size. One of them bent rather spectacularly on a moderate pothole, so I elected to go with something more stout.

 

[ahurst]

I like the look....

 

[Zaphod]

Are those the stock tires widths that the X runs? I'm not really a fan of the slipstreams and usually 20" wheels still look odd to me (prefer 21"), but I have to say this looks really good.

 

[PunchIT]

Interesting. I asked Tesla service center to swap my 21" turbine with Model X 20" slipstream. They told me it's not compatible with Model S. So I went with T-Sportline.

I really like this look. These fill up the wheel well like the 21s and you have extra rubber. Might look even better if you powder coated them grey!

 

[mike-415]

Are those the stock tires widths that the X runs? I'm not really a fan of the slipstreams and usually 20" wheels still look odd to me (prefer 21"), but I have to say this looks really good.

The tires are quite different in width and height from the MX tires. (I have a nearly new set of MX tires to sell.) The 9" and 9.5" wheels are within Michelin's recommended width range for these sizes front and rear.

 

[Fiver]

Is there any issue with the speedometer? I got a notification when I changed from 21s to 19s for the winter. Is there a 20" option?

 

[taminatorv]

These look great! I was thinking of this, but wanted someone else to try it first. I would prefer a square setup, so I would have to look for four Model X front wheels.

 

[Gizmotoy]

How much did you pay for them? I assume not very cheap. I would think (especially since you say you still DO rub a little), it would make more sense to just buy aftermarket 20" that fit properly without causing any rubbing issues. Or if you wanted to keep stock look, why not just get one of the 19" OEM (the slipstream looks just like those in my opinion and will actually fit properly) ones and put sticky tires on them?

Last I checked, the Pilot Super Sports aren't available in our 19" sizing. If you want that tire, and a number of people do as the performance is fantastic, the stock 19"s won't work. 20"s is really the best option, and if you want a stock look the Model X wheels are really your only choice. I think they're actually quite heavy, though. It'd be a tough decision.

I don't believe there's any idea solution right now.

I wasn't aware there were any conditions under which the OEM 21"s rubbed. Is that truly the case?

 

[Tdub621]

Mike-415, thank you for posting this informative thread! For the same reasons as you, I opted for the 20"s from a MX. It's a decent compromise between the style of the 21"s and the practicality of the 19"s while maintaining the OEM appearance.

 

[stan23]

I have the OEM 21s. No rubbing. Never hear of anyone else with rub issues either.

 

[cliffud]

OP, are you running air suspension? That wheel filled out the wheel well quite nicely.

 

[rypalmer]

Interested in this for my S but a quick check on tire prices has the 20" versions almost twice the cost of the 19" tires. Is this expected??

 

[JohnnyG]

I wasn't aware there were any conditions under which the OEM 21"s rubbed. Is that truly the case?

It is absolutely truly the case. There was a lot of chatter about it early on, but eventually people just ignored it, got used to it, or tired of the SC not being able to do anything about it.

I have the OEM 21s. No rubbing. Never hear of anyone else with rub issues either.

Go back and search the forums (not just this one). It's a real thing... The tire (ever so slightly) rubs the inner wheel well liner. You will never notice it while moving forward, as it makes no sound. In reverse however, the tread of the tires catches the lip of the louvers, and at certain angles of the wheel, you can hear it making a rubbing sound similar to your thumb nail dragging down the ridges of a zip-tie.

That said, I don't know if it did it on coil suspension cars. I don't know if it did it on RWD cars. I don't know if it did it with every tire option (i.e. Continental varieties, Michelin varieties, etc). I don't know if they eventually switched to a newly designed inner wheel well liner.

What I do know is that it did it on many "D" cars with 21" wheels with SAS. Even more specifically with the Michelin PS2s. And it didn't matter which height you had the SAS set to.

 

[Booner]

I think they look great on both OP's car and Tdub's car. I'm looking to do this in Gunmetal on my '14 P85 with coils, replacing the 19" cyclones. Curious if this will compromise the ride much.

 

[mike-415]

I think they look great on both OP's car and Tdub's car. I'm looking to do this in Gunmetal on my '14 P85 with coils, replacing the 19" cyclones. Curious if this will compromise the ride much.

Ride was a tiny bit firmer than on the 19s but it wasn’t a huge difference. Your P85 is a little stiffer than our mid-‘15 car was, so it might be a little stiff, but also it will have more grip and slightly crisper turn-in.

 

[MrBacardi]

Anyone done this with coil suspension? I'm considering going this route with my S (with coils).

What is the correct tire-size choice for coil suspension and Model X Slipstreams? The front should be no problem with 245/40, but what about the rear since it's staggered? Should I go for 265/40 or 285/35 like OP? Maybe 275/35 if that's a valid size?

 

[bradmobile]

looking to do the same thing...how did you determine the tire sizes 245/40 and 285/35? I was thinking of using 245/40 and 275/40.