2021+ Model S tires and wheels: all things (Plaid, LR, OEM, aftermkt, 19, 20, 21, summer, winter etc.)

[leonwu]

Does anyone know if Tesla will sell single Michelin Pilot Sport tires (the summer tire)?

I was cleaning the OEM rims and summer tires this afternoon (drove them less than 10km from delivery to tire swap to get winters) and saw one of the rear tires got a nail on the tread (no clue how big it is as I didn’t want to pull it out).

It’s annoying as the tire literally has <20km wear on it and I have no clue if I missed this on delivery inspection or if I actually hit a nail in the 10km I drove on the tires… also not sure if Tesla would consider helping me here either…

 

[4SUPER9]

The only people who put chains in the front are cars with FWD.

Yes, and FWD cars handle better in the snow than RWD. Making those tires the ones with traction seems to make sense to me, though if it is safer to put them in the rear, I will.

 

[lbowroom]

I was mainly reacting to your observation that most cars had chains on the front as a reason to put them in the front of your car.

FWD cars mainly do better in the snow because the engine and transmission crammed into the front of the car shifts the weight balance there. More weight, better traction. That’s not the case in a Tesla.

 

[4SUPER9]

I have been googling this question and not getting a clear answer. It is definitely well debated with no clear winner. Here is a good quote from another forum:

• Snow chains mounted on all 4 with/AWD - ideal lateral stability, perfect acceleration, crisp steering, super braking. However, part time systems will show some understeer (turns are wider than intended). Full time 4WD systems are best. This is what everyone should have for snow and ice. Be careful anyway.

• Snow chains mounted on front axle with 4WD/AWD - good acceleration, good steering, good braking. However, since the rear wheels have no lateral guidance, the rear end might come around - fast. Not good. Feather your brakes. Go slow.

• Snow chains mounted on rear axle with 4WD/AWD - good acceleration, lousy steering (no lateral guidance), marginal braking (remember, 80% of brake force is created at front wheels and without chains that ain't happening). No fishtailing. Best compromise for 4WD with only one pair of chains. Go slow.

 

[jaguar36]

I ordered a set of Rial's for my winter tires from Tire Rack and was shocked to see the TPMS sensors were $110 each. I was expecting them to be cheaper than from Tesla. I got them from Tire Rack anyway just for the convenience.

 

[KingsT910]

I ordered a set of Rial's for my winter tires from Tire Rack and was shocked to see the TPMS sensors were $110 each. I was expecting them to be cheaper than from Tesla. I got them from Tire Rack anyway just for the convenience.

I got them from Tesla OEM Bluetooth TPMS Sensors / SET OF 4

shipped the next day and don't have to deal with Tesla's slow response time.

 

[avsrock90]

Like a bunch in this forum, I’ve been trying to devise a plan for all seasons / winters. After a lot of research, I got pretty excited about the Vredestein Quatrac Pro, as they’re an AS with the 3PMSF / snowflake symbol.

I couldn’t find a setup with their sizes that would be a good fit for either stock staggered wheel set, so am planning to get some T Sportline aftermarket TSV 20”x10” square wheels.

275/40R-20 seemed like the best size Vredestein offered for this wheel, but I discovered that those tires are 28.7” in diameter x 10.8” width vs the stock arachnid front of 265/35R-21 which comes in at 28.3” x 10.4”. Anyone know if the additional .2” in radius / .4” in width are cause for trouble / rubbing or if there is enough space in the wheel well to accommodate?

 

[bhzmark]

In the first post in this thread you can see the wheel and tire sizes that tesla has plans to offer. Those include 20" tires at 285/35 for front and 305/30 in the rear.

I have 265/45 Michelin Pilot alpins in front and those are fine. I suspect 275/40 will be fine too as long as the wheel offset is right.

Like a bunch in this forum, I’ve been trying to devise a plan for all seasons / winters. After a lot of research, I got pretty excited about the Vredestein Quatrac Pro, as they’re an AS with the 3PMSF / snowflake symbol.

I couldn’t find a setup with their sizes that would be a good fit for either stock staggered wheel set, so am planning to get some T Sportline aftermarket TSV 20”x10” square wheels.

275/40R-20 seemed like the best size Vredestein offered for this wheel, but I discovered that those tires are 28.7” in diameter x 10.8” width vs the stock arachnid front of 265/35R-21 which comes in at 28.3” x 10.4”. Anyone know if the additional .2” in radius / .4” in width are cause for trouble / rubbing or if there is enough space in the wheel well to accommodate?

 

[4SUPER9]

I have summer tires and will be driving to the snow in 2 weeks. I do not know how cold it will be, but temps can often be below 10 degrees F there. I sometimes need chains, but usually not. Tesla has agreed to swap the tires for me at no charge (well, I will believe it when I see it). The people at my local SC have been exceptionally cool and helpful, but unfortunately, they have been unable to find either all-seasons or winters in any of the So Cal locations.

Question (understanding that I assume all liability): how bad is it to have summer tires in such cold weather?

 

[MoneyWiz]

Hey guys,

I take delivery of my 2022 MSP next week and I am trying to get a set of winter tires ordered so I can get some use out of the car in the new year. My tire guy is planning on this setup, any cause for concern?

Front setup:
Touren TR75 19x8.5
Pilot Alpin PA4 255/45R19

Rear setup:
Touren TR75 19x9.5
Pilot Alpin PA4 285/40R19

 

[bhzmark]

Hey guys,

I take delivery of my 2022 MSP next week and I am trying to get a set of winter tires ordered so I can get some use out of the car in the new year. My tire guy is planning on this setup, any cause for concern?

Front setup:
Touren TR75 19x8.5
Pilot Alpin PA4 255/45R19

Rear setup:
Touren TR75 19x9.5
Pilot Alpin PA4 285/40R19

Tires are stock sizes and the wheels are a tiny bit narrower but should be fine so long as wheel offset is ok. I'm not sure what is needed for offset

 

[Trompazo]

Like a bunch in this forum, I’ve been trying to devise a plan for all seasons / winters. After a lot of research, I got pretty excited about the Vredestein Quatrac Pro, as they’re an AS with the 3PMSF / snowflake symbol.

I couldn’t find a setup with their sizes that would be a good fit for either stock staggered wheel set, so am planning to get some T Sportline aftermarket TSV 20”x10” square wheels.

275/40R-20 seemed like the best size Vredestein offered for this wheel, but I discovered that those tires are 28.7” in diameter x 10.8” width vs the stock arachnid front of 265/35R-21 which comes in at 28.3” x 10.4”. Anyone know if the additional .2” in radius / .4” in width are cause for trouble / rubbing or if there is enough space in the wheel well to accommodate?

275/40-19 Vredesteins would be fine on stock wheels. I was going to get them as I like them a lot on my M3, but I got deal on Pirelli P Zero Winter 285/40-19 and they fit well on the OEM 19's all around.

 

[EVO X]

Do I have to buy the Tesla 21” wheels to unlock the top speed on my Plaid or can I use any aftermarket 21” wheel??

 

[lbowroom]

Do I have to buy the Tesla 21” wheels to unlock the top speed on my Plaid or can I use any aftermarket 21” wheel??

No one knows

 

[WilliamG]

Do I have to buy the Tesla 21” wheels to unlock the top speed on my Plaid or can I use any aftermarket 21” wheel??

It’s likely the 21” wheels and tires plus the $20k brake kit from Tesla, too.

 

[avsrock90]

275/40-19 Vredesteins would be fine on stock wheels. I was going to get them as I like them a lot on my M3, but I got deal on Pirelli P Zero Winter 285/40-19 and they fit well on the OEM 19's all around.

I'm thinking about the -20, not -19, which would be about 1" in add'l diameter over the 275/40-19. The 285/40-19 seems like a goldilocks size... have you had any issues with the tire rubbing while turning on the front?

In the first post in this thread you can see the wheel and tire sizes that tesla has plans to offer. Those include 20" tires at 285/35 for front and 305/30 in the rear.

I have 265/45 Michelin Pilot alpins in front and those are fine. I suspect 275/40 will be fine too as long as the wheel offset is right.

Thanks for pointing me there. I've heard that the car needs to know the wheel size in order to have proper settings for traction control, etc. Do we know if the refreshed S has an option for 20" wheels in the UI, or just for 19/21? More broadly trying to determine if Tesla has "sanctioned" sizes or guidelines, e.g. don't let diameter drift more than +/- 3% from stock.

 

[Trompazo]

I'm thinking about the -20, not -19, which would be about 1" in add'l diameter over the 275/40-19. The 285/40-19 seems like a goldilocks size... have you had any issues with the tire rubbing while turning on the front?

Thanks for pointing me there. I've heard that the car needs to know the wheel size in order to have proper settings for traction control, etc. Do we know if the refreshed S has an option for 20" wheels in the UI, or just for 19/21? More broadly trying to determine if Tesla has "sanctioned" sizes or guidelines, e.g. don't let diameter drift more than +/- 3% from stock.

285 doesnt rub at all

 

[MrMichaelB]

Just for public information I bolted on a set of 20's yesterday to my 2021 Plaid with 275/35 & 305/30 rubber. Fit was easy as Sunday morning. No re-calibration required. Overall tire diameter was within .5 front/rear of factory 19 tempest set.

 

[cmarshack]

I have summer tires and will be driving to the snow in 2 weeks. I do not know how cold it will be, but temps can often be below 10 degrees F there. I sometimes need chains, but usually not. Tesla has agreed to swap the tires for me at no charge (well, I will believe it when I see it). The people at my local SC have been exceptionally cool and helpful, but unfortunately, they have been unable to find either all-seasons or winters in any of the So Cal locations.

Question (understanding that I assume all liability): how bad is it to have summer tires in such cold weather?

You just missed my 19" winter set-up here in SoCal. I had it listed for over a year and it sold last week.

To answer your question, it's really bad to try to run summers in the snow. They are worthless. I had an Audi A6 Quattro (very capable all wheel drive system) that got stuck in less than 2" of snow. The compound gets very hard and slips on the surface which gives very little traction.

Does it damage the tire, I do not know enough to answer that. Will you have issues with traction on snow and ice, in my experience yes.

 

[bhzmark]

You just missed my 19" winter set-up here in SoCal. I had it listed for over a year and it sold last week.

To answer your question, it's really bad to try to run summers in the snow. They are worthless. I had an Audi A6 Quattro (very capable all wheel drive system) that got stuck in less than 2" of snow. The compound gets very hard and slips on the surface which gives very little traction.

Does it damage the tire, I do not know enough to answer that. Will you have issues with traction on snow and ice, in my experience yes.

To be more specific, any non winter tire, even all seasons, will turn into hockey pucks if it gets cold enough and the road (or the ice or snow on the road surface) is cold enough.

I had fresh new good all seasons but got stuck in traffic in an ice storm and because the car was not moving for periods of time and just sitting on icy road, the tires hardened and lost all grip on the ice. Winter tires won't do that. Since that scary episode I put winter tires on every winter. All seasons are not reliable, and forget about summer tires.