235 to 245 tyres = more noticeable road noise?

[simonchew]

To those who have upgraded their tyres to 245 width, which I believe is quite common when people upgrade to 19” wheels, have you noticed more road/tyre noise?

 

[tm1v2]

To those who have upgraded their tyres to 245 width, which I believe is quite common when people upgrade to 19” wheels, have you noticed more road/tyre noise?

I believe wider tires are expected to be noisier all else being equal, but 235 vs 245 is a really minimal difference, I think any noise change from 10mm extra width would be difficult to detect. The tire model itself that you choose will have a far greater impact.

It's worth noting there are no Tesla-spec foam lined tires in Model 3 compatible diameter at 245 width. So by going from OE tires to 245 you will lose the foam liner even if you stay with the same tire model.

To me that foam liner is not a big deal at all, and you can find quiet tires without it. I care much more about the tire itself, and its size. There are many good tires that aren't OE.

When I downsized my M3P to 18x8.5" wheels I went with 245/45R18 tires, in the same category as the OE M3P tires but a different brand and model. My new tires are slightly louder on the highway than the original tires, but they also grip & perform significantly better, so I'm very happy with the change. And these tires are actually quieter than the original tires when driving hard. (less squealing) I've had obnoxiously loud performance tires before and these new tires are much quieter than those screamers.

Is the highway noise difference from the foam liner? Or just from the different tires themselves? I can't say.

What I can suggest is that if quiet quiet quiet is all you want from a tire then Tesla-spec foam lined tires are usually safe bets in their respective categories. However I certainly prefer 245 for 8.5" wide wheels, and I don't see any reason to limit oneself to OE tires.

 

[whenryb]

I replaced the 235 stock Pirellis with 255 Sumitomo All Seasons. I did noise testing with the Apple watch before and after, same stretch of road. Pirellis only had about 250 miles on them so essentially new as were the Sumitomos. The sound levels were within 1-2 db of each other. Well within a margin of error based on conditions. So I would say there really is no difference. Can't say whether one or the other will be quieter based on additional miles. But certainly happy with the look and feel of the new tires.

 

[tm1v2]

Can't say whether one or the other will be quieter based on additional miles.

@whenryb Good point there. Most if not all tires get louder as they age, and some that sound okay-ish when brand new get extremely loud as the miles pile on. Which means if a new tire sounds the same as a well-worn one, the new one might end up being louder overall throughout its lifespan.

I should mention I did my wheels+tires swap with 1k miles on the originals. So I think my comparison was also representative of new vs new. Even with these slightly louder tires (only slightly), my 2021 M3P is still the quietest highway car I've owned.

 

[subieworx]

The change in noise is going to be more down to tread design and compound than size.

 

[jacksterCali]

anyone runs 235 to 245 on the stock 20" ? any fitment issue?

 

[BigNick]

anyone runs 235 to 245 on the stock 20" ? any fitment issue?

I don't think there would be, as the Track Package "Zero-G" wheels come with 245/35-20 tires.