I'm paying 1500 each for cast wheels?! that's HRE forged 3 piece 21" prices. damn.
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6 wheels bent now.. anyone else?
- Thread starter tritonx
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- Driving Dynamics Model S
New member here so my first post. I plan year(s) ahead on cars and Tesla is high on my list (currently drive BMWs).
Because of the lack of road maintenance here in the NorthEast, I always get the smallest rim I can. On my 335D, with 17" wheels (and runflat tires), I bent 5 rims this past winter. First there was 2 which were repaired, then vibrations were back and the dealer informed me I now had one straight wheel. The BMW the dealer I use has a mobile wheel straightening service. They are able to straighten the wheel WITHOUT removing the tire. I also paid extra for road force balancing to make sure all would be good. I know there must be a limit as to how many times, as there is a loss of wheel strength each time it's straightened. I just want to know who to send the bill to?
Because of the lack of road maintenance here in the NorthEast, I always get the smallest rim I can. On my 335D, with 17" wheels (and runflat tires), I bent 5 rims this past winter. First there was 2 which were repaired, then vibrations were back and the dealer informed me I now had one straight wheel. The BMW the dealer I use has a mobile wheel straightening service. They are able to straighten the wheel WITHOUT removing the tire. I also paid extra for road force balancing to make sure all would be good. I know there must be a limit as to how many times, as there is a loss of wheel strength each time it's straightened. I just want to know who to send the bill to?
well I can't answer your question, but I can comment say say that the reason you're getting so many bent rims is because you're using run flat tires. per wikipedia definition, run flat tires "designed to resist the effects of deflation when punctured ... due to reinforcement in tire side walls, run-flat tires usually give firmer rides compared to conventional tires". In other words, when you hit a pothole, your tire isn't going to deform to absorb the impact. Instead, the force of the pothole is going straight to the rim. Since your tire isn't absorbing it, your rims gonna take it and bend. around these parts with so many potholes, if you're driving around on run-flats it's not unusual for your rims to get damaged instead. if you had a decent non-run-flat-tire that wasn't low profile, (in other words, with a decent amount of sidewall height to absorb the impact and prevent damage to both the tire and rim), you'd probably be fine. I dont recommend run-flats exactly for this reason. usually rims are much more expensive to replace than tires (usually...lol, for sure you could have cheap rims with expensive tires).
Khatsalano
Member
29,000 miles and my first bent rims. I have the grey 21"s and I hit a pothole on US 101 here in California. I was going about 6-mph and rain visibility made it so I could not see it in time. The car instantly started vibrating badly with pull in the steering wheel. I'm sitting at the service center right now as they are replacing the bent rim (bent on the inside so was not visible). Two rims are damaged, at $1,100 + $50 labor to replace per piece.
- K
- K
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Look at it this way: you either pay for the replacement of bent rims or you pay higher taxes for road maintenance. If people vote for politicians who want low taxes, they pay for the consequences.
We have high taxes here in The Netherlands, and thanks to that our roads are perfect. Not a pothole in sight. My 21 inch rims are in perfect condition after 74,000 km (46,000 miles).
We have high taxes here in The Netherlands, and thanks to that our roads are perfect. Not a pothole in sight. My 21 inch rims are in perfect condition after 74,000 km (46,000 miles).
AMPUP
Member
I hit a pothole last month, and it flat my rear tire. Tesla drove someone out to give me a loaner tire while they took the flat tire back to the shop to see if it was just the tire or also the wheel. It looks like the wheel is fine, and they're going to replace my flat tire since I had purchased the road hazard insurance 3 years ago. If you want to reduce your chance of damaged wheels going forward, perhaps springing for some forged wheels is an option. Granted, you'll have to find some aftermarket wheels that you will like, but they will definitely be stronger than the cast wheels that come stock. I know T-Sportline makes forged wheels in 20" that look just like the OEM turbine style if you want to maintain a stock look.
jcaspar
Member
Not true here in the US. California, New York, Hawaii and New Jersey are all in the top 5-10 for highest taxes and all in the bottom 5 for best roads. In the US, there seems to be more of a negative correlation with roads and tax rate with states like New Mexico having low tax rates and great roads.
What States Have The Best And Worst Roads?
States With the Highest (and Lowest) Taxes - 24/7 Wall St.
artsci
Sponsor
Recently had to replace two 21" wheels. Probably same pothole did both because they're on the same side of the car. Third wheel is slightly bent but simply had it rebalanced.[/QUO
Regrettably this is the downside of large diameter wheels. 21", 20", 19" -- all are vulnerable to one degree or another. We'd have to downsize to 17" for anything resembling immunity and who's going to do that?
Khatsalano
Member
Recently had to replace two 21" wheels. Probably same pothole did both because they're on the same side of the car. Third wheel is slightly bent but simply had it rebalanced.[/QUO
Regrettably this is the downside of large diameter wheels. 21", 20", 19" -- all are vulnerable to one degree or another. We'd have to downsize to 17" for anything resembling immunity and who's going to do that?
Yup, hence I wrote my recent $2,300 repair bill post as an FYI, not as a complaint.
I know we are wearing high heels with 21"s. There is a price to looking good.
- K
mechapreneur
Member
We pay excessively high taxes in California, but the politicians spend them on many things unrelated to the roads. California politicians have a hate-hate relationship with cars and car drivers.
Khatsalano
Member
California Tesla owners need to bookmark this:
Submit Maintenance Service Request
... we need to be proactively reporting this to save our 21" rims! Caltrans is actually quite quick to respond and repair the pothole.
- K
Submit Maintenance Service Request
... we need to be proactively reporting this to save our 21" rims! Caltrans is actually quite quick to respond and repair the pothole.
- K
Skotty
2014 S P85 | 2023 F-150L
I've never in my life had a bent rim. If you have more than 1, something definitely needs to change. Without personal evidence, I would assume the same as what many others are saying here -- the 21s are just too darn big. Too much wheel, not enough tire. Super huge wheels are a fad that I don't think will last anyway (my 99 Cobra Mustang only had 17 inch wheels, and it was supposed to be a bad boy hot rod).
Zroiron
Poodle Pack Leader
Are you guys driving so fast that you can't dodge potholes? I've got 21's- no wheel damage or dings in 35,000 miles. Previously had an Escalade with 24's that I drove from Omaha to Vegas fully loaded and pulling a UHaul trailer-no wheel damage or dings...SMH!!
