Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Are 21 inch wheels THAT bad on our cars ?

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
In my opinion larger tires on any car give you:

  • A rougher ride
  • Less rubber to absorb damaging impacts, resulting in more damage to the wheels.
  • Higher cost
  • Some people think they look better.
Those are the trade-offs. You can decide if the looks are worth the cost, both up front and ongoing.
I haven’t heard about faster wear, however I have never seriously considered them past the increased costs.
 
  • Helpful
Reactions: Ahzuz
I put 21" Turbines on my car every summer. Wouldn't have it any other way. Wear is mostly dependent on your right foot, not wheel size, and tires are cheap. Enjoy the ride, I always say.

In the event any do get bent, they can be easily repaired/refinished. They're also pretty cheap to find spares. Due to not being able to pass up a good deal, I have four spare 21" Turbines in my garage in case of emergency. ;)
 
I run both 19” Slipstreams 3 months and 21” forged aluminum Arachnids 9 months.

The 21’s are stronger, lighter, provide sharper handling and increased curb appeal. These wheels are simply stunning. Tires cost more, high performance summers wear faster, and paying attention to curbs and road damage while in operation is a really good idea. I have never had a tire failure in three years.

The 19’s are quieter, handling is less responsive, tires are cheaper, last somewhat longer, (all seasons), and more options for replacement exist and are available. They are acceptable looking for a premium sedan and are not a problem. They tend to be quite common so ideal if you like less attention.
 
I run both 19” Slipstreams 3 months and 21” forged aluminum Arachnids 9 months.

The 21’s are stronger, lighter, provide sharper handling and increased curb appeal. These wheels are simply stunning. Tires cost more, high performance summers wear faster, and paying attention to curbs and road damage while in operation is a really good idea. I have never had a tire failure in three years.

The 19’s are quieter, handling is less responsive, tires are cheaper, last somewhat longer, (all seasons), and more options for replacement exist and are available. They are acceptable looking for a premium sedan and are not a problem. They tend to be quite common so ideal if you like less attention.

Well said. I do exactly the same thing with arachnids and 19s. I could nit agree more. If the 19s looked as nice as the arachnids and filled the wheel well more fully, I would probably use them more.
 
I put 21" Turbines on my car every summer. Wouldn't have it any other way. Wear is mostly dependent on your right foot, not wheel size, and tires are cheap. Enjoy the ride, I always say.

In the event any do get bent, they can be easily repaired/refinished. They're also pretty cheap to find spares. Due to not being able to pass up a good deal, I have four spare 21" Turbines in my garage in case of emergency. ;)

The 21s fit the car nicely. I also like having spares and choices with 2 sets of arachnids and 2-1/2 sets of turbines. I don’t plan on buying new tires for a while, even with the extra wear.
 
The 21s fit the car nicely. I also like having spares and choices with 2 sets of arachnids and 2-1/2 sets of turbines. I don’t plan on buying new tires for a while, even with the extra wear.

I too have a brand new second set of Arachnids and tires, but am hoping to sell them; how did you get so many extra sets!?

Agreed on the fit and finish; these wheels really set the car apart; the Arachnids have the bonus of being a truly phenomenal wheel, with no range penalty over the 19’s and being stronger than any other offering. If you have a wheel failure it will likely be a turbine.
 
I too have a brand new second set of Arachnids and tires, but am hoping to sell them; how did you get so many extra sets!?

Agreed on the fit and finish; these wheels really set the car apart; the Arachnids have the bonus of being a truly phenomenal wheel, with no range penalty over the 19’s and being stronger than any other offering. If you have a wheel failure it will likely be a turbine.

I originally really liked the sonic carbon turbines and had a new staggered set. I found a perfect take-off square set for cheap and then bought 2 extra staggered rears as spares. I switched to sonic carbon arachnids and found a really cheap silver set for spares. Mostly just the desire for spares and opportunistic cheap deals. Takes up a lot of storage space though.
 
Tires are so cheap now 21s are a no brainer unless your roads are bad or you need the extra range. Wheels are pretty cheap, especially older turbines. I use Achilles ATR Sport 2. They’re all season tires you can find for less than $350 a set shipped. Not a big name brand which drives some people crazy, but they’re great tires. Use an independent tire shop and you can save even more. Small tire shop near me mounts 21s for $15 a tire.

If you’re gonna pay for a model S, you might as well pay a little extra to make it look complete. Just keep the nails out of your driveway, those tires will find them.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-New-245-...ispr=1&hash=item1f0f1e1ca2:g:w3MAAOSwlD5eqL~D
 
  • Like
Reactions: Achilles
Interesting because I found a post on reddit about someone who found 22" wheels without any rubbing and his S is lowered. He stated 22x9 ET 30 up front, 22x10.5 ET 38 out back. I'm curious if this works.

Those are probably the Vossen wheels. Very nice looking and maybe one of the better 22 possibilities for the MS. Some drawbacks to consider would include cost, limited tire options, and durability. I would also research if there are different alignment requirements - not sure. Take a look at this post to get a better idea:

Show off your aftermarket wheels.
 
  • Like
Reactions: serpico007
Those are probably the Vossen wheels. Very nice looking and maybe one of the better 22 possibilities for the MS. Some drawbacks to consider would include cost, limited tire options, and durability. I would also research if there are different alignment requirements - not sure. Take a look at this post to get a better idea:

Show off your aftermarket wheels.
Ya, looks to be the same guy! Thanks for finding the post.
 
Interesting because I found a post on reddit about someone who found 22" wheels without any rubbing and his S is lowered. He stated 22x9 ET 30 up front, 22x10.5 ET 38 out back. I'm curious if this works.

That's me. It does work. If you get tired of being cold in canada, come down to Texas and I'll show you!

Those are probably the Vossen wheels. Very nice looking and maybe one of the better 22 possibilities for the MS. Some drawbacks to consider would include cost, limited tire options, and durability. I would also research if there are different alignment requirements - not sure. Take a look at this post to get a better idea:

Show off your aftermarket wheels.

There are no different alignment requirements for 19s vs 21s vs 22s. It just comes down to making sure your offset and tire size isn't so big that you run out of room in the fender well. But if you use my same tire sizes, the OD of my 22" wheels/tires is the same as the factory 21's, and the offset is about the same as well - just pop your 21's off and pop your 22's on.

I've found that many S's with the factory 21's rub, and it's because of the caster setting more than anything else. If you have rubbing with 21s or 22s within the factory tire OD, have an alignment shop adjust your caster and you'll never have a problem again.

Caster affects the position of the front wheel in the wheel well. It's adjusted on the front lower control arm, so you have a decent degree of room to eliminate rub in 99% of situations. My current Caster setting is +4.5 degrees on both sides, right within Tesla spec.

The only time my car rubs is when I'm taking a steep incline at an angle - and that's just because lowering means less suspension flex. But I have air suspension, so I just pop it back up to "very high" when making those entrances, and have no problems.

There are still a decent amount of tire options for 22's - I usually use Pirelli P-Zero Nero GT, but I'm trying ut Lexani's right now as a low cost option. The Vossens are a hybrid-forged wheel, so they're SUPER durable. Way more than the factory 21's. I've gone over holes that would crack a Tesla 21 and come across with no issues.
 
That's me. It does work. If you get tired of being cold in canada, come down to Texas and I'll show you!



There are no different alignment requirements for 19s vs 21s vs 22s. It just comes down to making sure your offset and tire size isn't so big that you run out of room in the fender well. But if you use my same tire sizes, the OD of my 22" wheels/tires is the same as the factory 21's, and the offset is about the same as well - just pop your 21's off and pop your 22's on.

I've found that many S's with the factory 21's rub, and it's because of the caster setting more than anything else. If you have rubbing with 21s or 22s within the factory tire OD, have an alignment shop adjust your caster and you'll never have a problem again.

Caster affects the position of the front wheel in the wheel well. It's adjusted on the front lower control arm, so you have a decent degree of room to eliminate rub in 99% of situations. My current Caster setting is +4.5 degrees on both sides, right within Tesla spec.

The only time my car rubs is when I'm taking a steep incline at an angle - and that's just because lowering means less suspension flex. But I have air suspension, so I just pop it back up to "very high" when making those entrances, and have no problems.

There are still a decent amount of tire options for 22's - I usually use Pirelli P-Zero Nero GT, but I'm trying ut Lexani's right now as a low cost option. The Vossens are a hybrid-forged wheel, so they're SUPER durable. Way more than the factory 21's. I've gone over holes that would crack a Tesla 21 and come across with no issues.

Very informative. Thanks for the additional feedback. Have you experienced any rubbing when reversing with the steering wheel cranked to one side or the other?