Are the Michelin pilot sport 4S the best summer tire for the model 3?

[Swampgator]

In your opinion. Everything is a trade-off. You get significant reduction of droning and tiring noise on the highway, at the hassle of a bit more difficulty patching the tire, and a bit more weight. For you that's not a worthwhile trade-off. But for others who have tried the tires without the foam and have noticed a significant increase in noise, perhaps they may strike a different balance point.

I disagree about the "significant" noise reduction. My Pilots are more quiet than the Contis with foam they replaced. Don't really know Pilot to Pilot, but I suspect the difference would be negligible (probably less than a decibel)

 

[Swampgator]

Why does the foam complicate patching tires? It's just a strip of polyester looking foam stuff like you find in a cushion.

It must be removed and cleaned with a solvent prior to patching. The first 2 places I went would not even attempt it. The third tried, and failed.

 

[dfwatt]

I disagree about the "significant" noise reduction. My Pilots are more quiet than the Contis with foam they replaced. Don't really know Pilot to Pilot, but I suspect the difference would be negligible (probably less than a decibel)

That's both contradicted by what other users report on this forum about comparing Pilot Sport with and without foam and contradicted by tirerack testing. Comparing a Conti Tire to a Michelin tire and concluding that the foam is of no value because the Continental Tire had it and the Michelin does not is of course not any version of a scientific comparison. You would need to compare same tire, at the same size, on the same wheel, in the same car, at the same speeds. Again in your opinion the acoustic foam is a waste. That just isn't a universally shared opinion. I respect that it's your opinion but can you respect that other people might have a different one?

 

[Swampgator]

That's both contradicted by what other users report on this forum about comparing Pilot Sport with and without foam and contradicted by tirerack testing. Comparing a Conti Tire to a Michelin tire and concluding that the foam is of no value because the Continental Tire had it and the Michelin does not is of course not any version of a scientific comparison. You would need to compare same tire, at the same size, on the same wheel, in the same car, at the same speeds. Again in your opinion the acoustic foam is a waste. That just isn't a universally shared opinion. I respect that it's your opinion but can you respect that other people might have a different one?

Sure. I'm not sure why you are taking that tone. I gave my real experience. Can't get the tire fixed. Bought 4 new tires when I still had a couple thousand miles left on the old ones. That is a bad experience.

 

[dfwatt]

Sure. I'm not sure why you are taking that tone. I gave my real experience. Can't get the tire fixed. Bought 4 new tires when I still had a couple thousand miles left on the old ones. That is a bad experience.

Agreed. I think if you had kept it at how it was a hassle for you I would have had no objection. For sure the foam is an extra hassle for the average tire shop that they may not want. I'm still not entirely clear why the normal plug with glue on it would not work on a lot of holes. My guess is that it may be harder to get a good seal on the perforation unless you take the foam completely out. My guy in NTB Nashua who has a lot of experience and who put the MPP sport coilover kit on the car had no trouble in fixing the tire I gave him. Given how much a hassle it is to have a flat tire on a car without a spare, perhaps we should start a thread on on the road do-it-yourself fixing a flat with or without acoustic foam. I suspect there's somebody out there who's repaired their tires without assistance from anybody.

 

[Nocturnal]

It must be removed and cleaned with a solvent prior to patching. The first 2 places I went would not even attempt it. The third tried, and failed.

I would never have thought it would cause problems. Interesting.

 

[dfwatt]

I would never have thought it would cause problems. Interesting.

Most of the sources suggest that the best practice is to cut a small section out and work on a bare inner tread. Then you basically have to glue the piece back in.

 

[mcbarnet007]

I've had two PS4s patched. The tire store just remove a section of foam, scrub any glue residue off and patch as usual. Then toss the cut foam away.

 

[lianregnif]

So, where is the best place to purchase the best Tesla specific michelin pilot sport 4s?

 

[dfwatt]

So, where is the best place to purchase the best Tesla specific michelin pilot sport 4s?

We've gotten ours at tirerack

 

[Swampgator]

I've had two PS4s patched. The tire store just remove a section of foam, scrub any glue residue off and patch as usual. Then toss the cut foam away.

Common in Cali. If I lived there I probably would not have had any issues getting the tire patched. In my area of Florida they have not seen as many Model 3s, although that is quickly changing.

 

[AZWhiteM3]

Got the Michelin tires installed today. Love them, great grip. Thanks again for the help. Very happy with my choice.

 

[XLR82XS]

AZ I like the wheels.

 

[AZWhiteM3]

AZ I like the wheels.

Thank you. Titan 7 T-S5. They only weigh 19lbs each. Love the look.

 

[StealthP3D]

Sure. I'm not sure why you are taking that tone. I gave my real experience. Can't get the tire fixed. Bought 4 new tires when I still had a couple thousand miles left on the old ones. That is a bad experience.

Any tire shop can patch a tire with acoustic foam. If they can't, they are incompetent. It really is dead simple.

 

[StealthP3D]

Common in Cali. If I lived there I probably would not have had any issues getting the tire patched. In my area of Florida they have not seen as many Model 3s, although that is quickly changing.

Acoustic foam tires are not specific to Teslas or Model 3's!

 

[David3]

Hands down best tire for the car. Make sure that you got the Tesla specific version of the 235/35 - 20. The differences are not just the acoustic foam but also a redesign of the tread. The tread is significantly wider. If you're going staggered also make sure you get the Tesla specific 275 / 30. It is almost a full inch wider than other more generic 275/30 4S tires. Nobody knows exactly what Tesla and Michelin did to that Tesla specific tire but the speculation is that the outer rib is slightly wider and slightly softer, and the center rib might be slightly harder.

The combined effect of these changes would be to give extra cornering in hard turns, reduced accelerated crown wear at high inflation pressures, and reduced rolling resistance relative to a larger 245 / 35, as a 235 tire is generally considered too skinny to support a 4000 pound car. However it's actual tread width is 8.8 in, wider than any 245 / 35 and as wide as an average of the three available 255/35 4S tires on the Michelin spec sheet. Lots of people think the acoustic foam is the only difference between the tires but I believe that significantly mistake.

The 4S is the best street Tire anybody's ever made. There's pretty much no debate about this. It's amazingly comfortable, has excellent transient response as well as pretty high ultimate grip, gives great feedback and it might be the best tire in wet weather for performance driving anyone's ever made including even relative to the Extreme Performance Bridgestone re71 that beats it in the dry. The one downside of all these changes may be that's because of the extra tread width and perhaps the softer compound, the tire is really highly vulnerable to chunking when it gets super hot and you track it, especially if you don't have some way of giving the tire more negative camber which is impossible currently to do on the front of the car. Even with lowering the car it's tough to get to more than about a degree of negative camber which is not enough for tracking. It's significantly more vulnerable to chunking and essentially the disintegration of the outer tread area than its predecessor Tire the Michelin Super Sport. This does mean that if you really like Michelin tires, you might explore putting super sports on the car if you're planning on getting on the track. Better yet though is get a second set of tires for the track.

Hope that's helpful.

Thanks for the info. Do you happen to know the efficiency of MXM4 vs Tesla spec 4S?

 

[dfwatt]

Thanks for the info. Do you happen to know the efficiency of MXM4 vs Tesla spec 4S?

Tough to get hard data on that, but one has to account also for the effects of the aero wheels typically found with the MXM4, versus the much draggier 20 inchers. Both combined might be as much as a 10-12+% bump on the highway and at higher speeds, less than that around town, where rolling resistance is larger and drag contributions are smaller. Plus the OEM 235/35-20s PS4S are broader and flatter in their tread contour, and therefore less aerodynamic than the MXM4s, which have a more rounded shoulder.

It's all tradeoffs - if you want range, go with the aero wheels and 18 inch tires that are low rolling resistance. If you want performance on the street, get the 4S in the Tesla specific formulations. If you want trackability, the 4S can't take the heat, so there are another set of compromises, and choices (and where the Yoko Advan and Bridgestone RE71 might be the best performers). Pick which functional virtue(s) matters most, just be prepared to trade off against it.

 

[David3]

Thanks again

Tough to get hard data on that, but one has to account also for the effects of the aero wheels typically found with the MXM4, versus the much draggier 20 inchers. Both combined might be as much as a 10-12+% bump on the highway and at higher speeds, less than that around town, where rolling resistance is larger and drag contributions are smaller. Plus the OEM 235/35-20s PS4S are broader and flatter in their tread contour, and therefore less aerodynamic than the MXM4s, which have a more rounded shoulder.

It's all tradeoffs - if you want range, go with the aero wheels and 18 inch tires that are low rolling resistance. If you want performance on the street, get the 4S in the Tesla specific formulations. If you want trackability, the 4S can't take the heat, so there are another set of compromises, and choices (and where the Yoko Advan and Bridgestone RE71 might be the best performers). Pick which functional virtue(s) matters most, just be prepared to trade off against it.

Thanks again. I'll probably end up getting 18" Tesla spec 4S when my MXM4 wears out and report back on the efficiency with aero. Currently 18" MXM4 is about 255Wh/mile with aero.

I think this is the one?
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...del 3 Performance&autoModClar=Standard Brakes

 

[dfwatt]

Thanks again


Thanks again. I'll probably end up getting 18" Tesla spec 4S when my MXM4 wears out and report back on the efficiency with aero. Currently 18" MXM4 is about 255Wh/mile with aero.

I think this is the one?
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Pilot+Sport+4&partnum=345YR8PS4XLAC&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Tesla&autoYear=2018&autoModel=Model 3 Performance&autoModClar=Standard Brakes

Yes, that's the Tesla specific one in the 18 inch size. New to market. It's not a 4S - just a 4 but almost as good, and better riding - the 4S was the next tire up towards something track worthy.