Dedham/Watertown Service with Aftermarket Wheels

[Bokonon]

I've read through several threads that touch on the wide range of experiences that owners with aftermarket wheels have had when visiting Tesla Service Centers. Some SvCs seem to have no problem with working on cars with aftermarket wheels (including swapping wheels and rotating tires), others will make you sign a damage waiver first, and still others will flat-out refuse to perform any work that involves physically touching the wheels at all. There does not seem to be a consistent policy from one SvC to another, and sometimes at a single SvC from one visit to another.

Can anyone here with aftermarket wheels comment on the experience they've had at the two Boston-area Service Centers? Have they made you sign a waiver? Have they refused to perform any particular types of service on your car? Has your experience been consistent over time (even if it has evolved), or does it seem to vary with every visit?

Asking for a friend...

 

[tliving]

I've read through several threads that touch on the wide range of experiences that owners with aftermarket wheels have had when visiting Tesla Service Centers. Some SvCs seem to have no problem with working on cars with aftermarket wheels (including swapping wheels and rotating tires), others will make you sign a damage waiver first, and still others will flat-out refuse to perform any work that involves physically touching the wheels at all. There does not seem to be a consistent policy from one SvC to another, and sometimes at a single SvC from one visit to another.

Can anyone here with aftermarket wheels comment on the experience they've had at the two Boston-area Service Centers? Have they made you sign a waiver? Have they refused to perform any particular types of service on your car? Has your experience been consistent over time (even if it has evolved), or does it seem to vary with every visit?

Asking for a friend...

I have after market TSTs. I don’t have tesla do tire rotations or swaps but they’ve done everything else for me with no issues at all (all Dedham)

 

[Bokonon]

I have after market TSTs. I don’t have tesla do tire rotations or swaps but they’ve done everything else for me with no issues at all (all Dedham)

Thanks for that data point, as well as for all of the helpful tips and anecdotes you've compiled in your blog (which I was actually poring over yesterday as part of my research on this subject). Dedham is the most convenient service center for me, so it's good to hear that they sound reasonable in this regard. I expect to go elsewhere for rotations and swaps. (Folks here seem to like Wheel Dynamix in Natick, which is also conveniently located near where I work.)

I am 95% set on getting the 18" TSTs for my Model 3, so it was also helpful to read about your experience with TSportline as well. I presume your TSTs are still holding up well after 3 years (otherwise there would have been a blog about it )?

 

[tliving]

Thanks for that data point, as well as for all of the helpful tips and anecdotes you've compiled in your blog (which I was actually poring over yesterday as part of my research on this subject). Dedham is the most convenient service center for me, so it's good to hear that they sound reasonable in this regard. I expect to go elsewhere for rotations and swaps. (Folks here seem to like Wheel Dynamix in Natick, which is also conveniently located near where I work.)

I am 95% set on getting the 18" TSTs for my Model 3, so it was also helpful to read about your experience with TSportline as well. I presume your TSTs are still holding up well after 3 years (otherwise there would have been a blog about it )?

Thanks! The 19" TSTs have been great and have held up well and through some rough months of snow , sand, ice etc over the years. I'm not sure yet which direction I'll go on the 3. I dont like the looks of the stock 18" but would want to know the efficiency differences first. I'm thinking get the stock 18"s then upgrade with TSTs. Upgrading the size via Tesla is basically throwing money away.

 

[Bokonon]

Thanks! The 19" TSTs have been great and have held up well and through some rough months of snow , sand, ice etc over the years.

Good to know!

I'm not sure yet which direction I'll go on the 3. I dont like the looks of the stock 18" but would want to know the efficiency differences first. I'm thinking get the stock 18"s then upgrade with TSTs. Upgrading the size via Tesla is basically throwing money away

That's my thinking as well.

Based on the weights of the stock/TST wheels (per TST's Model 3 Wheel Guide) and a vague nod to aerodynamics, I imagine the efficiency scale for mixed driving is going to look something like this:

Aero 18s <- [y] -> Bare 18s <---- [x] ---> TST 18s <--- [x] ---> Stock 19s <- [y] -> TST 19s

...where x >> y, and everything else is a wild-ass guess. I like the TST 18s because they strike me as a nice balance of efficiency and style, while letting me keep the extra inch of rubber for pothole protection. We'll have to see how well that impression plays out in reality over the next few months, though.

 

[tliving]

We have some really rough roads where I live (between Providence and Worcester) and the 19's have been fine with all the potholes etc. I'm not concerned about the tire size for that (21's I would be). I like the looks of the 19's a bit better on on the 3 right now and i'm guessing there wont be much difference between the 18" and 19" wheels form TSportsline but some real-world numbers would be nice.

 

[gobowz]

I've read through several threads that touch on the wide range of experiences that owners with aftermarket wheels have had when visiting Tesla Service Centers. Some SvCs seem to have no problem with working on cars with aftermarket wheels (including swapping wheels and rotating tires), others will make you sign a damage waiver first, and still others will flat-out refuse to perform any work that involves physically touching the wheels at all. There does not seem to be a consistent policy from one SvC to another, and sometimes at a single SvC from one visit to another.

Can anyone here with aftermarket wheels comment on the experience they've had at the two Boston-area Service Centers? Have they made you sign a waiver? Have they refused to perform any particular types of service on your car? Has your experience been consistent over time (even if it has evolved), or does it seem to vary with every visit?

Asking for a friend...

No problems with my Model S with Axis wheels in Austin, Texas. They recently adjusted the tire pressure for me.