I found the conti silent tires much quieter than the OEM extreme contact tires.
Show me the data that proves it's not a bias affect. I have the Michelin foam tires on my car now and my ears tell they're louder than the Michelins I had before. But I have no data to prove it, only my subjective judgment. So I won't stand by it.
@artsci I've just read 16 pages start to finish of your thread... and it plays like a thriller... or perhaps, more accurately, the Aviator with Leonardo DiCaprio. Lol... I also have your affliction, and have personally tested and spent gobs of money trying to make a canoe 1 mph faster by testing several different materials and hull shapes only to sell the ungodly creation and buy a Hobie.
Anyway, I'm happy to share my insights on faster canoes, but I'm very interested to hear your recipe for a quieter model S, down to the painters tape over the seams in the car.... How would you approach this project now with the knowledge you've gained? Also, do you think the noise cancellation strategy mentioned in previous posts is doable with anything on the market?
My attempts at lining the tires with foam proved futile and I spent a lot of money, time, and effort giving it a go.
As far as noise cancellation of the car itself I understand newer cars are far better than my P85. My work was done by one of the leading experts in the field, and he did not use painters tape (and I can't imagine the stuff makes any difference, as it's just very thin paper tape). But everything else was done -- doors, floor, trunk, frunk, liftgate, wheel wells, HVAC channels, even the front of the roof -- as my original post illustrates. I'm now three years into the modified car and it's held up very well. The tires remain the largest source of noise and the foam makes very little difference. Maybe there are some other minor fixes but in terms of value I've concluded they're not worth pursuing, at least for me. For example, I've given up on trying to reduce the minor wind noise at high speeds. Tesla has done some fixes, which helped and were covered under warranty, but I don't think I can do much more to my car to make it even more quiet.
Everything I've read about dampening tire noise suggests the best solution might some kind of lining on the inside of the wheels, which resonate and amplify the noise. And of the design of the tires themselves can make a very substantial difference. The 20" Pirelli Cinturato tires were by far the quietest I've had on the car, and long lasting as well. But they involved major compromises in grip and handling.
I wonder how hot does a rotating tire at highway speed in the summer? But even if it becomes detached, the weight of the foam bunching up on one end is only going to add a 100 gram in a wheel that weighs 30+ pounds?
My original attempt to line the tires with foam resulted in the foam becoming detached and bunching up, as you suggested. But the result was a disaster. Even with the light weight of the foam, when I got over about 35mph there was horrible front end vibration, so bad it felt like a serious safety risk. So I immediately removed the foam. Tried it again with better glue and it didn't happen again, but I still made very little difference in dampening tire noise.
