Frustrating experience at Discount Tire - HELP!

[HankLloydRight]

You're assuming that the battery has support members distributed through it.

Since one of the major selling points of the battery along the bottom of the skateboard is significantly increased body stiffness, yeah, I'd say that the battery pack, when lifted by a flat lift distributing the weight evenly over 70% of the bottom surface of the battery pack is more than enough support. And I've never had a problem or any damage from doing so.

 

[jerry33]

Why not just get the new tires mounted on the set of wheels when they're already off the car? Or the end of the previous season, have the tire shop mount four new tires on the wheels that just came off the car with the old tires, so they're already ready for the next season switchover? I guess I don't understand "needing new tires a few weeks before the changeover"? If your tires are that worn they won't last a few more weeks (in the Spring or Fall), (A) I wouldn't be driving on those tires to being with, or (b) I would just do the regular changeover and then mount the new tires on those rims.

Well, you could do that, but if it's the summer tires, mounting the winter tires prematurely will cause some faster initial wear due to the warm (perhaps even hot) weather, and if it's winter tires, putting on the summer tires could mean driving in some winter conditions without proper winter tires.

 

[StellarRat]

I watched very carefully when my tire place did mine. The guy knew exactly what to do. He said they've worked on lots of Teslas, course it wasn't Discount Tire.

 

[HankLloydRight]

and if it's winter tires, putting on the summer tires could mean driving in some winter conditions without proper winter tires.

If your tires are that worn that they need to be replaced, driving on summer tires isn't really that much different!

 

[Daniel in SD]

Since one of the major selling points of the battery along the bottom of the skateboard is significantly increased body stiffness, yeah, I'd say that the battery pack, when lifted by a flat lift distributing the weight evenly over 70% of the bottom surface of the battery pack is more than enough support. And I've never had a problem or any damage from doing so.

Looks like there are three support members through the middle of pack. But do they go all the way to the bottom the pack? Probably but I just don't see the upside in risking it. If you ever have a battery problem Tesla will probably be able see that the car was jacked up from the pack and might blame it on that.

 

[ewoodrick]

Since one of the major selling points of the battery along the bottom of the skateboard is significantly increased body stiffness, yeah, I'd say that the battery pack, when lifted by a flat lift distributing the weight evenly over 70% of the bottom surface of the battery pack is more than enough support. And I've never had a problem or any damage from doing so.

And I'd say that it is design to hang, not lift the remainder of the car.

 

[timk225]

Ok, the sky isn't falling. My local place, Town Fair Tire uses these flat "pan" lifts all the time for my Model S and there's never any damage. I'm always right there watching too. You can see the contact points, or really, the entire contact 'surface'. The bottom of the battery is flat, as is the top of the lift.. and it distributes the weight of the car over a much much larger flat area than the four jack pad points.

Be sure to record the reactions of the guys at your Tesla service center when you tell them that, when you have battery problems and go in for a warranty claim. "Oh yeah, Joe the mechanic who was wearing a shirt with "Thunder" on the name patch said it would be okay".

Warranty -- DENIED!!!

Tesla mentions the very specific lifting points in the manual, and there is probably a reason for it.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Be sure to record the reactions of the guys at your Tesla service center when you tell them that, when you have battery problems and go in for a warranty claim. "Oh yeah, Joe the mechanic who was wearing a shirt with "Thunder" on the name patch said it would be okay".

That's where you're mistaken. I'm not relying on just some "joe mechanic" to say it's OK. I wouldn't have let them do it if *I* didn't think it was OK and told them to go ahead and jack up the car that way. The one time they jacked up the car using four independent floor jacks on the proper jack-pads, I was extremely nervous watching them jack up one corner a little bit at a time. Nothing screams "UNSTABLE" like seeing your car precariously balanced on four floor jacks. No, I'd much rather have the flat pan lift lift my car spreading the weight equally over a huge surface area, making the PSI on the battery pack pretty darn low.

If you've ever watched Rich Rebuilds or other channels take apart the Model S/X battery pack, you'd see that thing is built like a beast, even without the batteries inside.

 

[Daniel in SD]

That's where you're mistaken. I'm not relying on just some "joe mechanic" to say it's OK. I wouldn't have let them do it if *I* didn't think it was OK and told them to go ahead and jack up the car that way. The one time they jacked up the car using four independent floor jacks on the proper jack-pads, I was extremely nervous watching them jack up one corner a little bit at a time. Nothing screams "UNSTABLE" like seeing your car precariously balanced on four floor jacks. No, I'd much rather have the flat pan lift lift my car spreading the weight equally over a huge surface area, making the PSI on the battery pack pretty darn low.

If you've ever watched Rich Rebuilds or other channels take apart the Model S/X battery pack, you'd see that thing is built like a beast, even without the batteries inside.

I'm unclear on why you can't just replace one side at a time.

 

[HankLloydRight]

I'm unclear on why you can't just replace one side at a time.

It’s how they do it there.. it’s like an assembly line.. they have one person removing the wheels, and one or two people replacing the tires.. one guy spin balancing them. then the first guy remounting the wheels. It’s just quicker if they have all wheels off the car at the same time. Think of it like an Indy pit crew (just slower). That surely wouldn’t work lifting one side at a time.

 

[jerry33]

If your tires are that worn that they need to be replaced, driving on summer tires isn't really that much different!

Many winter tires have snow tire wear bars. That's what I was referring to.

 

[HankLloydRight]

How much does it snow in Texas?

 

[jerry33]

How much does it snow in Texas?

LOL Generally snow isn't the issue, but ice days are. The roads are covered with two to six mm of ice. Usually happens a couple of times a year (although it skipped this year). And sometimes it happens after it would normally be expected (e.g. late February or early March).

 

[HankLloydRight]

But you don't put winter/snow/M+S tires on in the winter do you?
Do you run all-seasons or summer tires?

 

[dennisvab]

The jack points on the car are an integral part of the HV pack. There are what I would call rails that run along side the left and right sides of the pack (most likely to stiffen it) and the jack points are part of this rail.

Located closer to the outer edge of the vehicle is a rocker panel seam like most vehicles have. Looking at the OP’s picture it looks like the lift pads are in contact with the rocker lane seam and the HV pack rail.



Yes I know this is not the recommended way to lift, but I don’t believe there would be damage from it.

 

[dennisvab]

Having said my above post, my issue is the lift pad being placed under the plastic rocker cover.

 

[Trips]

Tesla is not allowed to service vehicles in Nebraska. We have one Discount Tire that Tesla recommends and everyone seems to use. The manager said that Tesla Rangers stop in every couple days. If there was an issue I would hope that these Tesla employees would say something.

 

[LCR1]

Tesla quoted me literally double the cost for the same tires at Discount.

 

[Watts_Up]

I rotate wheels at home and glad I don't have to deal with the stress.

How do you proceed if you don't have a 5th spare wheel?

- Did you lift the whole car first?

- How and what did you use to lift the car?

 

[SageBrush]

And I've never had a problem or any damage from doing so.

I'm happy to say that there is NO chance of me being the first.