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In digging around, it looked to me like 18" BMW space saver wheels might be a good fit for the Model S. A 145/80 18 space saver tire is only 2 percent smaller than the rolling diameter of the 245/45 19 wheels.
I haven't had a chance to test-fit one, but maybe that's what linkster is using?
mknox
Well-Known Member
LOL. Me too, but I do miss the thought of not having a spare. I seem to be unlucky when it comes to flats. In the past, I'd call the motor club or OnStar and they would come and put my spare on, and I'd be on my way. Now if I have a flat, they'll come but will have to flatbed my car away and I could end up losing a day of work.
I've mentioned this before, but I think it would be cool if Tesla Roadside could bring a spare and take your flat away for servicing. I could then drop by the SC (or wherever they took the wheel) and swap it back after paying for the repair. It would save the time and hassle of having the vehicle carted off for nothing more than a flat tire.
Mine's still in the glove box. At least it is most of the time. Sometimes it teleports to the trunk.
I prefer the sticky rope plugs to anything I have tried.
Unlike the O.P. I don't try to insert the plug with the tire inflated.
Once the tool and plug is through the hole you can "tie the inside in a knot" by pulling the looped end close to the tire carcass and then twisting the tool to wrap the slack inside around the tool. The rope sticks to itself and forms the very same sort of fat head as a Stop-N-Go plug.
Have never had a catastrophic failure of a repair. I have had one develop a slow leak after several years.
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Thats not true. The steel belt crosses the entire tread. If its going to cut the plug it will cut it anywhere but the sidewalls.
But cut the plug or not, doesn't matter. The outside of the plug exists to keep water out of the hole, not air in. The inside of the plug exists to hold air in. Tire rubber is porous, it can't hold air. The only airtight rubber is the innermost coating. That is partly why I advocate wrapping the inside slack of the sticky rope on itself. This forms a large knot which won't pull out of the tire but as the tire spins this knot will flatten against the inside air barrier to produce a better air seal.
Unlike the O.P. I don't try to insert the plug with the tire inflated.
Once the tool and plug is through the hole you can "tie the inside in a knot" by pulling the looped end close to the tire carcass and then twisting the tool to wrap the slack inside around the tool. The rope sticks to itself and forms the very same sort of fat head as a Stop-N-Go plug.
Have never had a catastrophic failure of a repair. I have had one develop a slow leak after several years.
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Thats not true. The steel belt crosses the entire tread. If its going to cut the plug it will cut it anywhere but the sidewalls.
But cut the plug or not, doesn't matter. The outside of the plug exists to keep water out of the hole, not air in. The inside of the plug exists to hold air in. Tire rubber is porous, it can't hold air. The only airtight rubber is the innermost coating. That is partly why I advocate wrapping the inside slack of the sticky rope on itself. This forms a large knot which won't pull out of the tire but as the tire spins this knot will flatten against the inside air barrier to produce a better air seal.
strider
Active Member
My wife recently decided to take our 2-year-old son in for a "closer look" at some construction equipment at a site near her work. She ended up to 2 nails in one tire. One was in the center of the tire, the other was near the edge. I plugged them both and initially the tire held air. But after a day it started losing air again. The plug in the center was fine but the one by the edge was leaking badly. I removed it and it looked like it had been sliced. I did some poking around w/ the probe tool that came w/ my plug kit and I could feel (and just barely see) metal that looked like it was running the circumference of the tire. At that point I decided if I plugged it again it would just cut the plug again so replaced the tire.
wiztecy
Active Member
Also keep in mind that the Roadster's 12v outlet won't support the 12v air compressors since the amp rating of the outlet/fuse is underpar with the pumps requirements. For that I picked up a Black & Decker rechargeable pump. Just have to remind yourself to keep it topped off... worse case you can flag someone down to use the 12v option or even a 110v adapter.
i have both a 12v pump and a foot pump for backup, the foot pump isnt that bad, it takes about 6 mins to a tire off the ground.
wiztecy
Active Member
The steel belt goes all the way across the tire and any puncture of the tread will cut the belt. The reaming tool which comes with the plug kit is intended to make a uniform hole to plug and to push the belt cords out of the way.
The purpose of the steel belt is to keep the tread relatively flat when the tire is spinning. Else the center will extend. The contact patch will be less uniform and less traction.
Few tire shops will plug the outer treads, and none will plug the sidewall.
I agree plugging from the inside is the most desirable solution. Only the inner layer of rubber is formulated to hold air so the key to holding air is to maximize contact with that very thin inner layer. Thats why I advocate twisting the tarry strips into a knot once one is through the tire to maximize contact with the inside of the tire. The rest of the plug only serves to keep dirt and water out of the inner layers of the tire. To keep water off the steel belts else they will rust.
1. The main reason to patch the tire from the inside is so that the inside of the tire can be inspected for damage. It's very common for a nail to penetrate the tread area and scratch the sidewall of the tire. Without an inspection of the interior you'll find out about it when the tire experiences a sudden deflation. (If your lucky there will be a bulge first--I never count on being that lucky.)
2. Tires from the better tire manufacturers fill the voids between the steel wire bundles so that water and air can't travel and rust large sections of the tread area. There will be some localized rusting but it's very slow to propagate.
3. The belts of a radial tire combined with the radial direction of the carcass ply(ies) allow the sidewall function (shock absorption) to be independent of the tread function (traction, wear, flat protection). Multiple layers of belts create rigid triangles to stabilize the contact area.
> when you jack up one side, we are almost lifting both tires which is approx 50% of our 2 3/8 ton "S" [Linkster]
I got no sense of 'lifting both tires' while jacking the MS from the provided jacking pads. On the Roadster rear, yes!
I tested with a sissor jack from a 4 cylinder FWD coupe and it was not straining the jack. Of course better to find an 'unused' jack from a 6 cylinder mid-sized car - cheap at any wrecking yard. And just use for roadside emergencies, not for 4+ times per year rotations.
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I got no sense of 'lifting both tires' while jacking the MS from the provided jacking pads. On the Roadster rear, yes!
I tested with a sissor jack from a 4 cylinder FWD coupe and it was not straining the jack. Of course better to find an 'unused' jack from a 6 cylinder mid-sized car - cheap at any wrecking yard. And just use for roadside emergencies, not for 4+ times per year rotations.
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The last time I tried to use a scissors jack (and it was the one that came with the car) it was so wobbly (I could see it trying to bend over) I gave up. Scissors jacks are scary--even on a flat garage floor.
> it was so wobbly [jerry33]
That's because you didn't chock the wheels and the car rolled, or some other gross misadventure. The MS will not roll in PARK since the rear wheels are locked solid. Ditto Roadster with handbrake pulled hard. You can still get someone else to do the deed for you since you are carrying jack, spare wheel, lug wrench, etc with you. No need to call AAA to come 45 miles when every so often helpful handy people are cruising by who can do the deed for you with the hardware you have. They'll stop anyway and look sad if you tell them: 'I have no spare, no jack but I have called AAA'. So why not humor them by being prepared.
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That's because you didn't chock the wheels and the car rolled, or some other gross misadventure. The MS will not roll in PARK since the rear wheels are locked solid. Ditto Roadster with handbrake pulled hard. You can still get someone else to do the deed for you since you are carrying jack, spare wheel, lug wrench, etc with you. No need to call AAA to come 45 miles when every so often helpful handy people are cruising by who can do the deed for you with the hardware you have. They'll stop anyway and look sad if you tell them: 'I have no spare, no jack but I have called AAA'. So why not humor them by being prepared.
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I had a piece of shank metal in my tire and tire low pressure light went on, it was 8:00pm I went to JUST TIRES on Sepulveda Blvd in Culver City about 2 miles from the new TESLA Service Center at 5840 W. Centinela Ave. 90045, The customer advisor Hector said that Marco fixed a tire on another TESLA so I waited for him. Marco fixed my tire in 10 minutes, knew that he had to use the auto lift and then put on Jack mode. I was worried that I might have had to buy a new tire, but its been two weeks and the tire is perfect.
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