Is there an easy way to check if my tires are rubbing? I put on a set of 255/45R19 tires with 19x8.5 Enkei rims. I get a tire rubbing sound when I have the steering wheel turned all the way while doing parking lot maneuvers.
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I think my tires are rubbing on the inner fender
- Thread starter mnx
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- Driving Dynamics Model S
ManuVince
Member
Standard wheel used for the Model S are 245 (19" or 21"), so I guess 255 is slightly too wide... Where is Jerry when we need him ;-)
If you remove the plastic side panel in the frunk area and turn your wheel all the way you may be able to see if it is touching. I had mine out yesterday and you can remove a rubbery panel to get access to the shocks and wheel backside.
unscrew the little rubber bumber/screw and pop up the panel from the edge away from the frunk first, then pull it away from the frunk. There are a couple of clips in the front that pop out vertically and one near the rear too. + 3 clips that hold the inner edge to the frunk
unscrew the little rubber bumber/screw and pop up the panel from the edge away from the frunk first, then pull it away from the frunk. There are a couple of clips in the front that pop out vertically and one near the rear too. + 3 clips that hold the inner edge to the frunk
I would just simply pull the wheel off one of the corners and look for any rub marks. When you pull it off just take a flashlight and check all possible rubbing points. Tires will most likely be rubbing on the fender lining or (depending on offset of the wheels) on the fender lip. Make sure to look at the shock perch also as it may be rubbing there. Typically, the shock perch sits right above the tire and a slightly larger tire can come in contact with this when turning.
araxara
X-LR M3AWD, MYLR
I wouldn't think that a 10mm difference (5mm on each side) would cause rubbing. Those are some pretty tight tolerances.
If you look at one of the tesla partial cars with just the wheels and battery(w/out the batts) + drive train you can see how close the wheels are to the suspension parts.
I could see a tiny offset to the inside making a problem.
childressmd
Member
If you've got kids, you can borrow some of their sidewalk chalk and mark the side and corner edge of the tire. It'll make it easier to see where on the tire the rubbing is happening. It will also rub off on to the offending part of the fender.
Morristhecat
Member
CapitalistOppressor
Active Member
The Model S uses a fairly extraordinary dual pivot design to reduce the amount of space required for the tires to move in the well because of how far forward the battery comes. 10mm doesn't sound like much to me either, but I wouldn't be shocked if it was causing rubbing.
Read the sections after the second and third photo (and the rest if you are interested) -
2012 Tesla Model S Signature Performance Suspension Walkaround
bonehead
Member
Chalked the inside of my tires, drove in circles with the wheel fully turned in both directions with the windows opened. They don't appear to be rubbing but there may be the occasional
touch with the wheel turned all the way. It is definitely tight in there though!
I think I'll leave the 255's on there for now...
Do you guys think that 255/40R19 would be a better choice fit wise? (Michelin seems to prefer 255 width tires... I'm looking at getting a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires for my summer tires)...
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bonehead
Member
I'm thinking the 255 width may be the issue in the front. Even Elon had 245's in the front (265's in the rear) I believe. Not sure if the profile change would make a huge difference. Jerry33, am I totally off base here?
That seems correct based on the pictures I've seen of the front clearance, but it depends on just where it's rubbing, which I don't think we know yet. We also don't know the offset of the wheels that were used. Perhaps wheels with an offset that pushed the tire outwards would eliminate the rubbing, or maybe it would only change where the rubbing occurred. Wheel bearing life would likely be affected as well. The aspect ratio change is to keep the tire RPM the same while increasing the section width.
As for Elon's 265s, we don't know what other modifications were made. Usually it's non-optimal to change tire sizes without doing other mods. It may work, it may even improve things (depending upon what you consider an improvement), but it won't be as good as it might be without the other mods. Vehicle manufacturers work hard to match the tires to the suspension geometry, spring rate, etc. Large vehicle manufacturers dictate to the tire manufacturer the exact specs of the tires. Of course, the vehicle manufacturers' engineers also have to bring the car in for a price so it's expected that as the vehicle price goes up the compromises go down. This tends to mean you have to spend a lot of money to get a small improvement on a high end car.
You could also try a tire with a more rounded edge. The guy in the 22" wheel thread said he was also getting some rubbing and switched to Pirelli's and the rubbing went away.
My 245/45-19 Michelin A/S plus's also rub, but only when going in reverse with the steering wheel turned 90% of the way...
My 245/45-19 Michelin A/S plus's also rub, but only when going in reverse with the steering wheel turned 90% of the way...
Interesting. It only seems to happen while driving in reverse for me as well. It's so infreqent/light I'm no longer worried about it.
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