Is it ok to put 235/45R20 tires on my M3P?

[Gjunki]

TLDR at the bottom.

I have another post on reddit where I have complained about how even the slightest of potholes are ruining my wonderful experience with my M3P. In this post instead of complaining I'm looking for a solution.

Now I could buy 18" wheels but those are really expensive, since it looks like only Tsportline make 18" fitted for the performance break calipers, and with tires, will cost me ~$2.7k.

Now the alternative is just putting the 235/45 tires that I want (adds a whole inch of sidewall which would be amazing for these horrible east coast roads) on my 20" wheels. Is this a really bad idea?

Clearance seems to work, as it adds just less than an inch, and I think that is JUST pushing it, but not quite getting any rub. Only cons are speedo is going to be incorrect, and furthermore so is the odo. Since I own the vehicle and don't plan on selling, is there really any downside to this?

I feel like I may lose my mind, my soul, and my wallet if I have to deal with 1 more popped tire within <1 year of ownership (6 so far), so I'd just like an honest opinion. Preferably someone with some experience would be great!



Thank you!

TLDR;

Since 18" wheels+tires (Michelin AS4) will cost ~$2.7k, and just a new set of 20" tires will cost $1.2k; is it very harmful to put 235/45 on my 20" M3P wheels? If so what are the major effects it will have? Is it more worth it to spend that extra $1.5k and just swap the wheels?

 

[Gauss Guzzler]

No. The steering knuckle limits the tire diameter. Anything larger than 245/35R20 has a possibility of rubbing.

 

[Gjunki]

No. The steering knuckle limits the tire diameter. Anything larger than 245/35R20 has a possibility of rubbing.

I have heard of a guy driving with 55s on his performance and said if he dropped it to 45 there would probably be no rubbing at all. Also correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't the rubbing only last until the tire wore down a bit to match the knuckle's groove?

 

[afadeev]

Now I could buy 18" wheels but those are really expensive, since it looks like only Tsportline make 18" fitted for the performance break calipers, and with tires, will cost me ~$2.7k.

You absolutely do NOT need to overpay for 18" wheels + tires. Decent wheels can be had for $100-250/each, with high-performance tires usually costing more than the wheels.
The whole 18" set should run you ~$1.5-2K. Unless you want to upgrade to forged wheels:

https://www.tirerack.com/wheels/results.jsp?autoMake=Tesla&autoModel=Model+3+AWD+Performance&autoYear=2019&autoModClar=&package=true

TSport wheels are overpriced junk no better than Tesla OEM. That's per my wheel repair shop, which has straightened 3 of my Model 3 20" wheels over the past 4.5 years.

Now the alternative is just putting the 235/45 tires that I want (adds a whole inch of sidewall which would be amazing for these horrible east coast roads) on my 20" wheels. Is this a really bad idea? [...]Since I own the vehicle and don't plan on selling, is there really any downside to this?

Yes.
It will both create fitment problems (you will be pushing your luck with rubbing with +1" of sidewall), and also ruin the handling of the car (tall 45% sidewall on 20" wheel will add a lot of sidewall squirm).
Tesla wheel + tire size combo have three (3) fundamental problems:

1. Quality of the wheels material is *sugar*. Tesla went with cheap and heavy wheels that bend if you look at them funny.
2. 235mm wide tires are way too narrow for the 8.5" wide wheels. The tires are not wide enough to cover the wheel faces, exposing them to impact and curbing damage.
3. 235mm wide tires on a 4,000+ lbs car is woefully inadequate. Especially on the heavier AWD/P models. Tires wear off with comical speed, and the tire patch distorts badly under lateral loads.

If you want to do something about it, you need to go wider first. Taller second.
245mm and (most) 255mm tires fit just fine into Model 3 wheel wells.
245/45-18 or 245/35-20 are a "free" no-brainer upgrade.
255/45-18 or 255/35-20 are also a viable option.

Both stay under the 27.5” in overall diameter, where you start running into front upper control arm clearance issues.
235/45-20 tires will put you over that maximum diameter threshold (28.3").

HTH,
a

 

[Gauss Guzzler]

I have heard of a guy driving with 55s on his performance and said if he dropped it to 45 there would probably be no rubbing at all. Also correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't the rubbing only last until the tire wore down a bit to match the knuckle's groove?

I believe you are conflating the numbers. Yes, many 255/35R20 tires can fit. But certainly not 235/55R20. One is a low profile sports car tire and the other is a pickup truck tire.

 

[Gjunki]

You absolutely do NOT need to overpay for 18" wheels + tires. Decent wheels can be had for $100-250/each, with high-performance tires usually costing more than the wheels.
The whole 18" set should run you ~$1.5-2K. Unless you want to upgrade to forged wheels:

https://www.tirerack.com/wheels/results.jsp?autoMake=Tesla&autoModel=Model+3+AWD+Performance&autoYear=2019&autoModClar=&package=true

TSport wheels are overpriced junk no better than Tesla OEM. That's per my wheel repair shop, which has straightened 3 of my Model 3 20" wheels over the past 4.5 years.


Yes.
It will both create fitment problems (you will be pushing your luck with rubbing with +1" of sidewall), and also ruin the handling of the car (tall 45% sidewall on 20" wheel will add a lot of sidewall squirm).
Tesla wheel + tire size combo have three (3) fundamental problems:

1. Quality of the wheels material is *sugar*. Tesla went with cheap and heavy wheels that bend if you look at them funny.
2. 235mm wide tires are way too narrow for the 8.5" wide wheels. The tires are not wide enough to cover the wheel faces, exposing them to impact and curbing damage.
3. 235mm wide tires on a 4,000+ lbs car is woefully inadequate. Especially on the heavier AWD/P models. Tires wear off with comical speed, and the tire patch distorts badly under lateral loads.

If you want to do something about it, you need to go wider first. Taller second.
245mm and (most) 255mm tires fit just fine into Model 3 wheel wells.
245/45-18 or 245/35-20 are a "free" no-brainer upgrade.
255/45-18 or 255/35-20 are also a viable option.

Both stay under the 27.5” in overall diameter, where you start running into front upper control arm clearance issues.
235/45-20 tires will put you over that maximum diameter threshold (28.3").

HTH,
a

Thank you very much for your insightful comment. The person that I spoke to did not have 235/55/20s on he had 255/35/20 and misspoke. After reading your reply I think I'm going to pull the trigger and get 255/45/18. The only issue for going 18 is the clearance on the calipers. Will all the 18" wheels on the link that you sent me fit a 2022 M3P?

 

[Gjunki]

I believe you are conflating the numbers. Yes, many 255/35R20 tires can fit. But certainly not 235/55R20. One is a low profile sports car tire and the other is a pickup truck tire.

Yeah the person who told me that completely misspoke. He meant 255/35 not 235/55.

 

[Lindenwood]

Thank you very much for your insightful comment. The person that I spoke to did not have 235/55/20s on he had 255/35/20 and misspoke. After reading your reply I think I'm going to pull the trigger and get 255/45/18. The only issue for going 18 is the clearance on the calipers. Will all the 18" wheels on the link that you sent me fit a 2022 M3P?

Here you go!

18s are definitely a good overall choice. TSportline is nice in they take a lot of guesswork out. But indeed, if you are able to find your own answers, you can easily save $1000-1500 on a new set of wheels (and in some cases gain a bit in either strength or reduced weight).

List of 18" wheels for P3D+

With winter coming up and many people looking for a 2nd set of wheels for their winter tires, I thought getting together a list of all the 18" wheels that fit on the P3D+. Here is what I know so far: Link to spreadsheet Please share the ones you know fit as well, and I can add them to the...

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[afadeev]

The only issue for going 18 is the clearance on the calipers. Will all the 18" wheels on the link that you sent me fit a 2022 M3P?

When I was shopping for my 18" winter wheels from TR, I just called them to confirm that the two styles that I wanted would clear M3P brakes. They were able to corroborate over the phone, so I ordered a set (with tires).
They fit perfectly upon arrival, and I still use them as my winters.

I did not pay particular attention to my filters when I sent you the link. Perhaps they pre-screened for TM3P clearance, perhaps not. Do 2x check.

HTH,
a

 

[DocHolliday]

You might want to check out the Custom Monoblock Forged Wheels thread on the Driving Dynamics forum. I'm running 245/40 19s.

 

[Gjunki]

When I was shopping for my 18" winter wheels from TR, I just called them to confirm that the two styles that I wanted would clear M3P brakes. They were able to corroborate over the phone, so I ordered a set (with tires).
They fit perfectly upon arrival, and I still use them as my winters.

I did not pay particular attention to my filters when I sent you the link. Perhaps they pre-screened for TM3P clearance, perhaps not. Do 2x check.

HTH,
a

I got an offer on practically brand new TST TST 18" Tesla Model 3 Wheel (Set of 4) for $1000 on FB market place. Would you say this is a good deal? The wheels I was looking at on tirerack would've been about 1k for the set so I feel like this is a pretty fair price, especially since I know 100% these would fit.