Model Y Spare Tire problem solved

[BillyG2022MYP]

I just picked up a used Tesla Model 3 18x8.5 wheel and a used Michelin All Season tire from my local tire shop to keep on hand for a spare tire. Cost me $140 out the door with mounting and balancing (no TPMS). I have AAA so I my just keep it in my garage when I am daily driving. If and when I go for an extended trip from home I will toss it in the hatch with the TESLA Tote bag I ordered. I just need to find a way to secure it so it will become potential hazard if I were to get into an accident. Hopefully I will never need it but it is good insurance to have on hand. I just took a 250 mile round trip beach trip. Knowing that I had a spare tire along with my flat kit and air pump gave me so much peace of mind. I up sized my 21' tires to 265/40 front & 295/40 rear. The spare I am running is 235/60r18 which is approximately 29.1" diameter which closely matches my fronts. I contemplated going with the "Modern Spare" kit but it would have only given me a 27.7” Rolling Diameter and they want $499.99 for it!
Total cost:
Tesla Model 3 wheel ($100) & Used Michelin Tire ($40) =$140
TESLA Tire Tote =$35

 

[Charles R]

What kind of jack do you carry with it?

 

[xls_]

Yeah, modern spare gives you a jack and lug wrench with their kit. But still, I like your approach.
Can you fit the spare wheel upright in the trunk, with the rim facing to the side?

 

[jcanoe]

The older Model 3 18" has a lower weight rating than the newer 18" wheel; probably OK for use as a spare. The Model 3 18" wheels will not fit the Performance Model Y due to the clearance required for the performance brakes.

 

[derekw_FL]

I just picked up a used Tesla Model 3 18x8.5 wheel and a used Michelin All Season tire from my local tire shop to keep on hand for a spare tire. Cost me $140 out the door with mounting and balancing (no TPMS). I have AAA so I my just keep it in my garage when I am daily driving. If and when I go for an extended trip from home I will toss it in the hatch with the TESLA Tote bag I ordered. I just need to find a way to secure it so it will become potential hazard if I were to get into an accident. Hopefully I will never need it but it is good insurance to have on hand. I just took a 250 mile round trip beach trip. Knowing that I had a spare tire along with my flat kit and air pump gave me so much peace of mind. I up sized my 21' tires to 265/40 front & 295/40 rear. The spare I am running is 235/60r18 which is approximately 29.1" diameter which closely matches my fronts. I contemplated going with the "Modern Spare" kit but it would have only given me a 27.7” Rolling Diameter and they want $499.99 for it!
Total cost:
Tesla Model 3 wheel ($100) & Used Michelin Tire ($40) =$140
TESLA Tire Tote =$35

Did you just call around tire shops for used Tesla wheels? How did you come across a single one?

 

[BillyG2022MYP]

So, thanks to "Jcanoe" I ended up doing some more research and discovered that the MYP's Big A$$ brake calipers will not work with the Model 3 Aero wheels. I was caught up with the matching hub size and bolt pattern and forgot about the calipers. I contacted my local wheel and tire shop "Sports Car Tire" in Wilmington, De. and of course the have spare 19" Model Y Gemini wheel for me. I am bringing mine back tomorrow and swapping it out the correct one at no cost penalty. The only problem is the shop does not have a used 235/55r19 all season tire in their inventory. I now have to pony up for a new tire to have mounted on the wheel. I have decided I would rather have a fresh new tire instead of old worn out tire with no life left. I will probably get a High Performance "IRONMAN iMOVE GEN2 AS" for $130. Not too bad for a brand new tire I will post pics as soon as I get it installed this week and show the different ways it can be securely mounted in the rear of a Model Y.
I do not plan to carry a jack and wrench because AAA would perform the wheel removal and installation if I were to get a flat.

 

[Hunt3r]

So you are going to carry around a tire, and then sit on the side of the road and wait for aaa? Why would you not just throw a jack in one of the storage compartments?

 

[Charles R]

I think my main concern with a flat is being able to get back on the road ASAP. Might as well get a small jack and tools while you’re at it, IMO.

Disclaimer: I would only carry a spare on road trips, using it in places where it would take hours for roadside to come.

 

[Hunt3r]

Back on the road in 10 mins.

 

[BillyG2022MYP]

So I took back the Model 3 wheel and used tire back to my shop for and traded them for a new $113 tire (235/55R19) and a used model Y wheel. Total cost was $173. I got credit for the $40 used tire when I gave it back to them. As I said before I carry a flat tire kit, (2) tire slime cans with compressed air and portable air compressor so I would like to think I am good to make a quick repair if needed but this gives me an added measure of security on a long road trip. There have been plenty of reported flats that are not repairable due to the location on the edge of the tire side wall. Add the fact that I have AAA for my daughter and I in case of an emergency. So many factors I could bring up that would lead to me not wanting to pull over to the side of the road and fix a flat tire when I can just make a call and let them do it for me while I sit in the security of my car. I would rather have the 21" fixed professionally and a later more convenient time. It is also nice to know I could Tesla road side service to change out the spare. They wouldn't have the correct size tire I need anyhow since I changed to a larger size.

The tire will most definitely have to be laid on it's side for transporting. I should have the Tesla Tire Tote in a couple of days. Ordering anything from Tesla is definitely not like shopping on Amazon.

 

[acarney]

So, thanks to "Jcanoe" I ended up doing some more research and discovered that the MYP's Big A$$ brake calipers will not work with the Model 3 Aero wheels. I was caught up with the matching hub size and bolt pattern and forgot about the calipers. I contacted my local wheel and tire shop "Sports Car Tire" in Wilmington, De. and of course the have spare 19" Model Y Gemini wheel for me. I am bringing mine back tomorrow and swapping it out the correct one at no cost penalty. The only problem is the shop does not have a used 235/55r19 all season tire in their inventory. I now have to pony up for a new tire to have mounted on the wheel. I have decided I would rather have a fresh new tire instead of old worn out tire with no life left. I will probably get a High Performance "IRONMAN iMOVE GEN2 AS" for $130. Not too bad for a brand new tire I will post pics as soon as I get it installed this week and show the different ways it can be securely mounted in the rear of a Model Y.
I do not plan to carry a jack and wrench because AAA would perform the wheel removal and installation if I were to get a flat.

Something tells me that is not a "high performance tire"

 

[xls_]

So I took back the Model 3 wheel and used tire back to my shop for and traded them for a new $113 tire (235/55R19) and a used model Y wheel. Total cost was $173. I got credit for the $40 used tire when I gave it back to them. As I said before I carry a flat tire kit, (2) tire slime cans with compressed air and portable air compressor so I would like to think I am good to make a quick repair if needed but this gives me an added measure of security on a long road trip. There have been plenty of reported flats that are not repairable due to the location on the edge of the tire side wall. Add the fact that I have AAA for my daughter and I in case of an emergency. So many factors I could bring up that would lead to me not wanting to pull over to the side of the road and fix a flat tire when I can just make a call and let them do it for me while I sit in the security of my car. I would rather have the 21" fixed professionally and a later more convenient time. It is also nice to know I could Tesla road side service to change out the spare. They wouldn't have the correct size tire I need anyhow since I changed to a larger size.

The tire will most definitely have to be laid on it's side for transporting. I should have the Tesla Tire Tote in a couple of days. Ordering anything from Tesla is definitely not like shopping on Amazon.

Thank you for taking and posting those pictures! Wow, it's not even close with the tire upright! Wheels are quite large

 

[acarney]

Thank you for taking and posting those pictures! Wow, it's not even close with the tire upright! Wheels are quite large

They're amazingly large when you try to stuff them somewhere. It'll fit if you use the sub trunk in the rear... but then it's awkward since it's out in the middle of the trunk.

Would be amazing if Tesla could have designed the front to fit a full size spare (19") laying down in the frunk. You could still use it as a weird circular space when empty, or know you have a spare when needed. But it probably would have been tricky based on space... and honestly I think everyone is just banking on ride side service. A lot of other new cars (not even EVs) just don't ship with a spare any more.

 

[Watts_Up]

Would be amazing if Tesla could have designed the front to fit a full size spare (19") laying down in the frunk. You could still use it as a weird circular space when empty, or know you have a spare when needed. But it probably would have been tricky based on space... and honestly I think everyone is just banking on ride side service. A lot of other new cars (not even EVs) just don't ship with a spare any more.

It seems that Tesla Engineers believe that Tesla are only designed to be sold in California and be only driven on Highways !!!
I imagine that in countries from Canada, Russia,... to Australia there would not be too many Service Centers.
Even in US, when visiting a National Park, having a flat tire can be a real nightmare, especialy since there is often no Cell coverage.

Many EVs in the market are based on ICE cars, which have a location for a spare. So this give you the option to securely carry a spare tire.
And yes, you are right, there should be enough space under the trunk cover to put a spare tire.
But there is a beam between the two wheelhouses which make impossible to put a spare tire.
If this beam had been curved a little bit, than a spare tire could have been installed.

In the case of a donut spare tire, there is still a possiblility to put flat a spare tire, see the following video:

 

[Whiskeypapa]

Would be amazing if Tesla could have designed the front to fit a full size spare (19") laying down in the frunk. You could still use it as a weird circular space when empty, or know you have a spare when needed. But it probably would have been tricky based on space... and honestly I think everyone is just banking on ride side service. A lot of other new cars (not even EVs) just don't ship with a spare any more.

What was old is new again!

 

[BillyG2022MYP]

Something tells me that is not a "high performance tire"

It's a spare that has a max speed of 149mph and XL load range with 45,000 mile warranty. If this thing ever finds it way on to my car in an emergency I will not be going 150mph any way. It will serve a purpose to not leave me stranded. It is much better than a donut that has a max speed of 50mph and a couple hundred miles of range.
I decided to order these two items on Amazon and keep them in the sub trunk with my air pump, flat tire kit with light gloves and other emergency items. I also have a torque wrench with a TITAN 21093 1/2-Inch Drive x 21mm Non-marring Impact Deep Lug Nut Socket.
Worst case scenario I am in an area with no cell service.

 

[BillyG2022MYP]

I tested out the electric scissor jack with a puck using the car attachment. It was a tight fit when sliding the jack under the puck but it worked flawlessly when I powered it up and jacked it up high enough to do a tire change. I placed my spare into the TESLA Tire Tote and secured it with a couple of bungee cords.

 

[MichaelMuni]

Roof Rack

 

[Ken_Y]

Or this - https://www.etrailer.com/Spare-Tire-Carrier/etrailer/e98ZR.html?

 

[SpicyPaneer]

Or this - https://www.etrailer.com/Spare-Tire-Carrier/etrailer/e98ZR.html?

How do you open the trunk with that ? I’d be surprised if some mounted a 21” Uberturbone wheel to that set up.