Plaid 21” rear tire woes - factory defect?

[lbowroom]

Are you absolutely sure about that?

View attachment 834975

This is the front control of my Plaid with a 295/30-21 Michelin S4 on a 10.5” wheel with 39 offset. I have no idea what your picture is of.

 

[Gixx1300R]

View attachment 835118This is the front control of my Plaid with a 295/30-21 Michelin S4 on a 10.5” wheel with 39 offset. I have no idea what your picture is of.

That is the front, not the rear isnt it?

 

[headcase]

I too am experiencing consistent loss of tire pressure in both rear 21" tires on my Plaid. Started seeing inflation warnings around 8,000 miles. Going to setup a support ticket with Tesla. Ugh.

 

[lbowroom]

That is the front, not the rear isnt it?

Yes. That’s the front. This is the rear.

what car is your picture from?

 

[wwu123]

Wouldn't a simple DIY experiment over a few days with some light chalk or water-soluble paint (like cheap kids poster paint), more definitively address whether there is actual physical rubbing or not? During a period of dry weather, and with something that stay on for a while, but will easily wash off later? There would be rubbing marks on the chalk/paint , and possibly some traces of it on the mystery component it is rubbing against?

Or is the instant torque of the Plaid so crazy the rotational acceleration will literally fling dried paint right off, and maybe straight into low earth orbit?

 

[lbowroom]

Wouldn't a simple DIY experiment over a few days with some light chalk or water-soluble paint (like cheap kids poster paint), more definitively address whether there is actual physical rubbing or not? During a period of dry weather, and with something that stay on for a while, but will easily wash off later? There would be rubbing marks on the chalk/paint , and possibly some traces of it on the mystery component it is rubbing against?

Or is the instant torque of the Plaid so crazy the rotational acceleration will literally fling dried paint right off, and maybe straight into low earth orbit?

There is no need for any rubbing test. There is no mystery component that appears and then disappears after ruining the tires.

 

[wwu123]

There is no need for any rubbing test. There is no mystery component that appears and then disappears after ruining the tires.

The test can prove that something IS rubbing, or that something ISN"T rubbing. Seems like a number of folks on the thread with the problem would like more definitely proof of the latter than words. I'm merely suggesting something maybe a little simpler and more accessible to more folks than mounting a GoPro camera in the wheel well, which was another suggestion.

 

[Betheclub98]

Look at this picture, The area marked it too clean, It looks like the tire has been lathed which gives as indication that something is rubbing. Torque has a more shearing force

I think you could be on to something here. The wear does seem to precise to be camber or torque related. It’s flabbergasting that this car would make it through years of development with such a basic flaw as a tire rubbing on a suspension component.

 

[Gixx1300R]

I think you could be on to something here. The wear does seem to precise to be camber or torque related. It’s flabbergasting that this car would make it through years of development with such a basic flaw as a tire rubbing on a suspension component.

I am thinking it is happening while the car is in the low setting. When the car hits a bump something is making contact with the tire. Maybe someone could remove the rear tire and check for rub marks regardless of what Ibowroom says. All possibilities need to be eliminated not ignored

 

[lbowroom]

I am thinking it is happening while the car is in the low setting. When the car hits a bump something is making contact with the tire. Maybe someone could remove the rear tire and check for rub marks regardless of what Ibowroom says. All possibilities need to be eliminated not ignored

Thanks, but what car’s suspension is that a picture of?

 

[Gixx1300R]

Thanks, but what car’s suspension is that a picture of?

Cybertruck

 

[lbowroom]

Cybertruck

lol. How was that relevant? Even in that picture the control arm was miles away from the tire. Impossible to make contact.

You realize if I’m in there with my camera and I’ve replaced my toe arms and rear trailing arms, know what my toe, camber settings, and offsets are that I may know a thing a two. I’ve course I’ve looked “very closely” at the setup. SMH.

Carry on with your investigation, let us know what you find.

 

[Gixx1300R]

lol. How was that relevant? Even in that picture the control arm was miles away from the tire. Impossible to make contact.

You realize if I’m in there with my camera and I’ve replaced my toe arms and rear trailing arms, know what my toe, camber settings, and offsets are that I may know a thing a two. I’ve course I’ve looked “very closely” at the setup. SMH.

Carry on with your investigation, let us know what you find.

That will not apply to every Plaid Model S now will it

 

[lbowroom]

That will not apply to every Plaid Model S now will it

Actually it will

 

[TSLA Pilot]

Was able to spin our 2022 Plaid rear wheels (21") while I had the car jacked up.

At 8k miles I see even wear across the tires, but a bit of a dimple/wear along the inner edge of both rear tires, pretty much as shown in the photographs of others, but not as bad (yet).

Since we're having air loss on one of the rear tires, I'll take it up with Michelin later this week, especially as they have a test center here in the DFW area.

 

[lbowroom]

Was able to spin our 2022 Plaid rear wheels (21") while I had the car jacked up.

At 8k miles I see even wear across the tires, but a bit of a dimple/wear along the inner edge of both rear tires, pretty much as shown in the photographs of others, but not as bad (yet).

Since we're having air loss on one of the rear tires, I'll take it up with Michelin later this week, especially as they have a test center here in the DFW area.

Did you check really closely for anything Tesla forgot may touch the tires when it bounces and blow them up? lol.

 

[Gixx1300R]

Was able to spin our 2022 Plaid rear wheels (21") while I had the car jacked up.

At 8k miles I see even wear across the tires, but a bit of a dimple/wear along the inner edge of both rear tires, pretty much as shown in the photographs of others, but not as bad (yet).

Since we're having air loss on one of the rear tires, I'll take it up with Michelin later this week, especially as they have a test center here in the DFW area.

The suspension would have to be under load. Place the car on all 4 tires, Put the car in the lowest setting and check that way. You may have to feel around the inner perimeter of the tire to see if it is close to anything

 

[TSLA Pilot]

The suspension would have to be under load. Place the car on all 4 tires, Put the car in the lowest setting and check that way. You may have to feel around the inner perimeter of the tire to see if it is close to anything

Sorry, but there is nothing in the path of the rear tires that would cause such peculiar wear AFAIK.

I am somewhat certain that we have here is a very peculiar TIRE issue in response to accelerating the world's fastest production vehicle . . . .

I'll reach out to Michelin later and see what they say.

The photographs provided earlier in this thread are pure gold--please provide more if anyone has some.

Thanks!

 

[Melteye]

Let us know what you find out TSLA Pilot. I have gone through 3 rear PS4s now with the same issue. They keep replacing under Discount Tire's hazard warranty, but it still costs me $150 each time and puts my car out of service for 2-3 weeks each time due to unavailability of tires. Massive PITA...has anyone used PZero's and noticed anything similar?

 

[dk79]

Hello, i am new to the community i own a 2021 Plaid with 21" wheels. I also have a similar issue, but mine is worst. I started loosing air pressure on one of my rear tires at 11k miles, thread depth is 6/32 according to the tire shop; however, the inner part of the tire is badly worn out on a very small area, pictures attached. I am very familiar with cars with cambered wheels having owned several mercedes, BMW (including an F10 M5) and Audi, but never seen anything like this. The car has been at the service center in and out (very long story) and every time they adjusted the tire pressure to factory pressure. The driver side tire was so badly damaged that the car is not drive-able until new tires are installed (which of course are not available until a week from today. Anybody has any idea what this is ? Has anybody else seen this ? Doesnt the wear area look particularly narrow ? i would almost say that it is so narrow because they are over inflated (again Tesla service center has checked these tire pressures about 5 times in 11k miles) . More info: I do drive the plaid how its meant to be driven, as a high speed cruiser... I dont track the car (please dont this is not a track car), most of my driving has been in Texas winter since i have owned the car but the last 2 months have been brutally hot (100+). I do once in a while show those hellcats where they belong (in my rear view mirror ) but other than that there is no reason for this wear pattern.

I have the same issue, car has about 16k miles driver rear loosing air, pulled out the tire to plug, found inside of the tread separating and very uneven tire wear. Both rear tires are toast, hazard to drive on highway without knowing.