(Possible) Fitment issues stepping down TO 19" FROM 21" OEM wheels

[B00A]

Hey everyone. This forum has been a godsend in the lead up to purchasing my first Tesla. A '15 Model S 70D, last week. So a thank you to everyone for the invaluable information indexed and shared on here.

I just took the car to an auto repair franchise that has treated me well in the past with simple tire replacements. This time, I went to have a set of 19" Asanti ABL -14 wheels mounted in place of the OEM 21" turbine wheels. Had a bit of a weird encounter to start with when the technician sounded surprised that I had my own wheels to mount the new tires on and also said that they only use their own TPMS sensors. He eventually agreed to use the Huf set that I had purchased, along with the set of black aluminum valve stems I bought, after explaining to the him that the person who quoted me over the phone was aware of my own sensors, stems, and wheels.
In the end, they said the wheels were too close to the control arms and didn't fit. They also mentioned the wheels not fitting because the "the rim was just too wide" and "the hole of the wheel was too big". I realize now the need for the hub rings to fit the larger bore diameter but felt OK going into this after receiving confirmation from different vendor websites that the 19"x8.5 wheels were guaranteed to fit. I may be paranoid but I just don't have enough confidence after the encounter to return the wheels without consulting a shop that specializes in wheels and tires and posting here for any recommendations. Not to mention, there was not much evidence I could see after picking up the wheels that they were even touched or taken out of the box.
So I am sitting here with a some questions at this point!:

1. Is it possible the 19" wheels will fit without a wheel spacer after I add the hub ring and tackle that issue? Specs below on the ABL-14s:

• 5x120 bolt pattern
• 19x8.5 (.5 inches wider than the OEM 19s from Tesla, but the same as the 21" OEM)
• Offset +38mm ( -2mm should help my case for fit?)
• Backspacing 6.25" (Looks like there is 0.171"/4.34mm more backspacing compared to the 21" OEM 6.075" from my google'd calculations)
• Centerbore 74.1mm (should be fixed with hub centric rings but won't effect the fitment otherwise?)
• Diameter of rim + tire package = From what I can tell, the total diameter of the package will be 0.1" narrower with the Asantis with Firestone Indy 500s 245/45 compared to the 21" with Continental OEM 245/35s.

2. Where to go from here? Do I look into using wheel spacers and staying at 19" like the local speciality shop is looking into or do I try stepping up to 20" in the same wheel to see if they will work without spacers and potentially end up in a similar situation? I'd prefer to stay away from 21" since I'll be putting quite a few miles on for business use while on city streets.

Thank you!!!

 

[linkster]

Teslas factory 19s are ,5” narrower than their (non-staggard) 21s to provide the necessary inboard clearance since the strut slightly angles outboard as you move from the top towards the spindle. I don’t want to get get bogged down in a protracted discussion with others whether you should or shouldn’t use spacers, have custom aluminum hub-centric rings made, if the wheel torque setting should be adjusted accordingly if a reduced contact seat is present with the possibile use of required aftermarket lug nuts.

I much prefer OEM wheels or aftermarket design specific (@Tsportline) S wheels that have the required axle load specs, do not require the use of spacers for clearance issues, have the proper 64.1 CB, use OEM lugnuts, and will be a little less hassle at the service center should you have a tire, wheel problem/flat, or require an alignment since some service centers frown upon the use of owners special wheels due to liability concerns.

Smart of you to chuck the 21s.

Good luck!

 

[rog1206]

I'm running some 19x8.5" aftermarket wheels but my offset is +34. Try going to a rim/tire shop to see what they have to say since they'll have the correct hub rings for your car.

 

[B00A]

Thanks, I appreciate the viewpoints. Yeah, I'll follow up with the custom wheel shop for some more insight. Looking at the Tsportline version of the arachnids in 19" that I'm partial to - they're an 8.5" width also but have a +35 offset. Sounds like I'm off at least 3mm of clearance from being able to do this without spacers on the Asantis provided those 19" arachnids don't require spacers either.
Seems like I could pay a bit more upfront now for the manufactured-to-fit wheels and some peace of mind or go with the aftermarket generics with the styling I prefer and a lower price tag. We'll see how it plays out and I'll follow up in the end.

 

[Russell]

Enter the wheel width and offset of the factory wheel and the aftermarket wheel into this calculator to see how much clearance you are gaining or losing
https://www.1010tires.com/Tools/Wheel-Offset-Calculator

 

[linkster]

purchasing my first Tesla. A '15 Model S 70D, last week.

Btw, I almost forgot, congrats on your Tesla purchase!

Btw II, you might consider joining Larry Chanin's Florida Tesla Enthusiasts Group to attend local gatherings and to have access to a private password protected list of other Florida Tesla owners home charging network.

 

[B00A]

@Russell this calculator should be helpful to compare the OEM 19"s to those that I have now without actually having them around. 4mm makes all the difference in this case! Can't imagine that's all too difficult to solve.

Thanks linkster! Looks like Tampa Bay is representing on the Florida Tesla Enthusiast Group judging by their map. Cool concept too.

Going to wait another day to see if I hear back from the wheel shop. Didn't want to annoy them with my overzealousness to get those wheels on this car and break it in.

 

[Lasttoy]

19 came stock, if someone put 21s on it they paid
Now to your idiot shop. Find another one. I had same problem, I found small guy. He mounted balanced for 20 each.
I got set of winter tires/wheels, he installed tpms sensors for 50 installed.

 

[B00A]

Returned the 19s and reordered from a different site that had the proper offset for plenty of clearance. A week later, they let me know the manufacturer rated the wheels something minimal, maybe like 5lbs less, per wheel than Tesla's wheel requirements. Had enough runaround at that point so I said to keep em and planned on ordering from TSportline. Ended up purchasing their TST 19s with their Memorial Day deal. They arrive Friday. Saga should end soon.
Funny thing is, TSportlines TSS 19s are rated for the same weight as the other aftermarket wheels. TSp told me they're more than comfortable they meet daily driving needs. Went with TST anyway which meet the weight but ironic in the end. Looking forward to see how these 19s feel. 21s aren't too bad as is.

 

[neroden]

Tirerack was super careful at finding wheels which actually fit on the Tesla and are rated for the weight, last I checked -- you do have to be careful, a lot of 19"s won't fit.

 

[B00A]

Loving the ride on 19s. Much smoother. As far as a performance goes, I've noticed more of a change with the regen and breaking strength compared to acceleration. It doesn't seem to grip as hard right away when I let up. Maybe it was the rain earlier in the day or added weight with the new wheels?

Oh and the worst part about it all now - as I backed out of the space at the tire shop for my first drive on the 19s, literally 12 or so feet into driving on these wheels (backwards), the Camero next to me reversed and apparently didn't hear my horn blaring for the longest 1-2 seconds of my life as he backed right into me. Small dent/scratch on the nosecone that is hardly noticeable. I made a service appointment because I may be paranoid and things may turn out to be fine after my next road trip/test in a couple days but it felt like it was hugging the left side of the lane more than usual afterwards while on autopilot. The impact was on the passenger side of the car so not sure if that would make sense.

Now, on to find a shop that will program and install my universal TPMS sensors with the s ten color I wanted amd so I can sell the OEM semsors with the 21s. The shop that installed the wheels said their unit only programs one type of sensor that I'd have to buy from them, which appears to be true after finding it on Amazon. A couple more shops wouldn't touch aftermarket wheels or TPMS sensors other than their own. One said they wouldn't work on the "exotics" like Tesla at all. I think I found a local shop willing to do it for $50 though. Didn't tell them about the exotic car yet so will see what they say when I show up..