Replacing Tyres on Model 3 - Tesla versus Tyre store

[GedMelbAU]

My M3LR has done 30k. I had the car in at the Tesla Service centre for a tyre rotation and they are saying it should get tyres replaced. Front Tyres are at ~3mm tread and rear tyres are at just shy of 4mm.

They are quoting $2059.87 to replace all 4 tyres including the wheel alignment.
The tyres are Michelin PS4 235/45R18 98Y SUMMER

After doing a quick internet search I see that Jax are doing:
4 x Michelin PS4 235/45ZR18 98Y XL, including fitting and balancing for $1,000.

I asked the Tesla Service rep today why the difference in price? He said there were a couple of major reasons:
1. Tesla factory standard tyres are not the same as 3rd party sourced (even if the same model). He said he saw an example recently of a guy who replaced all 4 tyres externally and had 3 of them blow out because they were not suitable to the car.
2. Tesla has the correct details for wheel alignment, 3rd parties may not be correct. He recommended and said many others get Tesla to do the wheel alignment if they fit tyres externally.
3. Labour costs. He said Tesla labour costs may be higher.

I do think it is wise to get Tesla to do a wheel alignment after the tyres are fitted. But I'm concerned about what they want to charge. According to the quote:
1. Correction: Four Wheel Alignment (Check and Adjust Camber Caster Toe) (Ballast Bags) $372
2. Correction: Tires - Vehicle - Set $218.75

I am keen to get thoughts on which way to go? Has anyone else had tyres fitted/aligned by a 3rd party tyre company and had issues?

 

[PC__LoadLetter]

Short version

Phone around and find a price on Toyo Proxes C100 235/45 R18 that’s at or below $200. Tyrepower price matched Blair’s for my 5th and 6th of them a few weeks ago.

Long version

My SR+ arrived in March last year, and I’m currently at 104,141km. I do about 1700km/wk on a standing interstate trip plus Uber on the way there and back. Quite a lot of Uber.

It came with Michelin Pilot Sport 3 235/45 ZR18. They lasted about 30,000km. Bloody expensive and nowhere near as quiet as they’re made out to be.

I swapped to Goodyear Eagle F1 235/45 R18. Tyrepower charged me $260ea. I fitted them in two pairs, about 5,000km apart, and I was rotating them every 10,000km. The only good thing I can say about them was they were incredibly durable. I hated them right to my core. They couldn't handle the torque, slipped and slid all over the damned road, and seriously cramped my driving.

I've since switched to Toyo Proxes C100 235/45 R18 98W. Blair's charged me $200ea for my first 4. I've had them for 34,000km. Unfortunately I had a metal shard puncture one of them, and a dicey mismatch a tyre shop dug up from a spare someone traded in didn’t agree with me. On my last trip to Wollongong I replaced 2 of them. Tyre shop thinks I can get another 20,000km off the remaining 2, if I keep rotating them. And they suggested I keep tyre #4 just in case. It’s got just as much life left.

For my torque-heavy green light acceleration driving style they're perfect!

But don't take those numbers to heart. If you're not doing a round trip of the tyre-shredding concrete Federal & Hume Highways at 110km/h every weekend, you'd get substantially more life out of your tyres than I do. Though for urban driving you’ll also want to rotate them more often than I do. Maybe every 5000km instead of my 10,000km. Fortunately any tyre shop will rotate for $40ish. Just make sure they know to chock up the corners.

 

[paulp]

My M3LR has done 30k. I had the car in at the Tesla Service centre for a tyre rotation and they are saying it should get tyres replaced. Front Tyres are at ~3mm tread and rear tyres are at just shy of 4mm.

They are quoting $2059.87 to replace all 4 tyres including the wheel alignment.
The tyres are Michelin PS4 235/45R18 98Y SUMMER

After doing a quick internet search I see that Jax are doing:
4 x Michelin PS4 235/45ZR18 98Y XL, including fitting and balancing for $1,000.

I asked the Tesla Service rep today why the difference in price? He said there were a couple of major reasons:
1. Tesla factory standard tyres are not the same as 3rd party sourced (even if the same model). He said he saw an example recently of a guy who replaced all 4 tyres externally and had 3 of them blow out because they were not suitable to the car.
2. Tesla has the correct details for wheel alignment, 3rd parties may not be correct. He recommended and said many others get Tesla to do the wheel alignment if they fit tyres externally.
3. Labour costs. He said Tesla labour costs may be higher.

I do think it is wise to get Tesla to do a wheel alignment after the tyres are fitted. But I'm concerned about what they want to charge. According to the quote:
1. Correction: Four Wheel Alignment (Check and Adjust Camber Caster Toe) (Ballast Bags) $372
2. Correction: Tires - Vehicle - Set $218.75

I am keen to get thoughts on which way to go? Has anyone else had tyres fitted/aligned by a 3rd party tyre company and had issues?

My experwince with buying many new tesla - the alignment was always wrong and had it fixed by an alignment specialist curiously recommended by tesla. Do tesla even do wheel alignment In house in your area? They certainly dont in Adelaide. Hence I cant get a tesla alignment even if I wanted to.
If you can find a reputable company that other tesla owners have used, I’d be doing that.
Any tyre company can change the tyres. Just make them aware of the tpms, and if applicable remind them of jacking mode and to do the correct torque on the bolts. If they dont know what you mean, go elsewhere!

 

[PC__LoadLetter]

Oh, don’t forget to disable sentry mode if they don’t invite you to stay in the car while it’s on the hoist. Had a nasty alarm while I was in the can. Fortunately I had my phone in my hands and switched the alarm off near instantly.

 

[GedMelbAU]

I've since switched to Toyo Proxes C100 235/45 R18 98W. Blair's charged me $200ea for my first 4. I've had them for 34,000km. Unfortunately I had a metal shard puncture one of them, and a dicey mismatch a tyre shop dug up from a spare someone traded in didn’t agree with me. On my last trip to Wollongong I replaced 2 of them. Tyre shop thinks I can get another 20,000km off the remaining 2, if I keep rotating them. And they suggested I keep tyre #4 just in case. It’s got just as much life left.

For my torque-heavy green light acceleration driving style they're perfect!

Thanks for the info. I figure the torque in the car is there for a reason... to use it!

Do you find the Toyo Proxes C100 235/45 R18 98W wheels quieter/similar to the Michelin PS4s?

 

[PC__LoadLetter]

I have no point of comparison. The two were months apart. But in my experience the main noise of the car is a wind whistle in my right ear. The tyres are irrelevant.

 

[Nobody Famous]

Phone around and find a price on Toyo Proxes C100 235/45 R18 that’s at or below $200.

$175 for next time

toyo-2354518-98w-proxes-c100-plus

www.tempetyres.com.au

or $157 even

TOYO Proxes C100+ | Budget T & M

235/45 R18 - 98WDeveloped with Toyo’s advanced tyre technology, the Proxes C100+ is an asymmetrical car tyre providing exceptional ride comfort, low noise and higher mileage.The Proxes C100+ is available in a wide range of sizes to suit many popular modern vehicles including Toyota Corolla...

www.budgettm.com.au

 

[PC__LoadLetter]

$175 for next time

toyo-2354518-98w-proxes-c100-plus

www.tempetyres.com.au

Been there. They’re a fantastic shop if you want cheap tyres and you already know what you want. But it means driving to Tempe and waiting ages in a crowded waiting room.

Tyrepower Cringila is always quick if you show up mid-arvo on Sundays when I’m in the area about to set off home. In the opposite direction. Quite a considerable way away. They know to chock the subfloor. They’re not especially expensive. And they let me wait in my car, even while my car is on their hoist. Works for me. And it’s a tax deduction for rideshare.

 

[Nobody Famous]

Tyrepower Cringila

Just bounce those prices for a match next time. I've been there before and they didn't blink for price matching.

 

[AussieOwner]

Did someone say Costco does tire fittings and a wheel rotation ?

 

[jamesgo]

Yep Costco does, also free puncture repair for the life of the tyre.

 

[Wol747]

Waiting with bated breath for the Newcastle Costco to open!

 

[Flatbat]

My M3LR has done 30k. I had the car in at the Tesla Service centre for a tyre rotation and they are saying it should get tyres replaced. Front Tyres are at ~3mm tread and rear tyres are at just shy of 4mm.

They are quoting $2059.87 to replace all 4 tyres including the wheel alignment.
The tyres are Michelin PS4 235/45R18 98Y SUMMER

After doing a quick internet search I see that Jax are doing:
4 x Michelin PS4 235/45ZR18 98Y XL, including fitting and balancing for $1,000.

<snip>

@GedMelbAU Did you decide on a set of replacement tyres yet? If so which way did you go?
At 35,000km mine are in need of replacement too. I got a similar quote from my local JAX to the $1000 that you quoted. But JAX did point out that their set are missing the acoustic foam that ships in the OEM tyres. So it is not the same beast. It would be $110 more per corner or $440 for the acoustic ones that Tesla shipped the came with, IF they could get them. But the cannot & they are out of stock with none on the horizon. Would be interesting to see if your Tesla quote is for the acoustic ones. If so that goes some of the way to explain the price difference.

I see @QBN_PC you have recommended the Toyo Proxes. I won't be doing anywhere as many KMS and my LR being AWD doesn't have the same traction issues as your SR. Has anyone else found alternatives tyres to the OEM set that you can recommend. Preferably with the acoustic treatment.

 

[PC__LoadLetter]

I had no traction issues with the stock Michelins either. The Toyos are cheap, durable and sticky. It’s an unlikely combination.

Don't waste your time with the foam. It’s largely a gimmick and it makes patching punctures harder. They claim they’re quieter. Meh. The car is plenty quiet regardless.

 

[OzVic]

But JAX did point out that their set are missing the acoustic foam that ships in the OEM tyres. So it is not the same beast. It would be $110 more per corner or $440 for the acoustic ones that Tesla shipped the came with, IF they could get them. But the cannot & they are out of stock with none on the horizon.

I bought the non-acoustic PS4's and honestly there is very little difference (well I can't tell anyway).

 

[Flatbat]

Cheers thanks.
Supposedly the Acoustic variant has slightly less rolling resistance while not being quite as good at wet braking. But like the noise, this is probably too small for us to notice.
235/45 ZR18 98Y PILOT SPORT 4 ACOUSTIC
235/45 ZR18 (98Y) PILOT SPORT
How to read the new EU tyre label

Good to get feedback on what replacement options M3 drivers in Australia have gone with and their experience with alternatives.
Are the new delivery LRs still arriving with the 18" Pilot Sports or something else?

 

[moa999]

LRs (and SR with the uograde) shifted to 235/40 R19 Hankook Ventus S1 evo in I think October 2020.

 

[corndog]

I've got Yokohama BluEarth-GT AE51 on my 19in wheels. I'm at 37,000km and expect to get around 45,000km total. My only complaint is that they don't have that thick rubber lip to protect rims, so I'm getting stone chips on the rims edges. They corner like the car's on rails, but straight line stopping could be a little better. Very good in the wet too.

My rear tyres were eventually wearing in the very inside edge after a $69 alignment from MyCar. I ended up taking it to Tesla for the $400(!!) alignment and the problem got worse! They put way too much toe in on the rear wheels, so I ended up redoing the rear alignment myself. Problem solved.

I'm convinced that Tesla's rear toe spec is the cause of some tyres getting destroyed. I've seen a few pics of tyres getting shredded right on the shoulder where mine were wearing. There's no good reason these cars should destroy tyres if they're rated and aligned correctly.

 

[paulp]

I've got Yokohama BluEarth-GT AE51 on my 19in wheels. I'm at 37,000km and expect to get around 45,000km total. My only complaint is that they don't have that thick rubber lip to protect rims, so I'm getting stone chips on the rims edges. They corner like the car's on rails, but straight line stopping could be a little better. Very good in the wet too.

My rear tyres were eventually wearing in the very inside edge after a $69 alignment from MyCar. I ended up taking it to Tesla for the $400(!!) alignment and the problem got worse! They put way too much toe in on the rear wheels, so I ended up redoing the rear alignment myself. Problem solved.

I'm convinced that Tesla's rear toe spec is the cause of some tyres getting destroyed. I've seen a few pics of tyres getting shredded right on the shoulder where mine were wearing. There's no good reason these cars should destroy tyres if they're rated and aligned correctly.

Agree. Tesla alignment specs are rubbish.

 

[Candleflame]

My experwince with buying many new tesla - the alignment was always wrong and had it fixed by an alignment specialist curiously recommended by tesla. Do tesla even do wheel alignment In house in your area? They certainly dont in Adelaide. Hence I cant get a tesla alignment even if I wanted to.
If you can find a reputable company that other tesla owners have used, I’d be doing that.
Any tyre company can change the tyres. Just make them aware of the tpms, and if applicable remind them of jacking mode and to do the correct torque on the bolts. If they dont know what you mean, go elsewhere!

there is nothing special about alignment for tesla vehicles. if you dont live in a capital city you have to go to the same tyre place other plebs have to go to (i.e. jax tires, goodyear etc).

I have never seen them mess up an alignment. when i let go off my steering wheel the car keeps just going straight forever.

One thing is that they never use the jackpads. Even if offered (i checked with sentry mode haha). But apparently tesla doesnt either.