Should I change the wheels?

[_panda]

I have a 2022 M3P with stock Uberturbines. Recently got a new job which will require 130 mile commute roundtrip few days a week, mostly on highways, in SoCal. I'm wondering if I should keep the set up as stock or move to martian wheels 18" forged MW03 to hopefully help with a bit more range, more comfortable ride, and less road noise.

Any tips/advice?

FWIW I also have Tesla's zero-g wheels but I don't think they'll help in anyway.

 

[Soul Surfer]

Yup, I would do it. Go 18”, less chances for pinch-flats and wheel dings.

 

[f308gt4]

I went to 19” (TS5 Tsportline), and have seen a small increase in efficiency over the stock 20” wheels, but with your commute, I think you will be better off with the 18”. Go for it.

 

[gearchruncher]

Sure, but any 18" that fits will work for this, doesn't need to be magic forged wheels. The weight is irrelevant.
Most of your range increase will come from less sticky tires, so make sure you don't go slapping high performance summer tires on the 18" wheels.

 

[jackmott]

I have a 2022 M3P with stock Uberturbines. Recently got a new job which will require 130 mile commute roundtrip few days a week, mostly on highways, in SoCal. I'm wondering if I should keep the set up as stock or move to martian wheels 18" forged MW03 to hopefully help with a bit more range, more comfortable ride, and less road noise.

Any tips/advice?

FWIW I also have Tesla's zero-g wheels but I don't think they'll help in anyway.

Reducing wheel weight won't make any difference in your highway range, but swapping to 18" wheels so you can get some more efficient tire options will.

 

[tm1v2]

Sure, but any 18" that fits will work for this, doesn't need to be magic forged wheels. The weight is irrelevant.
Most of your range increase will come from less sticky tires, so make sure you don't go slapping high performance summer tires on the 18" wheels.

Wheel weight also matters. I gained efficiency switching to 18s even with 18" tires that grip better than the original 20" Pirellis. (Better performing tire in the same category.)

And my 18" wheels aren't aero at all, very open spoke design. However they are forged and pretty light!

I wouldn't say forged is worth the money in a pure cost/benefit sense. But forged wheels have their upsides. I consider the $2k they cost money well spent, as car stuff goes.

 

[gearchruncher]

Wheel weight also matters. I gained efficiency switching to 18s even with 18" tires that grip better than the original 20" Pirellis. (Better performing tire in the same category.)

Way too many variables changed at once to know what made the difference. At cruise, on a highway, the weight of the car and wheels is irrelevant.

 

[Lindenwood]

If you charge to 90% everyday, you will return home with probably 40% battery, using about 40KWh.

You might be able to gain 10% efficiency with the right wheel and tire set, allowing you to arrive home with about 45% battery, using about 4 fewer KWh. Assuming $0.15/kWh overnight charging, you’ll save on the order of $0.60/day.

If you sell your wheels to make up some of the difference, but still have to spend $1,000, you’d still need to drive this commute 5 days a week for over 6 years to offset the cost.

I am all for modding the car—and if you want knew wheels just because you want new wheels, that’s perfectly fine! But, spending money to save money is usually a tall order.

Of note, the Ubers ride much better than I expected. Granted I am on 255/35R20 for a bit more sidewall, but I have to be REALLY trying to notice the difference in ride quality between those and my 19” race set.

 

[jackmott]

Wheel weight also matters. I gained efficiency switching to 18s even with 18" tires that grip better than the original 20" Pirellis. (Better performing tire in the same category.)

And my 18" wheels aren't aero at all, very open spoke design. However they are forged and pretty light!

I wouldn't say forged is worth the money in a pure cost/benefit sense. But forged wheels have their upsides. I consider the $2k they cost money well spent, as car stuff goes.

It is possible for a tire to grip better yet still have better efficiency, you can see examples of that in tire tests. Plus the 18" wheel tire combo could be (And tends to be) net more aerodynamic by a little. The math is pretty basic for highway range, 20-40lbs of extra wheel just doesn't do anything measurable.

 

[tm1v2]

It is possible for a tire to grip better yet still have better efficiency, you can see examples of that in tire tests. Plus the 18" wheel tire combo could be (And tends to be) net more aerodynamic by a little. The math is pretty basic for highway range, 20-40lbs of extra wheel just doesn't do anything measurable.

Yeah definitely could be the aerodynamics of taller sidewall / shorter spokes, moreso than the wheel weight. Would need the 20" version of these wheels to factor that out. Which would weigh more than 18" but still less than the OEM Uberturbines.

I was worried I'd lose efficiency with my choice of very open spoke 18" wheel design and non-OEM performance tires. I was pleasantly surprised to gain efficiency and grip at the same time!

So my advice for anyone thinking of switching their M3P to 18s is don't worry about losing efficiency. Very unlikely to happen. Far more likely you'll gain efficiency even if you don't get aero wheels or LRR/eco tires. (Unless you're putting on snow tires or ultra sticky racing tires...then all bets are off.)

 

[tm1v2]

Note, my advice and experience above does not apply if you poke your wheels out further (wider or lower offset). That would change the frontal aerodynamics and I've no experience to say how significant it might be.

I stayed within stock Model 3 wheel sizing and offset - same width and offset as the original M3P PUP wheels.

 

[dsgerbc]

I'd change off the 20" wheels just to avoid dealing with bent rims. Forged rims probably retain their value a bit better. I'd keep at least one OEM set for when you sell/trade-in the car later.

 

[_panda]

If you charge to 90% everyday, you will return home with probably 40% battery, using about 40KWh.

You might be able to gain 10% efficiency with the right wheel and tire set, allowing you to arrive home with about 45% battery, using about 4 fewer KWh. Assuming $0.15/kWh overnight charging, you’ll save on the order of $0.60/day.

If you sell your wheels to make up some of the difference, but still have to spend $1,000, you’d still need to drive this commute 5 days a week for over 6 years to offset the cost.

I am all for modding the car—and if you want knew wheels just because you want new wheels, that’s perfectly fine! But, spending money to save money is usually a tall order.

Of note, the Ubers ride much better than I expected. Granted I am on 255/35R20 for a bit more sidewall, but I have to be REALLY trying to notice the difference in ride quality between those and my 19” race set.

This is super helpful - thank you!

I charge for free (home is on solar and powerwalls) so I think we can remove that variable. I was hoping the 18 would give a significantly smoother and quieter ride but after doing research, it doesn't seem like that'll be the case.

I am still on 8/32 left on the stock tires so probably going to leave these until they need to be changed and then consider swapping down, but like you said, it doesn't probably make sense unless I am damaging the Ubers through pot holes, etc.

 

[_panda]

On another note - what is the community's advice on 245s or even 255s? They look nice...

I assume wider tires = less efficiency?

 

[tm1v2]

I was hoping the 18 would give a significantly smoother and quieter ride but after doing research, it doesn't seem like that'll be the case.

@_panda 18" will definitely give a smoother ride, I made that change first before modding my suspension. The overall feel of the car will stay the same but that extra sidewall will take the edge off the ride, even if you stay with performance tires with stiff responsive sidewalls. It's a clear difference.

That said for road noise a 2" change in wheel diameter basically doesn't matter in my experience. What matters far more is the specific tire you choose. The 18" tires I went with ended up being slightly louder on the highway than my OE foam-lined Pirelli's - but that's fine by me, it's a small difference (not too loud) and these tires grip much better, and they're also quieter when driving hard (the Pirelli's squealed too much).

(I don't know how much difference the foam liner in Tesla OE spec tires really makes, I've never used the same tire with and without, but in general Tesla OE tires tend to be good choices for low road noise in their respective categories. I have other priorities though, I like my new tires much more. )

 

[DukeWinn]

IMO, keep the 20's! downgrading wheel size will save you less than 20 bucks a month in charging costs.

 

[_panda]

@_panda 18" will definitely give a smoother ride, I made that change first before modding my suspension. The overall feel of the car will stay the same but that extra sidewall will take the edge off the ride, even if you stay with performance tires with stiff responsive sidewalls. It's a clear difference.

That said for road noise a 2" change in wheel diameter basically doesn't matter in my experience. What matters far more is the specific tire you choose. The 18" tires I went with ended up being slightly louder on the highway than my OE foam-lined Pirelli's - but that's fine by me, it's a small difference (not too loud) and these tires grip much better, and they're also quieter when driving hard (the Pirelli's squealed too much).

(I don't know how much difference the foam liner in Tesla OE spec tires really makes, I've never used the same tire with and without, but in general Tesla OE tires tend to be good choices for low road noise in their respective categories. I have other priorities though, I like my new tires much more. )

Thanks! What’s your advice on 245s or 255s square?

 

[gearchruncher]

Thanks! What’s your advice on 245s or 255s square?

You started wanting more range, more comfort, and less noise.
245's/255's will give you none of that vs stock 235's, no matter what diameter you change to. Have your goals changed?

 

[AdamVIP]

Just use the stock wheel setup. Why pay for a whole set of new wheels and tires for a problem that might not even happen and if it does will still be significantly less than 4 new wheels and tires. At a minimum use up the tires and do a swap when you already have to pay for new rubber.

 

[The Other Dan]

I'd dump the stock Uberturbines strictly for the risk of bending/cracking them. IMO, the more you drive the greater the risk. If they are mint, sell them now since the going rate is likely the same or more than a new set of rims would cost you.