Spacesaver spare for trips? Anyone have bolt pattern dims?

[lolachampcar]

I'm considering a space saver spare (plus jack and related tools) solely for trips should there be a tire issue. I can pull the rolling diameter from my tires but wanted to know if anyone had the bolt pattern from the Model S and, more importantly, know of any other cars that may have the same pattern. With luck, we can all work together to find an OEM application the ships a spacesaver that will simply bolt onto Model S. Then we can all race to the junk yards to find them

 

[ElSupreme]

I'm considering a space saver spare (plus jack and related tools) solely for trips should there be a tire issue. I can pull the rolling diameter from my tires but wanted to know if anyone had the bolt pattern from the Model S and, more importantly, know of any other cars that may have the same pattern. With luck, we can all work together to find an OEM application the ships a spacesaver that will simply bolt onto Model S. Then we can all race to the junk yards to find them

I think the main problem people will have trying to find a usable spare is brake caliper clearance. I don't think even 18" wheels would fit around the brakes. Which means your 'space saver' isn't really going to be much better than a full sized spare. You could save some width but still.

 

[EdA]

I'm considering a space saver spare (plus jack and related tools) solely for trips should there be a tire issue. I can pull the rolling diameter from my tires but wanted to know if anyone had the bolt pattern from the Model S and, more importantly, know of any other cars that may have the same pattern. With luck, we can all work together to find an OEM application the ships a spacesaver that will simply bolt onto Model S. Then we can all race to the junk yards to find them

Would you also need a torque wrench?

 

[lolachampcar]

Very good point on caliper clearance. That nixes the idea.
Not really convinced of the need for a torque wrench for wheel nuts; especially on a temporary installation.

A plug kit and a compressor it will be

 

[jerry33]

Would you also need a torque wrench?

Given that you're not going to be driving a temporary spare over 50 mph (35 mph is better) and won't be doing any hard cornering, it's not necessary. However, when the tire shop puts the original wheel back on, it would be a good idea for you to use your own torque wrenches to get it right. I don't have any more faith in the accuracy of their torque wrench then I do in the accuracy of their pressure gauges.

 

[gtimbers]

All of the offset and bolt hole information is on Tire Rack. I have been trying to cross-reference the information with another brand vehicle. I am also interested in a space saver for the Frunk on long trips. I wouldn't worry too much about the overall diameter. One wheel being smaller for a while at limited speeds is not a big deal. It certainly beats only 3 tires! The brake calipers are going to be something to be reckoned with. I have to believe there is something out there (says Mulder and Scully) but finding it may be a task.

 

[ElSupreme]

All of the offset and bolt hole information is on Tire Rack. I have been trying to cross-reference the information with another brand vehicle. I am also interested in a space saver for the Frunk on long trips. I wouldn't worry too much about the overall diameter. One wheel being smaller for a while at limited speeds is not a big deal. It certainly beats only 3 tires! The brake calipers are going to be something to be reckoned with. I have to believe there is something out there (says Mulder and Scully) but finding it may be a task.

Driving with a different sized tire is going to give your traction control and stability control systems major problems. I wouldn't expect the car to be driveable above neighborhood speeds. No to mention the potential to burn through some brake pads, or overheat the rotors.

 

[JackA]

I have driven a car with no spare (by design: 2004 CTS-V) for eight years. My local Les Schwab tire store recommended a can of flat repair and a scissors jack with appropriate lug wrench. I purchased both and have used the jack once. I was very concerned with the potential impact of the flat repair but was assured by the Les Schwab associate that the material would simply be stripped away by the technician when the tire was dismounted for repair. I intend to follow this same path with our Model S with one addition. In the Model S I am planning to carry a DC powered compressor so that on long trips I can ensure the proper tire pressures are maintained.

 

[neroden]

Here's a question: has anyone put a full size spare in the car? I know people have said it doesn't fit in the frunk. Does it fit in the rear trunk, behind the liftgate? Also, has anyone used a portable jack?

I may end up having to trust Tesla Service, but I do not want to given how far away they are.

Another question: how common is Tesla's 19" tire size? If stranded in some random rural location, is the random local tire shop likely to have suitably-sized tires in stock? (I'm sure *nobody* will have the 21" tires in stock.)

 

[Robert.Boston]

@neroden: a full-size wheel with mounted tire fits easily in the rear hatch area. You'll want a hefty jack.

 

[neroden]

For reference, I finally decided to get a matching full-size unmounted spare, and no jack, and to place the spare in the trunk on long road trips (only).

This is based on my usage pattern. I'm basically worried about blowouts, because I've had a lot. If I have a blowout on a roadtrip somewhere in the wilds of the Midwest :wink:, I can afford the amount of time necessary to be towed to the nearest local car repair shop, and to have the tire mounted; I plan my schedules with that much slack. And there *are* car repair shops throughout the midwest. What I can't afford is the amount of time to have a tire *ordered*, which would be a minimum of overnight and would throw off my plans. Since this is an unusual tire size, I can't expect to find it in a random Midwestern shop; but if I carry the tire with me, that eliminates that problem.

This does raise the question of how likely I am to wreck the rim badly enough to need a spare wheel. Despite the large number of blowouts, I've never wrecked a rim badly enough to need a new one except once, and that time I knew I was doing it. So I don't *think* I'll need a spare wheel... but I'm still debating the question of whether to mount the tire or not.

 

[EdA]

Hopefully you've got 19" wheels...

 

[gene]

I bought an alloy wheel and OEM tire, same as my 19's from Tire Rack. Cost me $240 total. Along with a jack and lug wrench. I throw this in the back for road trips. Otherwise a plug kit and Viaire compressor are all I need. I have plugged many tires over the years as a pro mechanic. Tire plugs are a permanent fix.

Way too many of you guys get all worked up over torque wrenches. A common 18" breaker bar and socket are fine. Guesstimate how much weight you are leaning on the wrench and multiply by 1.5. Yes, I use a torque wrench at times and should I change a tire in the field I might check torque when returning home or to the shop (generally I find I was right on or very close). But I'd say I've mounted many hundreds of wheels without a torque wrench and all was well. One can feel "not too tight" and "not too loose" with a bit of accuracy.

 

[Luder94]

I bought an alloy wheel and OEM tire, same as my 19's from Tire Rack. Cost me $240 total. Along with a jack and lug wrench. I throw this in the back for road trips. Otherwise a plug kit and Viaire compressor are all I need. I have plugged many tires over the years as a pro mechanic. Tire plugs are a permanent fix.

Way too many of you guys get all worked up over torque wrenches. A common 18" breaker bar and socket are fine. Guesstimate how much weight you are leaning on the wrench and multiply by 1.5.

As long a you think you can do it evenly across all 5 lugs. Having just two not equally torqued could introduce play in the wheel during rotation. Play turns into resonance, potentially allowing some other lug nuts to back out, and then potentially a wheel falling off while driving. I've had it happed to me on a freshly finished custom build car...it was not fun, and the ensuing lawsuit that I was slapped with not fun either.

So that's worst case.

There are other issues too with over-torqueing lug nuts. You can stretch actual lugs which can lessen their life. You can freeze the lug nut onto the lug by over-tightening; removing that and replacing lugs are time consuming and expensive if you don't do the work yourself.

A Craftsman torque wrench is a cheap enough tool to buy and keep in your car....even after visiting Discount Tire or NTB, I'll check lugs even after a professional does it; it's just too simple NOT to do it for your own safety if nothing else.

- - - Updated - - -

Unless I missed it somewhere in one of the posts, I believe the bolt pattern on this car is 5x120. Offsets vary from the different widths of the OEM wheels available.

 

[lolachampcar]

I'm afraid I fall in the Gene camp.... It is simply not that big a deal.

 

[JST]

Has anyone investigated the possibility of using a BMW space saver wheel? The X3 and X5 both have 18" steel wheels that use the same bolt pattern, 5x120, as the Tesla. I don't think brake clearance should be an issue, since the X5 has 385 mm rotors and the Model S runs 355 mm, but I don't have access to a Model S (yet) to find out.

The only flaw is that the centerbore on the X5 wheel is 74 mm (depending on year--that's for a recent E70 non-M), and the centerbore on the Tesla wheel is 64 mm. That's not an insolvable problem, though, since you can easily buy hubcentric spacers that would take the X5's 74 mm down to 64.

I have an old X5 spare lying around from my M3 days, and I'll throw it on the Model S when it comes to test it out. But am curious whether anyone else has tried it.

 

[Dreamin]

I have an old X5 spare lying around from my M3 days, and I'll throw it on the Model S when it comes to test it out. But am curious whether anyone else has tried it.

Pls check fitment in the rear. The parking brake caliper is what you need to clear.

 

[JST]

Pls check fitment in the rear. The parking brake caliper is what you need to clear.

Good point. Like a lot of cars with brake-activated traction control, the rear discs in the S are actually larger than the fronts, but only by 10mm. From this pic, it doesn't look as though the parking brake caliper requires much clearance beyond the normal caliper, but it's definitely something to check.