-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Tesla model 3 performance - Test drive results
- Thread starter zayn
- Start date
FEERSUMENDJIN
Member
@ Peteski totally agree 18" winter tyres/wheel combo is great idea. Keep us posted with the options.
I did find this site in Norway that has a few 18" wheel and tyre options for the P model. Rims and tires for Tesla Model 3 Performance :: 17-UP | Megahjul
The spokes look a lot sturdier. Not so sure about the Norwegian/Russian tyres that may well be Chinese made. OK for the winter I guess. But the rims look good. Good range of 19" options too.
Maybe we could do a group by on these ? I asked about shipping for a set of 4 wheels and tyres to the UK it would be about £110.
The spokes look a lot sturdier. Not so sure about the Norwegian/Russian tyres that may well be Chinese made. OK for the winter I guess. But the rims look good. Good range of 19" options too.
Maybe we could do a group by on these ? I asked about shipping for a set of 4 wheels and tyres to the UK it would be about £110.
Last edited:
Yes, those spoke designs look much better, but I've never heard of the maker. For tyres I would only go for premium brands i.e. Michelin, Conti, Bridgestone, Pirelli. But I would also include Nokian for winter tyres as they were brilliant on my Porsche 911 C4S.
Is that strength important even if the metal rims don't really ever contact any pothole edges? I'd have thought with a big enough tire sidewall that the rim metal strength wouldn't matter at all...
I think that with 35 series tyres the possibility of rim contact with pothole edges is going to be quite high. Besides, the spoke thickness of the Varro wheels is a worry too.
It's not just potholes, it's the constant flexing of the wheel under load that can cause fatigue (cracks). Hitting potholes increases the stress on the wheel too even if there is no direct contact with the rim.
High-end forged wheels are not necessarily much stronger than cheaper cast wheels, but they are much lighter for the same strength. If you make a cast wheel as light as a forged wheel (for example by use of ultra-thin spoke designs) it will definitely be weaker. That's why I would always steer clear of cheap cast wheels that look like expensive forged ones i.e. with ultra-thin spoke designs. Those Varro wheels are a good example. At that price level you are better off with a more chunky, but heavier wheel design like the Tesla OEM wheels or the TST wheels that are very similar looking.
Obviously everything gets less critical as you increase the tyre sidewall, but even 18" wheels have pretty low profile tyres on this car and will not be immune to pothole damage, especially if they are very lightweight castings.
Just need to validate this please as quite a few of us have purchased those wheels as "winters" via the Facebook group. My research shows that Varro are TUV approved which is not a trivial standard to pass. There are no obvious comments on the web regarding Varro wheels being a problem - frankly I can't find anything other than positive comments.
I am not a wheel expert but my understanding is that spin forging is a very cost-effective way to manufacture a wheel which is considerably stronger than a cast wheel, although not quite as strong as a true forged wheel. So sensible value for money and I have to assume fit for purpose. Certainly the finish appears to be excellent.
What brings you to believe that the Varro wheels should be steered clear of please? The approval seems fine as do the positive comments across the web.
Obviously a bit concerned about this so I'd appreciate some real data to understand your concerns better please. Ultimately I'll send them back if I can see that there may be a real issue.
Thanks
What sort of real data do you want? I've explained the reasons why I personally wouldn't buy a wheel like this. I didn't say anything about them being dangerous or not fit for purpose. You could say the same about the OEM Tesla 20" rims, but people are damaging those on potholes. All I'm saying is if you want a "cheap" but strong 18" wheel, then I would advise getting one with a more chunky looking spoke design and not at such a racy weight. It's just common sense really. I know nothing of Varro as a wheel supplier, I've only personally dealt with the likes of BBS, OZ and some of the top end Japanese manufacturers in top level racing.
The limitation with cheap rotary forged wheels is that only the outer barrel is strengthened by the process. The spokes and hub are still just a loose casting. With fully forged wheels the whole wheel is forged allowing much thinner and lighter spokes without compromising on strength. They are actually quite different processes, but obviously the marketing departments of the cheaper wheel suppliers tend to gloss over that and use the word "forged" because it is associated with expensive race-bred wheels.
A very quick google came up with this interesting article, which I've only briefly skimmed through, but it shows the potential issues and misleading marketing involved.
The Hidden Truth of Rotary Forged Alloy Wheels – Auto-Fanatic
The other thing I don't particularly like about ultra-thin spoked wheels (even forged ones) is that stone chips are more likely to lead to cracks propagating. So it's not the kind of wheel design I tend to look for in a road wheel for general use, especially as a winter set. The bottom line for me is that I don't have any problem with rotary forged wheels as long as the hub design is not trying to mimmick a super-lightweight fully forged design.
Quite possibly. Porsche often use wheel spacers to adjust offset, but usually only about 5 mm thick.
Hello all, I thought that I would post here after seeing what Petski has said.
It has been myself that has organised the group buy on the reservation Facebook page and have hopefully helped nearly 100 people save some good money on a set of wheels.
Peteski, after being involved in selling wheels and other performance related products for 20 years I have to disagree with your post. There is no question that pure forged wheels are the strongest wheels available the cost vs benefit simply does not add up, especially for U.K. road users.
Flow forged is far superior to cast wheels and is not in the middle as you describe. The flow forging makes the wheels much stronger and covers the loads that these wheels are subject to with huge room for further loads should these cars go through the odd track day.
The spokes are extremely strong, are straight and are thicker than you may think. Resulting in load testing beyond the requirements.
Perhaps it might be worth seeing these wheels first in the flesh before scaremongering people on here. I have taken no profit from distributing these and would not have organised this if I was concerned. So much so that I am buying a set myself to put on my M3. I just will take a little bit of pride seeing these beautiful wheels in action all around the UK, including my own.
It has been myself that has organised the group buy on the reservation Facebook page and have hopefully helped nearly 100 people save some good money on a set of wheels.
Peteski, after being involved in selling wheels and other performance related products for 20 years I have to disagree with your post. There is no question that pure forged wheels are the strongest wheels available the cost vs benefit simply does not add up, especially for U.K. road users.
Flow forged is far superior to cast wheels and is not in the middle as you describe. The flow forging makes the wheels much stronger and covers the loads that these wheels are subject to with huge room for further loads should these cars go through the odd track day.
The spokes are extremely strong, are straight and are thicker than you may think. Resulting in load testing beyond the requirements.
Perhaps it might be worth seeing these wheels first in the flesh before scaremongering people on here. I have taken no profit from distributing these and would not have organised this if I was concerned. So much so that I am buying a set myself to put on my M3. I just will take a little bit of pride seeing these beautiful wheels in action all around the UK, including my own.
I never suggested people need to be buying fully forged wheels. Of course they are not cost effective for normal road use.
Rotary forged wheels are a good compromise, but I was just pointing out that this process does absolutely nothing for the hub/spoke strength. So when I see a wheel with a skinny looking spoke design like this, I personally wouldn't choose them. That is a minimalist spoke design typical of a mononbloc forged wheel, which is why I made the comparison. They look the part. but I would personally rather have a more conservative spoke design on a road wheel that wasn't fully forged.
WannabeOwner
Well-Known Member
Interesting. My Model-S is 3 years old (maybe soundproofing improved in-between?) and I have only drive Model-3 SR, but whilst the the 3 was quiet I found the external noise in the S considerably quieter.
All very subjective of course ...
MrBadger
Badger out
Looks like TeslaDriver youtuber has already dinked one of his 20" wheels - its barely 2 weeks old. Guess it may have been a failed attempt at something although he is pretty good at pointing out things when they do not go according to plan so surprised he didn't mention it in his video. Front passenger side so maybe autopilot got too close to a curb or it was one of his failed auto park attempts?
Maybe he hasn't noticed yet.. or not worked out a clickbait headline blaming the EU
I love his videos but some of those titles... seriously..
I love his videos but some of those titles... seriously..
Similar threads
