SomeJoe7777
Marginally-Known Member
Yes, this is what the all-weather tires are designed to do.
Take a look at the Nokian WRG4, as well as the Vredestein Quatrac 5, both in 235/45R18.
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The case against the Pilot Sport 4S on 18" rims (retail vs OEM Tesla)
- Thread starter dhanson865
- Start date
Yes, this is what the all-weather tires are designed to do.
Take a look at the Nokian WRG4, as well as the Vredestein Quatrac 5, both in 235/45R18.
SomeJoe7777
Marginally-Known Member
Hello, new user here!I have a Model 3 with aero rims. I bought the T-Sportline 18 inch flow-forged turbine rims. Are there no 18 inch performance tires that have the acoustic foam treatment that will fit on those rims? If not I'm kinda bummed by that. I like a quiet ride in my Model 3.
There have only been a few tests of noise levels on the foam-equipped tires vs. standard tires as far as noise level. They've shown that the foam doesn't reduce the noise all that much. The tire itself shows much wider variation depending on the size, manufacturer, and rubber compounds used.
Also, tires that are tuned for performance driving generally would not use the foam anyway. If performance (handling, traction, etc.) is your primary goal, then noise level is probably way down on the list.
If you want a performance tire in the 18" size, look on TireRack.com for those that are available in the 235/45R18 size. The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S as well as several other tires will be listed there.
What are other recommendations for summer tire tires that are energy efficient in the 235/45/18 size?
I noticed that the Michelin Pilot Sports 3 are rated "Green X" but they don't come on the 235/35/18 size. I wonder if I get 255/40/18s the extra width will kill my range and if will increase noise.
I noticed that the Michelin Pilot Sports 3 are rated "Green X" but they don't come on the 235/35/18 size. I wonder if I get 255/40/18s the extra width will kill my range and if will increase noise.
stevejust
T E S L A x (≡)
Literally just got them, replacing the MXM4s after almost 15k. Haven't driven it yet, but my wife said they are infinitely better than the MXM4s. I N F I N I T E L Y.
Good post, making some important points, but it's actually even simpler in a sense than this. The Tesla specific tire in 235/35-20 at 8.8 inches of tread width is WIDER THAN ANY Michelin PS4S 245/35-20 tire, and roughly as wide as an average among the three available 255/35-20s.
For those who need proof, here it is, you can dig it out on the Michelin specs page for the tire. This significantly wider tread isn't there for no good reason (come on guys, does Tesla do anything for no good reason??), and people naively assume that the only difference in the Tesla specific tire is the addition of acoustic foam. It's not. I suspect, but cannot prove, that the extra width is there to give extra braking and handling traction while keeping section width (and therefore rolling resistance) lower than the ostensibly larger 245 and 255 (but not wider tread) tires might allow. Although the 4S can't compete with super high compliance sidewall ultra low rolling resistance tires, it would be a mistake to assume that all the 4S tires are the same on this point. The 4S in the Telsa rolls over quite a bit if you track the car, suggesting a lot of sidewall compliance (perhaps a partial substrate for its excellent ride?). Is the 4 the perfect tire for the car? Not if you are tracking it, but if you are running it on the street, want the best balance possible between range, ride, and braking, handling and wet weather performance, there isn't a better choice, at least IMHO.
An additional consideration is that the 20 inch wheel/35 section width means 1) more vulnerability to impact damage for both wheel and tire; 2) poorer ride; 3) more unspung weight as the smaller sidewall weight savings are more than made up in extra rim weight; 3) somewhat better contact patch stability under load as you go from 45 to 40 to 35 series (but likely diminishing returns past 40); 4) extra cost for 35 series tires and larger wheels; 5) cooler aesthetics (very subjective of course) in bigger wheels and smaller sidewalls.
In sum, it's a lot of tradeoffs, and perhaps the sweet spot of reasonable performance, durability, and cost is the 19 inch wheel and the 40 series 235, or the 35 series 265/35-19 tire if max handling and tracking is the target.
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Not sure what you mean, but of course with any aftermarket wheel, offsets are critical. Esp. at the front, where the front steering knuckle is the limiting factor in wheel and for that matter tire width augmentation. Also, any aftermarket wheel on the DMP version with the larger brakes will have to clear the ~3 mm lip created by the thinner rotor hats, and will need somewhat less offset compared to the non-performance brake cars, unless you swap out the rotors on the DMP version for aftermarket, which obviates all that, and makes the DMP essentially the same as the LR RWD and AWD.
Correct. Just FYI - the lip is 3mm, but for some weird reason the difference in stock wheel offset between non-performance and performance is 5mm. A few different vendors can provide wheels with the cut-out needed to clear this lip (VMR for instance) if you ask for it.
See The Tesla Model 3 Wheel and Tire Guide for info on stock wheel offsets.
Non-P = 40mm
P = 35mm
I went with 33mm on my 19x9.5" to stay somewhat close to stock while going wider (on a performance car)
Knightshade
Well-Known Member
Given the stock aero wheels with regular non-tesla PS4s tires swapped on seem to stop in about the same distance as the 20" Tesla-specific ones, I really don't think it's doing anything for you braking-wise.
And I doubt a slight width improvement on the tread is worth the much heavier wheels either, performance-wise.
Personally I'd say the lightest forged 18x9 or 18x9.5 wheels you can fit on the car with 265/40-18s would be the best option if you're more concerned with handling/braking than rolling resistance....though honestly in street use I doubt you'd be able to measure a significant difference in anything (other than mileage) between those and the stock aeros with 235/45-18 PS4s tires on em.
Just finished reading through this thread. While it's not directly related to the OPs question, what are the best summer tires recommended for 19s if my main concern is the best balance between comfort, range, and performance, in this order of priority?
I'm upgrading from the aeros, and based on the owner's manual, only the Continental Pro Contact RX are available and sold at most tire vendors, but that's a Grand touring all season tire. I was also considering the Vredestein Quatrac 5, but am concerned about the weight of those compared to OEM tires, which are 3lbs heavier than the OEM Continentals.
I'm upgrading from the aeros, and based on the owner's manual, only the Continental Pro Contact RX are available and sold at most tire vendors, but that's a Grand touring all season tire. I was also considering the Vredestein Quatrac 5, but am concerned about the weight of those compared to OEM tires, which are 3lbs heavier than the OEM Continentals.
Tesla specific tires with acoustic foam make a huge difference.
I'm finally driving around on my 18" PS4S tires and have noticed an increase in resonant frequencies as described here (Honda Global | Noise-reducing Wheels - Picture Book).
The basketball bouncing sound is very apparent over all bumps large or small.
I'm sticking with foam lined tires from now on for the street.
I'm finally driving around on my 18" PS4S tires and have noticed an increase in resonant frequencies as described here (Honda Global | Noise-reducing Wheels - Picture Book).
The basketball bouncing sound is very apparent over all bumps large or small.
I'm sticking with foam lined tires from now on for the street.
afty
Member
One alternative is the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (not the 4S), which is the OEM tire for the Model 3 in Europe. They do have acoustic foam, but I'm not sure how energy efficient they are.
Burrito
Member
Are summer tires ok for climates like New Jersey where in the mornings during the summer it can be 50 and then over 100 later in the day? Someone on the first page noted some temp swing issues.
Less than the Primacy MXM4, but more than the 4S. If I remember the EU labels the 18" Primacy MXM4 scored "A", the Pilot Sport 4 "B" and Pilot Sport 4S "C", but the 4S in larger sizes fared even worse for rolling resistance.
Given the range and consumption figures of my car, they don't seem to be much worse than the Primacy MXM4. They do seem to have more grip, though (the test model I drove had Primacy MXM4 all-seasons rather than the Pilot Sport 4).
There is one big difference, though: it really is a summer tyre, whereas the Primacy MXM4 is an all-season tyre. But I have a set of winter tyres.
Knightshade
Well-Known Member
Basically in 40 degrees or warmer, summer tires are better than winter or all season at everything- including braking distance.
In freezing weather, winter tires are better at everything.
All seasons are called that because they're inferior, in all seasons.
They lose traction drastically under 40F, still superior traction at 50F and above.
If you let them get truly cold it can damage the tires so don't push it if you have truly winter weather.
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