Tire Size Assistance Needed!

[theslimshadyist]

I'm no tire expert and I'm taking delivery this week on a M3P and I would like to swap out the 20" Uber's and crappy Pirelli tires for better ride quality and I live in an area with potholes. I'm considering the following sizes below and wanted to know if there really is that much difference? I guess I'm trying to better understand the difference between what the 35 vs 40 will give me?

235/35-19
235/40-19

 

[tm1v2]

@theslimshadyist What size wheels are you getting? If 19x8.5", which is the standard Model 3 19" size, then get 245/40R19 or 235/40R19. The 245s will give you just slightly wider tread+tire, slightly taller sidewalls, and very slightly taller effective gearing - all good things for this car in my opinion. But either 245 or 235 width is normal and fine for an 8.5" wide wheel, it's a matter of preference.

235/35R19 would be significantly smaller diameter than stock and would have the same rubberband thin sidewalls as stock 235/35R20. Don't bother.

For reference I'm using 245/45R18 on 18x8.5" wheels on my M3P and it feels great - much better ride and better grip dry+wet than stock (thanks to better tires). My other Tesla came with 245s on 8.5" wide wheels, and so did my last ICE car.

 

[theslimshadyist]

@theslimshadyist What size wheels are you getting? If 19x8.5", which is the standard Model 3 19" size, then get 245/40R19 or 235/40R19. The 245s will give you just slightly wider tread+tire, slightly taller sidewalls, and very slightly taller effective gearing - all good things for this car in my opinion. But either 245 or 235 width is normal and fine for an 8.5" wide wheel, it's a matter of preference.

235/35R19 would be significantly smaller diameter than stock and would have the same rubberband thin sidewalls as stock 235/35R20. Don't bother.

For reference I'm using 245/45R18 on 18x8.5" wheels on my M3P and it feels great - much better ride and better grip dry+wet than stock (thanks to better tires). My other Tesla came with 245s on 8.5" wide wheels, and so did my last ICE car.

I ordered a set of Martian MW03, which are 19x8.5. If I'm understanding your explanation correctly, I would likely be best suited by going with the 235/40 for bad roads and potholes over the 20" OEM's that come with the M3P?

Also, would a 245 give me a wider tire? I believe I'm sold on the 40 as this seems to be a good balance between the low profile of the 35 but not as much sidewall width as a 45 if I'm understanding all of this correctly. lol

 

[tm1v2]

I ordered a set of Martian MW03, which are 19x8.5. If I'm understanding your explanation correctly, I would likely be best suited by going with the 235/40 for bad roads and potholes over the 20" OEM's that come with the M3P?

Also, would a 245 give me a wider tire? I believe I'm sold on the 40 as this seems to be a good balance between the low profile of the 35 but not as much sidewall width as a 45 if I'm understanding all of this correctly. lol

@theslimshadyist Yes, 235/40R19 or 245/40R19 would be best on that wheel. 245 is 10mm wider, and because the "45" part is a multiplier, it's also very slightly taller sidewalls / larger outer diameter.

Either 235 or 245 is a recommended width for 8.5" wide wheels, and the difference is minimal, just depends if you want to err towards a slightly larger or smaller tire overall (in all outer dimensions).

 

[theslimshadyist]

@theslimshadyist Yes, 235/40R19 or 245/40R19 would be best on that wheel. 245 is 10mm wider, and because the "45" part is a multiplier, it's also very slightly taller sidewalls / larger outer diameter.

Either 235 or 245 is a recommended width for 8.5" wide wheels, and the difference is minimal, just depends if you want to err towards a slightly larger or smaller tire overall (in all outer dimensions).

Awesome! Thanks for taking the time today to reply but more importantly for the education!

 

[unlock]

@theslimshadyist What size wheels are you getting? If 19x8.5", which is the standard Model 3 19" size, then get 245/40R19 or 235/40R19. The 245s will give you just slightly wider tread+tire, slightly taller sidewalls, and very slightly taller effective gearing - all good things for this car in my opinion. But either 245 or 235 width is normal and fine for an 8.5" wide wheel, it's a matter of preference.

235/35R19 would be significantly smaller diameter than stock and would have the same rubberband thin sidewalls as stock 235/35R20. Don't bother.

For reference I'm using 245/45R18 on 18x8.5" wheels on my M3P and it feels great - much better ride and better grip dry+wet than stock (thanks to better tires). My other Tesla came with 245s on 8.5" wide wheels, and so did my last ICE car.

Great info, just what I was looking for.

I'm looking for tires that will be a happy medium for my M3P. (Squared set up.)

Rim size: 19x8.5

Tire Preference: All season, Enough side wall to provide some protection from pot holes, while not looking like donuts, Minimal gap (enough tire diameter to fill in the wheel well, etc...

The difference between 245 (9.6") and 235 (9.3") tire width... Will it even have an impact on range if at all?

245/40/19 =
26.7" Diameter
3.9" Sidewall
9.6" Width

235/40/19 =
26.4" Diameter
3.7" Sidewall
9.3" Width

OR

255/45/19 =
28" Diameter
4.5" Sidewall (ouch..which I'm trying to avoid going Subaru outback mode, especially on a smaller frame body of the M3P.)
10" Width

* The text in Bold indicates what I like about it for grip and looks.

I'm leaning toward the 235/40/19 due to the slimmer sidewall profile, but since the difference is so small is it one of those why bother situations? (ie...just go 245/40/19 = best / most ideal size for the M3P?)

The 255/45/19 route seems the most idea, but the eye sore of the 4.5" walls is what makes me think the 245/40/19 option would be that happy medium?

Aesthetically, kind of like cutting hair, a little can go a long way in making a noticeable difference.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks!

 

[tm1v2]

Great info, just what I was looking for.

I'm looking for tires that will be a happy medium for my M3P. (Squared set up.)

Rim size: 19x8.5

Tire Preference: All season, Enough side wall to provide some protection from pot holes, while not looking like donuts, Minimal gap (enough tire diameter to fill in the wheel well, etc...

The difference between 245 (9.6") and 235 (9.3") tire width... Will it even have an impact on range if at all?

245/40/19 =
26.7" Diameter
3.9" Sidewall

235/40/19 =
26.4" Diameter
3.7" Sidewall

I'm leaning toward the 235/40/19 due to the slimmer sidewall profile, but since the difference is so small is it one of those why bother situations? (ie...just go 245/40/19 = best / most ideal size for the M3P?)

Aesthetically, kind of like cutting hair, a little can go a long way in making a noticeable difference.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks!

@unlock Range: Are you pushing the limits of the car's range, or your comfort for running it low? Are you already stressed for range in this car? If not, 235 vs 245 surely won't matter (all else being equal - same tire model on the same 8.5" wide wheel).

If you prefer the look of a slightly narrower, smaller tire then get 235 for that reason alone. (I tend to prefer a slightly beefy tire look, so for me that favors 245 but that's just my preference!)

I don't have a specific tire model recommendation for you...would need to know a lot more about your preferences and driving habits. How spirited do you drive / how much do you care about cornering grip? How much do you care about panic braking distances? Will you drive this car in the snow and ice much? How critical is absolute minimal tire noise to you? How important is dry vs wet traction? How about dry performance+feel vs hydroplaning resistance? Are there any tire attributes you'd willingly give up in exchange for better tread life?

My firsthand experience with all-seasons in recent years is limited, but depending on your answers there might be a well-known tire that should fit your preferences well.

 

[unlock]

@unlock Range: Are you pushing the limits of the car's range, or your comfort for running it low? Are you already stressed for range in this car? If not, 235 vs 245 surely won't matter (all else being equal - same tire model on the same 8.5" wide wheel).

If you prefer the look of a slightly narrower, smaller tire then get 235 for that reason alone. (I tend to prefer a slightly beefy tire look, so for me that favors 245 but that's just my preference!)

I don't have a specific tire model recommendation for you...would need to know a lot more about your preferences and driving habits. How spirited do you drive / how much do you care about cornering grip? How much do you care about panic braking distances? Will you drive this car in the snow and ice much? How critical is absolute minimal tire noise to you? How important is dry vs wet traction? How about dry performance+feel vs hydroplaning resistance? Are there any tire attributes you'd willingly give up in exchange for better tread life?

My firsthand experience with all-seasons in recent years is limited, but depending on your answers there might be a well-known tire that should fit your preferences well.

Thanks for the quick and detailed reply!

Range isn't too important as everything is pretty close by home and when traveling there are plenty of chargers along the way.

With the 235/40/19 having a diameter of 26.4", I'm curious if that'd leave too much of a gap in the teeth look between the wheel and the fender? Ex. the 255/45/19 having a diameter of 28" = a whopping 1.6" difference which is pretty huge aesthetically for when it comes to hair cuts... I mean cars.

Tire and Driving Habits:

The M3P will be driven in all four distinctive seasons. Definitely snow (going over the pass/mountains and rain etc... so wet weather performance is important. Good stopping performance in the rain, hydroplaning resistance, etc...

I do prefer to have tires that will offer some decent corning grip performance & handling for the weekend cruises and mountain semi-carving fun drives.

Would like to keep the road noise at an avg range, just not significantly more, but it's not a huge deal.

-

Preference from 1 (most important) - 10 (least).

1. Balanced performance for all four seasons.
2. Good performance in the rain.
3. Good grip on dry roads.
4. Stopping performance.
5. Comfort.
6. Tread life.
7. Handles snow okay. (may end up just buying a full on winter wheel/tire set up for the mountains + chains if needed.)
8. Road noise.
9. Tire size availability. (Easy to find in stock)
10. Price

-

I was also thinking of going with the usual Discount Tires that I've worked with for years and to continue building that relationship. They've always taken good care of me and have fixed flats for free on my other cars (stock tires). I know other places do this as well, which is pretty neat.

Then there's Costco with their decent tire sales ($150 off etc...), but I'm not sure how good their choices are for tires.

Thanks again for your feedback!

 

[3sr+buyer]

Preference from 1 (most important) - 10 (least).

1. Balanced performance for all four seasons.
2. Good performance in the rain.
3. Good grip on dry roads.
4. Stopping performance.
5. Comfort.
6. Tread life.
7. Handles snow okay. (may end up just buying a full on winter wheel/tire set up for the mountains + chains if needed.)
8. Road noise.
9. Tire size availability. (Easy to find in stock)
10. Price

This sounds like the Michelin CrossClimate2 or Vredestein Quatrac Pro, both of which are all-season tires with the 3-peak-mountain-snowflake mark (indicating better winter performance than typical all-season M+S). However, both will show a hit against economy compared to lower rolling resistance OEM tires.

 

[tm1v2]

@unlock I think you first need to decide if you want a dedicated winter wheel+tire setup.

I'm going to respectfully disagree with the Michelin CrossClimate2 or Vredestein Quatrac Pro recommendations from @3sr+buyer (even assuming you will use this tire year-round). Not because they're bad tires! The reason is you rated snow performance way down at #7, asking merely for "handles snow okay," ranking wet and dry performance above snow. So I think you would be better served by a tire with less snow focus, for better dry and wet performance.

My usual recommendations for someone wanting good all-season performance, but still passable snow performance, is the Continental DWS series (DWS06+ is the current version). For many years the DWS has been a fairly unique all-season - in the Ultra High Performance (UHP) category, but unlike most UHP tires which historically were straight garbage in the snow, the DWS series has actual usable snow performance. It's therefore not the absolute best UHP all-season for dry+wet but still much better performing than most all-seasons out there.

The DWS series are not winter tires, nor as snow-focused as the CC2 or Qautrac Pro, but their wet and dry performance will be significantly better. From your rankings and descriptions I think the DWS06+ would match your preferences better.

I've never had DWS series tires myself but:
1) I drove a friend's AWD car in the snow with the original DWS. Was it as good as my car on real winter tires? No, definitely not, but it was better than other UHP all-seasons or majority of all-seasons of any kind, that I had used.
2) Test results I've read - which I haven't kept up with for all-seasons! - have generally borne out that the DWS are a good mix of Dry Wet Snow (the name)...with more emphasis on Dry and Wet of course (it is a UHP all-season after all), but the Snow part is usable.
3) I've liked other Conti all-seasons I've used. Actually I've liked every Conti tire I've tried, including winter and summer. No tire is perfect but never been disappointed. Even the random non-performance Conti all-seasons on our Model S right now (what a local tire shop had in stock when we suddenly needed new tires) are surprisingly good. They're no summer tire but they have pretty solid dry and wet grip for an all-season, and good road feel (as best I can tell with a Model S). They're much better performing in every single way than the Michelin MXM4 all-seasons we had on the car before (never again).

HOWEVER...one word of caution, Conti's tend not to be the quietest tires in my experience. Note sure how the latest DWS06+ noise levels are, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are a bit louder on the highway than the M3P's OE foam-lined Pirelli PZ4, which were very quiet for a summer performance tire. (But the PZ4 were otherwise subpar for their category, and were actually quite loud in hard driving with excessive squealing.)

 

[tm1v2]

On the flip side if you decide you want more snow focus then the CC2 or Quatrac Pro ought to be good choices. Just know that across all my tire experiences, every tire is full of compromises and tradeoffs. You have to pick your priorities, and if one tire is drastically better than another in some categories, you can be pretty confident it's worse in others.

That is why for any serious winter use use I prefer having separate winter wheels+tires, if the car is also sporty enough to appreciate good performance tires outside of winter.

Even among winter tires there are useful subcategories and tradeoffs, such as "performance winter" tires vs the more typical/traditional studless ice & snow tires. Which would be best for you really depends on your weather and driving mix. I've used both kinds and the tradeoffs were pretty linear. (Ultimately for my driving back then I ended up preferring true snow & ice tires.) I believe (no firsthand experience) these new snowflake-rated all-seasons are basically a new take on tire compromises, somewhere between a "performance winter" tire and a traditional all-season. (Maybe "performance winter" tires are obsolete now? Or maybe they're still a unique set of compromises.)

 

[unlock]

This sounds like the Michelin CrossClimate2 or Vredestein Quatrac Pro, both of which are all-season tires with the 3-peak-mountain-snowflake mark (indicating better winter performance than typical all-season M+S). However, both will show a hit against economy compared to lower rolling resistance OEM tires.

I've seen the Michelin CC2s mentioned a lot in various places. Interesting...

How much of an impact would those two tires have approximately in mileage terms? 10-15 miles? 20-30 miles of impact?

@unlock I think you first need to decide if you want a dedicated winter wheel+tire setup.

I'm going to respectfully disagree with the Michelin CrossClimate2 or Vredestein Quatrac Pro recommendations from @3sr+buyer (even assuming you will use this tire year-round). Not because they're bad tires! The reason is you rated snow performance way down at #7, asking merely for "handles snow okay," ranking wet and dry performance above snow. So I think you would be better served by a tire with less snow focus, for better dry and wet performance.

My usual recommendations for someone wanting good all-season performance, but still passable snow performance, is the Continental DWS series (DWS06+ is the current version). For many years the DWS has been a fairly unique all-season - in the Ultra High Performance (UHP) category, but unlike most UHP tires which historically were straight garbage in the snow, the DWS series has actual usable snow performance. It's therefore not the absolute best UHP all-season for dry+wet but still much better performing than most all-seasons out there.

The DWS series are not winter tires, nor as snow-focused as the CC2 or Qautrac Pro, but their wet and dry performance will be significantly better. From your rankings and descriptions I think the DWS06+ would match your preferences better.

I've never had DWS series tires myself but:
1) I drove a friend's AWD car in the snow with the original DWS. Was it as good as my car on real winter tires? No, definitely not, but it was better than other UHP all-seasons or majority of all-seasons of any kind, that I had used.
2) Test results I've read - which I haven't kept up with for all-seasons! - have generally borne out that the DWS are a good mix of Dry Wet Snow (the name)...with more emphasis on Dry and Wet of course (it is a UHP all-season after all), but the Snow part is usable.
3) I've liked other Conti all-seasons I've used. Actually I've liked every Conti tire I've tried, including winter and summer. No tire is perfect but never been disappointed. Even the random non-performance Conti all-seasons on our Model S right now (what a local tire shop had in stock when we suddenly needed new tires) are surprisingly good. They're no summer tire but they have pretty solid dry and wet grip for an all-season, and good road feel (as best I can tell with a Model S). They're much better performing in every single way than the Michelin MXM4 all-seasons we had on the car before (never again).

HOWEVER...one word of caution, Conti's tend not to be the quietest tires in my experience. Note sure how the latest DWS06+ noise levels are, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are a bit louder on the highway than the M3P's OE foam-lined Pirelli PZ4, which were very quiet for a summer performance tire. (But the PZ4 were otherwise subpar for their category, and were actually quite loud in hard driving with excessive squealing.)

I plan to keep the stock 20" Ubers with the Pirellis to have as spares. Although I could just use these as the Summer wheel/tire set up, I prefer to have aftermarket wheels that are lighter and for looks.

It's very possible that I may just go with a dedicated winter wheel/tire set up, which in that case I'd just end up buying some 18s with thicker winter focused tires? Hmm... TBD

As for the 19x8.5 aftermarket rims, a solid All Season Tire will suffice for now as long as it's decent mainly in the rain/wet and dry scenarios. I don't plan to purposely drive the M3P in the blizzard with heavy snow, but the weather can be very unpredictable when going over the pass etc...

I'll definitely look into the DWS06+. Thanks for the recommendation.

I'm also curious about the road noise from the Continentals. It's not a huge deal, but the dB's is a trade off I'm willing to take.

On the flip side if you decide you want more snow focus then the CC2 or Quatrac Pro ought to be good choices. Just know that across all my tire experiences, every tire is full of compromises and tradeoffs. You have to pick your priorities, and if one tire is drastically better than another in some categories, you can be pretty confident it's worse in others.

That is why for any serious winter use use I prefer having separate winter wheels+tires, if the car is also sporty enough to appreciate good performance tires outside of winter.

Even among winter tires there are useful subcategories and tradeoffs, such as "performance winter" tires vs the more typical/traditional studless ice & snow tires. Which would be best for you really depends on your weather and driving mix. I've used both kinds and the tradeoffs were pretty linear. (Ultimately for my driving back then I ended up preferring true snow & ice tires.) I believe (no firsthand experience) these new snowflake-rated all-seasons are basically a new take on tire compromises, somewhere between a "performance winter" tire and a traditional all-season. (Maybe "performance winter" tires are obsolete now? Or maybe they're still a unique set of compromises.)

Good points. So if I did go with a dedicated snow/tire set up for the winter, would getting some cheap 18s (weight wouldn't really matter in this case) be the best size rim to get? What tire size would be ideal in this case? 255/45/18? 255/50/18? (Something good for chains if required. Figured having more side wall and rubber is best for this so that the chains are clunking onto the rims.)

During the winter when heading to the mountains, we almost always drive one of the SUVs over the other cars. The main reason for needing a winter tire/wheel set up and/or a good all season set up with the 19x8.5 wheels is for when it does snow and driving through the pass during that part of the season. Therefore, snow isn't the primary focus for my needs here, it's just that the all season tires has to be able to handle it to some degree.

Speaking of wheel weight in general, one of the reasons that I'm going with the 19x8.5 (23lbs) is to reduce the weight from the stock heavy (32lbs) Ubers (rim only). Efficiency for the road trips during the dry / rain season is important criteria as well.

I assume that the heavier wheel would have more of an impact from a dig/start, but once you're rolling it'll have a lot less of an effect since you're already rolling. Does 9 lbs make that much of a difference? I've seen range figures all over the place and I've been curious how much of that has to do with the actual rolling resistance vs the weight etc...

 

[tm1v2]

@unlock 255/50R18 is much too tall, pretty sure that won't fit a Model 3. For 18x8.5" wheels use 245/45R18 or 235/45R18.

I would stick with the normal recommended tire widths for a given rim width. For 8.5" wide that means 245 or 235 mm.

Given your tire and driving preferences, I don't see any reason to go wider than 8.5" for the rims. For your year-round or summer (non-winter) wheels 8.5" wide seems perfect. *If* you get dedicated winter wheels then you could consider going narrower...but you don't have to! On my last ICE car which came with 18x8.5" wheels I ran 17x8" for winter. You cannot fit 17" wheels on the M3P, but you could consider 18x8". Sticking with 18x8.5" does simplify your tire size choice though. If I ever take my M3P in the snow, which I'd like to someday, I might go with 18x8" for my winter wheels. But that's TBD, I haven't actually bought a winter setup for this car yet and I probably won't for another year or more.

I've zero experience with chains on a Model 3, haven't looked into that at all. Personally I hate using chains just for driving on snow covered roads. (Assuming they're officially open and regularly plowed/maintained during the winter.) Also I think traditional chains would be asking for trouble on the Model 3 with its limited tire diameter clearance (just guessing there, no experience with chains on a Model 3 as mentioned). If you run real winter tires can you avoid the need for chains? That would be my choice by far. Driving on chains sucks, and dealing with install + removal in the middle of a storm sucks. If you must use chains / traction device, can you at least use cables instead (lower profile)? Or better yet, how about one of those non-traditional things that clamps around the tire for very quick + easy install and removal?

Wheel size + weight and efficiency: Yes I would expect better efficiency from lighter, small-diameter wheels. That was my experience switching from the heavy 20x9" Uberturbines to much lighter forged 18x8.5" wheels, my efficiency went up both on windy back roads and on highways. I did go with a different tire model, but still in the same "max performance" summer tire category, and my new tires actually have better grip dry + wet.

19" vs 18"...that's a real personal preference thing. I'm very glad I went with 18", the sidewall is useful for the nasty roads we regularly drive on, not to mention gravel driveways and dirt and such. However I will say 18x8.5" is a snug fit over the M3P brakes, including the parking brakes in the rear. Your tire shop will need to be careful with their wheel weight placement. Mine actually messed that up on the 2 wheels they installed in front, I had to go back and have them rebalance so I could rotate those wheels to the back without the weights rubbing the parking brake. Still, I'm very glad I went with 18s for our use.

Also, in my experience if you get very good performance tires then even 245/45 will still feel sharp and responsive, but if using non-performance tires with mushy sidewalls, the extra sidewall height can accentuate that mushiness. (Snow tires are the extreme example of this.) For example I couldn't feel any loss of steering precision with my change to 245/45R18 on my 2021 M3P. I was still on the soft stock suspension though. Steering response was still mushy after the change, it just didn't get any worse that I could tell. (Now with my suspension upgrades maybe I could detect more subtle tire responsiveness changes.)

 

[unlock]

@unlock 255/50R18 is much too tall, pretty sure that won't fit a Model 3. For 18x8.5" wheels use 245/45R18 or 235/45R18.

I would stick with the normal recommended tire widths for a given rim width. For 8.5" wide that means 245 or 235 mm.

Given your tire and driving preferences, I don't see any reason to go wider than 8.5" for the rims. For your year-round or summer (non-winter) wheels 8.5" wide seems perfect. *If* you get dedicated winter wheels then you could consider going narrower...but you don't have to! On my last ICE car which came with 18x8.5" wheels I ran 17x8" for winter. You cannot fit 17" wheels on the M3P, but you could consider 18x8". Sticking with 18x8.5" does simplify your tire size choice though. If I ever take my M3P in the snow, which I'd like to someday, I might go with 18x8" for my winter wheels. But that's TBD, I haven't actually bought a winter setup for this car yet and I probably won't for another year or more.

I've zero experience with chains on a Model 3, haven't looked into that at all. Personally I hate using chains just for driving on snow covered roads. (Assuming they're officially open and regularly plowed/maintained during the winter.) Also I think traditional chains would be asking for trouble on the Model 3 with its limited tire diameter clearance (just guessing there, no experience with chains on a Model 3 as mentioned). If you run real winter tires can you avoid the need for chains? That would be my choice by far. Driving on chains sucks, and dealing with install + removal in the middle of a storm sucks. If you must use chains / traction device, can you at least use cables instead (lower profile)? Or better yet, how about one of those non-traditional things that clamps around the tire for very quick + easy install and removal?

Wheel size + weight and efficiency: Yes I would expect better efficiency from lighter, small-diameter wheels. That was my experience switching from the heavy 20x9" Uberturbines to much lighter forged 18x8.5" wheels, my efficiency went up both on windy back roads and on highways. I did go with a different tire model, but still in the same "max performance" summer tire category, and my new tires actually have better grip dry + wet.

19" vs 18"...that's a real personal preference thing. I'm very glad I went with 18", the sidewall is useful for the nasty roads we regularly drive on, not to mention gravel driveways and dirt and such. However I will say 18x8.5" is a snug fit over the M3P brakes, including the parking brakes in the rear. Your tire shop will need to be careful with their wheel weight placement. Mine actually messed that up on the 2 wheels they installed in front, I had to go back and have them rebalance so I could rotate those wheels to the back without the weights rubbing the parking brake. Still, I'm very glad I went with 18s for our use.

Also, in my experience if you get very good performance tires then even 245/45 will still feel sharp and responsive, but if using non-performance tires with mushy sidewalls, the extra sidewall height can accentuate that mushiness. (Snow tires are the extreme example of this.) For example I couldn't feel any loss of steering precision with my change to 245/45R18 on my 2021 M3P. I was still on the soft stock suspension though. Steering response was still mushy after the change, it just didn't get any worse that I could tell. (Now with my suspension upgrades maybe I could detect more subtle tire responsiveness changes.)

For my 19x8.5 rims, tough choice given all the info and looking at the side by side data below. They are both near identical to where I don't think it'll make any noticeable difference when it comes to efficiency? The only areas where it really stands out are with the circumference (1 inch diff) and maybe the width?

Although the difference is small with the side wall I do prefer the 3.7" of the 235/40 vs the 3.9" of the 245/40, however, I doubt it will be noticeable. Or would it?

As for the dedicated winter wheel/tire set up, I'll try to pick up some cheap 18x8.5 rims and go with the 245/45R18 set up. I also agree, chains suck and I try to use the cables instead, which are much easier and work enough to get through even heavy snow.

I was also curious about load rating on wheels. One of the reasons why I was going with the 19x8.5 size was due to the higher load rating that it had vs the 20x8.5 wheels.

20" & 19" wheels from Martian -- Load Rating of: 2,200 lbs (Forged)

20" from TS ----------------------- Load Rating of: 1,433 lbs

19" from TS ----------------------- Load Rating of: 1,980 lbs


If I understand this correctly, each wheel can handle the load rated amount specified respectively.

So using the example of the 20" wheels from TS with a load rating of only 1,433 lbs, since the Model 3 weights ~4,100 lbs, what happens when you fly over an uneven road and one of the front wheels lands first with all that force? Wouldn't that mean that all the ~4,100 lbs for a moment is all on that one wheel that is rated at 1,433 lbs? Perhaps this is an extreme example...

How about driving at 70MPH and hitting a pot hole. Before hitting the pot hole each of the four wheels has 1,075 lbs on it (4,300 lbs / 4; ~200lbs driver included). Factoring in the inertia from the car and the one front wheel hitting that pot hole, that would exceed the load rating by a lot correct? This would likely result in a popped tire and broken rim.

With the 20" TS rim and only having a rating of 1,433 lbs, isn't that much too low? Say if I had 4 adults each weighing exactly 200 lbs, that would mean 4,900 lbs total / 4 of those rims = 1,225 lbs on each wheel that's only rated at 1,433 lbs, leaving only a 208 lbs buffer. That just seems way too low and living on the edge there. Thoughts?

I guess one can't expect much from cheaper rims. On the flip side those Martian 20s and 19s both being rated at 2,200 lbs is quite impressive. Forged goodness.

With all that said, I really wanted to go with a 20" rim, the TS 1,433 lbs one to be exact, but that low rating didn't sit well with me. I would use the 20s for the summer then get the 18s for winter.

Is there something that I'm missing here or is that 1,433 lbs way too low? Should be fine for summer mode and cruising? If so, I may go back to considering the 20" TS rims as I much prefer the looks of those over the 19s.

Decisions Decisions.

 

[Evpowerdan]

For my 19x8.5 rims, tough choice given all the info and looking at the side by side data below. They are both near identical to where I don't think it'll make any noticeable difference when it comes to efficiency? The only areas where it really stands out are with the circumference (1 inch diff) and maybe the width?

Although the difference is small with the side wall I do prefer the 3.7" of the 235/40 vs the 3.9" of the 245/40, however, I doubt it will be noticeable. Or would it?


View attachment 825699

As for the dedicated winter wheel/tire set up, I'll try to pick up some cheap 18x8.5 rims and go with the 245/45R18 set up. I also agree, chains suck and I try to use the cables instead, which are much easier and work enough to get through even heavy snow.

I was also curious about load rating on wheels. One of the reasons why I was going with the 19x8.5 size was due to the higher load rating that it had vs the 20x8.5 wheels.

20" & 19" wheels from Martian -- Load Rating of: 2,200 lbs (Forged)

20" from TS ----------------------- Load Rating of: 1,433 lbs

19" from TS ----------------------- Load Rating of: 1,980 lbs


If I understand this correctly, each wheel can handle the load rated amount specified respectively.

So using the example of the 20" wheels from TS with a load rating of only 1,433 lbs, since the Model 3 weights ~4,100 lbs, what happens when you fly over an uneven road and one of the front wheels lands first with all that force? Wouldn't that mean that all the ~4,100 lbs for a moment is all on that one wheel that is rated at 1,433 lbs? Perhaps this is an extreme example...

How about driving at 70MPH and hitting a pot hole. Before hitting the pot hole each of the four wheels has 1,075 lbs on it (4,300 lbs / 4; ~200lbs driver included). Factoring in the inertia from the car and the one front wheel hitting that pot hole, that would exceed the load rating by a lot correct? This would likely result in a popped tire and broken rim.

With the 20" TS rim and only having a rating of 1,433 lbs, isn't that much too low? Say if I had 4 adults each weighing exactly 200 lbs, that would mean 4,900 lbs total / 4 of those rims = 1,225 lbs on each wheel that's only rated at 1,433 lbs, leaving only a 208 lbs buffer. That just seems way too low and living on the edge there. Thoughts?

I guess one can't expect much from cheaper rims. On the flip side those Martian 20s and 19s both being rated at 2,200 lbs is quite impressive. Forged goodness.

With all that said, I really wanted to go with a 20" rim, the TS 1,433 lbs one to be exact, but that low rating didn't sit well with me. I would use the 20s for the summer then get the 18s for winter.

Is there something that I'm missing here or is that 1,433 lbs way too low? Should be fine for summer mode and cruising? If so, I may go back to considering the 20" TS rims as I much prefer the looks of those over the 19s.

Decisions Decisions.

Better comparison - is what is the original load rating of the OEM rims? That would be the baseline you would want to meet or truly exceed.

 

[unlock]

Better comparison - is what is the original load rating of the OEM rims? That would be the baseline you would want to meet or truly exceed.

I saw the TSV clone load rating early on and didn't think too much of it since they weren't 1:1, but rather clones. However, the TSV 20" wheels that are clones weight at 32 lbs, the same as the stock 20" Ubers and have a load rating of only 1,433 lbs as well.

Interesting for sure....