Two things I want to do about my 20” P3D wheels

[Jeffcm3]

After reading this: https://jalopnik.com/low-profile-tires-are-ruining-modern-cars-1836309462

....I want to:

1) report every pothole I see.

2) replace the stock 20s with decent 19s or 18s. But, I’d like to keep the performance so all seasons will probably not be the choice.

I noticed some of the P3Ds at Tesla Corsa events were on 18s or 19s and different tires. Maybe race tires. I’d want something suitable for the road, but would like them to be sticky.

And the wheels need to look and perform decent.

Fwiw I hit a bad pothole on the 280n off ramp to page mill road east. Yeah.. in the ritzy side of Palo Alto.
Afaict, no damage.
About a month later I see it is patched.
On the other side of town (not so ritzy Mountain View) around 85 and 101... Potholes for months.. still no patches.
Some places around here it is like the lunar surface ... permanently.

I need to find out how to get these reported. Like , every pothole needs to be reported. Is there an app?

 

[Msjulie]

report potholes in palo alto - Google Search

The Palo Alto site just hung though..

edit:

Palo Alto, California - Report potholes, graffiti, street light out, and other community issues.

 

[Kleenerth3]

I was talking to my neighbor about this very thing today. The 20" regrets. They're awesome looking rims but he's cut a drive entry a little short and dinged the edge.
" The sidewalls are so short I wish I had the 18"s. I told him the 18s have scared me a few times as well. Once I swear I dinged the rim and pinched the tire turning into a driveway. We'll both be more careful and now keep the pothole alert # handy too. Call every few days until it's fixed.
Good luck!

 

[jkoya]

I have a P3D with the stock 20" and I'm getting 18" wheels and a spare for a road trip - I fear potholes....

I was driving on 101 South coming home from Eureka, CA. in my VW R32 with 225/40 R18 tires. Caltrans had just repaved the road, it was raining with road reflections and I couldn't see the pothole I hit until it was too late. No mobile phone service. Blew the sidewall and bent the rim. I'm so glad VW provided a spare......

 

[caskater47]

There are lots of 18/19 forged wheel options these days. The forum is littered with them. I got a set of forged Titan7 TS-5 19" wheels with Pilot Sport 4S tires. I love them.

 

[vletnguyen]

This was the main reason I got the p3d- , otherwise I would have sold the 20" and get two set of 18"s (winter). I'm currently looking for another set but debating on forged 19 x 8.5 ( 235/40/19) or 18 x 9 (265/40/18) as they are roughly the same price.

 

[Daniel in SD]

Get 18" wheels that fit. Buy Pilot Sport 4S tires (https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...R8PS4SXL&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes). Problem solved.
Get a second set of 18" wheels and tires for track use because PS4S tires will get destroyed (Tesla Corsa EV lap record was set on 18" wheels).

 

[dfwatt]

After reading this: https://jalopnik.com/low-profile-tires-are-ruining-modern-cars-1836309462

....I want to:

1) report every pothole I see.

2) replace the stock 20s with decent 19s or 18s. But, I’d like to keep the performance so all seasons will probably not be the choice.

I noticed some of the P3Ds at Tesla Corsa events were on 18s or 19s and different tires. Maybe race tires. I’d want something suitable for the road, but would like them to be sticky.

And the wheels need to look and perform decent.

Fwiw I hit a bad pothole on the 280n off ramp to page mill road east. Yeah.. in the ritzy side of Palo Alto.
Afaict, no damage.
About a month later I see it is patched.
On the other side of town (not so ritzy Mountain View) around 85 and 101... Potholes for months.. still no patches.
Some places around here it is like the lunar surface ... permanently.

I need to find out how to get these reported. Like , every pothole needs to be reported. Is there an app?

For folks who buy the Tesla Model 3 Performance version as their first really high performance car, the realities of ultra low-profile tires especially in cold weather States is a rude awakening. For those of us with lots and lots of experience however with low profile wheels and tires, it's just business as usual. However it is worth clarifying the pros and cons because especially for the inexperienced, they really don't see all the cons lining up. And like all technological design parameters, it really is all trade-offs. But you should know what you're paying both literally and figuratively for those 20 inch wheels and their definitely cooler aesthetic.

Pros:

1) aesthetically cooler in most people's minds and in some people's minds it's de rigueur. In other words there's a styling meme out there of trying to get towards sidewalls that are basically Band-Aids. I think that's nuts but I do like the look of 20 inch wheels even over 19 and definitely over 18 which look frankly in my opinion kind of funky on the car. My car currently with 20 inch wheels and the MPP sport coilover kit looks just about perfect but of course beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.

2) slightly better transient response and perhaps slightly better tread contact patch stability under high load, but there is a point of diminishing returns on this as you go from 50 Series to 40 series to even 30 series. In other words I'm not convinced that anyone's empirically demonstrated that 30 series tires have better transient response and cornering limits at the same tread width as 40 series tires.

Cons:

These are frankly an imposing list of negatives:
1) Progressive vulnerability of both Tire and Wheel to impact damage as you go from 50 to 40 to 30 series.
2) Progressive if not frankly exponential cost escalations for both the wheel and the tire as you transition from low to ultra low profile equipment. 30 series tires can cost almost twice what 40 series tires cost in the same width.
3) increasing harshness in relationship to small to medium impacts related to Road irregularities. Not much sacrifice however on smooth roads where Ultra low-profile tires can feel almost equivalent to less radical gear.
4) significant and Progressive increases in unsprung weight, including even in rotational inertia at the same rolling diameter which deteriorates acceleration modestly but significantly if you're searching for extra tenths. It's not a coincidence that almost everybody that's tracking the car is running on 19's or even 18s. Recent lap records at Laguna Seca were set with 18in racing rubber on a very wide super lightweight (18 x 10?) alloy wheel.

If you put #1 and #2 together, the result especially for the uninitiated is frankly painful and produces a lot of outrage and upset. Does that mean we should never put ultra low profile tires on a street car? Well again that's something that should be up to the individual, but I do think Tesla could do a better job of warning people, and even encouraging them to consider 19 inch wheels at a minimum if they live in a cold-weather state. They're going to need to get at least All Seasons if not full snow tires anyway so this could simply be rolled into that discussion. Forewarned is forearmed, and like I said at the beginning, it's all trade-offs. Pick your favorite virtue and trade-off against it.

 

[Fatalorian]

For folks who buy the Tesla Model 3 Performance version as their first really high performance car, the realities of ultra low-profile tires especially in cold weather States is a rude awakening. For those of us with lots and lots of experience however with low profile wheels and tires, it's just business as usual. However it is worth clarifying the pros and cons because especially for the inexperienced, they really don't see all the cons lining up. And like all technological design parameters, it really is all trade-offs. But you should know what you're paying both literally and figuratively for those 20 inch wheels and their definitely cooler aesthetic.

This is a really helpful post. My P3D will be my first really high performance car and I've spent the past few days (since getting a VIN assigned) learning all about wheel sizes, tire sizes, load ratings, speed ratings, etc. When you're coming from a Volvo S60, this is all like learning a new language!

I was already planning on downsizing to 18" wheels, but your post was well laid out for anyone who might be on the fence.

If I understand correctly, 235/45R18s are an "acceptable" conversion from a 235/35R20. You seem very knowledgeable, so are 245/45R18s also an acceptable conversion from the 235/35R20?

The Tire Size Calculator shows a .2" diameter increase (or +0.8%) but I'm not sure if that's OK or not.

 

[Fatalorian]

Newbie needs to work the search function better; do'oh. Found the answer in another post - 245/45R18s do work.

 

[dfwatt]

This is a really helpful post. My P3D will be my first really high performance car and I've spent the past few days (since getting a VIN assigned) learning all about wheel sizes, tire sizes, load ratings, speed ratings, etc. When you're coming from a Volvo S60, this is all like learning a new language!

I was already planning on downsizing to 18" wheels, but your post was well laid out for anyone who might be on the fence.

If I understand correctly, 235/45R18s are an "acceptable" conversion from a 235/35R20. You seem very knowledgeable, so are 245/45R18s also an acceptable conversion from the 235/35R20?

The Tire Size Calculator shows a .2" diameter increase (or +0.8%) but I'm not sure if that's OK or not.View attachment 431299

Yes that's a pretty acceptable conversion and given that the speedometer is about 1% optimistic at least for most of us anyway - in the two M3s that we own that's the case - and that will fit clearly inside the restrictions imposed by the big front aluminum spindle.

 

[dfwatt]

Newbie needs to work the search function better; do'oh. Found the answer in another post - 245/45R18s do work.

Patronizing and ridiculing people who are asking questions is not your best first play. Didn't they teach you that in school?

 

[Fatalorian]

Yes that's a pretty acceptable conversion and given that the speedometer is about 1% optimistic at least for most of us anyway - in the two M3s that we own that's the case - and that will fit clearly inside the restrictions imposed by the big front aluminum spindle.

Thanks for your insights! I was patronizing myself...lol. I guess I don't have post-edit privileges yet.

 

[dfwatt]

Thanks for your insights! I was patronizing myself...lol. I guess I don't have post-edit privileges yet.

So that was you trashing your own post under another identity? I bet that fooled a lot of people!

 

[Fatalorian]

Okay now I’m confused and not sure what your point is? I’m not good with sarcasm. There’s no second identity; it’s all the same account. I made post #9. And then found the answer via a better search. So I made post #10 calling myself stupid since I didn’t properly search and couldn’t just directly edit post #9.

Anyways, thanks for your help on the wheels.

 

[dfwatt]

Okay now I’m confused and not sure what your point is? I’m not good with sarcasm. There’s no second identity; it’s all the same account. I made post #9. And then found the answer via a better search. So I made post #10 calling myself stupid since I didn’t properly search and couldn’t just directly edit post #9.

Anyways, thanks for your help on the wheels.

I was just joking with you! I didn't realize that you were patronizing yourself

 

[TSportline]

Tesla Model 3 18 inch and 19 inch wheels are very popular among many Model 3 owners due to potholes and winter tires. If you are looking for similar tires, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is available for 18 inch and 19 inch wheels as well.

 

[ash9.58]

I have the M3P with 20" rims - In my driving experience with them, they are NOT made for this car- I've ordered (after 3 months of driving) 245/40R/19 for the front and 275/35R/19 (19x9 custom forged rims) for the rear. The OEM tires/rims cannot handle the weight of the car, they are to narrow; I feel the walls give way on the rear around turns at 50-60, and frankly these tires are wearing quickly. I'll first test the Continental Extremecontact 6's as they're rated for a heavier load, and though the rear tires are still 35R walls I'm thinking the wider contact points of all the tires will stabilize the weight into turns. I went staggered to keep the spin ratios exact.
I'm feeling going square the minimum widths should be 255 or 265-
This is the concept -Rims: chrome with black rivets black lip

 

[ash9.58]

OLD School US Muscle

 

[Daniel in SD]

The OEM tires/rims cannot handle the weight of the car, they are to narrow; I feel the walls give way on the rear around turns at 50-60,

Should go 20x11.5 square:

There's no way this guys sidewalls are going to flex.
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