UK Model Y Spare Wheel

[alset tone]

Just tried fitting my ex Model 3 space saver wheel to my Model Y to see if I could reuse it on the Y.

However there is a small hex screw in the face of the wheel hub which prevents my spare sitting flush to the hub, as shown on the attached pic. The original Y wheels have a shaped back face that misses this hex screw but the space saver has a full face on the back.

Does anyone know what this hex screw is for? Can it be removed as a temporary measure? Can the hub be modified to take a countersunk screw?

I never tried fitting the space saver to my Model 3 so I'm not sure if that had this hex screw or not. If it has, I was sold a duff space saver that wouldn't have fitted if I had needed it.

 

[Watts_Up]

The extra hex screw is used to hold the brake and help during the wheel and brake assembly.
From what I read previously, or saw on some videos, the hex screw can be removed
with not effect, but would be needed when working on the brake.

You can notice that the Tesla wheels have an inside cavity to avoid the hex screw.
If you have the correct tooling, maybe you could drill a cavity above the hex screw.
Since this is very close to the center, this should not treally affect the wheel balancing.

In case this can help, this is my spare inside view.
You can notice the small cavity allowing to avoid the hex screw.

 

[init6]

It holds the rotor onto the knuckle:

 

[alset tone]

Thank you both for your imput. I assume I can now remove that bolt if I have to fit my space saver spare, and then refit it when the proper wheel is replaced, with no danger of anything coming loose when driving with the spare fitted.

You have to ask yourself why Tesla left a bolt there when it wasn't needed for normal use. Tesla could have saved 10p on each car if they had removed it!!!

 

[init6]

Eh, I didn't say you could remove it. I merely posted from the service manual.

I certainly wouldn't remove a bolt because 'someone from the internet read or saw something' that may have indicated you could.

 

[Regulo]

Drill a hole in your spare wheel to accommodate it. There are videos on YouTube showing just this.

 

[alset tone]

Drill a hole in your spare wheel to accommodate it. There are videos on YouTube showing just this.

Thanks for that Regulo, I think that is the most logical way to go as it doesn't change the spec of the car. I couldn't find any videos on YouTube showing this, and not wishing to take that wheel off again (it's really heavy) to measure the position of the hex screw on the hub, I wonder if anyone has any Tesla drawings of the hub showing the relative position of the wheel studs and hex screw and size. to enable me to drill the clearance hole?
Thanks again to all who responded.

 

[Regulo]

Nope, I can't find it now! I'm certain it's out there somewhere, I saw it when researching a Road hero spare kit (which needed no modification anyway for my M3 which also has that nut). Wonder what's different on the MY?

 

[Mr H]

Whilst it will be possible to fit the M3 wheel to a MY the rolling circumference is different which will throw up ABS and traction control errors, also affect the steering if on the front axle. Please don't drill a hole into a cast wheel as you will be introducing a failure point.

 

[alset tone]

Ah, I don't seem to have explained this properly.

Regulo, there is no difference to the hubs of a Model 3 and a Model Y. The space saver spare wheel that I have, does not have the cavities on the back to allow it to miss the hex screw head and sit flush to the hub. Hence the need to either tempoarily remove the hex screw whilst using the space saver or drill a clearence hole in the space saver to allow it to sit flush over the hex screw.

Mr H, yes you are correct re rolling circumference, I had already researched it and I know I need to change the tyre on the space saver from 135/80/18 (Model 3 size) to 145/85/18 (the same size as on the 18" Road Hero wheel) to be within 1" rolling circumference of the stock tyre fitted on the 20" Induction wheels, which is 255/40/20, . I just wanted to reuse the spare wheel I already owned from the Model 3 and change the tyre so that it was usable on the Model Y.

Regarding the drilling of the clearence hole and your warning of introducing a failure point, the space saver spare wheel is a steel pressing and hub, not a cast wheel, so I believe drilling a hole to clear the hex screw is perfectly safe. If you look at the universal spare wheels that are being sold, they have holes all over the place , like a swiss cheese, to accomodate different PCDs. Also to prevent faults and cracks propagating in structures, the usual method is to drill a hole at the end of the fault, so I don't really see how it can introduce a failure point. But I could be wrong.

Anyway, thanks again to you both for your help.

 

[Mr H]

I sold my Roadhero wheel after carrying it around for 2 years unused, i'm not replacing it as that is what green flag are for