Wheels for Stock Model 3 Tires

[Claytron]

Hey all,

I've been looking at after market wheels for M3, as I put my winter tires on the aero wheels and now I'm looking for something to put the stock tires on once the snow is gone. The aero wheels are 18x8.5 and whenever I search the M3 on tire sites, I also get some hits for 18x7.5 wheels. I just wanted to ensure that the stock (235/45R/18) tires fit well and if so, are there any drawbacks/potential issues to the narrower wheels? I've never bought after market wheels before, so I appreciate any feedback you can provide. Thanks!

 

[Stan K]

Hey all,

I've been looking at after market wheels for M3, as I put my winter tires on the aero wheels and now I'm looking for something to put the stock tires on once the snow is gone. The aero wheels are 18x8.5 and whenever I search the M3 on tire sites, I also get some hits for 18x7.5 wheels. I just wanted to ensure that the stock (235/45R/18) tires fit well and if so, are there any drawbacks/potential issues to the narrower wheels? I've never bought after market wheels before, so I appreciate any feedback you can provide. Thanks!

I want to do this same. So far the most economical place I saw was the place in Quebec called PMC tires. If you find something better please let us know.

 

[StealthP3D]

I've been looking at after market wheels for M3, as I put my winter tires on the aero wheels and now I'm looking for something to put the stock tires on once the snow is gone. The aero wheels are 18x8.5 and whenever I search the M3 on tire sites, I also get some hits for 18x7.5 wheels. I just wanted to ensure that the stock (235/45R/18) tires fit well and if so, are there any drawbacks/potential issues to the narrower wheels? I've never bought after market wheels before, so I appreciate any feedback you can provide. Thanks!

A narrower rim will pinch the beads closer together and change the way the loads are transferred from the contact patch to the rim. While there is some wiggle room as to what width tires can fit on what size rims, manufacturer's try to hit the sweet spot for whatever car they are outfitting so I'm not sure what going to a narrower rim would accomplish unless you are looking to move also to a narrower tire for efficiency or range reasons.

Is there a shortage of suitable aftermarket rims available in the OEM 18x8.5 size? It wouldn't surprise me as the Model 3 was kind of a flash hit as soon Tesla got their production issues ironed out.

Since the Model is widely praised for its excellent driving dynamics, I would be hesitant to pick different sizes without a concrete reason and the know-how to try to achieve something else.

Tires are so important to the driving dynamics of any car, and especially one like the Model 3 with its crisp responsive handling, I advise that you not let price guide you down the wrong rabbit hole. Pick the tires that meet your specific needs the best and then shop around to see who has the best deal on them. If you have to adjust your other spending habits to make it work, so be it. That's how important tires are to your safety and driving enjoyment.

You will thank me every time you have a nice drive in your Model 3.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

see signature below

 

[Claytron]

A narrower rim will pinch the beads closer together and change the way the loads are transferred from the contact patch to the rim. While there is some wiggle room as to what width tires can fit on what size rims, manufacturer's try to hit the sweet spot for whatever car they are outfitting so I'm not sure what going to a narrower rim would accomplish unless you are looking to move also to a narrower tire for efficiency or range reasons.

Is there a shortage of suitable aftermarket rims available in the OEM 18x8.5 size? It wouldn't surprise me as the Model 3 was kind of a flash hit as soon Tesla got their production issues ironed out.

Since the Model is widely praised for its excellent driving dynamics, I would be hesitant to pick different sizes without a concrete reason and the know-how to try to achieve something else.

Tires are so important to the driving dynamics of any car, and especially one like the Model 3 with its crisp responsive handling, I advise that you not let price guide you down the wrong rabbit hole. Pick the tires that meet your specific needs the best and then shop around to see who has the best deal on them. If you have to adjust your other spending habits to make it work, so be it. That's how important tires are to your safety and driving enjoyment.

You will thank me every time you have a nice drive in your Model 3.

Thank you for the info, I really appreciate it. I'm not committed to buying narrower wheels, but as I mentioned, when I search for wheels for Model 3, a lot of 18x7.5 and 18x8 show up. There's a set that I like the look of and are only available in 18x7.5, but an inch difference in width seemed like it might be a lot to me . I'm definitely not willing to sacrifice performance or safety for aesthetics nor do I want to buy new tires again after just purchasing winters, hence the question. Thanks a lot!

 

[Tony_YYZ]

Thank you for the info, I really appreciate it. I'm not committed to buying narrower wheels, but as I mentioned, when I search for wheels for Model 3, a lot of 18x7.5 and 18x8 show up. There's a set that I like the look of and are only available in 18x7.5, but an inch difference in width seemed like it might be a lot to me . I'm definitely not willing to sacrifice performance or safety for aesthetics nor do I want to buy new tires again after just purchasing winters, hence the question. Thanks a lot!

T-Sportline is a well known vendor in the USA that sells OEM fit wheels for Tesla's. I recently purchased a set of 18s from them which should be arriving this week. They have a free shipping sale that ends today.

You can also get $50 off using my referral link: T Sportline - Tesla Model S, X & 3 Aftermarket Accessories

 

[Stan K]

Do you know how much the custom duties will be?

 

[Tony_YYZ]

Do you know how much the custom duties will be?

Online calculators state roughly ~$360.

 

[marcn]

I'm in the same situation - looking for wheels for my factory all-season tires. I'm heavily leaning towards the Replika R187 wheel which is quite popular since it has a classic Tesla turbine look. They're pretty cheap, too - and probably easily available from local tire shops like Kal Tire. WheelWiz | Replika R187 18x8.0 5x114.3mm +35 64.1mm GM - Gloss Gunmetal - R187 - Replika - Wheels

 

[Claytron]

I'm in the same situation - looking for wheels for my factory all-season tires. I'm heavily leaning towards the Replika R187 wheel which is quite popular since it has a classic Tesla turbine look. They're pretty cheap, too - and probably easily available from local tire shops like Kal Tire. WheelWiz | Replika R187 18x8.0 5x114.3mm +35 64.1mm GM - Gloss Gunmetal - R187 - Replika - Wheels

Yeah I was trying to find something else besides the R187, but there's a reason they are so popular. They look great and at a good price point. I was shopping around on partsengine.ca. I bought my floor mats from them in the fall and I got an email saying they've got a 10% off almost all items right now. The Replika R187's are available there, but sale ends tomorrow, so you can order them or if they have any wheels you're interested in, check it out.

 

[StealthP3D]

I'm in the same situation - looking for wheels for my factory all-season tires. I'm heavily leaning towards the Replika R187 wheel which is quite popular since it has a classic Tesla turbine look. They're pretty cheap, too - and probably easily available from local tire shops like Kal Tire. WheelWiz | Replika R187 18x8.0 5x114.3mm +35 64.1mm GM - Gloss Gunmetal - R187 - Replika - Wheels

Cheap is not always good.

Look at the weight of those things! The OEM 18"x8.5" wheels only weigh 21.6 lbs. Those weigh 29.8 lbs. or a massive 7.2 lbs. additional per wheel! Ouch. Considering they are 1/2" narrower I would stay away, far away. 28.8 additional lbs of unsprung, rotating weight is a HUGE deal.

When I'm buying wheels I'm looking for something lighter than OEM. Wheels are one of the most important parts of a car after tires. Please don't put cheap wheels on a nice car!

 

[03DSG]

Cheap is not always good.

Look at the weight of those things! The OEM 18"x8.5" wheels only weigh 21.6 lbs. Those weigh 29.8 lbs. or a massive 7.2 lbs. additional per wheel! Ouch. Considering they are 1/2" narrower I would stay away, far away. 28.8 additional lbs of unsprung, rotating weight is a HUGE deal.

When I'm buying wheels I'm looking for something lighter than OEM. Wheels are one of the most important parts of a car after tires. Please don't put cheap wheels on a nice car!

8.2 lbs/wheel. 32.8 lbs additional unsprung weight. Very heavy wheel for its size.

 

[Claytron]

There seem to be a lot of people who own the replika wheels already. I would think if there was a noticeable drop off in performance, someone may have said something by now. Out of curiosity, I searched and didn't see anything on a quick glance. However, did come across this:
https://www.replika.ca/productinfo.aspx?wn=r187&fn=gloss+gunmetal which seems to suggest they're 26.2 lbs and with the aero covers, the OEM wheels are 23 lbs, so not as big a difference maybe?

 

[marcn]

There seem to be a lot of people who own the replika wheels already. I would think if there was a noticeable drop off in performance, someone may have said something by now. Out of curiosity, I searched and didn't see anything on a quick glance. However, did come across this:
https://www.replika.ca/productinfo.aspx?wn=r187&fn=gloss+gunmetal which seems to suggest they're 26.2 lbs and with the aero covers, the OEM wheels are 23 lbs, so not as big a difference maybe?

Thanks for the link - seems like the WheelWiz weight is inflated for some reason (shipping weight?) So, comparing the various wheel weights:

18" TST flow forged: 21.0 lbs
18" aero (no cover): 21.6 lbs
18" aero (w/cover): 23.0 lbs
19" sport: 25.0 lbs
R187: 26.2 lbs

I love the look of the TST and the low weight, but dang $1,200 USD + $250 shipping + duty is hard to swallow! Like Claytron said, the R187 are pretty popular amongst Tesla owners - I'd love to hear what folks think of them.

 

[StealthP3D]

There seem to be a lot of people who own the replika wheels already. I would think if there was a noticeable drop off in performance, someone may have said something by now. Out of curiosity, I searched and didn't see anything on a quick glance. However, did come across this:
https://www.replika.ca/productinfo.aspx?wn=r187&fn=gloss+gunmetal which seems to suggest they're 26.2 lbs and with the aero covers, the OEM wheels are 23 lbs, so not as big a difference maybe?

One thing I've learned when buying aftermarket wheels - you will see various weights listed for the same size wheel. Always trust the heaviest published weight. And don't compare the weight of the Aero wheels with the covers to a wheel with no covers. The Aero covers are removeable if you're willing to give up the aerodynamic benefits of more range and more efficiency. On other wheels you don't even have the option to pop some aerodynamic covers on there.

 

[5_+JqckQttqck]

One thing I've learned when buying aftermarket wheels - you will see various weights listed for the same size wheel. Always trust the heaviest published weight. And don't compare the weight of the Aero wheels with the covers to a wheel with no covers. The Aero covers are removeable if you're willing to give up the aerodynamic benefits of more range and more efficiency. On other wheels you don't even have the option to pop some aerodynamic covers on there.

Couldn't the Aero covers in theory fit some random after market rims also?

 

[StealthP3D]

Couldn't the Aero covers in theory fit some random after market rims also?

Yes, in theory, and everyone in this thread could win the lottery within the month. I'll put my money on the latter.

The Aero covers have a very close fit to the wheel rim. They sit flush inside. The only way it would fit different wheels is if the wheels weren't actually different, maybe wheels from the same factory were being sold under a different name. In that case you might as well buy the Tesla wheels. Even at MSRP they are a decent deal.

 

[Claytron]

One thing I've learned when buying aftermarket wheels - you will see various weights listed for the same size wheel. Always trust the heaviest published weight. And don't compare the weight of the Aero wheels with the covers to a wheel with no covers. The Aero covers are removeable if you're willing to give up the aerodynamic benefits of more range and more efficiency. On other wheels you don't even have the option to pop some aerodynamic covers on there.

I compared with aero covers because I leave mine on and don't intend on taking them off, so for me, that's baseline.

 

[Xelloss99]

Cheap is not always good.

Look at the weight of those things! The OEM 18"x8.5" wheels only weigh 21.6 lbs. Those weigh 29.8 lbs. or a massive 7.2 lbs. additional per wheel! Ouch. Considering they are 1/2" narrower I would stay away, far away. 28.8 additional lbs of unsprung, rotating weight is a HUGE deal.

When I'm buying wheels I'm looking for something lighter than OEM. Wheels are one of the most important parts of a car after tires. Please don't put cheap wheels on a nice car!

When I got my winter tires in, I weighed a stock 18" aero rim with stock all-season tire and R187 18" rim with Michelin X-Ice tire using a bathroom weigh scale (so accuracy isn't great)
Stock rim+tire with 6200 km wear (no aero hubcap): 50 pounds
R187 rim + new X-Ice tire: 52 pounds
4x aero hubcaps: 5 pounds (1.25 pounds each)

Assuming the stock all season tires and X-Ice tires weigh similarly, this means that there is only a marginal difference (less than 1 pound each) between Aero rims with aero hubcaps and the R187 rims.

 

[Tony_YYZ]

When I got my winter tires in, I weighed a stock 18" aero rim with stock all-season tire and R187 18" rim with Michelin X-Ice tire using a bathroom weigh scale (so accuracy isn't great)
Stock rim+tire with 6200 km wear (no aero hubcap): 50 pounds
R187 rim + new X-Ice tire: 52 pounds
4x aero hubcaps: 5 pounds (1.25 pounds each)

Assuming the stock all season tires and X-Ice tires weigh similarly, this means that there is only a marginal difference (less than 1 pound each) between Aero rims with aero hubcaps and the R187 rims.

Per Tire Rack, a Tesla oem acoustic MXM4 is 25lbs. So the stock tire and rim combo should be around 47lbs rounded up. This is without the aero covers. With the covers it should be around 48lbs.

https://m.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Primacy+MXM4&partnum=345WR8MXM4PXL

R187 plus MXM4s should be 54lbs based on spec weights.