Will 18" Aero wheel fit a car with Performance big brakes?

[krusen]

Just curious, you mention 5mm spacers, but your link is for 3mm spacers. And the ones in your photos look like 3mm. Which did you end up using?? Thanks again for the great pics!

Great question. Looking at my order history in Amazon, they show as 5mm, but clicking on the link in the order story, takes me to a page showing 3mm. The packaging does not show a thickness. UPC of x001LYP415, FBA: V11519-PE, IPN:V11519

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MRIB441

They are still on the car so I can't measure them to see what I ended up getting.

I can report that I've made several long trips, and had them to the drag strip for about 30 runs. Interesting thing is that it didn't make a notable improvement on my times in the 1/8th mile. I'm not sure if it's that the rubber is slipping more on the 18's to steal any improvement, or if it's just such a negligible change in weight placement that you don't see the difference. So do it for the ability to buy cheaper snows/rubber, not for the performance gains.

 

[dance.parrot]

I bought a new set of 18” Aeros from Tesla Switzerland for my M3P and to my surprise they were machined to accommodate for the hub lip. Ended up installing them without spacers, just the grinding of the rear callipers.

 

[kgvickers]

I just picked up a used 2019 Performance from Tesla in Nashville, TN, on Monday. I'm considering doing this but I've got a nervous nanny question:

Would this upset Tesla from a warranty perspective? I'm guessing painting the caliper grind and re-installing the stock wheels would make the change less evident for any service.

Thanks,

Keith

 

[pschall]

I ordered some 5mm spacers, did a bit of grinding and was also able to re-use my aero's. Thank's @Orwell for the tips. I put an album together with a bunch of pics of the process I used. 18 Aero's on 2019 M3 Performance PUP. No changes (other than the spacers) were needed on the front wheels. Threads still show on the back side of the bolt. A plumb bob hanging from the fender edge shows the 18" tire's sidewall is 5mm farther out than what's present with the 20's.

View media item 121435View media item 121444

Thank you so much for sharing this!

 

[Candleflame]

Out of interest, how efficient are aftermarket 18 wheels compared to stock and stock with aeroshield?

 

[DavidGdoMex]

Fits with 5mm spacer and minor shaving of calipers front and rear.

Fits with 5mm spacer and minor shaving of calipers front and rear.

Hi, how did you do the shaving and how many mm's?, where can I purchase the 5mm Spacers?
Thank you

 

[DavidGdoMex]

No need to see where to shave the caliper.

Just stack sticky backed sand paper onto the inside of the wheel and spin it around until about 2mm of clearance is achieved. The wheel and sand paper shaves the exact areas needed. No guesswork or figuring anything out required. Sorry no pictures. There are more than 7.5 turns off the lug nuts. No pictures.

Precisely, I got this new set of wheels, tires, and TPMS for $400 bucks.

Fits with 5mm spacer and minor shaving of calipers front and rear.

Did you shaved the calipers (front and rear), or did you shaved the inside of the wheels?

 

[dance.parrot]

Did you shaved the calipers (front and rear), or did you shaved the inside of the wheels?

Just the rear calliper, you need to shave the square shape that sticks out, which is likely from the calliper casting. No need for spacers if the wheels have been machined to accommodate for the lip that the performance hub has.

 

[DavidGdoMex]

Thank you for your response, I bought the OEM Aero 18'' wheels after seeing your posts!, I will try to get more pictures and details about it.
I do not think these wheels have been machined so I guess I need to order the spacers.
What tool did you use to shave the rear calipers?

 

[jackmott]

Out of interest, how efficient are aftermarket 18 wheels compared to stock and stock with aeroshield?

Putting the aero shield on the 18" wheels will make the car about 5% more efficient.
However those particular 18" wheels are a very un-aero shape. So the difference between the other Tesla wheels and the 18s with aero caps may not be so large, maybe only 2%.

Also Fastwheels sells the EV01+ which is just as aero as the Tesla 18" wheels with aero caps on, and they fit the M3P without spacers. Looks nice in black, see my avatar pic.

 

[Candleflame]

anyone tested the uberturbine aeroshields from aliexpress? they look very good.

 

[dance.parrot]

What tool did you use to shave the rear calipers?

An angle grinder.

 

[cpayne5]

@dance.parrot - Did you have any clearance issues with the parking brake actuator on the backside of the rear calipers? I'm working on fitting up a set of Aeros I bought for my M3P. Looks like weights may interfere with those actuators. Just looking for your experience! Thanks!

 

[tm1v2]

@dance.parrot - Did you have any clearance issues with the parking brake actuator on the backside of the rear calipers? I'm working on fitting up a set of Aeros I bought for my M3P. Looks like weights may interfere with those actuators. Just looking for your experience! Thanks!

@cpayne5 Even with aftermarket 18" there's no room for weights in the path of the parking brake. They need to go elsewhere on the barrel. I'd keep them out of the path of the front calipers too.

 

[cpayne5]

@cpayne5 Even with aftermarket 18" there's no room for weights in the path of the parking brake. They need to go elsewhere on the barrel. I'd keep them out of the path of the front calipers too.

Thanks for the info! Guessing it will need clip on weights, then. Looks like there's enough space on the outboard side of the wheel to miss the calipers, but inboard looks like it will likely strike the parking brake.

Do you have 18s on a P? Curious to see how much clearance there is between the calipers and aftermarket 18s.

 

[tm1v2]

Thanks for the info! Guessing it will need clip on weights, then. Looks like there's enough space on the outboard side of the wheel to miss the calipers, but inboard looks like it will likely strike the parking brake.

Do you have 18s on a P? Curious to see how much clearance there is between the calipers and aftermarket 18s.

@cpayne5 Yeah weights on the outboard edge of the barrel only is the way to go with 18s on this car.

I have Titan 7 T-S5 in 18x8.5" ET35 on my 2021 M3P (directly mounted without spacers or rings). They fit properly, they're in a spec made specifically for this car including the stepped lip, but it is a snug fit nonetheless. The barrel comes very close to the rear parking brakes, even the extra thin style of wheel weights will rub slightly if in the parking brake's path. I say that from experience. The front calipers also get pretty close to the barrel, not as close as the rear parking brake, but I still avoid weights in the front caliper's path too.

I'll snap some photos when I have a chance. Might not be today.

 

[dance.parrot]

@dance.parrot - Did you have any clearance issues with the parking brake actuator on the backside of the rear calipers? I'm working on fitting up a set of Aeros I bought for my M3P. Looks like weights may interfere with those actuators. Just looking for your experience! Thanks!

For me the weights clear the calipers. I don't have the wheels on right now to take a picture in place, I only use them during winter. The blue sticker is where the weights were last season.

 

[tm1v2]

For me the weights clear the calipers. I don't have the wheels on right now to take a picture in place, I only use them during winter. The blue sticker is where the weights were last season.

View attachment 869577

The Tesla aero wheels are ET40 right? So they're 5mm further inboard than my 18x8.5" ET35 wheels. And of course the inner barrel face could extend further to the inside edge, possibly (just speculation).

I don't think I had clearance for weights on the inside but maybe the extra 0.5cm of ET40 would be enough to change that. I'll check again next time I'm under the car. (No immediate plans for that!)

 

[xtremal]

Just the rear calliper, you need to shave the square shape that sticks out, which is likely from the calliper casting. No need for spacers if the wheels have been machined to accommodate for the lip that the performance hub has.

Hello,
Is there a way to tell if the wheels are machined or not?

Thanks in advance!

 

[dance.parrot]

Hello,
Is there a way to tell if the wheels are machined or not?

Thanks in advance!

Early 18 aeros were not machined, and from 2020 we've started seeing machined ones. I would not be surprised if all of the ones that are produced now were machined to accommodate for that lip.

Of course, if you can look at the wheel, you can spot it.