The official word on the tires they will be shipping with is written on the new specs page ... http://www.teslamotors.com/models/specs
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Will the Model S/X have a spare tire & if not, how is that ok?
- Thread starter de704
- Start date
-
- Tags
- Driving Dynamics Model S
The official word on the tires they will be shipping with is written on the new specs page ... http://www.teslamotors.com/models/specs
gg_got_a_tesla
Model S: VIN 65513, Model 3: VIN 1913
Aren't you spare-in-the-frunk campers concerned about the possible (probably minor) change in driving dynamics of the car?
We do not know. Measurements, so far, make it look *very close*. If it doesn't fit, it will just barely not fit; if it does fit, it will be tight to some of the edges.
(See other posters' comments. 27.7" diameter tires, and approximately 28" width in the frunk. 9.6" width tires and 10" deep frunk.)
Frankly, if I have to haul the spare out, I'm not going to worry about the paint job. But given how tight the fit is, I might worry about being able to get it out! I actually probably wouldn't get a spare just for local driving, but for a road trip... you *need* one. And on a road trip I'll probably have two people to get it out, so it should be doable.
Last edited:
On a 19" rim, if the fit is close you could keep the spare lightly inflated to squish it in. Given that the S comes with a tire inflator (and there'll be plenty of juice!), you can inflate the spare once it's in place.
smorgasbord
Active Member
Do we know the tire inflator runs off the traction battery? I think it'd be more likely to run off the small 12 volt job.
strider
Active Member
strider
Active Member
I didn't say they were the best choice - I'm just showing folks there's an option over carrying a tire in the frunk or having to call AAA if you get a flat. I might get them as my wife commutes with the baby every day - if she gets a flat I don't want her changing a tire on the side of the highway or having to wait for a tow. With run-flats she can just drive to work and then deal with it in the safety of the parking lot (and I could come help). We're getting the 300-mile pack so there is a ton of range to spare. My Corvette had run-flats and although I never needed them it gave me piece of mind.
I'd love the idea of a spare. I drive long distances regularly and would hate to have to be towed to a tire shop rather than just having an AAA truck swap the wheel. (Yes, I'd let AAA do it if possible--partly out of safety on the side of the road.) From what I'm reading a spare weighs about 25 lbs. (Is that right?) I can't imagine that hurts range too much.
Are wheels (bolt patterns and whathaveyou) somewhat standard or would I have to buy a Tesla wheel to do this? Would be nice to get a cheap ugly wheel and extra tire to use as a spare. If they aren't standard, it would be great if Tesla offered this as an option.
Are wheels (bolt patterns and whathaveyou) somewhat standard or would I have to buy a Tesla wheel to do this? Would be nice to get a cheap ugly wheel and extra tire to use as a spare. If they aren't standard, it would be great if Tesla offered this as an option.
I found these article from last year. I appears it is a new trend. I have always been impressed with VW and their full size spares in the USA. But I have run out of gas more than I have replaced a tire on the side of the road.
New cars sold without spare tires: Automakers sell more cars without spare tires - Los Angeles Times
Are Spare Tires Going the Way of the Dodo? - KickingTires
This one even has some reasons to NOT have a spare:
The Disappearing Spare Tire - Edmunds.com
New cars being sold without spare tires - NewsChannel 9 WSYR
EDIT: I have run out of fuel 2 times (once while turning into gas station). Changed tire on side of road once.
New cars sold without spare tires: Automakers sell more cars without spare tires - Los Angeles Times
Are Spare Tires Going the Way of the Dodo? - KickingTires
This one even has some reasons to NOT have a spare:
The Disappearing Spare Tire - Edmunds.com
New cars being sold without spare tires - NewsChannel 9 WSYR
EDIT: I have run out of fuel 2 times (once while turning into gas station). Changed tire on side of road once.
I don't need a spare. Leak seal will take care of 90% of flats. I likely will get AAA for my wife, however.
I seem to have bad luck with tires. I've probably replaced at least five in my life. I'm pretty sure a couple were too severe for sealant. I blame deteriorating roads (although maybe you could blame me for not noticing potholes). I'm very glad (crossing fingers and knocking on wood) I've been luckier with the Roadster so far.
When on a long drive (I travel 250 miles in a day pretty regularly for business) I don't want to be down. From reading about sealant, even then you need to head to a tire shop right away--not something I could travel a couple hundred miles on.
When on a long drive (I travel 250 miles in a day pretty regularly for business) I don't want to be down. From reading about sealant, even then you need to head to a tire shop right away--not something I could travel a couple hundred miles on.
Once sealed, I don't see any reason you could not continue to your destination. I've driven several hundred miles on a sealed tire without issue. You could also carry a plug kit which some tire shops consider a permanent repair, and can be done while the tire is on the vehicle. I have done this also, but had it repaired with an internal patch later. Internal patches are the proper way to repair a tire IMO.
I've had a few leaky tires over the years - nails - bent rim even - but not leaky enough to strand me. I've had only one complete blowout. That was on a brand-new loaner car (grrr!), and I installed the small-size spare and continued to my destination.
(I'm admitting this 20 years later... it's actually illegal to do any on-road repairs on the 400 series highways in Ontario, but luckily I could get waaaaay off to the side, the blown tire was on the right side, and all was well.)
If I had a blowout on my Infiniti, I would install the compact spare if it were safe to do so. I'd probably curse at the crappy jack and tire iron the whole time. For the Roadster, I wouldn't use the spray can; it's not guaranteed to work but will destroy your expensive tire pressure monitor. Instead I'd just call for a flatbed to take me home, swap to my other set of wheels (with proper jack and torque wrench), and get the blown tire fixed at my leisure.
(I'm admitting this 20 years later... it's actually illegal to do any on-road repairs on the 400 series highways in Ontario, but luckily I could get waaaaay off to the side, the blown tire was on the right side, and all was well.)
If I had a blowout on my Infiniti, I would install the compact spare if it were safe to do so. I'd probably curse at the crappy jack and tire iron the whole time. For the Roadster, I wouldn't use the spray can; it's not guaranteed to work but will destroy your expensive tire pressure monitor. Instead I'd just call for a flatbed to take me home, swap to my other set of wheels (with proper jack and torque wrench), and get the blown tire fixed at my leisure.
The DS-21's suspension lifted the flat tire off of the road. You could drive on any three wheels. Air suspension should be able to do that. When you got to a safe place to change the tire, you didn't need a jack. A jack stand that hooked into the car was used and the suspension would lift up whichever side of the car the jackstand was on. This is far better than the other options. Changing a flat was almost fun. I wish I still had that car.
