Feedback on Hankook 21s?

[CHG-ON]

Odd. I have a P85+, delivered 9-29-14 and have silver lug nuts with the plastic caps, one of which has flown off in driving and I have had quite a time getting them to send me one lousy cap.

I think the original Performance lugs were different. Mine are black rubberized, no caps. They are getting thrashed a bit since I have changed/rotated wheels > 10 times

 

[Mayhemm]

Ok, I'm sold on getting these 21" Hankook tires for my P85+ (I have bulges on two of the PS2s, and need to replace them before some long summer trips).

But I have some simple questions for people who know more about tires than I do:

1. In the "Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 vs Pilot Super Sport" thread, someone posted that I can mount the 245/35/21s on the rear 21x9" Turbine rims. I just want to confirm that's not a problem
2. Given #1, are there any serious downsides/tradeoffs, besides just having slightly narrower rear tires with possibly less grip?
3. Does the toe-in settings for the P85+ need to be adjusted if I don't have the stock 265s on the rears? If so, how do I find out the correct settings for alignment?
4. What happens if I rotate the rims front-to-back, but they all have the same size tire? Is that kosher? (i.e. 8.5" rims on the rear and 9" rims on the front)

many thanks!

My original PS2's in the rear are done (after only 5K miles, so an alignment may also be in order) so I'll be looking for a new set of tires come spring.

I'm considering going the same route as you, Hank (squaring off the P85+ with 245-width rear tires) due to the wider selection of tires available.

Did you ever get answers to your questions above? If so, what did you discover?

The only 265-width tires available to me seem to be Pirelli P-Zero Nero GTs. (no access to Hankook or Michelin).

 

[HankLloydRight]

I'm considering going the same route as you, Hank (squaring off the P85+ with 245-width rear tires) due to the wider selection of tires available.

Did you ever get answers to your questions above? If so, what did you discover?

Let's see, that was several months ago.

1. In the "Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 vs Pilot Super Sport" thread, someone posted that I can mount the 245/35/21s on the rear 21x9" Turbine rims. I just want to confirm that's not a problem

Yes, you can mount the 245s on the 9" rims, but it was undetermined what would happen if they were rotated to the front, which has 8.5" rims. So you can go for all four 245s, but still can't rotate front-to-back unless you're willing to risk an unsupported configuration.

2. Given #1, are there any serious downsides/tradeoffs, besides just having slightly narrower rear tires with possibly less grip?

People have told me that the grip is essentially the same, rather, it's cornering that changes with narrower tires. But I don't slam on my MS or race it or track it, so the potential slight reduction in cornering/handling hasn't been noticed by me.

3. Does the toe-in settings for the P85+ need to be adjusted if I don't have the stock 265s on the rears? If so, how do I find out the correct settings for alignment?

I've been told that there are no adjustment necessary.

4. What happens if I rotate the rims front-to-back, but they all have the same size tire? Is that kosher? (i.e. 8.5" rims on the rear and 9" rims on the front)

See #1.

To solve that problem, I traded another MS owner my two 9" rims for his two 8.5" rims, so now I have a matching set all around, and I can rotate front to back.

Oh, and I think I posted this before. If I had to do it all over again, I would seriously consider keeping the 9" rims in the rear and putting on the Hankook 275s. That then makes them non-rotatable, but maintains the staggered set up with much less expensive tires. If I ever come across a cheap pair of 9" rims, I may do that. But maybe not, the 245s ride real nice.

 

[Mayhemm]

Yes, you can mount the 245s on the 9" rims, but it was undetermined what would happen if they were rotated to the front, which has 8.5" rims. So you can go for all four 245s, but still can't rotate front-to-back unless you're willing to risk an unsupported configuration.

Yeah, this is the part I was unsure on. If I can't really rotate them anyway, I'll probably stick with the 265 tires. Trying to squeeze some more life out of the tires via rotation was one of my main reasons for considering the change to 245's.

Oh, and I think I posted this before. If I had to do it all over again, I would seriously consider keeping the 9" rims in the rear and putting on the Hankook 275s. That then makes them non-rotatable, but maintains the staggered set up with much less expensive tires. If I ever come across a cheap pair of 9" rims, I may do that. But maybe not, the 245s ride real nice.

I may end up doing something like this in the end (Paying $500+ per tire still rubs me the wrong way). The only concern I have is that, IIRC, the Hankook 275's also drop to a 30 ratio and I think those would be a bit too skinny for me, comfort and durability-wise. I also notice the load index drops to 98 from 101. Would this still be sufficient for Model S?

Anyway, thanks for dredging up the info for me!

 

[mnx]

Yeah, this is the part I was unsure on. If I can't really rotate them anyway, I'll probably stick with the 265 tires. Trying to squeeze some more life out of the tires via rotation was one of my main reasons for considering the change to 245's.


I may end up doing something like this in the end (Paying $500+ per tire still rubs me the wrong way). The only concern I have is that, IIRC, the Hankook 275's also drop to a 30 ratio and I think those would be a bit too skinny for me, comfort and durability-wise. I also notice the load index drops to 98 from 101. Would this still be sufficient for Model S?

Anyway, thanks for dredging up the info for me!

The 21" conti DW have a load rating of 96 and the 19" goodyear RS-A2 have a load rating of 98. So anything over 96 should be fine (at least on the RWD cars, not sure if you need a higher rating for the P85D and 85D.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=ExtremeContact+DW&sidewall=Blackwall&partnum=435YR1ECDWXL&tab=Sizes

 

[HankLloydRight]

The only concern I have is that, IIRC, the Hankook 275's also drop to a 30 ratio and I think those would be a bit too skinny for me, comfort and durability-wise.

Wow, I didn't notice that. I thought for sure that 275/35/21s were available last time I looked.

Going from 35 to 30 would change the overall diameter by .3". That could mess with the traction control/ABS and whatever else might depend on that from the rear wheels (speeed calcs, etc). Sure, it's only a 1% change. And yeah, the 35s are already skinny.. no need to go even skinnier on those soft 21s.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Another member sent me this message:

"Use the RPM of the tire, not the OD. The OD can't be used for gearing or traction control. OD is just for fitting it in the wheel well."

Thanks.

So the RPM for the 245s is 727, and the 275s 733... so an even smaller difference (increase) of just 0.82%. But still, the 30s are too narrow for comfort, especially in this part of the country (New England).

YMMV (literally).

 

[Mayhemm]

So the RPM for the 245s is 727, and the 275s 733... so an even smaller difference (increase) of just 0.82%. But still, the 30s are too narrow for comfort, especially in this part of the country (New England).

Never been to NE, but I imagine our roads here aren't much better than yours. However, I think I may go the Hankook route anyway, despite any compromises. They're cheap enough that if they ride horribly or prove too susceptible to damage I can just change them out for something else. And then I would know.

But I don't need to make a decision for at least a couple months so, who knows, I may end up changing my mind again. :biggrin:

Thanks again for your help.

 

[HankLloydRight]

They're cheap enough that if they ride horribly or prove too susceptible to damage I can just change them out for something else. And then I would know.

Oh, they ride and perform great. You won't be disappointed.

And the damage I was referring to was to the soft alloy 21" wheels from potholes, not the tires!

 

[evolve]

I have a P85D and like all hate the tread life and cost of the Michelins. Many of you have talked about using the standard 245x35x21 on the front but going to a 285x30x21 on the rear. Tesla tech says that may cause all kinds of issues with all things that get sensed by the rear wheels but doesn't really seem to have any experience to speak from. I need new tires now, esp on the rear. The rpm on the stock 265x35x21 is 735 while the rpm on the 285x30x21 is 749, a 1.9% difference. I can totally live with that as far as odometer, mileage forecast, etc but wonder if anyone has done this and had any other issues like abs or traction control on curves or tire pressure misreading or anything else.

 

[jerry33]

The tire pressure reading won't be a problem. Can't speak for anything else.

 

[evolve]

No problem getting the 285s on the 9" rear rim? Tire is rated for 9.5-10.5" rim.

 

[3mp_kwh]

I have a P85D and like all hate the tread life and cost of the Michelins. Many of you have talked about using the standard 245x35x21 on the front but going to a 285x30x21 on the rear. Tesla tech says that may cause all kinds of issues with all things that get sensed by the rear wheels but doesn't really seem to have any experience to speak from. I need new tires now, esp on the rear. The rpm on the stock 265x35x21 is 735 while the rpm on the 285x30x21 is 749, a 1.9% difference. I can totally live with that as far as odometer, mileage forecast, etc but wonder if anyone has done this and had any other issues like abs or traction control on curves or tire pressure misreading or anything else.

I can only say "I've heard", but a mechanic I use once claimed he didn't see issues manifest until about a 3-5% difference. That wasn't for Tesla, and doesn't mean Tesla won't have problems sooner, or later, in the RPM difference. One other thing was that problems tend to show up, right away. Like, stability control going active before you are out of the parking lot. This is risky stuff, but if one person's experience is good (accepting how tire brands can differ), the next guy in a Model S is likely not to have any issues, either.