It is hard to deny the Tesla Model 3 is one of the hottest cars on the market. Now with any newer vehicle one of the most common questions people ask us is: “Will these wheels fit my car?” (or something to that effect). We realize the information out there can be both confusing and a little hard to sort through, so we wanted to put together a comprehensive wheel fitment guide to help you choose the best wheels for your Model 3. With this guide you’ll have a better understanding of what fits, what doesn’t, why it will or won’t, and what kind of effects different wheel setups can have on your Model 3. We realize some of this is elementary to a few of our readers, so bear with us through some of the details you may already know/understand.
Warning! If you have a Performance Model you will need to be careful when selecting wheels. The Performance Model comes with a slightly different hub center that is stepped. Unfortunately there are currently no hub rings that work with a multi diameter hub. Therefore, the hub center of your wheels must be custom machined which is not possible with all manufacturers.
Index:
Stock Fitments (Page 1)
Effects of lowering on fitments (Page 1)
How different setups will affect the Model 3’s Performance and Range (page 2)
Wheel Spacers (page 3)
Stock Height Fitments (page 4)
Lowered Fitments (page 5)
Aggressive (lowered) Fitments (page 6)
Recommended Wheel Brands & Models (page 7)
Tire sizing & types (compounds) (page 8)
Stock Fitments:
To give you a reference of what your Model 3 is equipped with from the factory we will list the stock wheel specifications. If you do not have a firm understanding of what wheel offsets are and how they affect where the wheel sits in relationship to the fender here are the basics:
- A higher offset (large positive numerical value) moves the wheel towards the inside of the vehicle.
- A lower offset (smaller positive numerical value) moves the wheel towards the outside of the vehicle.
Model 3 Factory Wheel Sizes (diameter x width) + offset | Weight (in lbs each) | Tire Sizes | Tire Weight:
- 18×8.5 +40 | 21.60 lbs | 235/45R18 (Michelin Primacy MXM4*) | 25 lbs
These wheels weigh 23.00 lbs with the Aero Cover
- 19×8.5 +40 | 25.00 lbs | 235/40R19 (Continental ProContact RX) | 23 lbs
- 20×8.5 +40 | 28.75 lbs | 235/35R20 (Michelin Pilot Sport 4S) | 24 lbs
- 20×8.5 +35 | 28-29 lbs | 235/30R20 (Michelin Pilot Sport 4S) | 24 lbs (Dual Motor Front)
- 20×8.5 +35 | 28-29 lbs | 275/30R20 (Michelin Pilot Sport 4S) | 28 lbs (Dual Motor Rear)
Wider rear tire size is only for Performance and Long Range Dual Motor Models sold in warm climate areas. You will need to check your rear tire size to know if your Model 3 came equipped with this size rear wheel and tire.
* These are the most common tires in this size, but depending on your region (climate based) you could also have Michelin PS4 (Summer – for warm climates), Michelin MXM4 (All-Season – for moderate climates).
It is important to note that the change in overall diameter of each size differs by only 0.4%. When we are selecting aftermarket tire sizes, we ideally would like to keep the new tires as close to the factory diameters as possible. If you do not know how to calculate overall diameters of tires, the formula is simply “[(width x aspect ratio *as percentage* x 2) + inner diameter].”
Example: 235/40R19
The width is 235mm with an aspect ratio of 40% (0.40) and an inner diameter of 19 inches (or 482.6mm)
[((235mm x 0.40) x 2) + 482.6mm] = 670.6mm or 26.4 inches
There are several ways of achieving a more “flush fitment” (outside of the wheel lines up with the fender). You can lower the offset, increase the wheel width, or both.
Effects of Lowering on Fitments:
Now let’s get the ball rolling with a question: why have we included fitments for both lowered and stock height Model 3s? Simple, the wheels will look better when paired with their intended configuration, and lowering the Model 3 actually has a significant effect on the static position of the wheels within the fenders. We recognize that not everyone will want to lower their Model 3 (although they should) so it is recommended that you only shop for lowered fitments if your car is either already lowered or you are planning to lower it.
Obviously right now you’re wondering “Well why does lowering have a significant effect on the static position of the wheels within the fenders?” Great question! The Model 3 uses a front A-Arm suspension which many of you are familiar with. As you lower the vehicle the A-Arm geometry shifts up and effectively moves the wheels inboard. This creates more clearance between the wheel/tire and fender (see diagram).
The rear uses a multi-link suspension so it will behave in a similar way creating a little more clearance between the wheel and fender once lowered.
Naturally there are several lowering options available for the Model 3 already, but many of them are from companies whose products we are not familiar with so we cannot fairly comment on the quality or performance of them. The being said, if you are interested in lowering your Model 3 you can check out the Model 3 suspension section of our website to see our recommended lowering solutions. This page is constantly being updated so be sure to check back periodically to see what new parts we have available.
Stock Fitments (Page 1)
Effects of lowering on fitments (Page 1)
How different setups will affect the Model 3’s Performance and Range (page 2)
Wheel Spacers (page 3)
Stock Height Fitments (page 4)
Lowered Fitments (page 5)
Aggressive (lowered) Fitments (page 6)
Recommended Wheel Brands & Models (page 7)
Tire sizing & types (compounds) (page 8)