Tesla Model X Goodyear Tyre Replacement

We recent had a customer place an order online for a puncture repair or a tyre for their Tesla Model X. After placing the order, the office gave them a quick call to confirm the details of the booking. During the call, the customer was unsure if the tyre they had chosen (if it was not repairable) was right for their vehicle. Some vehicle manufactures require the use of specific rated tyres. In this instance, the customer had chosen a Goodyear Eagle F1 which has T0 written on the side. The T0 stands for Tesla fitment. When comparing a standard Eagle F1 to the T0 fitment one, you will notice that the internal structure, chemical compound and outer pattern has changed very slightly to ensure the least amount of rolling resistance. This helps extend the life of the electric motor and ensures the customer receives the most amount of electric range. 

Upon arrival, we always inspect the vehicle to understand what's going on and monitor the tread depths. All four tyres still had a good amount of tread left (about 4.5mm) but, the offside rear tyre had deflated completely. Unlike a petrol/internal combustion vehicle, electric cars have a giant battery pack as the floor which means we have to be ultra careful when jacking the vehicle up as one wrong move could cause a rupture in the pack. In addition to finding the safe jacking point, we use a rubber puck on the jack to help cushion and spread the load. We then removed the wheel in a normal fashion.

The surprisingly light wheel was then taken and placed on the bench in our van. After inflating the tyre, we spritzed it with a mixture of water and soap to identify where the air was leaking from. In this instance, there was a screw atop a small bump on the side-wall of the tyre. The air was leaking from around the screw but the bulge around it was more concerning as this indicates that the chords have been sheared and all the inside pressure is concentrated on that small weak patch. This is not repairable and should be replaced straight away. If the tyre continues to be driven on, it will almost certainly cause the tyre to pop. After finding the fault, we deflated the tyre, broke the bead and inspected the rim for any further damage. Luckily, everything was A-OK and it seemed as though the tyre took the brunt of the damage.

Before installation of the new tyre, the bead was cleaned to remove any debris. The new 285/35 R22 Goodyear Eagle F1 Tesla Fitment tyre was then installed, inflated and balanced on our mobile balancing machine. After being given a quick clean, the wheel was then popped back onto the Tesla, the nuts hand tightened and lowered to the ground where we could torque the nuts to the correct setting.

In usual circumstances, we take payment on our onboard card reader. But, we recent events, we take the publics health very seriously. In order to help protect our customer's we can give you a quick call on the phone to take payment. As for the keys and the locking wheel nut, these are all sanitised before handing back.