how wide tires could you fit in a gw tesla?

[mrelwood]

3 hours ago, Boogieman said:

So you are saying that bicycle tyres are not measured by the rim, but at the outer diameter. That's odd. Two standards

So the tesla is actually a12" diameter rim.

Good to know, thanks 

Exactly. Here are two tires, a 16”x2.5” I’ve used in my 16S, and a motorcycle tire 3.00” - 12” that is attached to an Airwheel A3 that also uses 16” tires. Same 12” inner diameter.

Edited July 1, 2018 by mrelwood

[Sergej Gerasimenko]

On 5/11/2018 at 7:38 PM, Shad0z said:

can it be something with the numbers on the side? the stock tire is 57-305 but the new kenda 2.50 tire said something like 67-305

I think I am gonna try with 2.25 or 2.35 tyre, groove profile tyre on Tesla for better grip on offroad upphills. 

[Shad0z]

5 hours ago, Sergej Gerasimenko said:

I think I am gonna try with 2.25 or 2.35 tyre, groove profile tyre on Tesla for better grip on offroad upphills. 

that'll probably work

[Boogieman]

A 16*1.75" bicycle tyre wont do it i guess? For the Tesla. We have those at Biltema for just 6€ :-) 

Damn hard to find motorbike tyres, but it must be awesome on the tesla due to the reinforced side walls and much better structure (and with the right nozzle yiu can go tubeless to prevent adding to much weight due to the reinforcement on the motor bile wheel)

[mrelwood]

On 10/18/2018 at 6:38 PM, Boogieman said:

A 16*1.75" bicycle tyre wont do it i guess?

Might be a bit nasty in the handling department. I think anything below 2.5” is too skinny for an EUC...

On 10/18/2018 at 6:38 PM, Boogieman said:

and with the right nozzle yiu can go tubeless

As with @Sergej Gerasimenko’s plan about a 2.25-2.35” tire, good luck finding a suitable one. ☹️ Finding a tubeless valve that would have the curve low enough and an otherwise suitable profile proved to be too bothersome so I gave up. Though if you do find one (that ships internationally), do let us know!

If the Tesla has close enough tolerances for the tire, not even all 2.125” tires with a rougher profile will fit.

[Boogieman]

On 10/22/2018 at 5:28 PM, mrelwood said:

Might be a bit nasty in the handling department. I think anything below 2.5” is too skinny for an EUC...

As with @Sergej Gerasimenko’s plan about a 2.25-2.35” tire, good luck finding a suitable one. ☹️ Finding a tubeless valve that would have the curve low enough and an otherwise suitable profile proved to be too bothersome so I gave up. Though if you do find one (that ships internationally), do let us know!

Damn, the valve ANGLE. I didn't think of that, i just thought of having one that fits a bicycle tube hole..

But that means i also need a "special tube" when not going tubeless, since the angled valve is integrated with the tube :-(

Damn i Think i need to order a spare hose and tyre for next year. Dont want to be grounded a month due to China delivery IN CASE i run a flat. And puncture spray is not good for wheel balance so..

Edited October 27, 2018 by Boogieman

[NECway]

6 hours ago, Boogieman said:

Damn, the valve ANGLE. I didn't think of that, i just thought of having one that fits a bicycle tube hole..

But that means i also need a "special tube" when not going tubeless, since the angled valve is integrated with the tube :-(

Damn i Think i need to order a spare hose and tyre for next year. Dont want to be grounded a month due to China delivery IN CASE i run a flat. And puncture spray is not good for wheel balance so..

I got this one as a spare. Looks like it is a correct one, but I have not mounted it yet, since the only flat that I got on the Telsa I was able to patch.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/High-quality-electric-bicycle-tires-16x2-125-inch-Electric-Bicycle-tire-bike-tyre-whole-sale-use/32451758821.html

[Boogieman]

Well I didnt follow my own advice and order a spare tube and tyre in advance.
Now I am at 0mm pattern depth (slick) and got my first puncture  some small pieces of glass I could withdraw from the tyre (really small but noeugh aparently)

After a sweaty walk i bought Zefal puncture slime + CRC bike fix aeorsole slime + patch kit.
Though I was going to patch iy up real quick qithout disassembling and while I got the tube out of the tyre i did not manage to find the hole even with soap water and pumping the tube over and over.
So in the end Zefal rescued me - valve of - spin wheel (= power on and tilt back and forth), pumped it to minimum pressure (by mistake - mind glitch) and drove a few km then waited 12h and pumed it to max pressure.
So far 3 days - still good.

Will order a few hoses and tyres now - looking at the clearance to the shell diamterwise - its like Shadoz said - super tight.
Even with a slick i just have 7mm between ride surface of tyre and shell + the thread depth on the )comparingly) fresh sides is 3-4mm which means when a new tyre is fitted there will be about 3-4mm clearance with a 2.125 ORIGINAL tyre.

Unless I can find a low profile 2.5" wheel I will have to go for standard 2.125"
Widthwise there is no problem with a 2.5" tyre - I could probably even fit a 3" if I were to cut out a bit of the shell at the bottom part, but then it will move very close to the "rear of the battery compartment" widthwise - but diameterwise - no way it would fit, unless as I said there are low profile tyres, but as I understand it on mrelwood it doesnt work that way with tubed tyres - so I guess all out of luck :-(

On the other hand - the rim is made for a 2.125" inch tyre meaning the sidewalls are parallell from the tyre to the rim edges.
A 3" tyre would cause the tyre wall to be non parallell and likely affect ride performance a tad.
 

For Nordic people, this was the puncture fix I bought at Clas Ohlsson. It even included a schraeder valve bit to be able to remove the vavle body.
I used half the bottle (60ml) and it seemed enough (adviced amount for a bicycle tyre that has a larger diamter so probably a bit too much).
I can say that there is a slight inbalance noted at high speeds after adding this, just like there can be on a car.
https://www.clasohlson.com/se/Punkteringsskydd-Zéfal-Sealant/31-8523?gclid=CjwKCAjwm4rqBRBUEiwAwaWjjAclWgBFcKHpgzG87_J87HbdZJF7ESjYgmoFpuYmrkmVuOJjO5jrRxoCg5YQAvD_BwE

While I am intirgued to use slime for delayed punctures, I dont like the inbalance noted, so I will probably just keep my CRC puncture spray with me at rides, I got this one. Havent tried it yet, but in CRC I trust  A 4* as large car can just cost 10SEK more, but it would be hard to get the right pressure (risk to blow up the hose I guess) and correct amount of sealant by apoximating 1/4 of a spray bottle + its very bulky for the rucksack so this one it is for me
https://www.clasohlson.com/se/Punkteringsspray-CRC/34-9060

Edited August 1, 2019 by Boogieman

[mrelwood]

6 hours ago, Boogieman said:

unless as I said there are low profile tyres, but as I understand it on mrelwood it doesnt work that way with tubed tyres

The tires we use don’t have a structure within them that would allow for the tire to keep an actual shape, like a car tire does. So when filled up, the tire always takes the shape of a torus.

The overall diameter seems to roughly follow a pattern of rim diameter - 0.5 + tire width * 2. That results the outer diameter of MSX tire to be 19.5”, 18x2.5: 18.5”, 16x3”: 17.5”, 16x2.5”: 16.5”, 16x2.125”: 16.25”.

Z10 is an exception, but it has a much wider rim, and a tire that in my understanding has some frame built in the way a motorcycle tire does.

Edited August 2, 2019 by mrelwood

[alcatraz]

On 7/1/2018 at 1:24 PM, mrelwood said:

Exactly. Here are two tires, a 16”x2.5” I’ve used in my 16S, and a motorcycle tire 3.00” - 12” that is attached to an Airwheel A3 that also uses 16” tires. Same 12” inner diameter.

Hey mrelwood. Do you remember the reduction in clearance in the middle of the tire going from your old 57-305 (2.125) to this 62-305 (2.5) on the 16S? Are we talking around 5mm or 10mm?

Do you remember if the old/original tire was a 54-305 or a 57-305? Both are called 2.125in.

I'm going to try putting a narrower 2.5 or wider 2.125 on the tesla. Currently I have a 57-305 and it looks like I have nearly 10mm clearance which is pretty good.

Edit: What's the model number of that 62-305 tire? It's usually 4 numbers preceeded by a "C-". Thanks!

Edited January 21, 2020 by alcatraz

[mrelwood]

27 minutes ago, alcatraz said:

Hey mrelwood. Do you remember the reduction in clearance in the middle of the tire going from your old 57-305 (2.125) to this 62-305 (2.5) on the 16S? Are we talking around 5mm or 10mm?

I have to go by guesswork here, but none of the 2.5” tires fit in the 16S without adding clearance by lifting the shell. The theoretical .375” increase in width is 9.5mm, which usually increases the diameter by about 6mm.

I don’t remember the original mm designation, but I do have a feeling that the designations are not precise enough to compare millimeters between manufacturers. For example, the 3.00” ChaoYang H-5102 on the MSX actually measures 2.75” (= -6mm) while even the ChaoYang H-666 measures close to actual 3.0” and is a very tight fit.

The SY tire in the picure has the same pattern than a CST C-1488, and IIRC the brand is tied CST. So I do call it the C-1488. But the tire is long worn out and tossed away...

[alcatraz]

Guesswork is fine by me. I'm curious about the visual (i know flawed) clearance difference going from original 16S tire to the one in the picture?

Seems lifting the shell is necessary then. I'm curious to maximizing the tire without modifying the machine. (Although the idea of a 2.5in tesla is mesmerizing, I'd probably do eventually lift the shell to fit one.)

I'm trying to quantify the difference between tires.

Do you think the number 62-305 is a typo for this tire or was it indeed a bit narrower than a standard 2.5in tire that 90% of the time is stamped 64-305?

When you lifted the 16S, did you ovalise the existing holes or drill new ones? How much is the offset?

Edited January 21, 2020 by alcatraz

[mrelwood]

 

5 hours ago, alcatraz said:

I'm curious to maximizing the tire without modifying the machine.

That might turn out to be difficult. While the mm ratings vary a bit, I’ve never paid attention to them, since the width are far from being that precise. The way I see it is that these tires are manufactured roughly to fit to the inch standards, and just slabbed on with the closest mm rating. I might be wrong of course and it’s the other way around.

 

5 hours ago, alcatraz said:

I'm trying to quantify the difference between tires.

How wide the tire ends up being when inflated depends on the rim width as well, which might be why the ratings are not precise. I haven’t even checked what the rim widths on my EUCs are, I’ve just happily bought any tire I wish that could or should fit.

5 hours ago, alcatraz said:

Do you think the number 62-305 is a typo for this tire or was it indeed a bit narrower than a standard 2.5in tire that 90% of the time is stamped 64-305?

Could be narrower, could be just the rating class that the manufacturer prefers to use, or could be designed for a narrower rim. I have no idea.

5 hours ago, alcatraz said:

When you lifted the 16S, did you ovalise the existing holes or drill new ones? How much is the offset?

16S has it easy. After trimming the shell edges to fit the tire, the shell can just be installed with four bolts instead of the regular six, so that the shell sits one bolt row height higher than usual. It is perhaps 15mm, so plenty of clearance.

I did make small plastic blocks that the shell sits on though, as to not stress the bolt holes. And to cover the ones that are now left empty.

I think I made a posting with pictures some two years ago when I made the switch.

[alcatraz]

Very good suggestions.

I've decided to mod the tesla to fit a 2.5in tire in a similar way. A 2.5inch tire is on the way. (I suspect it's the same tire that you have pictured. A CST C-1488 16x2.5 marked 62x305. I believe this tire to be slightly narrower than most 2.5 inch tires and thus easier to get to fit with tight clearances.

I will not grind along the tire centerline, especially not under the mainboard.  I'll only do it a little bit in front and in the back.

Then I'll check how far I need to raise the shell to clear the tire. I'm hoping it needs not more than 5mm.

I'll let you know how it went, with pictures.

Later I'll build new battery packs using panasonic 21700 cells that tesla motors use in their new cars. They are dirt cheap here in China. I'll build two packs with one external BMS. I can choose to ride one pack for lightness 17-18kg or two for range ~20kg. 750Wh vs 1500Wh.

[alcatraz]

If it goes well I might even try a 3 inch tire later. There is plenty of room widthwise, just not diameterwise. It all depends on how much shell needs to be cut away in front/at the back, and how high you need to raise the shell. 

It all depends on if I feel the need of a 3 inch tire when I start dropping the pressure on the 2.5 inch one.

[zeroSIXzero]

I follow your testing. Please take some photos if it all....

Edited February 3, 2020 by zeroSIXzero

[alcatraz]

17 hours ago, zeroSIXzero said:

I follow your testing. Please take some photos if it all....

I will. The tire will be delivered soon.

[EUCyou]

This is lifted Tesla with 2.5 tire customized by me:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=19UVwndTpGZd07Hlqr6aZAxHWC9BhwAvk

[alcatraz]

This was unexpected.

The CST C-1488 16x2.5 62x305 tire fit my tesla with only a very very slight rub, without any modification. As the tire is brand new I expect the first few km will shave off the "hair" and make it completely silent. I'm going to ride it and report back. I'm cautiously optimistic.

Obviously I wouldn't recommend taking this tire new directly to high speed (as the tire stretches a bit). With age it should stretch too which could be a problem.

The first pic shows the same CST C-1488 tire but 2.125in and used.

[alcatraz]

[alcatraz]

When the tire is deflated it rubs a lot. When inflating it the diameter is reduced and suddenly it spins freely. Thay's when I had my first "wow" moment.

Also notice that the shell is slightly higher. I loosened all the shell bolts and retightened with the motor hanging from them to get possibly an extra millimeter of top clearance.

I don't mind cutting the shell but for now I want to see if I can get this to work.

The reason why spray foam could be necessary is because if you trim the shell at 9 and 3 o' clock you open up the moon shaped cavity where the control board sits. If you ride in rain with a hole there the tire will spray the inside with water.

[zeroSIXzero]

And now you must also tell us how it rides. The feeling. Changes.

[zeroSIXzero]

On 2/6/2020 at 1:40 PM, EUCyou said:

This is lifted Tesla with 2.5 tire customized by me:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=19UVwndTpGZd07Hlqr6aZAxHWC9BhwAvk

And the benefits? Feeling when riding it?

[EUCyou]

6 minutes ago, zeroSIXzero said:

And the benefits? Feeling when riding it?

It feels between Tesla and MSX. Pedal height more than MSX so now it's really cool on offroad. Supexla (Lifted Tesla)) has a little bit slower acceleration from 0kmh than stock one, but 1week riding and it's OK. 
I have youtube channel "Delight Device" there are a lot of EUC compare videos also about lifted Telsa. 

[zeroSIXzero]

17 minutes ago, EUCyou said:

It feels between Tesla and MSX. Pedal height more than MSX so now it's really cool on offroad. Supexla (Lifted Tesla)) has a little bit slower acceleration from 0kmh than stock one, but 1week riding and it's OK. 
I have youtube channel "Delight Device" there are a lot of EUC compare videos also about lifted Telsa. 

Off road is my main goal for my Tesla. At the moment the low pedals fuck me over everytime I go out on the narrow bike tracks we have here. A mod feels like a must. That or getting a MSX.

But I would prefer saving som money and mod the Tesla.