Our customer recently upgraded from a standard range Model Y to a long range dual motor Model Y and wanted to take it camping and to trails for photography. The factory setup that came on this 2024 Model Y is a 255/45R19 104W Kumho Magesty 9 EV tire which is a grand touring all season. These tires are designed for comfort and reduced NVH but they tend to not offer much grip off road or in the snow. Additionally, the stock ground clearance is notoriously poor and many have damaged their underbodies even with regular street driving. Although this vehicle will likely only go down forest service roads, they do tend to have fairly deep potholes that can damage the undertrays and battery on the Tesla.
Ride comfort remains a priority with the Model Y as the factory suspension does tend to ride a bit stiff. So we went for a set of our flow formed TS2B wheels in 18x8.5 +35. This wheel was picked for a few reasons, the aesthetic of the Tesla center cap, easy cleaning of the black wheel with large spoke openings, and lightweight flow formed design. This 18" wheel weighs in at just 21lbs which is a 9lb weight saving over the factory 19x9.5 +45 Gemini wheels that are almost 30lbs. They are a direct fit wheel for the Model 3 and Y and require no hub rings or aftermarket lug nuts. A lighter wheel results in less unsprung and rotational mass, thus improving acceleration and ride comfort. To avoid issues with compatibility, we are using Tesla's original BLE TPMS sensors, we strongly recommend running sensors on all Tesla models.
For the tire, we went with the Falken Wildpeak AT Trail in 255/55R18 109V. This is an upsized 29.0" tire compared to the factory 28.0" tire, so ground clearance is improved by about half an inch. As it's a SUV sized tire, the load rating is improved as well and it is still a V rated tire which means it has a 149mph/240kmh top speed which matches that of the MYLR. Because it's such a beefier tire with significantly thicker sidewalls, we knew that there would be a weight penalty with so much more rubber. These tires weigh in at 37.5 lbs which is 8.5 lbs more than the factory Kumhos. So in the end our net weight is the same although we have a larger overall package thanks to the flow formed wheels.
The Wildpeak AT Trail is the milder tire of Falken's all terrain range. Compared to the Falken AT4W which is made for more serious off roading and rock crawling, the Trail model will have better on road comfort and handling. They still offer a very aggressive looking sidewall and in this 55 series, it really pops out on the Quicksilver Model Y. The increased tire profile from 45 to 55 series will also increase ride comfort significantly. These are also 3PMSF winter rated which will offer superior winter performance over the factory M+S only tires. They offer an additional 2/32" of tread depth over the factory all seasons as well.
With the Long Range Model Y, 18" wheels fit with ease. When mounting and balancing these wheels, we take extra caution to run a low-profile wheel weight which is less likely to make contact with any suspension or brake components when off roading, as rocks and dirt will tend to get in the wheel barrels. We don't recommend the 18" setup for cars with the upgraded Performance calipers as rear brake clearance will be tight. We also don't recommend using caliper covers with these 18" setups. As is there is more than a finger's worth of gap at any point of contact between the wheel and the car.
For those looking for even more off road capable setup, Eibach lift springs might be worth considering. These will offer over 2" of lift and help with ground clearance, and increased load if packing lots of camping gear. However, do note that lift springs will reduce ride comfort as they are stiffer and will limit down travel of the strut.