Tesla Model 3 - 19" Aftermarket Wheel Recommendations

This is a companion article to our Tesla Model 3 Aftermarket Wheel Guide specifically covering 19" wheels for the Tesla Model 3. As a TL;DR to the full guide, Emotive Engineering recommends a strong, lightweight wheel with matching wheel widths at all four corners and an appropriate load rating and offset. The following is a curated selection of high quality flow-formed and forged wheels that Emotive Engineering would not hesitate to put on the shop car.

In the early days of mounting aftermarket wheels, enthusiasts used the term "plus-sizing" wheels. Your car might have come with 14" diameter wheels and it would not be common to mount 16" (+2) or even 17" (+3) wheels. Today it is common for your vehicle to be equipped with low-profile tires from the factory and many choose to "minus-size" for performance, comfort, or to reduce the chance of wheel damage.

A 19" wheel is a fantastic balance of aesthetics and performance on the Tesla Model 3 - and a size that Tesla themselves offer as a sport upgrade on the non-Performance models. It is a minus-one (-1) from the OEM Tesla Model 3 Performance size allowing for more protection from road hazards and offering a larger range of tire options while still maintaining the good looks of a larger wheelset. The 19" is a plus-one (+1) from the "Base" Model 3 and gives the car a sportier look while preserving good ride quality and a healthy tire sidewall.

Considerations

At the most basic level, the Tesla Model 3 requires a 5x114.3 bolt pattern wheel with at least a 64.1mm center bore and M14 drilled lug holes. The Model 3 Performance has a unique hub with a 70.1mm center bore that steps to 64.1mm. This can be cleared with a 3mm spacer, aftermarket brake rotors such as the GiroDisc 2-Piece rotors, or a larger center bore. The "Base" Model 3 and Model 3 Performance also have different rotor hat thicknesses. The Model 3 Performance hat is approximately 3mm thinner which requires a lower offset wheel to clear the front knuckle than the "Base" Model 3. For perfect fender fitment, narrower wheel widths afford a much wider range of offsets that allow you to tune wheel and tire clearance with spacers. If fitting a wider wheel you will need to dial in offset more carefully. Mounting a factory width 8.5" or a narrower 8" wheel for snow duty is fairly straight-forward as are wheels going up to 9.5". 10" and above widths will require more careful alignment, tires, and offset calculations - and possibly grinding of the front suspension knuckle for clearance.

The range of recommended offsets for the Tesla Model 3 running a square wheel setup are:

It is important to note again that 10"/10J+ and above wheels will require very careful fitment on the front axle. Also note that some aftermarket brake rotors will have a different hat thickness than OEM. For instance, the GiroDisc 2-piece rotors push the wheel out 4mm and change the "effective offset" of your wheel setup by the same amount. The two primary contact points to watch out for are the curvature of the front suspension knuckle and the lip of the front and rear fenders. Too high an offset will rub on the inside. Too low an offset may cause fender damage through normal suspension travel. Narrower wheels below 9J may be able to fitted with a higher offset, however, the fitment may look a bit "funny" as the wheels are sunk in to the body and you will be decreasing the track width of the vehicle - an undesirable trait for handling performance.

Our aftermarket wheel guide has more detailed information on considerations and gotchas when selecting aftermarket wheels for your Model 3. 19" wheels offer more front suspension arm and brake clearance than their 18" counterparts, so going for wide wheels in a 19" can be ever so slightly less tricky.

Good

Konig Dekagram

19x9.5 +35 Konig Dekagram Face "A" Concavity in Semi-Matte Black

Konig Wheels have been a mainstay in the aftermarket wheel scene since the 1980s and their universal 5x114.3 offsets almost seem custom made for the Tesla Model 3. The Konig Dekagram is a flow-formed wheel featuring a classic 10-spoke look and deep motorsport-inspired spokes for excellent brake clearance. These weigh in at just under 21lbs and fit easily on your Model 3 with a +35 offset.

Konig Countergram

Konig Countergram in Matte Black with Matte Machined Lip

Knock a spoke off of the Dekagram and you arrive at the street-styled Countergram. The Countergram comes in an 19x9.5" +35 for easy fitment or a +25 if you are running particularly aggressive camber with an appropriately narrow tire so as not to destroy your fenders. The 9.5J weighs in at just under 25lbs. For those looking to go WIDE, the Countergram also comes in a 19x10" +25 fitment which add an additional pound in weight.

Better

APEX SM-10

19x9" +34 APEX SM-10 in Satin Black

If you pay a visit to a local track day or club race, you are bound to find many examples of APEX wheels throughout the paddock. Popularized in the BMW community, APEX became known for making lightweight and strong flow-formed track wheels at an affordable price. The SM-10 is part of APEX's second generation wheels - a modern motorsport designed Flow Formed track wheel with I-beam spokes and advanced weight saving techniques. If you are looking for an aftermarket wheel to run a 245/40R19 or 255/40R19 tire on your Model 3 for an efficient yet grippy setup, the SM-10 is ideally sized in a 19x9" +34 for Tesla fitment.

Gram Lights

19x9.5" +35 Gram Lights 57CR in Gun Blue II

It is sometimes hard to tell if the very American Tesla Model 3 has more Japanese or European car styling. This is especially true when it comes to mounting aftermarket wheels as a set of BBS or Volk Racing wheels seem to look equally as stunning. The Gram Lights 57 series wheels bring that Japanese Domestic Market flavor to the Model 3 in big ways. The 5-spoke CR and the 6-spoke DR both come in a 19x9.5" +35 and an array of Rays Engineering's colorways. Weighing in at around 22lbs for the CR and 24lbs for the DR these Gram Lights make good on their namesake. These are typically special order with a 6 to 9-month lead time, but email for current stock. Sometimes a set or two is ready to ship.

19x9.5" +35 Gram Lights 57DR in Semi-Gloss Black

SSR GTX01

19x9.5" +35 SSR GTX01 in Dark Silver

This is a highly biased entry. My first set of high-end wheels were a set of SSR Schumachers. These were followed on my next car by the SSR Competition. These wheels are, sadly, no longer in production - but SSR has continued the game with their latest GTX wheel offerings. The GTX01 in 19x9.5" +35 is a perfect fit on the Tesla Model 3. Weighing in at about 21lbs, they feature SSR's proprietary flow-forming method which results in a strong wheel that is ready to hit the street or track.

Best

Volk Racing TE37

19x9.5" +28 Volk Racing TE37 in Bronze Almite / "OG Bronze"

Originally weighing in at just 3.7kgs, the 15x6" Touring Evolution 37 was Volk Racing's entry in to making a mass market lightweight yet rigid wheel. With extensive experience in developing wheels for motorsports from their domestic touring car series Japanese Super GT all the way up to Formula One, Rays Engineering's Volk Racing TE37 has become one of the most desirable street wheels of all time. Rays uses a method known as mold-form-forging which creates the wheel's shape while the aluminum is being forged. As opposed to forged blanks having material machined away, mold-form-forging allows the metal's grain to be set as the wheel is taking shape resulting in added strength to the structure. The resulting product is a rigid and lightweight wheel for your Tesla Model 3 weighing in at approximately 21lbs. The TE37 is available in Tesla-specific fitments of a standard easy fit +34 19x9.5" with Face-3 concavity and a more aggressive +28 19x9.5" with deep Face-4 concavity.

APEX VS-5RS

19x9.5" +29 APEX VS-5RS in Brushed Clear

Another entry from APEX Race Parts, the VS-5RS represents years of innovation and development resulting in the lightest wheel that APEX makes. The VS-5RS is designed to be hubcentric with a 64.1mm center bore and the appropriate Model 3 Performance-compatible stepped lip designed specifically for the Tesla Model 3 and Y. The 19x9.5" +29 fitment has gone through its own Finite Element Analysis ensuring the wheel is strong where it needs to be. APEX designed and developed their own dies to stamp aluminum motorsport forging blanks that meet their exact specifications. They then side-milled each spoke to remove any excess material that does not add strength. Further material is taken out from the lug pockets to ensure your impact sockets fit without the need for special tuner lugs or thin-walled sockets. The VS-5RS feature massive brake clearance with more than enough room for OEM Tesla Performance brakes or massive 390+mm big brake kits. At just 19.1lbs, the VS-5RS is one of the lightest and strongest 19" wheels on the market.

Tires

If looking for stock tires for your OEM Tesla Model 3 wheels or 8.5" wide wheels, please refer to the 19" OE-tire replacement guide. There are many tire options on the market and though the sizes may not apply to your new wider wheels, the model descriptions may serve as a cliff notes for tire models. The following recommendations assume you are moving to a wider aftermarket wheel than factory dimensions. This is not an exhaustive list of tire sizes that will fit, but is meant to serve as a list of semi-standard fitments to use as a starting point.

When looking at the aggressive and very aggressive fitments it is important to remember that not all treadwidth ratings are created equal. For example, a 275/35R19 Falken RT660 has an 11.2" section width when mounted on a 9.5" wheel while the same size 275/35R19 Advan A052 has a 10.8" section width. Please email if you need any specific recommendations. I love nerding out about tires.

Wheeling and Dealing

Wheels, tires, and don't forget to pick up the appropriate TPMS for your Tesla to make your new tire mounting and balancing a breeze. While Emotive Engineering has a heavy focus on EV Performance, Emotive has a love of all things automotive. Emotive carries the full line of Volk Racing forged and Gram Lights flow-formed wheels no matter the vehicle. If you do not see what you are looking for on the site, please reach out. Happy Motoring!