The best aftermarket wheels for your Tesla Model Y

Today we’re going to talk about how to boost your Tesla Mod… wait… Today we’re going to discuss the best exhausts for the… No, that doesn’t work either. But do you know what we can recommend for your Tesla? Some baller aftermarket wheels.

Conveniently we specialize in wheel fitment, so today we’re going to show you some of the coolest designs for the Model Y, and what specs you should run for the optimal fitment.

As you can probably tell from the title, this wheel fitment guide is all about one of Tesla’s SUVs, the Model Y, years 2020 to present. We’ll look at what wheels and tires fit, look good, what range you can expect, and what they looked like lowered (or lifted). First, we’ll cover the wheel fitment basics for this platform.

Quick links

• Basic fitment info
• 'Sport' Model Y setups
• Lifted Model Y setups

Basic fitment info

• Lug pattern: 5x114.3
• Lug thread: M14x1.5
• Center bore: 64.1mm
• Lug torque: 130 ft/lbs

Recommended aftermarket wheel specs

When we looked at Mach-E fitment, we found that the type of wheels people run are all over the place. You’ll see 18’s, 19’s, all the way up to 22’s. For the Model Y, the vast majority of aftermarket wheels are sized at 20 inches, even though these crossovers come with 21’s or 19’s from the factory, in addition to 20’s.

20’s give a nice mix of looks and performance. They fill out the fender arches nicely while giving improved range over larger sizes. Yes, ‘ long range’ models will get about 7 percent more range with the 19’s, but this size is kinda in an awkward spot between a sporty and off-road look.

Both width and offset are normally more aggressive for aftermarket wheels. There’s plenty of room to run some big ol’ wheels with meaty tires. Anything from 10-11” inches wide, with an offset somewhere between +30-40. Tires follow suit often being sized up to 265 or even 275 width.

M12 -> M14 redrill

The Type Y uses M14x1.5 lug studs. Most wheels will come drilled for an M12 stud. What do you do if you have wheels with an M12 stud bore?

If you wanna attempt a DIY job the correct method would be to bore them with the most precise tooling you have. Have access to a mill? Use that. Otherwise a big drill press or possibly a hand drill if you have surgeon-like accuracy. Get close with a drill bit, then finish slightly over M14 with a reamer.

If you have mega-expensive wheels you’ll probably want to have a shop do this for you.

Alternatively, if you don’t wanna permanently alter your wheels, you could opt for a M14 to M12 stud conversion. There are plenty of universal options on the market. This might be a bit more work, but it’s reversible and it means you can keep your aftermarket wheels at max resale value, if that’s the goal.

The easiest option? Order wheels in M14 from the manufacturer if the option is available. Or, have us custom drill ‘em for ya.

‘Sport’ Model Y builds (stock height or lowered)

Starting with something tame. This 2021 Type Y was originally equipped with 21’s, but the owner wanted to set down to 20x9.5. With a lower offset than you’d get from stock 20’s, they stick out an extra ¾” or so. It's an improvement over stock but there’s room to go more aggressive, especially at stock ride height.

Consider this OEM+ fitment. 255/40R20 is the same size of tire you’ll get with factory 20’s. The goal with this car was to get a different style of wheel and ditch the factory 21’s. The owner noted a range increase of about 5%, plus added comfort from a thicker sidewall tire.

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When it comes to changing ride height, going lower is normally the desired look. We see the MountainPass Performance coilovers used on a lot of lowered Model Ys. This car is running their Comfort coils, as well as adjustable arms.

As far as fitment, the wheels appear to be more aggressive than the last, partly because it's lowered. In reality, the wheels don’t poke any farther, they’re just inset an extra ½”. What is more aggressive is the tire size. The owner of this 2022 went from a stock 255/40 to a 275/40. On a 10J rim, the tires are slightly bulbous, contributing to the fitment looking a bit more aggressive.

The tires have a bit more mass, but paired with nice light Advan GT wheels the overall weight is less than factory, leading to a slight bump in performance. 275/40R20 are slightly larger than stock and might require the fender liners to be pushed out for clearance. Modifications will depend on how aggressive the wheels are, more aggressive wheels are more likely to rub.

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If the last one was a bit too practical for ya, here’s a Model Y with the mud flaps almost on the ground. Obviously, this ride height isn’t intended for performance, but it sure will get you that engagement on your socials. This is another car on MPP Comfort coilovers.

Lower offset on these TE37’s will bring them out more than the previous example. The tires were left factory sized, however with a 10J wheel they will have a tiny bit of stretch. Besides the tires and the fact this car is lower, not too much is different. No fender modifications were needed considering it has those factory sized tires.

Like TE37's? We have them in virtually every model, spec, and finish offered by Volk.

See tons of TE's

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If you like big, bold wheels that fill out the fenders and don’t care about a slight dip in range or comfort, 21’s might be for you. Normally you would size your tires down to be similar to the original overall diameter - this would be 255/35R21. In this instance, a staggered set of tires was used with the same 40 sidewall tires. The result is wheels that are 1” taller in the front and 2” in the rear. The front needed a bit of fender liner clearance to fit, only because of the taller tires.

To prevent the vehicle from being lifted by the larger tires, it’s fitted with the ever-popular MPP coilovers. If you don’t plan on lowering your Model Y but want to run 21’s, it’s best to choose a smaller sidewall tire.

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If you want to put your Model Y on air suspension there are a number of kits on the market from the normal names such as AccuAir and Air Lift Performance. If you wanna do it the hard way, you could cobble the kit together yourself. That’s what the owner of this 2023 Y did.

The parts used include Air Demand struts, 3H Airlift controller, and a VIAIR 4 gallon tank and dual 485c compressors.

As far as fitment, the specs are much more aggressive than others we’ve seen. 20x11 +38 with a 5mm spacer, making it +33. For reference, this will give about an additional 10mm of poke over the most aggressive wheels we’ve seen thus far. Combine this with 275/40 tires and you’re left with a very wide setup.

Will this require a bunch of fender work? It all depends on your ride height. Aired up this car is still a couple of inches below stock height. As such, the inner fenders needed to be massaged plus the fenders rolled. At stock height, you’d at least need to push the fender liners out. If your lifted? Well… anything goes if you're lifted.

Lifting a Model Y

If you wanna put the utility in ‘sport utility vehicle’, there are options on the market. You’re not going to be running 35’s with a body lift, but you can still add spacers, springs, or even lift coilovers to add up to a few inches to the ride height

Typically, if you’re going for an off-road capable Tesla, you’ll want to skip right to 18’s and not bother with 19’s - like we said towards the start, 19’s are kinda a no-man’s-land for this platform.

If you don’t wanna mess with suspension but need your Tesla to be winter capable, take note of these specs. This is stock Model Y Performance suspension with 18-inch wheels. The overall rolling diameter comes out to be 1” larger than stock.

You can expect a smoother ride from the larger tires, better off road performance from the K02’s, plus Capitan Planet is happy because of the extra efficiency. The owner reported going from about 300 miles/charge to 340.

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Like we said, there are a lot of ways to do achieve lift. This car uses a TSportline lift kit, which is effectively a 1.85” spacer . Beyond 2” of lift you’ll start to run into issues like CV axle angle and other problems with the suspension not liking being jacked up.

This car is running the same size tires as the last one, the only difference here is the lift.

If you’re looking to put a light rack on your Tesla, or maybe your truck, you can shop up the full collection of Baja Designs in our shop.

Shop Baja Designs

Wrap up

Whatever direction you go with your Model Y: up, down, or stock ride height, we showed you some great options for performance and looks. To recap, 18’s are used when you want to run big tires and possibly lift your Y. Otherwise, stick with 20’s or 21’s; 19-inch wheels are kinda a gray area on this particular platform.

If you have a Model Y on some killer aftermarket wheels, be sure to post it to our Vehicle Gallery. We’re looking to see some more EVs over there.