The Tesla Cybertruck achieves its futuristic looks with modern lighting elements and its slab-sided stainless steel design. Naturally, it needed a wheel and tire package to match. To that end, Tesla designed a set of wheel covers for the model to complete the chunky cyberpunk aesthetic. Except, it hasn’t worked out so well.
Forum users on the Cybertruck Owners Club Forums have been reporting that Cybertrucks have been shipping without wheel covers at all in recent months. “I was delivered my CT on the 24th without covers,” said ConcreteTilt. “Tomorrow is the 1st and I just received another message that they won’t be delivering because they are investigating all the covers and they won’t be delivering the caps until March.” Some noted they’d been advised Tesla had undertaken a “parts containment pending new revision,” while others noted they’d been advised the covers are currently backordered. There’s no recall in place though—the NHTSA presently has nothing on file for the Cybertruck.
It turns out this may be due to a very simple problem. Brian from YouTube channel T Sportline has an excellent explainer that shows us what’s going on. It’s all down to those seven rectangular “spokes” set into the Cybertruck’s wheel covers. Or, more accurately, the rubber extensions that protrude out from each “spoke” of the wheel cover.
Brian starts by pointing to one of the protrusions where it sticks out past the rim and over the tire sidewall. He notes they’re flexible, made of a different material to the hard plastic of the main wheel cover itself. Near the top of the tire, the rubbery extension has a small gap—maybe 1/8th of an inch or so—to the tire sidewall. However, at the bottom of the tire, it’s a different story. Here, the tire bulges out slightly thanks to the weight of the vehicle. In this position, the rubbery extensions can be seen touching the sidewall, or even slightly digging into it. With a few thousand miles on Brian’s Cybertruck, there are already visible marks gouged into the sidewall in the area of each protrusion.
It’s worth noting that each wheel of the Cybertruck has seven of these protrusions. Furthermore, depending on tire pressures and load and so on, each one could be pressing itself into the sidewall on every rotation of the tire. Now, let’s do the math. Take a Cybertruck on its standard 33.5″ diameter tires, doing 60 mph. That wheel is doing around 10 rotations per second, or 600 rpm. Each spoke could be poking the tire sidewall 600 times a minute on the highway. Just a little, but it’s happening.
It’s a unique problem for the Cybertruck, given that the futuristic wheel covers are a design statement for the model. It’s kind of surprising that Tesla didn’t discover this issue in testing. It’s kind of like when your friend goes to Autozone and fits cut springs and plastic flares to their car. You have to expect something’s going to rub, and you need to check.
It may have been that test mules ran without the wheel covers, or that the damage simply wasn’t noticed. It’s worth noting that it may have taken some time for a wheel cover to wear through a tire enough to cause serious damage or a loss of pressure.
It’s true that you’d have to chew out a lot of sidewall to cause a leak. But really, who wants to find out? Ultimately, it’s not safe to have something chewing through the rubber like that, let alone at multiple points on each tire. Anyone concerned about the matter should consider removing the wheel covers. There may be a small aerodynamic penalty involved, but it’s probably safer than having them poking into the tire sidewall on every rotation.
It’s not the only problem the covers have had, either. Electrek noted the case of a production candidate Cybertruck in September last year that saw its wheel cover fly off while driving on San Francisco’s 101 Highway. Despite flying through the air, thankfully, the cover did not appear to cause immediate harm to surrounding traffic. It’s possible that this issue may have been related—it’s easy to imagine a tire undergoing compression, with the bulge pushing into the cover and popping it off the rim.
Amusingly, Brian notes there is one small benefit of this problem. Owners that have the offending wheel covers now likely have a rare, “limited edition” accessory now that Tesla is likely changing the design.
Here’s the deal. If you’re fitting wheel covers of any kind, you need to check clearance. If you’re a young engineer, or just a bad one, take particular heed. You don’t just go up to the vehicle, whip out a ruler, and check the gap in one spot, and call it good. You have to check it all over, at each spot. You have to remember that cars are dynamic things. You have to understand things like tire deformation. Then you have to check and account for them. Even if you forget all this, simple testing and observation will reveal what you missed.
In any case, we’ll be interested to see how Tesla redesigns the wheel covers to avoid this problem. Can it save the protrusions, or will it abandon them entirely? If it were my company, I’d just go with turbofans and just rad the thing up. Just my two cents.
Image credits: Tesla, T Sportline – Tesla Upgrades & Accessories via YouTube Screenshot
Maybe they were hoping to use Michelin Tweels but they weren’t ready yet?
I always get so excited when I see those on equipment out in the world. There’s a perpetual 8-year-old self that loves seeing heavy equipment, or like when they were using a Bobcat and a front loader to scoop trash at the dump by pushing the scoops together, and the front loader would very casually lift the bobcat by the bucket when the front loader operator tipped their bucket.
> If you’re a young engineer, or just a bad one, take particular heed.
Whew, good thing I’m not going anymoHEY THAT WAS MEAN
You’d be terrified to know how many engineers think that integration testing is another form of reiki or energy crystals. I’ve been actually insulted for proposing that we do it.
Makes me wonder if Musks’ engineering contribution were the wheel covers.
Ugh, the edit window is so small, or you can’t edit comments posted from the mobile site maybe.
not young* anymore
Most deleterious to my battle readiness. Now how am I to display dominance in my urban assault vehicle without ninja throwing stars!?!
Give them some slack. They’ve only had 5 years since this thing was announced to work out all the kinks. 5 years to work things out and the wheels eat into the tires. Shameful.
Coming up next: Brake damage from the wheel cover protrusions scooping up dirt and grit during off-pavement use.
I feel like anyone who has gone off roading and seen a tire sidewall with lower pressure flex over obstacles could have seen this coming a mile away.
They didn’t have much time to work it out. It was only announced 5 years ago. /s
LOL just pull the hubcaps off.
Someone in the hood will steal them anyway 😛
Funny enough when I saw photos of the release candidate and production Cybertrucks floating around, I pointed out to my boss that the wheel covers would be a problem. Of course many other people pointed out that for full effect custom tires were needed and questioned the resilience of the covers. I thought this may be a problem where you have the covers and tires in close proximity.
Well what do you know. Color me shocked this happened. /s
Damn, looks like it’s already time to retire the Cybertruck.
I forget … Is the standard gift a steel belt instead of a gold watch?
I expect anyone at Tesla who reaches retirement age gets fired for cause as their options vest so Musk can claw them back and deny the poor sob unemployment benefits.
The real gift is not having to deal with Musk.
I guess this is what happens when you adopt the “move fast and break things” ethos and let a dictatorial manchild run the whole thing. Along withe the now-well known corrosion threat of the STAINLESS STEEL when it gets dirty, it kinda make you wonder what else they let slip through the cracks for one reason or another.
“corrosion threat of the stainless steel”
You can’t make this stuff up
It’s an apocalypse mobile that never needs washed and is bullet proof.*
*Needs constant washing and is far from bullet proof.
I’d expect garbage like this to happen from GM…. Oh wait, this is a Tesla? And Tesla is the GM of electric cars? Never mind then… nothing to see, move along.
Tesla is just another American car company. What do you expect? 😛
I’m literally wearing a toyota beanie this morning… There’s a reason why my philosophy for buying a vehicle is “once you go asian, you’ll never go caucasian”
Sigh – hate to say it but the Japanese manufacturers DO check/test/verify every detail on their products. Ford/GM/Chrysler not so much. Came from an American car family, worked on cars since young. Went to college (mid ’90s) and had a full tool set and a jack. Worked on cars for a LOT of students for side cash/beer. Very quickly realized that the Japanese OEM actually considered servicing during design while it was at best an afterthought for the US OEM.
I’d like a word with you about my RAV4. Nothing on that car is easy to service. Rear shocks need two long pattern box end wrenches since there’s zero clearance. Front control arms are wedged hard in there and need partial disassembly of the front subframe. Brake shoes need to be wiggled in at just the right angle or they won’t go. Even the oil filter needs a special tool to remove! Thankfully that car doesn’t break often since I’ve found it a bear to do anything besides topping off the washer fluid.
The Japanese manufacturer actually considered service, while it was just an afterthought on the American car. Yet the American car is still easier to work on because it’s so much less complicated and has more room.
That’s proof the American company did consider service, because they knew the car was going to need it.
It’s kind of surprising that Tesla didn’t discover this issue in testing.
Is it, though?
Given that EM is willing to blow up multiple billion dollar rocket ships to get things right in his space program and run over a few pedestrians while Tesla fine tunes it’s self driving system, it shouldn’t surprise anyone he’d be willing to let the Cybertruck kinks work themselves out on customer vehicles.
He’s got himself (and his supporters) convinced any short term issues in service of achieving his long term goals are worth it.
TL;DR If your CT tire explodes because of the stupid wheel covers or you’re a pedestrian that gets mowed down by FSD, you’re honored to be part of the exciting development cycles that’ll save humanity and send us to Mars!
Counterpoint, it’s still in beta testing.
You shouldn’t be selling vehicles to consumers that are in beta testing.
I agree, mostlyish. But I think people buying a cybertruck know what they are getting themselves into so I don’t feel bad for them.
I don’t think they really get it.
Although I still don’t feel bad for them.
that was my point lol.
Watched the throttle house review of it last night. They were peeling carrots with the doors and shoving carrots and metal cans in the frunk shutline to see how dangerous this thing is. Boyfriend looked over and goes “and we trust this dude to send people to Mars”.
I stole it, it’s mine now.
People buying the cybertruck know what they are getting into. I don’t feel as bad as I did for those poor suckers buying the model 3 made in a tent with body panels that were different shades and home depot lumber holding parts together in their engine bay.
The frunk pinch controversy is so stupid. It’s not Teslas job to save you when you stick your finger in a pinchy spot.
Children exist. It has WAY too much force. Add the edges of the panels essentially being knives and it’s downright dangerous.
Wait until you see any other car and how bad the hood closing will slice off fingers. Or the doors, or the hatch/trunk.
Children shut their fingers in a door when they’re 2 and then learn to avoid pinch points. I promise you rode around as a kid in a car equally capable of pinching, and I assume you have all your appendages.
Also worth noting that the Cybertruck is so ridiculously tall that the pinchy frunk corner is well out of the reach of small children.
Mildly true. Yes, any metal to metal panel is capable of pinching. Most panels aren’t powered. Or made of actual razor blades.
And I’m not talking about the corner. Throttle house put the thick end of FOUR carrots (not baby carrots) on the fender and closed the frunk. in the middle of the side of the panel. It chopped them clean off. They didn’t get pinched, they got chopped the fuck off. Four full carrots are a lot stronger than children fingers. A single baby carrots is an approximation of an adults pinky. So, yes, this is a lot more dangerous.
And even if it wasn’t chopping vegetables for fun, the resistance needed to stop the trunk closing is way too much. Most powered lifgates will stop closing with a few pounds of resistance. I don’t know what the rating is on the frunk, but watching it crank down, puncture, then crush an aluminum can and chop vegetables doesn’t instill confidence.
A small child can’t pinch their fingers into the truck that’s running them over!
If they are providing a powered source to close the pinchy spot, then yes it is.
It must be nice to be perfect and never have pinched a finger somewhere silly. I, being an imperfect human, would like it if the panels of my vehicle didn’t amputate a finger if I mess up.
I legitimately never have since I was 3 and figured out to keep my fingers out of car doors. I don’t get it.
And I can promise that the panels on the car you drive are very capable of fully amputating digits if you mess it up badly enough.
Play stupid games win stupid prizes
This is what happens when testing is done on smooth roads/tracks in sunny states with no freeze/thaw cycles, potholes, and cold weather reduced tire pressures. Is there anybody from up north in flyover country who couldn’t have foretold this? And then there’s curb rash on protruding parts…
What I don’t get about wheel covers in general is Tesla spends billions on billions developing gigacasting to reduce components and labor, then willingly puts WHEEL COVERS on a vehicle. Good thing I have an irreplaceable and irreparable gigacast, but wheels have 100% more components than necessary and they gouge my tires. People can use whatever logic they want to make decisions, it’s when they go against their own logic is when I get puzzled. Just cast ONE aerodynamic wheel style for each model line and be done with it. No covers needed, economy of scale benefits, no tire gouging.
How repairable is the Cybertruck in general? The merest dent shows immediately and embarrassingly in stainless steel, and some of these parts are HUGE.
I have no idea of it’s cosmetic reparability. I’d rather have dents than rust living where I am. Obviously lots of people don’t have to worry about rust, but I appreciate the use of more durable materials that may dent but never rust. Just my 2 cents.
Considering the cybertruck’s steel is 75% and 125% thicker than a DeLorean’s: Delorean was .8mm and Cybertruck is 1.4mm to 1.8mm depending on location, quite frankly I think we might be using weld like bondo to fill void and finish it down to level versus banging dents out, but IDK shit about this.
Just because CA doesn’t get winter weather doesn’t mean we don’t have crap roads. Every time I drive past the San Diego City Limits sign it’s like my tires just entered Ukraine.
Shouldn’t even have needed that. Just cornering and mild undulations should have been enough. Really, nobody with the slightest mechanical knowledge should have specced these things to begin with. They’re the kind of thing for early renderings, not actual production.
Tesla with 22s and stretched tires has repeatedly proven that they think curb rash is a non issue.
And where is that scrubbed-off rubber going? Eventually, into the air as particulate pollution. Tire particles are a measurable component of particulates in air samples taken near major highways. Electric vehicles’ more aggressive tire wear (Due to thier high, constant motor torque) is already raising some concerns and research initiatives to improve tire compounds.
Way to be counterproductive, Tesla…
So I’m guessing you don’t like smokey burnouts ????
Fun, but enjoy in moderation 🙂
Researchers have also figured out that tire bits are a significant component of the microparticles that pollute water.
“Life prolonging micro-nutrients” you mean?
Depends on what’s eating the stuff.
In hindsight, and it was likely even pointed out when people first saw this, I am not surprised.
Wow, these trucks have not been out that long so this must be a big issue if its eating into the sidewalls after so few miles.
I’m sure they’ll just fix it with an OTA update.
The video shows the OTA update in action, as the wheel cover flies Over The (Bel) Air.
Minimum 90PSI tire pressure. Check.
that’s where my mind went. How much PSI would they have to run to eliminate sidewall bulging. 90PSI sounds like a good starting point. then just recalibrate the suspension to adapt for it. FIXED.
They could borrow Chevy’s old slogan of “like a rock” but have take on a new meaning.
That’s Elon’s personal slogan, like a cock
That might take care of the steady rotational flexing, but what about cornering and road undulations, never mind pot holes or speed bumps?
No no, you’re doing it wrong, you have to fill the tyres up to 100%.
This looked like an example of idiot engineering the first time I saw the photos on the web (And I have never even stayed at a Holiday Inn)
Sorry Rocket Boy but the shit you are building does not inspire a bit of confidence at all by this point. Seriously.
But a truck that looks like a fever drawing by a 5 year old sort of was the tip off to me. WTF?
I could have pulled a better design out of my ass….Crusty the Clown
Well the wheel covers sorta look like the jagged metal thing in the Krusty-Os
I’ve been in enough meetings where an idiot executive overrode the subject matter experts. I just … cannot imagine being the engineers who were trying to make this stupid ass idea work for Elon. Maddening.
It really does seem that way.
“Can we make non-round wheels for the lulz?”
“No”
“Ok just figure out how to make non-round wheels, I have an important Tee time to make it to now, bye”
“But-”
*On the phone* “Yes Ted, I’m on my way to the country club, get the gimps ready”
It’s the Model X Falcon Doors all over again
“Engineers need to be pushed. You’re always playing it safe. Out of the box thinking is what drives engineering breakthroughs. When I ask you to design a square wheel to minimize waste, I don’t want to hear “no” out of your goddamned nerd mouths.”
(I hear this shit from non technical execs at tech companies all the time)
https://www.clipartkey.com/mpngs/m/186-1864739_simpsonsfamily-haha-nelson-simpsons-ha-ha-png.png
So these tires were created specifically for the CT, right?
Why not build the spoke into the tire and make the caps end at the wheels? Build up the rubber instead of making notches.
I read somewhere else that the design isn’t supposed to require the bespoke matching tires. Either way, as I noted, elsewhere, just a terrifically stupid idea right from go.
What a stupid design. Luckily, there’s an easy fix:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1558260665/teddy-bear-hubcaps-set-of-4-adorable-car
too bad those aren’t real hubcaps 🙁
Tire Rack used to offer bear wheel covers! And of course, the old Ronal bear wheels
Here I am, bashing on Tesla designers while I even fail in providing the right link. Shame on me.
Not your fault, not my fault. It’s the seller’s fault!
They mention a 144mm diameter (about 5.6 in) which is nowhere near the diameter of a real wheel, yet they have pictures of the hubcaps on a car…
The reviews say you only get the center caps, and provided pics in the review. You only get the tummy and the mouth:
https://i.etsystatic.com/iap/6eeb1a/5702681441/iap_200x200.5702681441_e9rh910e.jpg
Yeah, there’s lots of scammers on Etsy. Almost as much of a scam as Tesla! 🙁
I’m not an automotive engineer, but I have enough common sense to think those things were ridiculous from the start. No one thinks to themselves, “You know what would be cool? Spike things that can wear into one of the most safety critical items on your vehicle!”
Based on the above, sounds like they really big-brained it by trying to make the protrusions a softer material. This tells me that at least weren’t so dumb they never considered tire swell and flex, but they didn’t think through the solution well. It is pretty simple: one or the other surface will wear, or both. Tire harder than cover? Cover wears. Cover hard than tire? Tire wears. Both same? Both wear.
I’m sure they come out and say something about alignment of the cover and proper inflation, blah blah blah. In the end, just a stupid decision to look cool.
So very on brand for Tesla.
America car companies don’t really put the engineers first like Honda and Toyota do.
I wouldn’t lump all American companies in. Don’t see Ford, Chevy, or Dodge doing ridiculous stuff like this.
oh yes you can lump them in!
GM has always had their customers do the R&D, half-baked shit. Krysler Kwalitee is on par with Tesla too. Ford doesn’t care about anything other than the F150.
Let me know which of those companies designed something that can impede the flex of the tire just so it could look cool. I’ll wait.
Well, you do have Ford with those Firestone tires 😉
Ha….fair point. That we seriously shouldn’t laugh about. But that was Firestone there.
Counterpoint: landau roofs glued onto sheet metal from the regular models
Wasn’t it Chrysler that put batteries into the front wheel wells?
Also, Honda designed a “truck” that had bed rails so high you can’t access it from the side. So there’s that….
Even from an engineering standpoint to intentionally have an airgap between your hubcap & wheel in this way with spinning ‘plates’ of rubber would just be asking for less-than-ideal aero.
I wonder how much of the “If you can afford this vehicle, you can afford to replace the tires often.” played into matching the meat to metal.
Between this, the windshield problem, and the stainless steel corroding from dirty road water, I get the feeling very few of these will actually get driven because the cost of repairs for basic use is so expensive.
It takes a little longer for the galvanic corrosion issues to really take hold.
Is it?