Possible Accessory Costs - How much will my R1T really be?

[jimcgov3]

DIY tire rotations are the way to go, imo. I can rotate my tires in the comfort of my garage, music playing, frosty beverage waiting, faster than I could drive to the tire shop — let alone wait for them to do the work.

Valid but can you balance said tires? Rotating...easy...balancing is another...but if you have a balancer, more power to you. The fact you have a wheel/tire balancer and make your wife park in the driveway...do you have a how-to book I can read? Tell me your secrets.

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[CommodoreAmiga]

Valid but can you balance said tires? Rotating...easy...balancing is another...but if you have a balancer, more power to you. The fact you have a wheel/tire balancer and make your wife park in the driveway...do you have a how-to book I can read? Tell me your secrets.

No balancer. None of the shops in my area balance tires unless you pay extra.

 

[skyote]

No balancer. None of the shops in my area balance tires unless you pay extra.

That's interesting. Shops down here will let you pay a fee for rotating & balancing tires for the life of those tires, even if it's a new or used vehicle & the tires weren't purchased from them. I use Discount Tire around here, and they have 1000+ stores across most states. I've done a lot of business with them over the years & my purchase history helps me pull some strings when needed.

I worked at a tire shop in high school & won't rotate without also balancing. Balance is more than annoying vibration, it will also wear your tires unevenly & can put unnecessary stress on suspension components (which can cause further tire issues).

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

That's interesting. Shops down here will let you pay a fee for rotating & balancing tires for the life of those tires, even if it's a new or used vehicle & the tires weren't purchased from them. I use Discount Tire around here, and they have 1000+ stores across most states. I've done a lot of business with them over the years & my purchase history helps me pull some strings when needed.

I worked at a tire shop in high school & won't rotate without also balancing. Balance is more than annoying vibration, it will also wear your tires unevenly & can put unnecessary stress on suspension components (which can cause further tire issues).

I've seen shops in my area offer "lifetime alignment" packages for several hundred dollars.

I've also seen shops that will rotate tires for the life of the tire if you buy from them.

Maybe they offer packages for rotation -- I've never asked.

For me, I'd rather DIY the rotation and have it done regularly and properly. If I feel the vehicle pulling or not tracking straight, or I see uneven tire wear then I'll go to the dealer and pay for an alignment and balance -- but if everything is working properly and the tire wear is even then I don't feel compelled to waste a day at a dealer nor pay their fees.

 

[IPTV65]

When buying 5 matching wheels/tires, it's good to include the spare in the rotation pattern. That way your set of 5 tires lasts longer (1 is always getting a break as the spare). Once all tires are worn & you're ready for replacements, you typically just replace 4 and keep the best remaining "old" tire for spare and just rotate the 4 from that point on.

It's very common on vehicles that have a spare tire carrier on the back where the spare is visible (i.e. my Jeeps). You could have a mismatched spare mounted back there, but it's worth it to many to have a matching wheel/tire as much for looks as anything else.

With a hidden spare, I personally wouldn't worry about matching.

One Advantage of having a motor at each wheel might be that you don't have to be so precise with regards to the circumference of each tire due to wear? On our X5 if one tire needed replaced
(puncture) they all did if they were older. The AWD system and differential could not handle the different rotational speeds created if the tires were of slightly different circumference due to tread wear. .

 

[skyote]

One Advantage of having a motor at each wheel might be that you don't have to be so precise with regards to the circumference of each tire due to wear? On our X5 if one tire needed replaced
(puncture) they all did if they were older. The AWD system and differential could not handle the different rotational speeds created if the tires were of slightly different circumference due to tread wear. .

Wow, first time I've heard of that. Shouldn't be a mechanical limitation of the differential though. Even a mechanical locker wouldn't engage unless there was a bigger difference than that (one wheel spinning significantly more than other, or rear wheels turning a sharp corner). Limited slip would have no issue at all.

My guess is that had to do with the AWD "computer" controls not liking the difference in wheel speed sensors. German precision, right?

Could be a problem for Rivian as well if their controls aren't "smarter" or more tolerant.

 

[timesinks]

Wow, first time I've heard of that. Shouldn't be a mechanical limitation of the differential though. Even a mechanical locker wouldn't engage unless there was a bigger difference than that (one wheel spinning significantly more than other, or rear wheels turning a sharp corner). Limited slip would have no issue at all.

My guess is that had to do with the AWD "computer" controls not liking the difference in wheel speed sensors. German precision, right?

Could be a problem for Rivian as well if their controls aren't "smarter" or more tolerant.

I think he's on to something. 4/AWD vehicles generally strongly encourage having identical tires with similar wear (within 1-2 mm) on all four wheels. My understanding is persistent differences at each wheel cause friction/heat within the differentials and ultimately lead to premature wear and damage.

 

[IPTV65]

I think he's on to something. 4/AWD vehicles generally strongly encourage having identical tires with similar wear (within 1-2 mm) on all four wheels. My understanding is persistent differences at each wheel cause friction/heat within the differentials and ultimately lead to premature wear and damage.

That is exactly the issue. Here is an article on it. Of course it’s from a company that sells tires. Ha ha
https://www.tirerack.com/winter/tec...0b7a&cjevent=4d9f6ea192b111eb808e00570a1c0e0c

 

[skyote]

Rivian definitely won't have that issue.

And from a practical standpoint, 4/32 of tread wear is a lot, and not something you would see rotating 5 tires...as long as you stay on schedule & aren't doing burnouts.

 

[Gshenderson]

as long as you stay on schedule & aren't doing burnouts.

Or tank turns...

 

[Babbuino]

How much you think Rivian will charge for a winch?

 

[skyote]

How much you think Rivian will charge for a winch?

$1500 is my guess. Also wondering if it is different than typical aftermarket winches...seems like a pretty small place for a winch.

 

[ATL_Canes]

I used mine last week.

The frequency of needing a spare will obviously vary wildly I’m sure (in 26 years of driving, I’ve had one flat tire).

But I really think Roadside Assistance comes into play here also for those going with no spares. The one incident I had was a blowout because of road debris between Atlanta and Birmingham. I called Tesla roadside assistance and they brought me a tire and changed it out. Took them about 45 minutes to get to me (it was a third party they farmed it out to). When I had a chance, I went to the service center and they put a new tire on and took the loaner back. Less convenient than changing yourself, but all told, it really was a pretty easy experience. Hoping Rivian roadside does the same for those of us who elect to go sans spare.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

$1500 is my guess. Also wondering if it is different than typical aftermarket winches...seems like a pretty small place for a winch.

Too low, imo. A quality winch already costs more than that, without the Rivian Tax.

What you see from the front may only be the fairlead and the winch, itself, hides behind the bumper. It’s possible Rivian build their chassis to accommodate the winch.

 

[skyote]

Too low, imo. A quality winch already costs more than that, without the Rivian Tax.

You would need a 12K winch, double the weight of the vehicle is a good rule of thumb. You can buy some 12K winches for $600-$700, and Warn Zeon 12K can be had for less than $1500 with synthetic line, and it looks like the steel cable version is uner $1K at Northern Tool right now (replace it with synthetic for $150 or so).

My $1500 includes the "Rivian tax" and provides them plenty of margin.

What you see from the front may only be the fairlead and the winch, itself, hides behind the bumper. It’s possible Rivian build their chassis to accommodate the winch.

Yeah, I know what that is & what winches look like. That's also a Hawse fairlead, which means synthetic line.

There's not room for a winch with integrated solenoid behind that bumper...it could not pertrude into the air intake right above the bumper. Might be just the spool with solenoid mounted elsewhere (even possibly beside it in the bumper).

Here are my 2 current winches, which are both 10K, and no way that either could come close to fitting inside an R1 bumper.

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