[BoltEVowner]

I keep going back and forth on this between the 21"s and the 20"s. I don't plan on doing too much off-roading (and the ones I do, 4-season tires work fine), plus, I imagine there will be significant range loss with A/T tires. For now, I am leaning towards the 21" and when it is time to replace the tires, I will evaluate what is available in 21" vs a 20" wheel & tire option. I am hoping there will be more options for the 21" by the time I need new tires (I know the Model Y had very limited options when it first started selling and now there are 30 different tires available on Tire Rack but that is a much higher volume car than the Rivian).

Agree entirely, still my choice as well. However, if I knew the EPA ratings for the 20's were pretty close to the 21's, and both well over 300 miles, I could be persuaded to change to the 20's and swap for some LRR road tires elsewhere if I find I don't really care for the AT tires. But, I am guessing the 21's will have significantly more range, and that will make my decision for sure. It's just too bad Rivian had to give us this odd 21 inch size. Why not a road tire on the 20 inch rim? Still no way to know the range on a 20 inch non-OEM road tire...might be similar to the Pirelli AT, hard to know?

What we really need are the EPA ratings for each of the R1 tire options, and CS confirmed today that would be forthcoming, and you guessed it...soon.

 

[Griz]

So I’m debating, do I pay for truck with the bigger OEM rim combo or do I get one with the default 21” rim and tire combo..... or do a wheel and tire package from TireRack etc?

I mocked up a couple colors with some generic black wheels and on road tires, I’ll have to do some more as I don’t think these wheels look good. BUT, it’s always nice to have options. View attachment 1459
View attachment 1460

The bigger the wheels, the stiffer the ride will be, because of the shorter, stiffer sidewalls in the tires. I always get the smallest wheel size available when I buy a new vehicle. An added bonus of smaller wheels is they work better in mud or snow because the taller sidewall is more flexible. The huge wheel craze is mystifying to me. I consider them beyond ugly.

 

[Griz]

My wife's Mercedes didn't come with a spare, either, but it did come with run-flat tires.

I'd feel a lot better about no standard spare if Rivian included run flats in at least their default 21" wheels.

Run flat tires are an abomination. I wouldn't drive a car that had run flats. If I bought a car that had them, I would change to non-run flat tires immediately. They are more expensive, usually can't be repaired, and cause your vehicle to ride stiffer.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

Run flat tires are an abomination. I wouldn't drive a car that had run flats. If I bought a car that had them, I would change to non-run flat tires immediately. They are more expensive, usually can't be repaired, and cause your vehicle to ride stiffer.

You’re entitled to your opinion. My opinion is that you’re wrong.

In fact, I have a set of four brand new run flats in my garage that are getting installed on my wife’s car, next week. This will be her second set.

She’s experienced two punctures resulting in a complete loss of pressure. Both times she drove ~25 miles home on the flat, safely. Both times the dealer was able to patch the tire. They’re absolutely awesome technology!

 

[Griz]

I disagree. I had a car with run flat tires about ten years ago. I got rid of them immediately. Never again.
Negatives of Run Flat Tires:

• No spare: Vehicles equipped with run-flats do not carry a spare wheel and tire, which means they don't have a jack or tools either. In fact, eliminating the spare tire and reallocating that space to some other purpose (styling, a third-row seat, interior room, etc.) is a big reason why carmakers offer run-flats.
• Reduced tread wear: A 2013 study by J.D. Power found that people replaced their run-flat tires an average of 6,000 miles sooner than owners using conventional tires. Opinions differ on the reason, but one theory is that tiremakers put a soft tread compound on a run-flat tire to counter the hard ride. A side effect of the softer compound is a shorter tread life.
• Blowouts are still possible: If a driver fails to heed or notice the warnings and drives beyond the zero-pressure range or above the speed limitation, the tire can begin to disintegrate, with the same destabilizing effects. Additionally, if the puncture occurs on the sidewall or if the tire hits a large object, the driver will have to call a tow truck. The J.D. Power study found that "customers with vehicles equipped with run-flat tires are nearly twice as likely as those with vehicles equipped with conventional tires to have to replace a tire due to a flat or blowout."
• Hard to tell if it is low on air: A side effect of the stiffer construction is that the sidewalls do not bulge if the air pressure is low. Therefore, it is critical to have a tire pressure monitoring system and check your tire pressure frequently. Otherwise, you'll never know when you have a flat.
• Harsher ride: The stiff sidewalls that make a run-flat work also result in a harsher ride. If the vehicle came with run-flat tires from the factory, the automaker usually tunes the suspension to offset the rougher ride.
• Cost: Run-flat tires are more expensive to replace. Prices will vary by tire type and purchase location, but it's not uncommon to pay a $40-$65 premium for a run-flat tire. Also, many run-flats cannot be repaired and often need to be replaced in pairs.
• Less on-shelf availability: Because run-flats aren't a big-selling tire, drivers shouldn't expect to roll into just any tire shop and buy them. It may be easier to do so in larger cities, but if you're a run-flat user on a road trip and get a flat near a small town, you'll probably have to make a detour to find a suitable new tire. Or worse, you may have to stay overnight, waiting for the tire to be shipped.

 

[The Rivi Era]

I disagree. I had a car with run flat tires about ten years ago. I got rid of them immediately. Never again.
Negatives of Run Flat Tires:

• No spare: Vehicles equipped with run-flats do not carry a spare wheel and tire, which means they don't have a jack or tools either. In fact, eliminating the spare tire and reallocating that space to some other purpose (styling, a third-row seat, interior room, etc.) is a big reason why carmakers offer run-flats.
• Reduced tread wear: A 2013 study by J.D. Power found that people replaced their run-flat tires an average of 6,000 miles sooner than owners using conventional tires. Opinions differ on the reason, but one theory is that tiremakers put a soft tread compound on a run-flat tire to counter the hard ride. A side effect of the softer compound is a shorter tread life.
• Blowouts are still possible: If a driver fails to heed or notice the warnings and drives beyond the zero-pressure range or above the speed limitation, the tire can begin to disintegrate, with the same destabilizing effects. Additionally, if the puncture occurs on the sidewall or if the tire hits a large object, the driver will have to call a tow truck. The J.D. Power study found that "customers with vehicles equipped with run-flat tires are nearly twice as likely as those with vehicles equipped with conventional tires to have to replace a tire due to a flat or blowout."
• Hard to tell if it is low on air: A side effect of the stiffer construction is that the sidewalls do not bulge if the air pressure is low. Therefore, it is critical to have a tire pressure monitoring system and check your tire pressure frequently. Otherwise, you'll never know when you have a flat.
• Harsher ride: The stiff sidewalls that make a run-flat work also result in a harsher ride. If the vehicle came with run-flat tires from the factory, the automaker usually tunes the suspension to offset the rougher ride.
• Cost: Run-flat tires are more expensive to replace. Prices will vary by tire type and purchase location, but it's not uncommon to pay a $40-$65 premium for a run-flat tire. Also, many run-flats cannot be repaired and often need to be replaced in pairs.

Personally, I don't view your first bullet as a negative at all. On the contrary, if I don't need to carry a spare, I'll gladly take the additional interior room/storage/seating/styling, not to mention the incremental weight loss. As for cost, $40-65 per tire seems a downright bargain if Rivian is going to make me spend hundreds on a donut option (R1S) and even more hundreds on a full-size spare (R1T). And not only will the Rivians have TPMS, they'll have an on-board air compressor.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

No spare

That's a bad-faith argument. The vehicle already had no spare... Using non-run flat tires, as you have suggested people should do, would put people in peril. The fact no spare is included is actually a great reason why you SHOULD STICK WITH run flats.

Reduced tread wear: A 2013 study by J.D. Power found that people replaced their run-flat tires an average of 6,000 miles sooner than owners using conventional tires. Opinions differ on the reason, but one theory is that tiremakers put a soft tread compound on a run-flat tire to counter the hard ride. A side effect of the softer compound is a shorter tread life.

JD Power is a joke in the industry. No one cares about their findings, outside of paying to win their "awards" which are used for marketing purposes.

Your mileage may vary (ha ha ha, get it?) but my experience has been that run flats last as long as any other tire. My wife got 46k miles on her tires and she could probably go a little further... But we're replacing them proactively. On my vehicle, which does not have run flats, I only expect to get around 35k miles on my tires... Different vehicles, different tires, different expected life. A quick browse of TireRack shows reputable Run Flat options that include tire warranties, and those warranties are comparable to the non-run-flat options in the same size/load/speed ratings from the same brands. So I think the claim of less tire life is dubious, at best. But for sake of argument, let's assume it was true, for a moment: I'd gladly accept a 6k mile shorter tire life in exchange for the peace of mind to know my wife will be safe in the event of a puncture. She doesn't have to stop in a bad neighborhood, or at night, or in bad weather. She can simply drive home. Worth every penny!

Blowouts are still possible

No shit. Do you not care about eating healthy or exercising because you could still die from a heart attack? There is still immense value from the significant reduction in likelihood of a catastrophic failure. The overwhelming majority of the time, run flat tires reduce the severity of a failure and allow the driver to continue driving at a reasonable speed for a decent distance (my wife's tires state 50 miles @ 55 mph).

Hard to tell if it is low on air

Your premise is so unlikely as to make your statement basically a lie. No manufacturer uses run flat tires on a vehicle without a TPMS system -- so you will easily know if the air is too low. Even if your vehicle didn't come with run flats, from the factory, all manufacturers have been mandated (in USA) to include TPMS systems since 2007.

Harsher ride

Again, bad faith argument. As you have admitted, manufacturers tune the ride quality to meet their targets.

Cost

This is the first (and only) thing you've said that has an ounce of truth. Run flats do have a slight price premium. It's about $30-40 per tire, in my experience. Whether that is "worth it" to you is a personal choice, and I don't fault anyone for deciding "yes" or "no" to that question, for themselves.

Less on-shelf availability

That has not been my experience. When I was shopping around I found several shops that had my run flats in-stock. The bigger issue was installation availability. Even shops that had the tires didn't have time and were booked at least a week out. I ended up ordering on TireRack.com and the tires were delivered to my home the very next day. They're sitting in my garage until my appointment, on Wednesday. Availability is certainly not an issue.

 

[Flyin7]

I purchased my R1T with the 21's which drove nice but is and UGLY wheel especially with the aero inserts which came off as soon as I got it home. The aero insert center caps needed some engineering to fit back in the 21" wheel center bore. The Rivian wheel is tricky with a 5 1/2 x 5 and a 43MM positive offset to keep it inside the fender. An 18" wheel will not fit due to the huge front calipers AND the shape of the upper control arm....... Believe me I tried. I don't like the look or the price of the Rivian 20" so I looked at many aftermarket 20" options with not a lot of success without having the wheel and tire hanging way out of the wheel well. I like the strength and security of a OEM wheel and tried a beautiful Dodge SRT 20x9 which did not fit due to caliper rub. My current setup is a Dodge OEM 20x8 with 275/65 20 General AT tires. I had the new TPS cloned from the 21's and now have Rivian compass logo center caps which really pop. I am powder coating the 21's gloss black and will run them in the summer. That is my story and I do love everything about this truck!

 

[camaroz1985]

View attachment 8153
I purchased my R1T with the 21's which drove nice but is and UGLY wheel especially with the aero inserts which came off as soon as I got it home. The aero insert center caps needed some engineering to fit back in the 21" wheel center bore. The Rivian wheel is tricky with a 5 1/2 x 5 and a 43MM positive offset to keep it inside the fender. An 18" wheel will not fit due to the huge front calipers AND the shape of the upper control arm....... Believe me I tried. I don't like the look or the price of the Rivian 20" so I looked at many aftermarket 20" options with not a lot of success without having the wheel and tire hanging way out of the wheel well. I like the strength and security of a OEM wheel and tried a beautiful Dodge SRT 20x9 which did not fit due to caliper rub. My current setup is a Dodge OEM 20x8 with 275/65 20 General AT tires. I had the new TPS cloned from the 21's and now have Rivian compass logo center caps which really pop. I am powder coating the 21's gloss black and will run them in the summer. That is my story and I do love everything about this truck!

Are you using any spacers or is the offset correct for the Rivian?

 

[Flyin7]

No spacers. the offset on the OEM Dodge wheel is a +19 but it is a 20x8" so it is 1/2" narrower than factory 21". The new wheel and AT tire is out about 5/8" from the factory Rivian wheel and Pirelli street tire. With the AT tires I have no rub and clearance is fine on standard ride height. The low ride height setting may be close though I have not tried driving the low and lowest setting with the AT tires yet. It drives and handles exactly the same as the 21's with no pulling or jerking though a bit more road noise because of the AT tread and studs. I like studs because I drive a lot on snow packed and Icy roads in the winter.

 

[camaroz1985]

No spacers. the offset on the OEM Dodge wheel is a +19 but it is a 20x8" so it is 1/2" narrower than factory 21". The new wheel and AT tire is out about 5/8" from the factory Rivian wheel and Pirelli street tire. With the AT tires I have no rub and clearance is fine on standard ride height. The low ride height setting may be close though I have not tried driving the low and lowest setting with the AT tires yet. It drives and handles exactly the same as the 21's with no pulling or jerking though a bit more road noise because of the AT tread and studs. I like studs because I drive a lot on snow packed and Icy roads in the winter.

Thanks for the info. Did you use a hubcentric ring to adapt to the center bore on the Ram wheel, or is it by some stroke of luck the same as the Rivian. Is there anything on the wheel that lists the weight rating? That would be the only thing that might be slightly concerning.

Just saw a set of these locally for $300. They are chrome, but I would get them stripped and powder or ceramic coated. This might be a real option.

 

[Flyin7]

I had some aluminum hub rings cut. The Rivian hub is 2.53 and the Dodge wheel bore was like 2.7 as I recall but would verify. My wheels were satin and I had them stripped and powder coated. Center cap is 2.5" on the Dodge wheel and I found some nice blank caps and added the Rivian compass logo then epoxy coated them smooth.