TYRES 1996 XK8 4.0l Coupe

[alsjaguar]

I am going to replace all 4 tyres on my XK8 the ones fitted are now obsolete they are Pirelli Front245/45 ZR18 96Y directional and rear Pirelli
255/45 ZR18 99Y Asimetrico.
I know I can go on the quick fit site as Jim Mann suggests but can anyone Suggest a replacement they are happy with from the Pirelli or any other range but not a budget tyre.
I have A1 Autocenters locally,Quickfit ,and a few good locals.

[mike020150]

It might encourage members to comment if you were to expand a little on your own priorities for tyre qualities. E.g., for you, is grip more important than noise levels or tyre wear? Do you rate better traction over more cornering power and so on?

Personally, I wouldn't necessarily rule out the current equivalents of the original OE tyres (Pirelli, Dunlop and Continental). Superficially, they may look similar to your old set but it's pretty likely the compounds used in their construction will have been updated over time. If the present set are older than 6/7 years, there's also a good chance the tyres will have gone hard and become more brittle. In turn, that will have made them less grippy and noisier than they used to be. Mike.

[alsjaguar]

Thanks for the comment Mike .I dont travel very far maybe 1500 miles a year I would prefer a quieter tyre than I have which are Pirelli Asimetrico on the rear 18" wheels and Pirelli directional on the front 18" again.
I very rarely go out in the wet so I dont think grip is a problem but i dont have anything to compare it with on noise or grip.
The car has 46000 miles on it and I have done 7000 miles since 2013.
I can see cracks in the side walls so its time for a change.

[alsjaguar]

The two tyres I am thinking about are
Front 245/45 P Zero 4G 100Y XL £137.00

Rear 255/45 P Zero 4G 103Y XL £179.75

Powder coating to each wheel £59.00

I am not sure if I can take advantage of the Pirelli/jec promo of £120 in this instant as its not done by a Pirelli approved dealer i have asked them if they will accept.

I am not in a rush as I have only just put the car on SORN for a couple of Months.

[JimMann]

I understand you don't want to visit the Kwik Fit site as suggested, but unless you have aftermarket wheels fitted to your XK8 4.0L Coupe, then your tyre fitment should be 245 / 45 18Y ALL ROUND, i.e. not a wider section on the rear wheels.

Just because you currently have a wider section rear tyre, does not necessarily mean it is the correct fitment on a standard rim.

In addition to locating the range of option tyres for your car on the Kwik Fit website, the site provides lots of information on the types of tyres, such as noise levels, economy and wet braking performance. Your chosen tyre, the Pirelli P Zero 4G is listed at £171.95 per tyre, fully fitted, with a 15% discount if you purchase 4 tyres. This would make a visit to Kwik Fit less expensive than your current source.

Jim Mann

[aaj]

Sorry Jim, you are wrong!

According to the 2002MY XK Vehicle Care Book (and all previous years sales blurb), the correct 18" tyres for all year round use are 245/45 (F) & 255/45 (R).
The Winter tyres only are the same on all four 18" wheels.

I had a 2002MY XK8 from 2005 until it was written off in 2019 and tried Continental ContiSportContact and also Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres my recollections are:
Pirelli: Traction Control kicked in all the time, got skittish on wet roads and didn't like white lines - I don't think the car allowed the tyres to get warm. (I have 20" Pirelli P Zero tyres on my F-Type, they are really good on this car)
Continental: Were good when new but didn't like white lines around 50% life left.
Goodyear: Best I tried, I with I found them earlier.

I hope this helps

AllanJ

[JimMann]

Hi Allan, thanks for the advice correction - I have only ever seen same section front and rear offered for the X-100, especially for the 1996 edition, as is the question here.

Jim Mann

[mike020150]

I'd guess that the confusion over tyre sizes has been caused by the XK8 initially using 8J x 17" wheels all round and then being offered with an option of 8J x 18" fronts and 9J x 18" rears. In adopting the option, the tyre sizes front and rear became different.
As for tyre noise, in the past you have been spoilt, Al. Your series XJ/XJ-S experience of low tyre noise has never been repeated by Jaguar's later models! The trade-off has been sharper handling. Sadly, it seems you can't have everything in this life. Mike.

[alsjaguar]

I have been to the Kwik fit site Jim but the two tyres I am thinking about are £158.00 for the 245 and £204 for the 255 tyres you never know by the time I get to fitting them they may have increased in price due to the next budget?

[ptjs1]

Alsjaguar,

You haven't detailed in your profile which part of the country you're in. There will be regional cost differences using national suppliers such as Black Circles. When it comes to tyre purchase, I'd suggest the most effective approach is to go to the Black Circles website, get their price for them being fitted at your preferred tyre fitter, then talk to the fitters and ask if they'd happy to quote a cheaper price for sourcing the tyres themselves. I have found this to always be the best way to get a good price, as your fitter will be able to tell you if he can undercut the Black Circles price or not. As an indication, I'm in Kent and, for my area, Black Circles are quoting £141 for the fronts, but about £200 for the rears.

Good luck

Paul

[alsjaguar]

Thanks Paul I will try that with Black Circle I am in South Yorkshire so we always try and get a bargain.

[alsjaguar]

Paul I tried Black Circle but they were out on price,The tyres are now fitted and the wheels are powder coated i eventually went for

Pirelli 245/45 and 255/45 on the rear from AP Tyres Rotherham including fitting and Balancing and VAT £633.50

Wheels powder Coated 4 Brilliant silver and lacquered £236 including VAT

The Guy at AP tells me he has 4 18 XK flutes exactly like mine if its of interest to anyone Brian 01709 523817