www.jec.org.uk

I have a 1998 Jaguar XKR which presently sits on 18in wheels.

Sadly they are a little the worse for wear and the tyres are also approaching the limit

I am thinking about buying some new wheels/tyres and wondered if it's possible to fit 19 inch or 20 inch rims on the car and what you might recommend.

Hi

I changed mine in december to 20" Ascari Pentas.

There are not that many choices in the Uk for the Jag, so really do check that the pcd and offsets are what you need.
There are lots of sellers (many on ebay) that are listing wheels for the Xk, but if you check, the offsets are not really suitable for the car.

Standard Jag 20" wheels are:

Rear: 10J x 20H2 ET25 RT 167
Front: 9J x 20H2 ET30 RT 166

ET indicates the offset.... so check as you dont want to be looking like Carlos Fandango!! (or alternativley the e-type effect!)


These are is my wheels:

http://swtyres.co.uk/img/wheels/ascari/ ... rblack.jpg

David

I forgot to add about the tyres...

I am not sure I am brave enough to reccomend a tyre combination for your car, as no matter what is suggested, there will be someone along in 10mins with an opposing view....

I buy from www.mytyres.co.uk and find them excellent! (hope posting a commercial link does not offend anyone!). They deliver directly and have a network of fitters at agreed prices.

All I would say is dont become a badge snob and buy sensibly... remember that the original tyres that were "designed" for the car are now 14 years old, and design and materials have moved on somewhat....

David

On the subject of tyres, there is certainly room for personal preference. However, the golden rules are to ensure the speed and load ratings at least match the originals specified by Jaguar. Additionally on an XK, don't be tempted to mix brands front and rear unless you are prepared to endure the risk of strange handling effects. Different tyres may flex differently under load, adopting different slip angles, which may be felt through the wheel or seat of the pants as unstable behaviour. This is similar to the old 'don't mix radials and crossplies' rule and has caused many owners to panic and search in vain for suspension problems. Mike.

Hi Mike,
Interested in your comment about mixing front and rear brands. I have ordered the J rated 20" Dunlops to replace my front pirelli's, which are down to 2mm but the pirelli's on the rear still have 4/5 mm left so do not want to replace them yet. No one i have asked or mentioned this to has raised this as an issue the only advice I got was to ensure that they are replaced in pairs. The tyres won't be available for a few weeks yet.

When you have the Dunlops fitted you will soon know if there's a problem. If you're lucky, you won't have one but if there is you know you will only have to endure it until you buy a matching pair of tyres. I have lost count of the number of Jaguar owners who have pulled their hair out looking for solutions to strange handling problems caused by mismatches of tyres. Mike.

Thanks Mike, fingers crossed all will be ok. I'm a fairly cautious driver so won't be pushing the handling to anywhere near its limits - but will let you know how I get on.