While I drive an S Type on 185R15's. I'm trying to establish what typical tyre pressures people run across the compact range 1 person loaded = Driver or explain typical load.

1) Model of car
2) Front Pressure in psi
3) Rear Pressure in psi
4) Cross Ply or Radial
5) Make ~ e.g. Michelin
6) Size ~ e.g. 185R15
7) Speed rating ~ eg HR or VR etc.
8) Typical load. e.g. number of people. Boot/trunk full/empty.

If you wish to add another parameter to this do it now please.

 

If all you give me is your front & rear pressures I would be grateful.

 

I'm not too fussy when it comes to this, I generally put in around 35 psi all around, but not below 32, for my 340.
I look at the side bulge on a radial tire and go by that.
You see people running around on underinflated tires from lack of caring _ not like that.
To get rid of that look it takes around 35 psi.

I'm running these:

180 R 15 Michelin XAS - 180 x 15 Tyres (longstonetyres.co.uk)

If the tire is wearing in the centre, then I use less air, and if the tire is wearing on the edges, I add air.
The odd thing about that tire is that even though it's only a 180, the aspect ratio must be high, as they look correct and give the right ride height to the car.
Probably a 90 or 95 _ I think most are 80.

 

I'm not sure how useful this is as my car has been in reduced use from 1985 and off the road since before 1990. I bought the last set of tyres in 1982.

1) Jaguar Mk2 3.4 litre manual overdrive, non-PAS
2) Front 36 psi
3) Rear 33 psi
4) Radial
5) Avon
6) 185HR15
7) HR
8) Two up, light luggage

The pressures are higher than most would use, but I found they worked well.

Those Avons were the best tyres the car ever had, way better grip and less wear than the Dunlop and Avon cross ply or Pirelli radial tyres that went before them. They covered somewhere between 5 and 10,000 miles and now, in spite of 40 years, they look about a year old. In 1982, we reached 4,500 rev/min in od top on the autobahn without problem. (Well there was quite a bit of wind noise past the door seals.)

​​​​​​I am uncertain as to what I would buy as tyres today. I'm not worried about originality. I believe a Jaguar should, in general and where safe, be driven as it was intended. I'm not favourable to less known makes, but am not inclined to pay £300 for what at best would be a very old design of tyre. I'd certainly consider swapping to 16 inch wheels to increase the choice.

Like Jeff, I base pressures partly on observed wear.

 

Avons are great tyres. My car is standing & doing short trips on Generals from our SA Conti plant. I'm binning them on age (+20 years old) for safety reasons and about to fit 185 VR 15 Michelin XVS or 185 HR 15 Michelin XVS-P. These tyres use the old tread patterns but are technically right up to date hence their speed ratings. I think HR will be adequate for my purposes.

BTW Jeff the XAS is a damn good tyre. I've run older Mercs I've owned on them & loved them. I now run Michelin Pilot Sport 4's on my daily driver.

 

As for my other cars, the ones that (almost) work, the X type had Continentals when we bought it. They were a bit noisy and when I replaced them, I bought Dunlop Sport Max mainly because they were rated as quiet. The XK is a still on the Sport Max that it came with. These days Dunlop is a label used by different manufacturers in different regions of the world. In Europe or at least in the UK, Goodyear have used it particularly for high performance tyres, though they've not updated the products much in the last few years so that may be changing. At the next change, the X type might receive Michelin all weather as the Sport Max are very much summer tyres and not great on snow. I don't usually go out on the rare occasion that it snows here, but it sometimes takes you by surprise. The Daimler Double Six (series 3 XJ12 vdp for many parts of the world) has Pirelli P4000. Pirelli make a small number of P5 or P4000 every few years and sell them at huge prices to owners of old Jaguars and Ferraris. When looking for tyres, I came across a Ferrari 250GT website and even they complain about the prices Pirelli were asking for what is a very old design.

I know the advice is to replace tyres on the basis of age if they aren't worn, but I've a suspicion the ageing may be strongly related to exposure to sunlight. One year outside might equate to four in a dark garage. Other factors may the the speed and load rating of the tyre relative to the demands of the car and driver.

 

My tyres have not been exposed to UV. They were powdered & kept in a dark cupboard. I just feel uncomfortable about them at 20 years > in age. I don't need a lecture on tyres, wear: ~ centre, outer, feathering, air pumping noise etc. Why I hate Conti Sport Contacts. They start noisy & become noisier with wear until you can feel it through the steering.

 

1. 1966 S Type
2. 32 psi
3. 32 psi
4. Radial
5. Universal Sport
6. 185 HR15
7. HR
8. At most 2 people and luggage. Usually one or two people.

Note: max inflation on the sidewall is 32 psi.

 

JB ~ That's Jags recommended pressure but I always like a little harder and also watch wear from inner to outer tread. Do you get even wear at that pressure? I like the look of that Universal Sport with it's SP41 tread. It probably has more robust sidewalls than a Michelin that has soft sidewalls by design & to many look under inflated at all times as a result. They are designed to keep maximum tread in contact with the road while wearing evenly.

 

I have had even wear on the rears, at the front I had misalignment with the toe being out, so had some edge scrubbing.

 

Thanks for that. I now have a rough idea of what is normal, I'm going to go 34psi front and 32psi rear & observe tread wear closely. The car will only have me as the driver most of the time. i.e. 1 up.

I run my Merc (Aluminium/Alusil 3.5 litre quad cam V6) 2.3 bar front & 2 bar rear for perfect tread wear on Michelins. The Jaguar IRS is a lot heavier than Benz Multi-link independent coil rear. But it's also staggered fit. 225/45 front 245/40 rear on standard 17" alloy rims.

 

this is what we got out of our books

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/cla.../mki-mkii.html

incidentally the 185VR15 Cinturato is back in stock, which along with the 180HR15 XAS are the best tyres for your cars

 

33 psi front, 32 rear, year round, all my cars, UV or not UV. Regardless of size.

 

I think the 185 HR 15 Michelin XVS-P are the best tyres for our cars. We don't need the VR rated version.

 

... not to mention expensive for a bunch of rubber!

 

I'm used to putting 245/40/17 Michelin Pilot Sport 4's on my Merc so not too bad for what they are. 185 HR 15 Michelin XVS-P's really transform an S Type & we don't need the VR version.

There are 2 things I will not compromise on a car. Tyres & brakes. After that come lights (BIX or LEDs) & PDC. My car is spec'd with things we don't need in SA. Heated headlight washers, heated screen washers, heated side mirrors & heated seats. The sun tracking climate control is a little OTT as well.

 

Hi Glyn,

I have had these Hankook tyres fitted for a while and highly recommend them.
I have been told that these are very similar to original Jaguar factory spec and are available off the shelf and therefore not exorbitantly expensive / exotic.

1, 1968 340
2, 34 psi
3, 34 psi
4, Radial
5, Hankook
6, 185/80r15 k702
7, Speed rating - I don't race so not important, suffice to say these are more than adequate for everyday use
8, Usually just me with an ear to ear grin and the drivers window down

Happy motoring,

Nigel

 

Years ago, a fellow Jaguar owner asked his insurance company about using tyres that were of a lower speed rating in view of the blanket 70mph limit in the UK. From what I recall, the answer wasn't totally clear, but they wouldn't give a positive approval or guarantees as to cover should he be involved in an accident. The general argument was that although the rating is related to speed, it also recognises the wider performance of the vehicle. When I bought tyres in Italy, suppliers wouldn't sell anything that according to their books hadn't been 'homologated' for the car.

For costs, I don't mind paying for a modern carcass design and rubber formulation. However, I've a suspicion that manufacturers produce a short run of at best an outdated tyre and make us pay an inflated price because we can afford it and don't have much choice.

 

They have regrettably been withdrawn from the SA market. They were fine other than the out of place huge branding on the sidewalls. Many used them

 

Under speed rated in SA = insurance cover nullified.

You are quite wrong with Michelin regarding outdated technology tyres. All that they maintain is what was a highly successful tread pattern. The carcass & rubber is right up to the latest technology at date of run. Hence a VR rating available. We are suppliers of extracts to them & I've been through the labs. Seen the tyres built.etc.