Questions about tire and wheel size and limiting pothole damage. Road conditions here can be deplorable, and potholes on the freeways have damaged my car and wheels.

Last year three of the 18” wheels on my 2008 S Type 3.0 were dented from potholes, and I had them straightened by a wheel-wright company that specializes in wheel repair. Tires are Continental ContiPro Contact 245/40 R 18.

Yesterday I got the car back from my tech who repaired pothole-caused front suspension damage. He also told me all four of my wheels were dented. Dented wheels occurring twice in less than a year, plus the recent front-end damage, is angering and costly.

I am considering installing 16” wheels and getting new tires - the thought being that the extra tire sidewall will result in less susceptibility to dented rims - and other damage - from potholes.

Are S Type wheels interchangeable - will 16” OEM rims that were on earlier versions fit? Are there aftermarket alternative wheels? What would I need to consider in wheel changes - offset, bolt pattern, fitting under fenders, etc.? What would changes would there be to handling and feel with smaller wheel and more sidewall? Lastly, would the change be advisable?

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions. SS.

 

16" may well not fit over the brakes.

17" probably will but you need to check.

Realistically you can only fit OE wheels.

You'd get a smoother (softer) ride with smaller rims, as you need to up the profile to make the diameter (circumference) the same overall.

 

Does the local government have a responsibility to keep the roads in a good condition. If so then you could get them to pay for the rims.

I won a case against one because they had a drain cover to high and I destroyed a wheel. It's worth checking on.

 

I think the tire pressure placard inside the door jamb lists all the tire sizes that are appropriate for your car.

So try this -
Decide on one of those sizes, then go online to one of the wheel sellers (e.g. TireRack.com) and find a wheel that fits the '08 S-Type in the tire size you want. Their extensive database will know what dimensions are correct for your car.

Record those wheel dimensions so you can shop around.

If you buy a wheel/tire combination from TireRack.com (don't know if they sell in UK) they will probably throw in road force balancing for free, as they did for me.

BTW - I upsized from 16s to 17s because I wanted more tread on the road and a slightly lower profile than the OEM 16s on my 2003 S-Type. Thus far, I am really happy I did, notwithstanding the gobs of potholes here in the northeast USA.

 

They will fit over 300 mm brake discs. Many later cars had 320 mm brake discs so need 17" diameter as minimum with 235/50-17 tyres.

The S-Type has a very high offset - 58-60 mm. These are a bit rare as aftermarket options. Using significantly less offset will almost certainly result in less relaxed running. The steering feel changes for the worse, turning takes more effort and the car just does not feel how it should (check scrub radius).

A smaller wheel is normally lighter and helps the suspension to cope with bumps more easily - less unsprung weight. Grip is mainly a function of weight and friction so the tyre size won't change grip much but might change turn in characteristics and how the car handles on the limit. Neither is a big deal on a car like the S-Type.

Mine runs most sweetly on the 16" winter tyres on OE Jaguar Classic wheels. It also runs fine on the 18" Jaguar/BBS Melbourne but we have fairly good roads surfaces in Germany on the whole.

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions. SS.[/QUOTE]