Hi
My wife drives around a lot of country lanes for work and its ruining the alloys, they keep needing welding. Too many pot holes
The car currently has 225/40 R18 tyres on it (X type Sovereign estate) is it possible to put smaller rims on it and a higher profile tyre ?
Thanks
Pete

 

I think the stock wheels on many years X type are 16". Should be easy to find some stock wheels and if you want to go one size larger in dia. in tire you would have a ton more sidewall than you currently have.

 

Peter Hibbitt, Yes you can. The question is whether you can find what you want and what it will set you back. The X-Type came with as small as 16" rims (16x6.5" rims with a +40mm offset). You should be able to fit say a 215/55R16 wheel on those rims and not have any issues. But, going with any taller of a tire (ie, bigger diameter) is not possible. Now, if you stepped up to say a 16x7" rim, you can run a 225/50R16 tire as that would be about the same diameter as the 215. that would give you as much sidewall as possible to save the rims. You could step to a 18" rim, but I see this as a lot of cost for very little gain.

 

I run 225/50R16s on my 16" rims. Seems to be fine.