If any of you have X300 or X308 with Asteroids and 235/50 tyres (instead of 255/40s) could you please post a photo so i get an idea what they look like?

I have a set of Asteroids just finished straightening repair (plus a second set of boxed brand-new Asteroids on the high seas coming from sbwheels.co.uk - he has been fantastic to deal with), and I will get a set of 235/50s - I hate really low profile tyres - curmudgeon grumble grumble

cheers & thanks, Al in NZ

 

That's the size I'm looking at next. Currently on 245/45 which, theoretically have a sidewall height of 110 mm.

 

No pics (sorry - I can manage 235/50 r17 on celtics though!), but aren't they a bit on the big side? I hate to state the obvious, but surely low profile tyres are a necessary evil if you want to run big wheel diameters. Perhaps someone's tried them, but I'd be worried about clearance and thinking about gearing...

Overall diameter:

235/50/18 = 692mm

245/45/18 = 678mm
255/40/18 = 661mm

225/55/16 = 654mm
225/60/16 = 676mm

 

Yeah, I thought of that and looked up the Toyo site
My 226/60 x 16s are 676mm diam
Toyo site says 235/50x18s are 645, but that may be a mistake

Even if I go up from 676 to 692, that is only 16mm, which is 8 mm on the radius - I think that will be fairly minimal.
If they rub, I will happily eat humble pie however!
I bought a brand-new set of Jag chrome wheel nuts today from Beachams for $200NZD (the existing Turbine wheels have 'hidden' nuts, under the hubcap, and they are open instead of capped, so not 'for show' as needed for the Asteroids)

 

The 245/45 do not rub. As a matter of fact they fill the wheelwells quite nicely with less gap than normally seen in photos around here.

Watch the speedometer though

... and lookup the ride height for the two cars, yours should be higher on the springs so more room to work with.

 

I doubt they'll rub tbh - they're not that much bigger. Personally though, I'd probably end up with 235/45 r18 (669mm), but I'd seriously consider 225/50 (682mm) - that's what I'd be looking for pictures of!

 

Well, humble pie eaten
the 235/50s just rub on half-lock on the front of the front wheels.
Annoying...
My tyre guy was very thorough though, and is looking for something else - he wants 225/50s but is struggling to find some.
He may go 245/45..
I will keep you all posted!

 

:-(

You don't necessarily need to have the same size front and rear though...

 

If abs/trac is fitted, the front and rear sensors will see different road speeds.

 

While I am slowly sorting 18" tyres, I am keeping the chromed Turbines shiny...
I can't believe how blingy these are for 1995, especially the 'conservative' nature of the Daimler compared to the XJR or Sport models.

 

Was the interference at the lip or inner fender liner?

 

the edge of the tyre was just rubbing on the plastic 'liner' in front of the wheel, at half lock

getting in a Toyo 245/45 x 18 to try again. It should work - it has the same diameter as the 225/60x16s on at the moment (although it will be 2 cm wider..)

 

Toyo snows are what are on mine now.

I'm not a big fan of Toyo, but I thought you'd like to know since m+s tires tend to be on the bigger side of a size.

It may be that the X300 liner is different or the wheel sweep is different from the X308.

Don't suppose the plastic liner could be massaged with the help of a heat gun?

 

I assume it'll have ABS but no TC being a 3.2 - does the ABS look for a difference between front and rear?

 

The other lesser mode of TRAC is DSC.

Even so, ABS typically looks at all wheel sensors for speed differences.

 

nearly there...
photo of trial fitting of Asteroid with 245/45x18 tyre yesterday - a full set going on tomorrow.
Previous trial of 235/50 was no good - it rubbed in front of front wheel when turning; the overall diameter was 15-16 mm bigger.

What do you like better - 16 inch chrome Turbines, or 18" Asteroids?

 

Being extremely biased towards mini-lites ... the asteroids

 

Asteroids look great... But do they take something away from the overall 'Daimlerness'? I'm not sure. How does it drive?