I’m looking for feedback from long term useage of those that have installed wheel spacers. Yeah, there are many threads and a lot of theory. So, let’s not go down the road of theory. Let’s hear from those that have installed 20mm front and 15mm rear spacers on an XK/R. After several 1,000 miles or km…how are they? Any adverse handling effects? Any uneven tire wear? Any suspension component failures?

I’m just looking at it for looks.

 

Before you do anything, call your insurance company and ask them if you'll be covered if you add wheel spacers to your car and subsequently are involved in an accident. If they say you'll still be covered, make sure you get it in writing.

 

Please everyone, let’s not derail the thread from the original question. Thank you…

 

I had spacers on my x100 xkr. No ill effects and I think it improved the handling

 

GOOD rear spacers of a reasonable thickness won't affect anything. Front spacers will somewhat mess with the scrub radius and bearing life.

 

is that based upon experience?

 

Physics. And also thousands of vehicle designers' experience.

 

My 5.0 XKR had 20mm front and 15mm rear spacers installed before I bought the car last year.
(The PO had them on for 3 years / 30k miles I believe)
It has the original 19" tamana rims.
After a couple of months an alarming sound came from the rear, after an overaverage spirited driving session🫣.
First thought was E-Diff failure or driveshaft losing a bearing.
But turned out the wheel was interfering the ends of the wheelstuds and the wheel actually never touched the hub..
The studs dug wheel material away and at that time the sound became audible....as the wheel was loose as a result of this all.
When I removed the wheel at the side where the sound came from I noticed no torque required to loosen the wheelnuts.

I was relieved that it was solved by removing the threadless part of the wheelstuds. (No new E-Diff required&#128561
But now realize that many owners would just put 15mm spacers on without thinking to remove the tips of the wheelstuds.

Other then this, I do not think there many downsides in 20 or less mm spacers.
Bumpsteer increase in X150 is limited due to strong powersteering.

My front wheelbearings are coming up soon.
But the car has 70k miles (110k km) on the clock so lasted pretty well.

 

No experience on an X150 but similar stuff on other cars. A mini my mum had many years ago was kitted out to resemble a rally car with wide wheels, plus spacers, etc. It would eat bearings. Obvious really, as the load is designed to go through the centerline of the bearing and not apply a twising force on it. This is the same front or back.

I have also, by not doing my homework properly bought aftermatket wheels with significantly lower offsets (wheels stick out as though a spacer has been applied) and they have all steered badly. Swapping back to the correct offsets always puts the steering and handling back to a much better place. The later cars didn't have any component failures in the times that the wrong wheels were on, but these were winter sets so the mileage on them was comparatively low.

For me changing the scrub radius (spacers or whont offset wheels) is a simple "no". Why spoil all the hard and usually exceptional work Mike Cross' team did to make a Jaguar drive like a Jaguar? I look at the car when I get in and out but I might drive it for hours at a time, so for me the compromise has to be that it drives well rather than it looking like a Hot Wheels car of my childhood.

 

@neilr My first car, in 1978, was my mum's Mini Clubman! I too installed spacers, wide wheels and spats (and a polished Cooper head, twin carbs, multi-branch exhaust manifold, electric fuel pump, electronic ignition, electric fan, a gigantic front spoiler and rally lights). I didn't drive it long enough to break the wheel bearings - I put it into a ditch and broke my wrist badly within a year. It still aches sometimes to this day. I do recall that I couldn't turn on all the rally lights when the car was idling because it would stall!

 

By way of counterpoint, I have had spacers on my F-Type for several years now, 20 mm rear and 15 mm front, and not a hint of a problem with zero detrimental effect on ride, handling, steering etc and zero wheel bearing noise or problems.
And the looks/stance is a huge improvement over stock (especially with mild - 22 mm - lowering springs), much better than the "tucked" 4WD looking stock stance.
I understand the F-Type suspension is based on the XK design so what works for an F-Type should also work for an XK.

 

I've just put the 20mm front and 15mm rear spacers on my 07 XKR. I checked carefully and did not have to trim the studs for the 15mm spacers. Wheel hub perfectly flush with the spacer. Jupiter wheels. Not enough miles to know of effects, just that the wheels are still balanced. Changing tie rods at both ends soon and will have alignment done. That should tell me if they've affected camber.

 

So, I’m going to skip the spacers. I just had new tires put on all 4 corners. The OEM size (285/30ZR20) was on back order, so I went one size over to 295/30…it’s no5 much of a difference, but i think it looks better, and I wouldn’t want to go any wider. And I like how they protect the rim a bit.

 

I find it interesting that many purport “improved performance” when it is strictly an aesthetics position.
Which is fine, if that is your objective: a car that looks good at the car enthusiast meetups.

Having driven both setups in all temperatures, all conditions, with all the tire choices, on all the roads, I find the balance of the car “exceptional” when in stock setup. In the less than ideal conditions, the simple modifications like spacers without a matching suspension modifications results in a change of handling that, though can be controlled, is far less than optimal.

So, what is your aim??
Food for thought.
Cheers.

 

Have you really tried all? 😉

I agree stock is ideal for handling though.
Without higher springrates the spacers actualy degrade effective springrate rater a bit I believe (f=mxa)...
My earlier shared experience with 5.0 XKR on spacers is that 20 front and 15 rear spacers with Tamana 19" does not provide obvious downsides. (Besides the initial installation problem)
Haven't tracked the car in that stated though.

 

. curves and corners, dry or wet, warm or sub freezing, paved or not.
And as most here know, I purposely keep 3 sets of tires.

 

Have 20's on the rear have scrubbed a couple of times going over bumps but nothing significant . I like the looks and that is why they are on.

 

Speaking of spacers: I have a set of wheels to swap on my '07 XK that are 1/2 inch wider than stock - 9 inches front / 10 inches rear, 49/46 ET. I'm planning on mounting factory size tires - 245/40-19 and 275/35-19. I don't believe I need spacers, but does anyone have experience with Jag specific spacers 10mm or less

 

Fronts @ 49mm are standard on all so OK. Definitely need 20mm spacers on rear. 20" Sentas are 26mm and 19" Jupiters are 31mm and you need to be near that final dimension. 46-20=26. The extra 1", 1/2" per side of the tire. will fill the wells nicely. I'm wanting to do the same thing if I can find some Sentas or similar. From what I can tell, the rear axle on the 2010 and above is about 2 inches wider than 07-09, hence the 20mm or so greater offsets on the later wheels. Can't find the real dimension anywhere, so just an educated guess based on offset of wheels from both generations.
I've seen a video in the UK with owner running 20mm front and 15mm rear on Senta wheels. That's what I'm running on the Jupiters.

 

I'm using a staggered set of 19 inch Aleutians; other than being a 1/2 inch wider than the Carelias, dimensions are the same. since front and rear outside edge of the wheels/tires will be 5mm closer to the fender lip, I'm thinking 10mm for spacers. Like I said, asking if any one has experience and suggestions.