Unfortunately, I took my XK8 in for a ticking noise at low speeds and vibration. Turns out my left rear wheel bearing and front left ball joint are bad and the wheels have massive amounts of play in them. Somehow, I also missed that the inside of the front left tire went completely bald. The rest of the tires are at the end of their life and the front left rim is bent. I have the 18" 10 spoke wheels on my car and I think it's time to replace them. I really don't want to buy another set of tires in 18". I like the Coventry Whitleys. I think 20" will ruin the ride quality, so I'm thinking 19", staggered. I went to Butler Tire and got quoted about $320 per wheel, and $220 each for P Zeros in the front and $350 each for the rear!

So my questions are:

1. Has anyone gone from 19 to 20" rims, and if so, what's your opinion on the ride quality? Is it worth it to you?
2. Any other rims worth considering? I really like the Whitleys because they remind me of Sepangs.
3. Any other tire suggestions? I've seen a lot of threads on this and from what I've read Pirellis seem like good tires, though the rears aren't cheap.

Thanks,
Jacob

 

Continental or Michelin are some of the preferred tires over the Pirelli's. I love my Whitley's but only went from the OEM 17's I had to the 18 due to a lot of comments on the sacrifice to comfort on the 19 & 20's. It is all in what you are willing to take on.

 

I have 19s with Michelins and ride quality is fine. High end tires do make a difference here.

Most who have 20s love the looks (and rightfully so) but the ride is a compromise, along with the higher risk of damage.

 

I think I'll go for the 19s, as for tires not sure yet. I'll post pictures when I get them, I want 20"s but I don't want to destroy the ride, wish I could try out larger wheels before buying.

 

@rothwell was probably thinking of me when he made that comment because I concur. The 20'' BBS wheels on my XKR are beautiful, people comment on them, but between the tighter suspension those 20'' are not as forgiving and "long drive" endurance worthy, and I'm always super paranoid I'm going to hit a bump/pothole.

So much so, I chose to go with some 18'' Double Five wheels for the Craigslist Cat project.

 

Hmm, I may sell my wheels, all straight by one. Probably need to be refinished, a tiny it of curb rash on some. Are they worth anything at all?

 

Two very good tire options not mentioned above are:

• Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (summer high performance tire that almost match the Michelins Pilot Sport 4S at a lower price)
• BF-Goodrich Sport Comp 2 A/S (High Performance All Season tire that are nearly as good as the Michelin Pilot A/S Tire at a fraction of the cost). I have these installed and highly recommend them. They grip exceptionally well on both the dry and the rain.

These two tire choices are very good and have received high praise. They will cost you less than equivalent Michelin, Pirellis, and Continentals.

Unfortunately, my only experience is with 17” Revolvers on the XK8 and 18” Hydras on the XKR. I can’t comment on what 19’s and 20s feel like.

 

Jacob, heads up - check your ride height front wheels. Should be 15.78 inches bott6of wheel well lipto center of wheel. Failed upper shock spacers lower ride height and cause such wear.

John

 

I've got 20" Whitleys on my XJR with Toyo Proxes T1R 35 profile. They look real good and grip beyond my skills, even with the supercharger. Got em thru Tire Rack. On freeways the ride is great and better then my wife's Chrysler 300C boat (reminds me of a B-52's song...."its as big as a whale and seats about 20"...)

All depends on what your balance between comfort and grip are. My XKR has18" with Continentals of some sort w/ BBS 5 spoke, ride is nice but there is definitely sidewall roll in cornering and is especially disappointing in quick switchbacks. When these wear out I plan on 20" total Chrome Whitleys with the same Toyo tire as the XJR.

 

 

I went from 18's to 20" Sepang's on my 2002 XKR, but with the 20's I also put on new Michelin's. Honestly it seems to ride the same (maybe combination of better tires and CATS suspension). But yes with 20's, avoiding potholes is the new concern.

 

FWIW, I went from (chromed) 19" Apollos down to (painted) 18" Hydras. There was a pronounced increase in ride comfort, due to taller sidewall for sure, but also lower unsprung weight. Generally lower tire cost is also a factor.

In my experience, the rational approach is to stick with 18" wheels for a daily driver on real, less-than-perfect roads, especially if you visit a lot of unknown roads or ride with a significant other. Even more so if you are not the only driver. And for sure stick with all-weather tires for those rare bouts of snow. Some 18" wheels even accommodate the larger Brembo calipers of the XKR. I also realize visual appeal calls for these larger wheels, and Jaguar for sure offered some nice options in the later years. Decisions, decisions...

 

Thanks for the suggestion John. Just had new shock mounts and an alignment maybe 5,000 miles ago.

 

Oh,ok . It just reminded me of what happened to me and several others.

Glad you're ok.

John

 

What tire sizes would you guys recommend for staggered 19s (8.5 and 9.5 inches wide)?

 

One more question, I just bought the rears, 1995COW205121S73: 19x9.5 5x120.65 ET: 20. The fronts are either have an offset of 20 or 30 according to Coventry's configurator. Does anyone know the proper offset?

Jacob

EDIT: If anyone could let me know I'd really appreciate it, I think both will fit but I really don't know what is preferable. Once somebody can confirm it for me I will buy the front wheels. Thank you guys!

 

when I ordered mine - they configured with a 20 offset

 

Thank you! Do you happen to know if that will clear Brembo calipers?

 

I went from 17s (revolvers) to 20s (BBS montreal). If I'm being honest, I really didn't notice much of a ride quality difference. However, the paranoia of hitting a pothole or a raised edge is...not something I enjoy. I still have and run both sets, just at different times in the year (20s are for spring/summer, 17s for fall/winter/spring).

If I had to do it all over again, I'd still probably get the 20s. The Montreal is probably my favorite style save for the Perseus, and its hard to put a price on preferences. To me, its special. But I would definitely take a harder look at 19s, which also look great and cost way, way less. If you don't have strong attachment to the BBS wheels or the Sepangs, I would absolutely recommend getting 19s in either one of the factory styles or the Whitley style.

As for tires, it kind of depends on your preferences about tires in general. Some people view them as just disposable things that you're going to have to replace anyway and just get the cheapest ones that'll work. Others view them as one of the most essential parts of the car - the only part of the car that touches the road - and therefore you should get the best ones possible. I probably fall into the latter category, but I'm...financially constrained, so I can't buy the Michelins. If you're looking for a summer tire, I run the firestone indy 500 on my 20" wheels and they've been great and didn't break the bank. I have some random toyos on the 17" wheels and do not like them very much. For all seasons, Continental ExtremeContact DWS or the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S are probably the ones to get. But, again, it's your car, and there are certainly other decent quality tires out there.

 

Ope, just saw you bought the 19s. I guess I should do a better job of reading. Cheers!