Let me first start off by saying this is my first post so far! Im the proud new owner of a jaguar str in jaguar racing green!

Well Ive had it for roughly 3 weeks now and I already have a bubble forming in the sidewall of my front tire. DAMN POTHOLES! You can do your best to avoid them but Boston traffic doesn't always allow for evasive maneuvers haha

Id like to go with a bigger tire to perhaps combat this, Im looking at some 255/40's R18's for the front and some 275/40 R18's for the rear..
Other options for the front were 245/45's

The overall tire size would only jump about an inch overall from 25.6" to 26.6"

Id like to know if anyone has run something similar to this, and if they had any rubbing issues?

 

I too would like to hear about this especially since my car is lowered. I am tired of fixing bent rims twice a year.

 

The one thing to be concerned about more than rubbing is the traction control.. My Audi TT had 225s stock , but I'm running 285s in the rear and I finally had to disable the traction control because with the AWD it went crazy.. Actually 285 tires are the perfect width for the STR's stock rims, I had 305s at one point and they were way too big, the 275s were too small, but 285s fit just right lol.. My new rims are a little over 10" wide in the rear, so I have 275/30/ZR19s but I think I'm going up to a 295/35/19 which will give me a 27" diameter and 4" of sidewall apposed to the 3.75" on the stock 18" wheels.. The only other thing is that it changes your speedometer like 4-7%.. Eric

 

I have 275/35/ZR18 on the back, 245/40/ZR18 in the front. BF Goodrich G-force T/A KDWs with the agressive tread, and have no issues. However, when its not dry, not that much traction. May not be a good idea in Boston if you are going to drive it in the winter.

 

I have 245/40/18 in the front and 275/35/18 in the rear. Potenza 960AS pole position. Even carries a 40,000 mile treadlife warranty. Great all weather tire no road noise and great overall traction in various weather conditions but absolutely great in both wet and dry. Honestly can't really say much about snow though i live in the south.

 

This may be a geezer answer, but what about going to a lower diameter wheel and a higher profile tire? I've seen a number of messages about this issue and it seems to me that that the underlying issue is that the tire profile if too low doesn't allow for real world hazards like potholes. The super-low profile tires don't absorb shocks like a higher profile tire can do. My guess is that the highest optimal wheel size is 17". Anything higher you are going to bubble tires and bend rims. Go with a 16" or 17" combination.

 

I couldn't agree with you more. I bought my 2003 S-type last weekend and am glad it has 16" wheels. I have never understood the appeal of larger wheels. The ride is harsher, the tires are a lot more expensive to replace and the aesthetics are better, but not worth the extra cost of tire replacement.

At 45, I'm not exactly an old geezer, but not off the turnip truck either.

 

Not a hundred percent sure, but I don't think a STR will take a 16 or even a 17 inch wheel. They have a bigger brake than the standard car. The other thing to be concerned about is the fact that the car was engineered to a specific tire size. Any drastic change could result in some real scarey handling. (my cousin's 3 series BMM with sport suspension comes to mind.) I modded a couple of Accords before buying my Jag. I did go up in rim and tire size, but also made the suspension changes to go with. I also learned some tire lessons along the way. First mod was 18's with a 225/40 tire. First set was a Falken tire, and blasted a rim in less than a week. Switched to a Kumho tire after consulting some dealers about tire construction. Found out that if you move up to a higher load rating, you'll get a tougher sidewall. Also, look for those makes that have that large rim protection bead that people write off as a gimmick, it does help. I'm pretty sure the STR uses the same load rating of 96 that the regular S uses. Look for a 98 or 99 load rating in the size you need. Hope that helps.

 

I'm with the geezer crowd. My 2005 has 17-inch wheels with 235/50/ZR17 tires and I would much prefer to have 16-inch wheels with higher profile tires. This would offer a better ride, many more tire choices, and far less expense whenever new tires are needed. Lower and lower profile tires combined with bigger and bigger rims is just moronic. What's next - a set of wooden-spoke-and-rim stagecoach wheels?

 

Hey there, easy... So, wanting to improve cornering grip and handling is moronic??????
Can't count the times that my choice in performance upgrades saved my but from a low talent idiot that would have caused an accident if it wasn't for my cars ability to get out of the way. Performance upgrades are a matter of choice, and with the right equipment will be just as robust if not more than the standard fair.

 

+1 for JOsworth.. Being able to maneuver yourself out of a bad situation is a huge plus for me.. The STR won't accept a wheel smaller than 18".. but having a stiffer tire like a 19" greatly improved the handling on my car and there is almost zero roll now.. I can't count how many times I have been able to swerve around a shredded tire that came off of a tractor trailer.. I like handling over ride comfort, but that's just me.. Eric

 

Hi Eric,

Being able to maneuver out of a tight jam is a huge plus. Not sure if 18' or 19" tires are the optimal answer. What I do know is that Jaguars are extremely safe and capable of dealing with emergency situations. A number of years ago I was cut off by a truck and had to do a quick evasive maneuver (I had my 1996 XJ6 at the time). I was able to perform the evasive maneuver with relative ease. My wife didn't even wake up. I couldn't have done this with a lesser car and would have certainly have had a nasty accident. For this reason alone I will continue to have at least one Jaguar in my meager fleet.

Mike

 

I have 245/40/17" on my 2000 XK8. This is the OEM size that came on the car. I don't have many choices of brand tires that I can buy. I have Dunlops on the car now. I just put two new ones on the rear yesterday. Good luck finding a performance all season tire which the SP 5000's are.

Those that have 18" rims have a world of choices in brands and prices which the 17" people don't have. Something to think about if you don't want to run just a summer performance tire.

 

Well, this thread got a little off topic. The original post was a question as to what will fit. So, here is my advice. Use this tool to determine what difference you'll see using various size tires vs. stock. It's a real useful tool and has saved me a lot of time coming up with the right solution. http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html
This is a safe web app that was given to me by a friend that races auto-cross. That said another very useful tool is tire rack. I'm pretty sure I can mention them here since I see a link to their site on this forum. I have used them for tires and rims since '98 and have never been steered wrong. Another important thing to do seems overly simple but I am amazed at how many don't do it. That is measure the distance of the stock tire/rim to the wheel well, closest suspension points, ect. Pay attention to the parts that "move with the wheel" and those that are fixed. It helps to know how much suspension compression you have. Then use that web tool and double check that the sizes you choose will work. One thing, if you use it to see how upsized rims/tires will work it only gives you the difference in measurements and assumes that the same offset is used.
So, check the factory size, decide what will fit, then shop for tires based on all the specs, including load rating (higher the number, the greater weight the tire supports, therefore the more resilience to shocks and damage).
Good hunting....
PS. Thanks for the props Eric.