22" wheels and ride quality?
#1
22" wheels and ride quality?
I picked up my 2012 XJ Supercharged last week and am itching to upgrade the wheels. I am considering 21" wheels to help bent wheels and ride quality, but before I jump to conclusions about ride quality does anyone have any feedback about ride quality? How is it with 22"s?
#2
The 20's ride great. I had 21's on my BMW. Had to replace them twice due to the wheels being bent after hitting pot holes. Plus, the selection and availability of 21" tires is little to none. I also had 22's and it was the same issue with rims bending. I test drove a used XJ with some cheap 22" wheels and it rode ok. I felt some sacrifice in handling and acceleration, but that was it. You will notice a slight acceleration difference in 20" vs 22" wheels based on if the overall diameter is different and may also see a decrease in performance if aftermarket rims/tires weigh more than the stock ones. However, a good aftermarket 22" wheel like Modulare or that quality level will ride and perform like a champ!
#3
Assuming that you would prefer to maintain the stock tire diameter, going to 22" would make the sidewall 1" shorter than a stock 20". I do not see ANY good that would come out of that.
Tire sidewalls are integral parts of the suspension compliance. More sidewall generally means more flex and a smoother ride over rippled pavements. My XJL has the 19" wheels and I would not want to go any larger than that. Even at 19" I can feel the fine pavement ripples coming through the already overly stiff tire sidewalls. Not really bad but, the fact is that the car does not ride as smoothly and quietly as it would with more sidewall.
I don't think that 22" would look good on the car and certainly would not work well. You could be stopped by the roadside frequently by bent and leaky rims that are expensive to repair or replace. Ride would be significantly worse over less-than-perfect pavements.
The XJL, supercharged or not, is not a race car. It is a high performance luxury cruiser. IMO, such vehicle should have a plush ride that such big wheels can simply not provide. There is a limit to what the adaptable suspension can do....
Albert
Tire sidewalls are integral parts of the suspension compliance. More sidewall generally means more flex and a smoother ride over rippled pavements. My XJL has the 19" wheels and I would not want to go any larger than that. Even at 19" I can feel the fine pavement ripples coming through the already overly stiff tire sidewalls. Not really bad but, the fact is that the car does not ride as smoothly and quietly as it would with more sidewall.
I don't think that 22" would look good on the car and certainly would not work well. You could be stopped by the roadside frequently by bent and leaky rims that are expensive to repair or replace. Ride would be significantly worse over less-than-perfect pavements.
The XJL, supercharged or not, is not a race car. It is a high performance luxury cruiser. IMO, such vehicle should have a plush ride that such big wheels can simply not provide. There is a limit to what the adaptable suspension can do....
Albert
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#4
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Randy Mounts (10-02-2019)
#5
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#8
I see these cars around south Florida with 22's and when I ask, there are no reported problems. However, our roads are pretty decent. Usually, there is a route to where ever you're going that has a smoother road to get there. In 25 years of aftermarket wheel buying, I have never bent a wheel.
I do slow downover RR tracks and swerve around the few potholes I encounter. I have 20's on my Lexus but the sidewalls are the same as those you would get with 22's. I have 245-30 front and 285-25 rear. Again, no complaints.
In addition, the choice of tire is paramount to the driving experience. A performance all-season tire like the Continental DWS would provide a smooth ride with good sidewall protection. A summer high performance tire would give less sidewall, less protection and rougher ride even with the same sizes as the all-season tires. That's the most important thing, tire choice.
Again, I don't know the rodas there but it is a large city. Just learn to slow down when you see a pothole and you'll be fine.
I do slow downover RR tracks and swerve around the few potholes I encounter. I have 20's on my Lexus but the sidewalls are the same as those you would get with 22's. I have 245-30 front and 285-25 rear. Again, no complaints.
In addition, the choice of tire is paramount to the driving experience. A performance all-season tire like the Continental DWS would provide a smooth ride with good sidewall protection. A summer high performance tire would give less sidewall, less protection and rougher ride even with the same sizes as the all-season tires. That's the most important thing, tire choice.
Again, I don't know the rodas there but it is a large city. Just learn to slow down when you see a pothole and you'll be fine.
#9
Here you go (not an L), since traded but it had Lexani CVX-55's (10.5 x 9.5) with pirelli Zero 285-25 and 255-30. Bent 1 wheel (rear), you could definitely tell you were riding on 22's...
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edbee1 (03-18-2020)
#11
I see these cars around south Florida with 22's and when I ask, there are no reported problems. However, our roads are pretty decent. Usually, there is a route to where ever you're going that has a smoother road to get there. In 25 years of aftermarket wheel buying, I have never bent a wheel.
I do slow downover RR tracks and swerve around the few potholes I encounter. I have 20's on my Lexus but the sidewalls are the same as those you would get with 22's. I have 245-30 front and 285-25 rear. Again, no complaints.
In addition, the choice of tire is paramount to the driving experience. A performance all-season tire like the Continental DWS would provide a smooth ride with good sidewall protection. A summer high performance tire would give less sidewall, less protection and rougher ride even with the same sizes as the all-season tires. That's the most important thing, tire choice.
Again, I don't know the rodas there but it is a large city. Just learn to slow down when you see a pothole and you'll be fine.
I do slow downover RR tracks and swerve around the few potholes I encounter. I have 20's on my Lexus but the sidewalls are the same as those you would get with 22's. I have 245-30 front and 285-25 rear. Again, no complaints.
In addition, the choice of tire is paramount to the driving experience. A performance all-season tire like the Continental DWS would provide a smooth ride with good sidewall protection. A summer high performance tire would give less sidewall, less protection and rougher ride even with the same sizes as the all-season tires. That's the most important thing, tire choice.
Again, I don't know the rodas there but it is a large city. Just learn to slow down when you see a pothole and you'll be fine.
#12
#13
#14
I ended up getting 22" wheels yesterday. Same wheels as JimmyJag but without the painted black windows in a matte silver finish. What Ive found with aftermarket wheels is that the tires make the biggest difference in road noise and ride quality. I decided to go with Continental DWS tires in a 295/25/22 (F) and 245/30/22 over Michelin PS2's or the Pirelli PZero Neros. The Continental's have significantly higher tread wear ratings, are significantly quieter and softer riding. They do not handle like the PS2's but Im not expecting supercar cornering out of my 5000lb saloon.
Going with 22's was a bit of a compromise. I REALLY wanted 21's but saw pictures of 22's posted here and on HRE's website. I thought the look was great but was worried about the minimal sidewalls hurting the ride quality and being a PITA for bent wheels. The issue with 21's is the high cost of replacement tires and the high cost of wheels. Also most 21's that had the look I was seeking were only made in a three-piece wheel. Multi piece wheels are typically forged and lighter, but bend easily. My wheel vendor told me that he would refund my money if he mounted the wheels and I didnt like the ride quality. With that deal, I had nothing to lose.
The summary is that the ride quality isnt really noticeably worse. Houston has expanisve soil so most of the roads are made in concrete with expansion joints and cracks everywhere. We have TERRIBLE roads here and I really cant tell the difference. There may be a SLIGHT difference in certain bumps, but nothing that makes me feel like I degraded the ride quality. I honestly cant tell if its "placebo" or the ride is the same. Road noise with the Continental DWS tires is actually better than the stock Dunlops and the look is pretty much unbeatable. I still am concerned about bending wheels, but we'll see how often that happens.
Going with 22's was a bit of a compromise. I REALLY wanted 21's but saw pictures of 22's posted here and on HRE's website. I thought the look was great but was worried about the minimal sidewalls hurting the ride quality and being a PITA for bent wheels. The issue with 21's is the high cost of replacement tires and the high cost of wheels. Also most 21's that had the look I was seeking were only made in a three-piece wheel. Multi piece wheels are typically forged and lighter, but bend easily. My wheel vendor told me that he would refund my money if he mounted the wheels and I didnt like the ride quality. With that deal, I had nothing to lose.
The summary is that the ride quality isnt really noticeably worse. Houston has expanisve soil so most of the roads are made in concrete with expansion joints and cracks everywhere. We have TERRIBLE roads here and I really cant tell the difference. There may be a SLIGHT difference in certain bumps, but nothing that makes me feel like I degraded the ride quality. I honestly cant tell if its "placebo" or the ride is the same. Road noise with the Continental DWS tires is actually better than the stock Dunlops and the look is pretty much unbeatable. I still am concerned about bending wheels, but we'll see how often that happens.
Last edited by Smokin; 09-16-2012 at 01:11 PM.
#16
I ended up getting 22" wheels yesterday. Same wheels as JimmyJag but without the painted black windows in a matte silver finish. What Ive found with aftermarket wheels is that the tires make the biggest difference in road noise and ride quality. I decided to go with Continental DWS tires in a 295/25/22 (F) and 245/30/22 over Michelin PS2's or the Pirelli PZero Neros. The Continental's have significantly higher tread wear ratings, are significantly quieter and softer riding. They do not handle like the PS2's but Im not expecting supercar cornering out of my 5000lb saloon.
Going with 22's was a bit of a compromise. I REALLY wanted 21's but saw pictures of 22's posted here and on HRE's website. I thought the look was great but was worried about the minimal sidewalls hurting the ride quality and being a PITA for bent wheels. The issue with 21's is the high cost of replacement tires and the high cost of wheels. Also most 21's that had the look I was seeking were only made in a three-piece wheel. Multi piece wheels are typically forged and lighter, but bend easily. My wheel vendor told me that he would refund my money if he mounted the wheels and I didnt like the ride quality. With that deal, I had nothing to lose.
The summary is that the ride quality isnt really noticeably worse. Houston has expanisve soil so most of the roads are made in concrete with expansion joints and cracks everywhere. We have TERRIBLE roads here and I really cant tell the difference. There may be a SLIGHT difference in certain bumps, but nothing that makes me feel like I degraded the ride quality. I honestly cant tell if its "placebo" or the ride is the same. Road noise with the Continental DWS tires is actually better than the stock Dunlops and the look is pretty much unbeatable. I still am concerned about bending wheels, but we'll see how often that happens.
Going with 22's was a bit of a compromise. I REALLY wanted 21's but saw pictures of 22's posted here and on HRE's website. I thought the look was great but was worried about the minimal sidewalls hurting the ride quality and being a PITA for bent wheels. The issue with 21's is the high cost of replacement tires and the high cost of wheels. Also most 21's that had the look I was seeking were only made in a three-piece wheel. Multi piece wheels are typically forged and lighter, but bend easily. My wheel vendor told me that he would refund my money if he mounted the wheels and I didnt like the ride quality. With that deal, I had nothing to lose.
The summary is that the ride quality isnt really noticeably worse. Houston has expanisve soil so most of the roads are made in concrete with expansion joints and cracks everywhere. We have TERRIBLE roads here and I really cant tell the difference. There may be a SLIGHT difference in certain bumps, but nothing that makes me feel like I degraded the ride quality. I honestly cant tell if its "placebo" or the ride is the same. Road noise with the Continental DWS tires is actually better than the stock Dunlops and the look is pretty much unbeatable. I still am concerned about bending wheels, but we'll see how often that happens.
#17
car looks great! I also have 22's. Had serious reservations, but just went for it and could not be happier. My knock on Jags has always been a poor selection of factory rims. I have always been a "factory guy" but I finally had to bite the bullet. The car is too nice to have the rims that Jag offers from the factory.
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The_Ikon (01-24-2022)
#19
I ended up getting 22" wheels yesterday. Same wheels as JimmyJag but without the painted black windows in a matte silver finish. What Ive found with aftermarket wheels is that the tires make the biggest difference in road noise and ride quality. I decided to go with Continental DWS tires in a 295/25/22 (F) and 245/30/22 over Michelin PS2's or the Pirelli PZero Neros. The Continental's have significantly higher tread wear ratings, are significantly quieter and softer riding. They do not handle like the PS2's but Im not expecting supercar cornering out of my 5000lb saloon.
Going with 22's was a bit of a compromise. I REALLY wanted 21's but saw pictures of 22's posted here and on HRE's website. I thought the look was great but was worried about the minimal sidewalls hurting the ride quality and being a PITA for bent wheels. The issue with 21's is the high cost of replacement tires and the high cost of wheels. Also most 21's that had the look I was seeking were only made in a three-piece wheel. Multi piece wheels are typically forged and lighter, but bend easily. My wheel vendor told me that he would refund my money if he mounted the wheels and I didnt like the ride quality. With that deal, I had nothing to lose.
The summary is that the ride quality isnt really noticeably worse. Houston has expanisve soil so most of the roads are made in concrete with expansion joints and cracks everywhere. We have TERRIBLE roads here and I really cant tell the difference. There may be a SLIGHT difference in certain bumps, but nothing that makes me feel like I degraded the ride quality. I honestly cant tell if its "placebo" or the ride is the same. Road noise with the Continental DWS tires is actually better than the stock Dunlops and the look is pretty much unbeatable. I still am concerned about bending wheels, but we'll see how often that happens.
Going with 22's was a bit of a compromise. I REALLY wanted 21's but saw pictures of 22's posted here and on HRE's website. I thought the look was great but was worried about the minimal sidewalls hurting the ride quality and being a PITA for bent wheels. The issue with 21's is the high cost of replacement tires and the high cost of wheels. Also most 21's that had the look I was seeking were only made in a three-piece wheel. Multi piece wheels are typically forged and lighter, but bend easily. My wheel vendor told me that he would refund my money if he mounted the wheels and I didnt like the ride quality. With that deal, I had nothing to lose.
The summary is that the ride quality isnt really noticeably worse. Houston has expanisve soil so most of the roads are made in concrete with expansion joints and cracks everywhere. We have TERRIBLE roads here and I really cant tell the difference. There may be a SLIGHT difference in certain bumps, but nothing that makes me feel like I degraded the ride quality. I honestly cant tell if its "placebo" or the ride is the same. Road noise with the Continental DWS tires is actually better than the stock Dunlops and the look is pretty much unbeatable. I still am concerned about bending wheels, but we'll see how often that happens.
Beautiful car!