Hello members,

My latest question pertains to another one of jaguar's (in my opinion) most beautiful and simple wheel designs - the 20 X 9 Calisto Wheels - Will a 285 tread width work at the back of an XJ L (350) - If not, what is the maximum tread width for that wheel?

Thank you,

Fast Cat

 

Those are gorgeous wheels. But I don't think I'd ever be able to use such low profile wheels, I'd bend them in a heartbeat! Hopefully someone else can chime in with the answer you're looking for.

 

i have 275/30/20s on 20x10s on my 99 xjr but it took some fender massaging and the right offset. it would b close u will probably rub a little

 

i have the calisto 20x9 also, the stock i have are 255/35/20. i wanted to wider all around. i have been told 275/30/20 would fit but i am worried about fender rub in front.

 

The largest tires fitted to the car in the XJR config are the 255/35/20 front and rear. Assuming the wheel offset is correct, this should work. If you try 285, they may rub and they are definitely too wide for a 9" rim. My XKR uses 285/30/20 on the rear but on 10" rims. The XJ8 is not designed for staggered tires according to Tire Rack.

 

Just wanted to voice a caution regarding the beautiful, but fragile 20-inch Callisto wheels. Sorry to be a downer, but my 2006 SuperV8 Portfolio came with a beautiful set of these. The car had 11,000 miles on it and I subsequently learned that the whole set had already been replaced due to curb rash from the first owner. But read on.

Here in the Northeast the Callistos seem to fall prey to two issues, potholes and winter weather. On the pothole issue this is the first set of plus-sized wheels which i have had to replace one-by-one (at over a grand apiece. So I am now on the car's third set of wheels. Well, actually, I'm not because I've taken them off and replaced them with Coventry Whitleys.

I swear I don't go out looking for potholes, but I'd also swear that all you need to do is LOOK at one and you'll bend a wheel. And when they bend, they can't be straightened. That's what I've been told by two wheel rebuilders here on Long Island--they can't be made to hold air reliably once they bend.

OK, so you drive like granny and avoid the holes. I did that for a while. Then one of my new wheels started to lose air every couple of days. I went to a very good local tire place. He looked everywhere for a leak. Finally he realized that the bead was slowly seeping air on the inside of the wheel. First we replaced the tire (Goodyear Eagle F1 All Seasons), but the leak continued. Then another wheel started leaking and I was adding air daily. Eventually we figured out that the metal at the bead was corroding and that this was keeping the tire from sealing to the wheel properly. That started a few years of commuting to the tire place where they would unmount the tires, clean up the corrosion and remount the tires. It actually got to the point where I was not using this fantastic car--one of the favorites I have ever owned--because of the wheel/tire situation.

So now I have these Coventry wheels. They aren't as sexy as the Callistos and I've put on the Continental Extreme DWSs (and they aren't as aggressive as the Goodyears were). But I get to drive my car every day and I'm not a slave to the air pump.

Maybe if you live in a drier climate with fewer potholes you won't experience this. And maybe it was just the combo of that Goodyear tire with it's carbon fiber reinforced sidewalls and the 20 inch Callisto. But my latest set of Callistos is sitting in the basement in case i ever sell the car. And when I look at them (less than two years old) that polished alloy sure LOOKS tarnished.

 

it is true. it seems that every "close call" leave a scar on the rims. i was thinking of replacing them, but i really love the look of the rims. i am currenty looking at have them refinnished. i also do want to go to the 275's . will it fit on a 9 inch rim with out fender rub, i was told by several tire places that if i went to 275's, i would also needed to reduce the ratio to 30's because of the height difference in the tires and possible that would affected the abs system . ect. i was thinking that going to 30's from the 35's would also affect ride quality.