Hi Guys,

new here, but not new to Jaguar.

I have a 2002 x308 with original Eclipse wheels 235/55 ZR16 tires.

I want to buy a set of Coventry Whitley wheels, and change the tires to 255/40ZR18.

The wheel all dealers are recommending is 18x8.5. This wheel has a semi round 1" chrome lip.

I like the wheel, but think that the flat lip on the 18x9.5, which is 2 1/4" wide is a lot sexier. The tire would be the same.

Does any one here know if I go from the 18x8.5 which I was told does not rub anywhere, to a 1 inch wider wheel, 18x9.5, there will be rubbing on the frame?

I really appreciate any help.

Thanks for your replies.

 

Welcome to the forum coolcat,

I've moved your question from General Tech Help to X308 forum. Members here with the same model will be able to help.

When you get a minute, please follow this link New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum to the New Member Area - Intro a MUST forum and post some info about yourself and your vehicle for all members to see.

In return you'll get a proper welcome and some useful advice about posting to the forum.

Graham

 

It looks like the 18x9.5 Whitley is a +20 offset. This is too aggressive without some fender work (i.e edge rolling/grinding) on the X308. Not sure how familiar you are with offset, but in case you aren't the more positive offset you have the further inboard the outer surface is relative to the mounting surface. The X308 comes with a lot of positive offset from the factory, so going more negative will give you more lip and a more aggressive stance, but there isn't a whole lot of room for it in the X308. For instance, during the summer I'm running 18x9.5 +40 offset Corvette Grand Sport wheels with a 3mm spacer, for an effective offset of +37. There is some room to move further outward with my setup, but only about 1/4-1/2 inch (6-12mm) before I'd start rubbing the fender lip and chance cutting the tire. So in an 18x9.5, I'd consider safe offset to be around +30, with max being about +25 and likely to rub without fender rolling/grinding. So those 18x9.5 +20s are almost certainly too aggressive. The 18x8.5 +20s however should be just about perfect, with a nice and aggressive but safe stance.

Also, a 255/40 tire is about perfect for an 8.5 wheel, but too narrow for a 9.5. With a 9.5, I consider a 265 to be about the minimum, and a 275 looks a lot better. You get quite a lot of stretch out of a 255 on a 9.5 (I tried it on my Vette wheels), and it looks kind of awful in my opinion.

 

Perfect!!!

This is EXACTLY the type of concise, informative answer I was looking for.

What happens is that my car is in Europe, in Portugal, and there, when a car is registered, among other things like Db, Emissions etc. they write in the car's title, the tires it can use. When we do the yearly inspections they actually look at the ttle and the tites to see if the tires you are using are in the title!

This car has only 3 tire sizes allowed in the title. 225/55ZR 16, (which is what the car came with with the Eclipse wheels), 235/50ZR 17, and the one I want 255/40 ZR18.

What I did was see what rim size I wanted, and what was the largest in the title, therefore selecting an 18 wheel.

Then as I dug further into what is out there, I landed on the Whitley wheels.

That is when I found about the different size they offer.

All the configuration software programs I used on line, and even calling TWS (maker of the Coventry wheels), agreed on the 8.5 rim for this car, with a +20 offset (which I know what it means and is, but thank you for the explanation).

They don't make a smaller than +20mm offset for this car. So the minimum I can go is really +20mm. Hence my question with regards to using a wider wheel (just to get that nice flat 2 1/4" lip) like the 9.5

OK..so I am also liking your explanation about installing the 255's in a 9.5, unfortunately, I am bound by what is written in the title, so, there. Question answered..18x8.5 its is.

Thank you so much for your answer!

 

Hi,
I spent a lot of time chasing rims and tyres, I ended up with
18" X 9" with 25mm offset
tyres 275/35X 18"
If I did it again, I would use 35mm offset - nothing scrapes, but there is still 25mm clearance on the inside rear

 

sorry, this did not upload first time 3" outer is the 25mm offset

 

Thank you, dc4prez.

looks good from here!. Thanks for the wheel's drawings as well.

As I mentioned before I am limited by the tire sizes I can use. The largest is 255/40 18.

I could possibly go with the 18x9.5 because they do offer one with the 35mm offset. However, as Cabezagrande mentioned, putting 255's on a 9.5 will make the tires look odd (and I know exactly what he means), because it stretches the tire out.

I guess I am happy with the 255 on 8.5 wheels.

By the way...your photo also allowed me to see the diameter of the wheel in the car. which is something I wanted to see as well.

Thank you!

 

I'm going to do 19x8,5 ET20 with 245/40 19 tyres and 19x9,5 ET25 with 275/35 19 tyres. As i understand from the info what i get on this forum it will work fine on X308.

 

Do your home\work before you invest in 9.5" - they will be another 1/4" on the outside. Sorry about my bad photography, it was raining and it is on my phone, I have 18"x 9" - when you see it in real life, you would swear they would scrape.
I even think you would scrape the front on turns.
you intend increasing the radius by 1/2" and the and increasing the track - if someone says they have done it - ask for photos. You would possibly get away using 40mm offset,
Cheers

 

Before i decide to make this setup i've made a smell research.
I find the photos of X308 with 20" Detoits from XK8.


As you can see from the list it has ET30 in the front and ET25 in the rear.


So i was sure ET25 with 275 tyres and 9,5 will work. Then i'm starting to look at the front axle. I faound some guy here (do not remember the nickname) and he show the photos of his setup.
His X300 on 20" Detroits


And his X308 with custom 20" wheels.



And then i found his description.


I will be usind not so wide tyres and rims so i'm sure it will work.

 

Those 9.5 +25s will be very close. The stock rear wheel arch lip is very big on the 308s, being somewhat more than half an inch wide. If you get a good bump, you'll probably rub a little. I can all but guarantee you the X300 you showed there has rolled/ground his rear lips, and the bottom guy definitely did. You'll probably have to do some rolling to not rub with the 9.5s.

 

If it will be necessary i will

 

I have no clearance with 18"x 9", no fender mods were necessary. I saw the photo's - and the spreadsheet - Good luck

 

Your tyres are 275 and mine will be 275 so doesn't matter what width of the rim. If the tyres are with the same width with the same offset it means it will be in the same place. Inner edge will be moved a little bit inside but outer will be in the same place.
Anyway thanks for the photos!
And i really like the style of your exhaust.

 

I think we hijacked this poor guy's thread -

If you get hold of rims with a larger offset 35mm - 40mm, the bump stop sits at a really strange angle, it could be hacked off to gain 15-20mm on the inner

exhaust - quicksilver 2 1/2" I put the rear resonators and extensions on, to reduce the cabin noise.
it has a twin screw blower @ 20 PSI boost, modified inlet, blue printed heads and a bored throttle body, I actually needed the tyres and rims to get more power on the ground.
Cheers, DC
once again, sorry coolcat - it's all good info though

 

Different wheel widths will affect the tire widths, even if the tires are the same size. A wider wheel will make the same tire sit wider.

And to coolcat, you could always swap the tires/wheels for the yearly inspection.

 

@ Rostman

The treadface of the tire doesn't move relative to the wheel, no, but you still have to worry about the lip if the wheel itself, and as Steve said, it's only at the very outside face that it is unchanged, it's much wider where it mates with the wheel just an inch further down. For instance, on the 18x9.5 +40s I run in the summer, I had issues with the inner lip of the wheel rubbing on the rear bumpstops and the inner wheel lip rubbing on the front control arms. If you ran an 18x9.5 +25, it goes the other way and your all but guaranteed to rub the outer wheel lip on the fender lip under hard bump.

 

Some fantastic info here gents! It's so hard finding definitive information about what offsets fit and how far you can go before you need to roll your guards, so feedback from people who have ACTUALLY done it is invaluable.

Hopefully one day I'll upgrade from the factory 18's, either to the 19's I currently have, or even better, some of the larger BBS options that came on these cars

 

I understand that but it is much easier and better to roll the fender then take off the bump stops. I have allready much expirence in that so it wouldn't be a problem for me. It is not good to make some modifications like this for so old car like this (it's always better to keep it original) so fingers crossed it wouldn't be neccesary to make any modifications.

 

wow...is my head spinning.

OK...I do not wish to make any modifications to the car, like grinding, rolling cutting. This car is a collection car and has 28K Km on it, one owner, always in a garage.

I just want larger diameter wheels. Coventry makes a 18x9.5 with a +25 off set, any of you gurus knows if these will these rub anywhere?

Also anyone has a photo of a 255 in a 9.5 wide wheel?

SteveM, the tire size is not only for inspection, if you have a crash the insurance company looks at that, and so do the police in stops. I am really bound by the tire size.

Thanks