Hi, I'm looking to find out if 15" wheels were offered on the XJ40 with the later 295mm solid rear disks (1990-1994). Does anyone happen to have a late car on 15s or was it an early model only option?

Thanks

 

Our '93 XJ40 VDP was originally equipped with 15-inch Roulette wheels, which were available from VIN 629286.

I eventually changed them to 16-inch Dimple wheels from an X300 because 15-inch tires were becoming difficult to find in the U.S.

Cheers,

Don

 

Yes the XJ6 had 15" Teardrops through '94. I recently had a set of those rims on a '95 XJR, no problems fitting over the brakes.

 

No it didn't. All 94's have 16" wheels.

Larry

 

I stand corrected.

 

1995 as in X300? So the teardrop 15s fitted over the 305mm vented rear brakes?

 

Why would anyone put 15" wheels on a car designed for 16" (X300's) beats me.

Larry

 

yes that's right, surprised me too. See photo in post #6: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...ls-xjr-230855/

 

So I could store it while the original wheels were refinished.

In the past I drove an X300 in the winter using 15" tear drops with Michelin snows. The 15" snows were each $40 or so cheaper than 16".

 

Cars aren't designed for a specific wheel size, considerations are generally rolling diameter, brake size etc. Most cars come on a range of wheel sizes depending on spec with tyre profiles adjusted to provide the same rolling diameter. Beyond that it's merely a comfort and aesthetics issue.

In my case, it's because I want to install drag tyres on an X308. Doubting the 15s would go over the 305mm rear brakes I discovered XJ40 rear brakes would fit and therefore xj40 15" wheels also would. I then needed to check if 15s went over the late XJ40 brakes or just the early ones. As it turns out however Mkii250 has made my day by confirming they should just bolt on to the X308 (rear anyway).

That's the best news I've had all week, thanks very much for that. Looks like I can save a load of hassle and keep the stock rear brake size.

 

For those of us using regular street tires, the issue has been that with the industry's move toward larger wheels fitted with low-profile tires, manufacturers have discontinued most of their 15-inch medium-to-high-aspect ratio tires. It's been years since I shopped for 15-inch tires, but I recall the last time I did I could only find four options, which were either very expensive, or of questionable quality. The Yokohamas that I had loved were no longer available. So I purchased a set of Sumitomos, which turned out to be just adequate. When my son wore those out I bought 16-inch wheels from an X300 and went back to my beloved Yokohamas.

 

Oh I can totally understand going larger and larger as common tyre sizes change and the same happens even in very much more modern stuff. Performance tyres in 205/55R16 have all but vanished as everyone moved to 225/45R17.

At the end of the day the X300 was an 1800kg car with 290mm front disks. My 2001 clio has 288mm disks. It's remarkable that 15s fit and a blatant sign of the borrowed time that the XJ40/6/8 platform ended up on as shortly thereafter brake size drove wheel size increases.

 

That may be true in some cases, but not with the XJ40 or X300 running 16's. Many members have tried running or run late model 16's on earlier cars (due to non-availability of weigh/speed rated 15's) and while they do "fit" there is always a small rolling diameter discrepancy/speedometer error that manifests itself. So no. The XJ40's wheels ARE a specific designed size without alternate options.

Not in my world. The 94MY XJ40 (and X300 AFAIK) do not use 205/55R16 - standard fitment is 225/60R16 and there are plenty of choices available.

Larry

 

It's true in all cases, of course there is a slight difference in rolling diameter between tyres, that's inevitable. I'd be surprised if an 80s speedo was anywhere near accurate anyway.

Jaguar themselves sold the XJ40 on a number of different wheel and tyre options (see http://creutz.spdns.de/lib/exe/fetch...j40-owners.pdf )
page 299 on)
7x15 with 225/65R15 (673mm), or 215/65R15 (660mm)
180x390 with 220/65R390 (676mm)
8x16 with 225/65R16 (653mm)
(and the X300 on many more)

Sure people may have a preference, and every marque has similar discussions, but the idea it was specifically designed around a tyre size and no others will work is nonsense, almost every vehicle has a list of manufacturer approved options in the owners handbook or a sticker in the door shut or fuel filler flap.

As I said in my earlier reply, tyre shortages and the trend to larger diameters and less sidewall was driven by brakes, when volume sale die off tyres become hard to find. The examples I gave were from the Vauxhall and VW world where there has been a shift from one size to another and performance tyres have all but vanished for cars which were popular 20 years ago. You'd be fairly foolish to install either of those sizes onto an XJ40 as the rolling diameter is 632/635mm respectively.

Anyway, it's a moot point as I don't own an XJ40 and don't care for originality, I'm installing 275/60R15s on the back of my 1998 X308 XJR now I know they'll go over the brakes.

 

You can have the last word but those numbers you quoted were for earlier production years, (metric wheels and 15")
As the marque was redesigned for the 94 XJ40 and X300 cars, those cars ONLY used the size I mentioned above, 225/60R16.

Just so you know. Carry on!

Larry

 

What exactly is it you think was "designed" specifically for a single tyre size?