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I drive on the highways in Atlanta and want a tire that grips the road, but will give me a soft, QUIET ride.
Thanks for all your imput.
Leslie
Dunlop Sport SP5000's? Is there a difference in the speed rating if I never go over 90? H vs V, Z? Thanks.
They missed a few things on the 140 list (cig. lighter element, one headlight, etc) which are being fixed now. So far, I'm very pleased with the Rosenthal service - they appear to be making every effort to get the car up to "like new" standards.
The speed ratings on tires is indicative of the stiffness of the tire's sidewall. The higher the speed rating, the stiffer the sidewall. You can check this out for yourself by going into a tire shop and pressing against the sides of the various tires. You will find that the stiffer tires indeed have a higher speed rating.
Does that mean if you don't plan on driving faster than 90 mph you can get away with a lower speed-rated tire? Absolutely not.
If your planning on changing your tires, always stick to at least the minimum recommended speed rating tire that the car's manufacturer recommends. So, for example, if your car's manufacturer has put V-rated tires on your car, you should stick with at least V-rated. Whether you decide to go to the higher rated Z-tires is up to you(better handling while cornering but a rougher ride).
The reason a car manufacturer will put a certain speed-rated tire on their car is because they would have tested the car on various tires and they would know what stiffness tirewall is necessary to support the car's weight, thus providing effective cornering and braking traction. To illustrate this point, imagine if you downgrade your tires from V-rated to S-rated tires. It would be like having balloons for tires. The softer sidewall would severely hamper cornering ability as the "balloons" would have a tendency to roll over onto their sides while your're turning. You might not notice it as much at city-speeds, but you would definitely notice it at highway speeds when changing lanes. The difference is dramatic enough to possibly lose control even with crosswinds, resulting in an accident.
Bottom line: stick with the higher speed ratings if your car's manufacturer demands it. The price differential on most brands is minimal (maybe 10 bucks per tire with mail order companies).
Best of regards,
Adnan
I have an XJ8L (1998). The minimum recommendation is "V". I have Pirellis now and they need to be replaced. I'm looking for a tire that will last for more than 20,000 miles, handles well, has good traction in the rain, and rides smoothly, as a luxury car should.
I was checking out reviews and it seems as if it's between Dunlop Sport SP5000's and the Bridgestone Turanza LS-Z's.
Do you have any recommendations? Dunlops come in "W" and "Z".
Thanks so much for your input.
Leslie
I'm not super familiar with either of the tires you're looking at. But judging from their specs and ratings, they do seem like good tires and I don't reckon you'd go wrong with either of them. Between the Bridgestones and the Dunlops, I'd probably go with the Dunlops because they're moderately cheaper (40 bucks less per tire) and they have a more aggressive looking tread pattern.
My personal favorite is the BF Goodrich Comp T/A VR4 -- excellent wet and dry grip, quiet, reasonably priced, and long-lasting. Unfortunately, the selection of sizes is limited and they might not make it in your size.
With respect to tire longevity, the keys are to make sure your car is aligned, the tires are properly inflated (check 'em once every two weeks), and have them rotated every 7500 miles or so.
Best of luck,
Adnan
One tire dealer said he wouldn't recommend the Dunlops because the weight load was only 97 and my current tires are 98. He said the weight load was more important than the speed rating.
So many people here recommended the Dunlops and other tires that have a 97W and they also have XJ's. I don't quite get it. HELP!!
If people here have other tires that are 98 weight load on their XJ8's, please let me know.
Thanks.
Leslie
Is anyone reading this thread? If so, I'd appreciate any comments.
Thanks.
Leslie
Tirerack.com's price was $133/ea. I got a local price of $139, which I think is a good deal.
These tires seem to have the most up-to-date technology and a smooth, quiet ride, which I'm looking for in a luxury car. They are all season and have great traction wet/dry. They also have a 40,000 tread warranty. Sounds good to me!
Thanks for responding. I thought I was alone here. (LOL)
Leslie
These tires are fairly new. They just came out this spring.
Leslie
The load index on a tire is a number that corresponds to the weight that tire can bear. For example, your manufacturer recommends a load index of 98 which corresponds to a maximum carrying capacity of 1653 pounds per tire. A load index of 97 corresponds to a maximum carrying capacity of 1609 pounds per tire.
To a certain extent, your mechanic is right in stating that you should stick with the same load-bearing tire. However, I believe you can safely and confidently go with a 97 index tire for the following reason:
Your car weighs in at 4404 lbs. Four 98 index tires have a combined maximum carrying capacity of 6612 lbs. Four 97 index tires have a combined carrying capacity of 6436 lbs. That is a difference of 186 lbs. In my opinion, that is not signifant (unless you frequently load the car with over 2000 lbs worth of people and stuff, which I doubt anyone would do to a Jag). Would I go with the 97? Sure. Would I go with a 96? Probably not, just in case I do have to load the car with a lot of weight.
If I were you, I would speak with one of the reps at a mail order tire company (e.g. tirerack or discounttire). They know a lot about tires and would put your mind at ease. If you decide to go with the Bridgestone's, I think you got a great price since you won't have to pay extra for shipping/handling and installation, plus you'll have a place to go to in case you should run into problems (hopefully not).
I hope this helped. Best of luck,
Adnan
These tires have a 40,000 mile warranty and as I only drive approx 5,000 miles/year, they should last me awhile (at least a little longer than the Pirellis!!! LOL)
Thanks again for your input. It was very much appreciated.
Leslie
Mike
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Thanks.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
"(Hence, all T-Models were black, to keep the price down."
Actually, I've read that the reason was that at the time, only black paint was available that would bake quickly enough to meet the cycle times that Ford was pumping Model T's out in.
Anyway, the reason I'm telling you all this, is that I was so concerned with replacing the tires with something comparable to the manufacturers recommendations.
Now I see that the newer Jaguar XJ's (in the dealer showrooms and as indicated on Jaguar's website) have Michelin "H" rated tires as standard OEM!!!!! In all my research, I found that "H" rated will give longer tread life, but that the handling won't be as good because the sidewalls aren't as stiff as a higher speed rated tire.
So I ask, what's up with that?????
It drives me crazy! Please post!!!!
Thanx.
Leslie
is still under Jaguar warranty until March 2003 - Since I only drive about 5000 miles a year, I will not reach the 50000 until after then.
This is the first jaguar I have ever owned, even though I have always wanted the car. I was concerned because people say they don't take it out in the snow, and I live in Chicago. While we haven't gotten a great deal of snow in the last few years, we usually get 1 or 2 big dumps a year.
The car is going to my regular mechanic tomorrow to be inspected - what other than the obvious problems should he look for? Are there any specific to Jaguar, or to the 1999 XJ8? Any other help/comments would be appreciated.
Mike
Remove the wood trim around the clock. I used an L shaped alan wrench. Put the small end behind the wood trim and pull. There is a metal backing on the wood trim so dont worry about damage. This came off very easy.
Drop the steering wheel to the lowest position and remove the wood trim from the instrument cluster in the same manner.
Remove the four screws holding in the vents and clock. The tab on the left is set behind the instrument cluster. Gently pull the vent system out by gently bending the plastic. The tab on the right is behind the wood trim that covers the air bag. You cannot get to this tab so you end up swinging the vent system out. It stays connected behind the air bag wood trim. I did not want to mess with the air bag wood trim in fear of messing up the air bag, or worse, getting a black eye from it.
Reach into the now open vent. Reach up and you will feel something like a ledge that you can get your fingers into. This is where my rattle was coming from.
Now for the highly technical fix. Take a small to medium rag and stuff it in the area between the ledge and the dash. I used a screwdriver to really force it in there.
I was able to hear my rattle as I pounded on the dash during the disassembly. Once the rag went in there were no more rattles. It’s been a week since I did this and still no rattle.
Hope this helps!
Frank
Good luck with the car if you buy it. There is quite a feeling that goes along with owning and driving a Jag. Plus you get a lot more exercise when you find youself parking in the furthermost spaces of any parking lot.
Frank
The reason I don't drive mine in the winter, is becasue I have another car I can drive and I don't want some idiot sliding in to me on the freeway when they are going to fast and can't stop in time. I like the way she looks with no damage and would be sick to death if someone hit me.
I live in St. Paul/Mpls. and feel it is worth it to put her away for about 5 months. When I get her back in the Spring, it is like having a new car again. I say, if you can afford it, put her away, if not, get your snows on her and drive defensively. Best of luck
You've apparently been bringing your vehicles to the wrong shops. The sight of a Jaguar pulling in does generally make a shop owners eyes turn to dollar signs. There are good ones out there, though. Of course, if you bring it to a Jaguar dealer (the absolute worst place to bring a Jaguar) you should expect them to recommend all kinds unnecessary parts at ridiculously inflated prices.
Thanks!
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Jaguar insists it is the original Pirelli V tires not the drive train and they forced balanced all the wheels twice and even replaced a tire (so they say), with only marginal improvement. A tire/wheel specialty shop agreed it was the wheels and re-balanced them with a little more improvement, but the annoying vibration persists.
Any ideas for a remedy? Michelin tires maybe?
From scratch anyone know what I am looking at $$$