Best tyres for a 1997 XJ8

[Turbohappy]

Hi ya.....just wondering what is considered the best tyre for a 1997 XJ8.....I've heard the cheaper ones can cause vibration etc also wondered what sort of tyre pressures people run with...many thanks for any advice......

[timolloyd]

I run my XJ8 on Pirelli P6000s, although others on here have recommended cheaper Falkens, without any issues. I follow Jaguar spec for pressures. Hope that helps?

[Turbohappy]

Thanks for that. It does seem that the Pirellies are the preferred option so will check out prices. Cheers

[Jaguar steve]

Pirelli P6000 was the OE tyre in the UK for the XJ8. Not many people seem to like them on PH as they have a reputation for lack of grip and going out of shape but they do what they are intended for - quiet and comfortable with good tread life well enough. Not sure if you can still buy them any more though as none of the on line tyre companies seem to have them in stock.

The Goodyear Efficient Grip is reviewing very well and is comparable on price with the Michelin Primacy HP in the premium range. One of those two would be my choice

The Falken ZE192 is OK - I've had a set of those and they were mostly quiet and comfortable but even driving gently they didn't go much past 10000 miles and on some surfaces set up a loud resonance, so IMO they don't represent very good value. The Dunlop SP 01 Sport is another mid price tyre with quiet and comfortable reviews but I've read that doesn't last either.

One thing you never see on UK tyre sites is the Tread wear index rating. This is a set of numbers showing approximate wear rates under broadly comparable conditions - the higher the number the better wear so a tyre rated at say 400 should last roughly twice as long as one rated at 200. Obviously it's not in the tyre manufacturers to give you this information, but it's there on the side of the tyre if you look.

I'd bite the bullet and go for premium via mail order - and have them Roadforce balanced. Not many people know about the Roadforce balancing system but it's extremely effective and recommended on a Jaguar TSB. I've had a set of fairly worn P6000s balanced normally with little improvement and then had them re balanced on a Roadforce machine and it transformed the ride.

[woody68]

I just bought a complete set of Goodyear F1 Eagles for my XJR and the cheapest site I could find is this one

http://www.tyres-pneus-online.co.uk/car-tyres-255-...

Its a French based site but they have a list of approved garages they recommend in the Uk I just picked the nearest to me (1.5 miles away) and the tires were sent straight there with no problems at all (the garage charged me £39 to fit all 4 tires) you get tracking info and everything from them via email as well ...
Best bit is I only paid £132.28 each including vat with free delivery

Hope this helps

Phil

[anonymous-user]

I had Falken Ziex ZE912 tyres on my 1996 4.0 XJ6 and I crashed it partially because of them. They are not progressive at all, and had nothing like the damp weather grip of the Vredestein tyres I had on there previously. I recommend avoiding them.

[Turbohappy]

Hi there, i am probably going to go for Pirellis it also seems that there are various thoughts on tyre pressures....any thoughts anyone please....have been told 32 all round...32 front 34 rear and 26 front 28 rear!!....i know there are "comfort" settings but just wondered what seems best...thanks...

[SV8Predator]

Turbohappy said:

Hi there, i am probably going to go for Pirellis it also seems that there are various thoughts on tyre pressures....any thoughts anyone please....have been told 32 all round...32 front 34 rear and 26 front 28 rear!!....i know there are "comfort" settings but just wondered what seems best...thanks...

What does it say in your handbook? My car also has tyre pressure info under the centre glove box lid, which was useful when I changed from 17" to 18" rims.

[GavinPearson]

The comfort pressures are perfectly fine for any driving up to 100 mph with up to 3 passengers. For most driving in the UK, you shouldn't need to use anything other than comfort pressures.

If you drive the car over drain covers using the max speed pressures and the comfort pressures you will be able to feel the difference. If you have the radio off and grip the steering wheel very lightly with your fingertips you will feel it and hear it too.

The tyres the handbook recommends are ones that have survived a full suite of sign off tests the Engineers at Jaguar throw at the car and give the best ride comfort on comfort pressures. I have some insight into this as I worked on the XJ40, X300 and XJS as a Ride & Handling Development Engineer for Jaguar.

[Turbohappy]

Hi there gone for comfort pressures and all good. thanks for the feedback.