Tires and shocks

here's another pic of the rear, but again, I can't seem to make the tires show clearly.

I meant: 'safer during BRAKING' !!

advantages of the 235/60 in my car: the car looks awesome and they grab the asphalt like contact cement, The car feels safer
during breaking too. I read an article in Car & Driver (years ago) testing wide tires against 'normal' tires, in which the wider tires
not only promoted much faster cornering, but accelerated the car quicker from zero because there was more 'mass' on the asphalt
pushing the car forward at any given moment. Whether that holds true for every car, I don't know, but I know it's true in my car;
my car exhibits none of the complaints I have heard from other owners about their cars being slow pulling from a red light. Sure,
I'm not going to drag with a Camaro, but I'll catch up and pass him in the turns. It's the same old story, American cars are faster
as long they are going in a straight line, European cars are faster in turns, regardless of the width of the tires. Here's a pic of my
car with the 235/60, if you can see them, because the picture is too dark and overexposed.

Thanks for all the responses. Are their any advantages/disadvantages to going for 235/60 tires rather than 225/60 stock size?

Ken Law-Davis

1997 XJ6

Dunlop SP-Sport-D40-M2 235/60R/15 on 1992 Jaguar 'Teardrop' wheels.

What type of Dunlop, specifically, are you using ?

BF Goodrich: I'm with Albert on this. I've had fantastic sucess with BF Goodrich tires. (and Michelins, too.)

My XJS presently has BFG "VR4" tires (V-rated, touring) and I can't fault them in any way. Also worth seeking out, if they're made in the size you require, are the BFG "KDW" or "KDWS" tires......very, very good.

Cheers
Doug Dwyer

my humble opinion on Tires is that cheap tires and Jaguars don't mix. I use Dunlop in my car since 1994; they're not hard, they're
not noisy, they're good in rain if I get caught, they're good for 35-40 thousand miles, they're fat and agressive in case I want to leave
the brand new BMW and the Porsche behind in the country roads. they just can't believe the "old Jag". (hint: it's the Dunlops). Engine
power is not everything you know, it's consistent speed no matter what's ahead what wins the race. I remember a racer who continually
won stock races at a consistent 90mph while everyone was trying to pass each other in the straights at 100+ then reducing speed to
60 at the turns. I mean he was lighting up a cigar while the others were sweating! The Dunlops hold the weight of my car like a tank at
70-72 mph tight turns. Very predictable grab. Shocks ? they're all the same; in theory and in practice. I've tried everything from Monroes
to Bilstein since 1969. Funny how the more expensive shocks wear down the fastest. Try Spax which hold up reasonably well and don't
cost an arm and a leg and they're adjustable. Bilsteins are over-rated and over-priced if you ask me. Konis ? if you like the ride of your
UPS Truck, they will do fine. I like a soft ride at highway speeds but firm in fast turns, the Jaguar has the latter property built-in anyway,
so you don't need the shocks to do the job in that department. Oh sure, you can make the car as hard as a rock, but then it's a race car,
not for driving enjoyment. Unless your car requires some special self-leveling shocks, just experiment. But don't cut corners on tires.
(no pun intended!).

Thanks for your advice. I have done shocks and springs on a BMW 325i that I used for drivers schools, but have no idea what I am facing with the Jag. Perhaps I will continue avoiding potholes for a while longer!

I used a no-name tire on the BMW...Sumitomo. These were some of the best performance/street tires I have ever experienced. And they were cheap. Again, I have no idea what they would do for the Jag.

Ken
1997 XJ6

YOU: How long should shocks last on this car?

ME: That is something that can't be answered, it depends on driving habits, constant payload, and driving conditions. I've seen cars driven in the city, that need shocks and ball joints constantly because the roads are sooooooooo poor, and cars driven gingerly on country roads last over 100,000.

YOU: What would be a reasonable cost of replacement?

ME: LOL Reasonable? You are talking about a jaguar right? If your not doing the work yourself, I hope you make good money. Expect parts , labor and alignment to be around $800 if your gettin all 4 done.

YOU: Also, I bought the car 10,000 miles ago with cheap Goodyear tires, Any recommendations for a better replacement? These tires are awful.

ME: I'm a fan of BF Goodrich myself. Although I see alot of Jags with Perelli's. I'm not a big fan of Goodyear,Try to stay away from Michelins as well. They are good tires, but they are usually made to be long lasting, high wear tires, so they are made of a harder compound, which gives poor rain,snow or ice performance ( you'll be spinning tires, and sliding around alot) To the other extreme unless your barreling down the highway at 150 MPH I would stay away from performance, and "Z" rated tires. These tires are made of softer compounds, which give amazing traction and performance but last about 20,000 miles. There are many tire lines out there, and alot of seemingly "no name" brands as well. Don't be afraid of a "no name" tire either, just make sure the tire specs are what your driving conditions call for, since most no name brands, like hancock, etc. are all made by the larger companies, like BF Goodrich, Firestone, etc. anyway.

P.S. I would also stay away from the rain tires as well, I think Goodyear and a few other companies, had versions of it. The tires don't give you that much different of rain performance, and to top it off, because the tires are so soft, the don't last long at all. I havn't had any customers, that asked for these kinds of tires, ever want them again.