Dave
The specified tire for the 1990 MY is a 205/70 VR15 not 215/65-VR15
though I believe the alternate winter tire was specified at 215/65 VR
15. To my recollection the 86-89 cars came with a 205/70 VR 15
specification.
I paid $105 plus tax each to have 4 Pirelli P4000 Super Touring W rated
tires installed and balanced with new stems and including the disposal
charge for the old tires.
Since you are quoting Canadian $$ not US$$ [exchange rate is = about
1.16:1.00 USD, it cost me about C$10 less for my Pirelli P4000 ST
205/70 WR 15 tires [C$672] than your VR rated ones. If you want to use
special tires like a 215/60 and special order a Pirelli you will pay
special prices and I note this is not a a fair comparison on your part
to pick a special order tire for comparison.
I checked speed ratings at the following site -
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/TireSafety/ridesonit/brochure.html
- and found to my surprise that H rated tires are good for sustained
speeds of 130 mph [surprise]. I also found my W rated tires were only
rated for 168 mph not 186 mph as the tire catalog said. However there
was an asterisk stating that for tires rated over 149 mph they often use
ZR but for tires over 186 mph rated [Y is 186 mph] they always use ZR
which may be the reason for the error in the tire manufacturers
catalog. S rated tires are rated for 112 mph and T rated tires for 118
mph. So for a similar quality Michelin T rated tire you will pay more
than I did for my Pirelli P4000 ST W rated tire based on the on line
prices quoted for the Michelin below. Also the same site had a Goodyear
Assurance T rated for $102 each unmounted, unbalanced and without new
stems or disposal charge for the old tire. So based on the National
Tire Safety Institute information at the site above, an H rated tire is
good for 130 mph speed rating. But again, speed rating is just one part
of the tire spec. None of the tire shops had any good buys on an H
rated tire.
I checked a good grade of less than V or W rated tire [S or T] and found
Michelin HydroEdge
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/findTireDetail.do?sw=false&cs=205&pc=34344&rd=15&ar=70
P205/70R-15 95T BSW @ $102USD each unmounted at an on line shop.
That’s actually more than the W rated Pirelli P4000 ST? Its a T rated
tire. I also found a Michelin Symmetry GNX
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/findTireDetail.do?sw=false&cs=205&pc=35781&rd=15&ar=70
P205/70R-15 95S WW [S rated] for $95 USD which is about the same price
mounted as my Pirelli P4000 ST W rated tire. Using these two quality S
and T rated tires doesn’t save any money over the W rated tire. Sure
you can buy cheap and by cheap I mean cheap in all way including life
and quality tires for $58 unmounted which would come to about $80
mounted balanced with new stems and disposal charge for the old tire.
That would be substituting cheap junk tire to save $25 USD per tire. I
wouldn’t use those tires on my Jeep Grand Cherokee which as a speed
governor set to keep it below 95 mph due to the 4 wd.
You can buy a cheaper tire such as a Yokohama Avid P205/70R-15 95S B [S
rated] which also has an A traction rating for $57 but it only has a
tread wear rating of 620 verses the 800 on the Michelin. Meaning you
get what you pay for in an S rated tire. The Yokohama will wear out
faster than the Michelin not to mention the Michelin Hydroedge supposed
superior wet road design tread. Interesting enough the Pirelli P4000
Super Touring is rated as a Z by one tire site they also noted they only
had one left in stock and it was selling for $111 [Mavis Tires] The
Surprising fact was the Pirelli also has an Traction rating but it has a
320 tread wear rating. The comparable Michelin MXV4 205/70VR15 was
selling for $119 and had a traction rating of A and Tread Wear of 400.
It seems of all the tires specified for the XJ6 1990 XJ40 the tread
wear is much lower than many of the S nd T rated tires. The softer
rubber scrubs off in the corners and I suspect the suspension is
designed to have a tire that slides a bit as the rubber scrubs off.
However, it you take a Yokohama Avid 205/70SR15 $57 tire with a
traction rating of A and a tread wear of 620, and put it on the Jaguar
and drive it like a Jaguar you will without doubt find out that it does
not have a tread wear of 620 when misapplied.
So its far from a Speed Rating thing when it comes to tires
Jay 1990 XJ6 Vanden Plas Majestic
PS the only H rated tire I came up with was made by Pirelli and cost
more than their Z rated tire?
Another thing I learned was the Pirelli P4000 ST is that its an all
season tire. I did not know that.
dboarder@sympatico.ca wrote:
Its hardly a drop in the bucket. It depends a lot on where you live and how much you drive.
I was quoted by a Canadian Tire chain.
The spec’d tire Pirelli 225/65-VR15 $400each = $1600.00 (special order)
What I have on my car Yokohama 215/65-VR15 $178 each = $712.00
Just an estimate but I am sure a good none V-rated tire would be less than $100 = $400.00
Now my Jaguar is in storage during the winter months but with the V-rated tires they only last about 2 seasons. During the winter months I run a Ford Taurus.
If I wanted to use the “correct” tire for my car the difference versus a good H rated tire is $1200 over a 2 year period. I compromised and used different V-rated tire. That cost difference is probably significant more for someone using the H rated tires because in my experience they tend to have a longer life.
My point is that I am not going to get all hot and bothered if someone decides that a good H-rated tire will serve their needs when their needs are dictated by a 55-70mph speed limit which they intend to adhere to. Not all people who buy these cars are looking to push them to their limits. Often they are looking for a comfortable ride with some elegance. The reality of the situation is that often because of their low value these cars are often bought by people who especially rich. After all thats one reason this list exists.
I am sure someone in the US will point out how the tires can be bought much cheaper off some place like tirerack.com. However by the time I include the exchange rate, shipping, duty, taxes and installation the pricing is not that far off.
From: “Daniel Arsenault” arsenaultd@earthlink.net
Date: 2006/01/11 Wed PM 12:09:55 EST
To: xj40@jag-lovers.org
Subject: Re: [xj40] Does higher speed cause that much more stress on my XJ40?
I have to say, I don’t understand the big debate of using S versus V or Z
rated tires. The cost difference in general is a drop in the bucket compared
to the peace of mind the higher end tires provide with better quality
construction. The performance advantages of a high end, high speed rated
tire are everything we are looking for , for our special cars. These are not
Hondas or Chevys.
I am one who feels if you are looking to cheap out on the quality tire you
place on your car, the Jaguar is not the right car for you. A set of very
very good tires runs what, maybe $500, versus a set of mediocre tires at
$350? What in the world would anyone be thinking to cheat a little, and go S
rated just to save a measly two or three tanks of gas.
Seems silly to me, there should be no debate. Its Z rated for me all the
way. The performance and handling alone are worth the extra expense.
Daniel
1994 XJ12
1995 XJS 4.0
----- Original Message -----
From: “Norman Watkins” norman@norman-watkins.fsnet.co.uk
To: xj40@jag-lovers.org
Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2006 8:57 AM
Subject: Re: [xj40] Does higher speed cause that much more stress on my
XJ40?
Dave
Cars here that are limiteed are limiteed to 155 mph!
NW
Dave wrote:
Most of the cars in North America are running on less than V-rated
tires. Most of those cars are likely capable of speeds above 100MPH
(many modern cars are CPU speed limited for liability reasons).
Visit the Jag Lovers homepage at http://www.jag-lovers.org for exciting
services and resources including Photo Albums, Event Diary / Calendar, On
Line Books and more !
Visit the Jag Lovers homepage at http://www.jag-lovers.org for exciting services and resources including Photo Albums, Event Diary / Calendar, On Line Books and more !
Visit the Jag Lovers homepage at http://www.jag-lovers.org for exciting services and resources including Photo Albums, Event Diary / Calendar, On Line Books and more !
Visit the Jag Lovers homepage at http://www.jag-lovers.org for exciting services and resources including Photo Albums, Event Diary / Calendar, On Line Books and more !