Wrong wheels

[Seaside Steve]

I have recently bought a 2003 Jaguar S-type 2.5L. It is the basic model not the SE.  It is fitted with wheels and tyres shown in the picture. Tyre size is 205/ 60 R16.  Looking up tyre shop data indicates the car should be fitted with 225/ 55  R16 tyres. Does this mean someone has fitted the wheels from another car or other Jag model? Can anyone identify these wheels?

The wheels do not fill out the arches very well so I may want to replace the wheels and tyres with right ones. 

 

[N6 JMX]

Hi Steve, in most cases, the correct wheels for the S-type were 16-inch with an option for 17-inch. The V8 (4.2) models were offered with 17-inch and / or 18-inch wheels. Over time, quite a number of S-types have been fitted with different wheels, although typically these are genuine Jaguar versions and typically from alternative models such as the XF or X350. Typical names for S-type wheels are Vulcan, Zeus, Barcelona and Juno.

There are various wheel designs, but I don't believe I have seen your version in any photos. A visit to the Kwik Fit website can be used to determine what tyre size should be on your car, but that assumes you still have the standard wheels fitted - which I don't think you have.

There is a thread on some forum where someone has managed to source and fit a set of XFR 20-inch wheels, although said person was not overly concerned about accurate speedo readings and advising insurer of the modification, so cannot vouch for their wisdom. Please note that there are similar wheels for the XKR, but with a significantly different offset, which means the same looking wheels don't fit the other model.

If you type into your search engine "Jaguar S-Type Brochure" you will get lots of hits and also an images tab, which will illustrate many S-types with different wheels. You may have to purchase a model year specific brochure for your car to find alternative wheel styles and dimensions, but probably a sound investment given what can go wrong if the incorrect wheel / tyre combination is fitted.

N6 JMX

[Seaside Steve]

Thanks for your help Jim

[The Voices]

Those are genuine S-TYPE 'Helios' wheels, they were the standard set up on the 'base' specification 2.5 V6 models.

Very rarely see any, when we were ordering the cars new for stock, we always ordered them with a factory upgrade.

[Seaside Steve]

18 hours ago, The Voices said:

Those are genuine S-TYPE 'Helios' wheels, they were the standard set up on the 'base' specification 2.5 V6 models.

Very rarely see any, when we were ordering the cars new for stock, we always ordered them with a factory upgrade.

That's useful to know. Do you think there would be a noticeable improvement in the ride if I changed from these wheels to the wider wheels with 225/ 55 R16 tyres ?

[The Voices]

I can't remember if the other 16" wheel designs were any wider than the Helios.

Possibly just that someone has put the wrong tyre size on them ?

 

 

[Seaside Steve]

The 205 tyres look like the right size for these wheel rims.

On 2/27/2025 at 8:58 PM, The Voices said:

I can't remember if the other 16" wheel designs were any wider than the Helios.

Possibly just that someone has put the wrong tyre size on them ?

 

 

 

[The Voices]

225's would only be 20 mm wider than the 205's that are on. 

If you look on the back of the wheel, there will be the rim width embossed on one of the spokes (possibly  7 J, which would denote a 7 inch wide rim)

If you then find some photos of one of the alternative designs, you can see whether they are any wider ?

 

 

[Seaside Steve]

The wheels fitted are 6.5 J x 16 so the 205 tyres are correct ones

[N6 JMX]

Hi Steve, given that Jon has confirmed that your existing wheels are original fit, have you now visited the Kwik Fit website and inserted your registration number to see a list of tyres suitable for your vehicle? You don't need to buy any tyres from Kwik Fit, but their website assistance is very good.

N6 JMX