Wheels & Tyres
In our last blog post we started the modification ball rolling by fitting a set of our JIMNYSTYLE LED Tail Lights. The result was that the modifying bug bit hard, so naturally the next step was to fit some wheels and tyres!
We have a huge range of wheels to choose from in our shop, so picking a suitable set for our Jimny was not the easiest task. After much deliberation though, we settled on a set of XTREME-J XJ03s.
One of the reasons that we love the XJ03 is because it is available in two different specifications. The 16x5.5J+20 variant is suitable for older model Jimnys, while the slightly wider and lower offset 16x6.0J-5 version is designed specifically for the new Jimny (JB74 or Sierra, depending on where you are located in the world).
This wider version of the wheel offers a more concave face, which only helps to accentuate the XJ03's rugged looks. Arriving fresh from Japan, we couldn't help but lay them out across our workshop floor to get a closer look before fitting them.
With regards to tyres, this was a bit of a simple choice for us as we simply wanted the look of the BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A tyres, regardless of any implications! We settled on a set of five in 215/70R16 sizing.
Two questions that we constantly get asked with regards to aftermarket wheels are "what tyre size should I use?" and "will these fit without needing to lift the suspension?", so we wanted to be able to answer these questions using our experiences with our own modified Jimny.
In preparation for the short journey to our local garage we discovered one particularly important piece of consumer information: yes, you can fit 5x wheels and 5x tyres inside a Jimny!
With the tyres fitted and the wheels balanced, we excitedly rushed straight back to our workshop to get everything fitted up. Before we knew it, we were back on the road to test out our new setup and to grab a few photos.
Our first observation was one of surprise as to how much a wheel and tyre change had improved the look of our Jimny! The original wheels and tyres almost look weedy in comparison (in our opinion) and it's amazing how something so simple can make such a strong visual improvement without being too garish or "in-your-face".
Our second observation was that -5 is probably the lowest offset that you can run with a 6.0J wheel without causing the tyres to protrude past the wheel arches (fenders). The XTREME-J team certainly got it right with the specification of the XJ03, and the result is a wheel and tyre combination that looks extremely purposeful while just remaining within the confines of the wheel arches.
After some long-term testing over the subsequent 3000 miles or so, we were able to monitor other areas such as potential bodywork interference and also fuel consumption.
With the standard OEM suspension fitted we were unable to get the BF Goodrich tyres to make contact with any area of the bodywork, which was great news! The not-so-great news was that, somewhat expectedly, fuel consumption had suffered slightly as a result of fitting the larger, heavier tyres. It was nothing too dramatic though, dropping from a 40.8mpg average to a 39.8mpg average, but it was worth noting all the same.
As always, we hope you've enjoyed this blog post and, if you've got any questions, just shoot us a message!