Jimny LCV - Wheel/Tyre size question...

Ok let's look at it from a different perspective. If the op had come on here and said they've just bought this jimny and on the way home they heard a rubbing noise from the front and upon testing it it wouldn't engage 4x4 properly with all sorts of beeping and flashing, then when they have got home and taken a wheel off to have a look they can see where the tyre was catching and they then want us to confirm that looking at the splined end of the drive shaft is normal like on their other car, then there would be so much noise about how you all would never have bought it in that condition and they must immediately return it to the seller to be refunded or rectified. You would be saying sorry but if you'd asked here first we would have told you not to buy it.

To the op I know it looks pretty but find another one or negotiate the price to anticipate having to return it to something like factory. I've been around long enough to say that honest people selling cars are incredibly few and very far apart, much like estate agents 99.99999% give the rest a bad name.

Roger Fairclough wrote:

The rim edge certainly looks as if it is in line vertically with the wheel trim and that means it is approx. 25 mm further out than standard. I would suggest the car is fitted with wheel spacers and that would probably be enough to allow the fitting of those hub covers.

Roger

I think that is more likely an artefact of those wheels being much wider than a standard jimny wheel hence such a relatively wide tyre not looking very pinched at the bead, they could easily be a 7j or even an 8j 16 so wouldn't necessarily need a spacer to look wide relative to the bodywork. But again without looking for stamped information on the inside of the wheel that is speculation.

The more I look at this listing the more questions I have, 1900 miles in under 2 years? Very big red flag for me. OK it might be a 3rd car fair enough or is it that they have put a load of money into it and discovered the hard way they have compromised it and just want their investment back out of it because they don't want to admit they got it wrong? Also prolonged periods of not being used can be bad for a car if proper precautions around storage are ignored. If it sounds too good to be true it usually is.

I believe they're "American Racing" alloys, if that helps? Can just about make out the writing on the hub in one of the pics I've been sent...

Lambert wrote:

The problem is that without the seller taking the wheel off this is all speculation and as a buyer I would not be wanting to find out after I had bought the car. Caveat emptor and all that. Yes it might be fine but just as likely it might not especially with the oversized tyres and other stuff done to it it might all be correct ot it might all be held on with double sided tape. Other people's problems.
 

The wheels can stay on, just listen for the hubs engaging & dis-engaging when selecting/deselecting 4WD.


I check that mine move at least once a week, and I often put it in low too, it seems to engage low properly now it must have had a hundred selections

Here's a closer up pic (just figured out how to add one...!)

 

The problem for the buyer is he is in Essex and the car is in Sheffield. I have looked at the photos of the wheels several times and compared them to my stock alloys, even with thin hub covers there doesn’t look to be enough space to go over the vac hubs, but I could be wrong.

It would be very easy for a buyer just to ask the

Thanks for the photo, Richy. They are not quite as homely as the Black Rock wheels, close up. Significantly wider, though: that AR wheel -- model AX202 -- is an 8".

And unfortunately extremely heavy: those AR rims are nearly 14kg each. That's almost double the weight of the Suzuki alloy wheel. Add the weight of the oversize tyre to that, and the effect will be huge: acceleration, braking, fuel efficiency. Personally, I would not want to drive a Jimny with these; it would be like walking around in lead boots. Just my opinion.

We as contributing members of this community have something of a duty of care to people who ask us questions on what is honestly something like our mastermind specialist subject, to offer answers honestly and straightforwardly even if they are a little on the warts and all, worst case scenario side, sugar coating an answer is in some ways as bad as misinformation or down playing a possible issue. That's not saying be rude or nasty just be open and polite.

Let's go back to the original question.

OP found a Jimny with big rims/tyres, which he likes.  Are they too big?

The consensus advice, well-expressed by Lambert and Robin, was that the tyre sizes he mentioned were quite big for the Jimny. I added a little note just now that the unusual rims are also oversized and very heavy for our vehicle.

So, I think we have answered the OP's question.


Like any other car purchase, a non-expert is always advised to 1) get the vehicle inspected by a main dealer or other reliable professional, and 2) take wild speculation found on internet forums with a grain of salt, or the whole shaker. 

Thank you all. I really mean that - I really appreciate you all taking the time to help a newb!

In summary - I think I'll go for it, but will double check for rubbing and 4wd engagement issues *and* will be prepared for potentially swapping at least the tyres and poss. even the rims (for lighter alloys or even steelies) dependent on the ride/handling/mpg impact(s) etc.

Can't wait to join the club

I wouldnt get too hung up on the apparent lack of vacuum hub. The picture below is of a similar wheel and you can see that with the design of these wheels the original hub looks lost in them and there is quite a bit of room for a decorative cap