Scorpio N: These were previously being used on the Mahindra XUV500, but since it was a rare thing to find a good set of rims in this size and PCD used, I went ahead with them.
As I have already complained on the tyre/wheel section, Mahindra “cruelly” decided to outfit the Scorpio-N with a weird PCD/wheel size/tire size combo, thereby severely limiting the mod potential of the Scorpio. happened. PCD is 5 x 139.7.The tire size on the R17 wheels is 245/65 which is unique to the Scorpio-N, AFAIK. Why did they put this strange PCD on the Scorpio-N, when every other vehicle, even their off-road focused Thar, has a 5×114.3 PCD?
Why is this a problem? While 5×139.7 is a very common PCD, used by older Jeeps, the Gypsy and Jimny, and even the predecessor Let’s use. Tall sidewall tires. Sizes 17-inch and above usually come with 6×139.7 PCD, which is used in Fortuner/Hilux/D-Max/Andy and so on.
Thus the Scorpio-N is stuck in an unknown land between these two normal sizes.
Most options in the 17-inch come in 5×114.3 PCD, as this is the most common in this price range. It is used in the Creta, Seltos, Vitara and even the XUV700, Scorpio Classic and Thar, making it easy for you to find a design of your choice.
I didn’t want to use the PCD adapter except as a last resort, as it adds another failure point, and causes instability and wobble+vibe at high speeds. At the time, there were very few options available, and most of them I didn’t like. I was calling dealers all over Kerala, and scouring the OLX/FB market for used options, with limited success.
Then, I got a call from Kottayam, where one of my friends had got alloys fitted for his Bolero. While we were admiring the stuff he found, he told me that the dealer had a variety of options in stock. The dealer was Parappally Tyres, Kottayam. I got in touch with them, and they sent me several options, all priced around 40-60 thousand, none of which I really liked, especially at the quoted prices. Then, he sent me this picture of a used set taken off the XUV5OO.
I immediately liked the design and did a reverse image search on Google, and I found the make and model as well as a few more pictures. It’s from a brand called VOS, not sure about the model. Originally, it came with a really cool glossy black finish with diamond cut accents, as seen here.
However, photos forwarded by the dealer showed a fair amount of scratches. It will definitely need to be repaired or repainted.
Here’s what they should look like. Pictures were taken from Facebook.
I had planned to restore it to its original form, but my detailer said that was not possible. There were scratches everywhere, and it couldn’t maintain the diamond-cut finish. It should be of one shade. After some deliberation, I decided to go with the full bright silver finish, which I thought would look good with the silver accents on the beast, and also give a more classic SUV look.
My cousin from Kottayam helped me by personally inspecting the rims and sent me his set of photographs. He said there are no major scratches or dents. They were really wide even on 8J. I negotiated with the dealer again and settled on a price that was a little higher than I had planned.
Still, getting a good set of used rims in this size and PCD was a rare thing, and I had seen higher prices in OLX and FB marketplace. Also, I liked the pattern, especially up close. I immediately paid the advance and paid the balance after they sent me the waybill, and it was confirmed. Even considering the additional cost of painting, I figured it wasn’t a bad deal, all things considered.
Also Read: Mahindra XUV 3XO unofficial bookings begin: Booking amount, expected price and more.
The wheels reached me within a few days via parcel service. I immediately took them to the painter. Since he was busy, it took him about a week to paint. I went to pick them up and was impressed by the quality of the finish. They looked absolutely new. Unfortunately, due to a mistake on my part, the photos I took immediately after painting were lost. These photos were taken when the wheels got a little dirty after the trip.
The rims sat in the back seat of the Beast for a week before I could find time to get them fitted. However, once I took them to the tire shop, there was a problem. The 245/65 R17 tires were a bit narrow for the 8J rims. The factory steel rims were 7J which seemed a little too narrow for the 245. Therefore, the tires were pinned to the stock rims, making the gap even larger on the alloys. But these guys had experience fitting narrow rims on wide wheels because that’s the current trend here for hot hatches and sedans. They simply filled the empty space with old tubes, and when the tire began to fill up, pulled the tubes out.
Alignment is being completed…
The wheels fit the hub very well, and clearance was no problem. He told me that the OEM wheel spanner is no longer usable due to the large offset of the rims and the deep holes for the wheel studs. I found a universal cross-shaped TAPARIA wheel spanner from Amazon that solved the problem.
So, this is what the Beast looks like with the new rims. I think the attitude has improved a lot. My concern is about the tires sticking out of the wheel, which could cause trouble to the officers. I think as the track has increased the turning circle has also increased. Ride quality has been improved, and handling at low and high speeds has not been affected.
Please post your valuable comments and suggestions.
On another note, I also got a chance to compare the Beast with a friend’s Fortuner. This was the 2020 2WD AT model. While the interior was far more luxurious than my Z4, I felt it was quite difficult to drive in the city due to the tight steering, and I also felt there was more lag in the TC. The Sport mode felt much more powerful than the Scorpio. The Beast also had a much better ride in both of our opinions.
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