Keith1984 Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Hi, I've inherited a 1984 110 Hcap diesel 'farm vehicle'. Seems nearly all original ie pretty biodegraded including the tyres which are Greenway Big Macho 31/10.5/R15. We're planning to use it on and off road (probably 70/30 on/off) and will likely soon need new tyres (mot advisory says they are perishing). Unlikely more than 3000-5000 miles a year. Vehicle unlikely to exceed 40mph. We like the look of the chunky mud tyres 2 questions : 1. what does 31/10.5 translate into in metric terms (eg 265/75 or whatever) please 2. What tyres (brand & type) would folk recommend please. Many thanks for any help & advice cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiftedDisco Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 In terms of tyre sizes, they are different ways of expressing info and there’s no real ‘conversion’... you can use the information from (say) 265/75/R16 to give you the rolling diameter etc... The 31 relates to the rolling diameter, the 10.5 relates to the width (in inches, so actually 266.7mm) whereas 265 is the tread width in millimetres. The ‘75’ bit (or other number in the middle of the tyre size) is the size of the sidewall as a percentage of the width... i.e. 265/75 would have a side height of 198.75mm but, more maths coming, you then need to convert this to inches to calculate the rolling diameter as you take the side height and double this (as you need tyre to both sides of the rim to calculate the diameter. 198.75mm equates to 7.824 inches, double this to 15.65 inches and then add the R16 (radius of the rim, again in inches...) to get a rolling diameter of 31.64” Simples... In terms of tyre choices, there are plenty out there and it will ultimately come down to budget... Hope this helps! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballcock Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Hi Keith, Welcome to the forum. Tyre choice will give as many responses as there are options, I personally prefer a 750/16 all terrain others prefer a wider footprint. A lot will depend on your budget and what type of off roading you plan to do. Green lanes generally only require a reasonable all terrain but pay and play you will need some thing a little more aggressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith1984 Posted January 4, 2019 Author Share Posted January 4, 2019 Thanks both. I guess the mysteries of tyres (and Land Rover Defender ownership generally!) will become clearer over time! We'll probably only be using the vehicle to take the dog for walks (ie up a short off road track to parking places) and occasionally collecting stuff from fields. The wider tyres (31') appeal due to my perception that they give more traction generally (especially in ice/snow on road) but that might be my misconception. The chunky look of mud tyres is more of an appearance thing than a need. We can find enough cash to pay for any set of tyres ... it's more a matter of trying to find a balance between price, traction, appearance and noise level (noting that a 34 year old 2.5 Diesel engine isn't inherently quiet .. so super silent running tyres not a key priority). It'll probably be doing 2000-3000 miles on road per year. Any other perspectives on tyres would be welcome. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzar Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 Could do worse than the Avon rangemasters. A more traditional looking tyre, that lasts very long. Still a radial tyre, so has somewhat respectable road manners. Narrower than modern tyres, so don't sap the precious HP from the engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy50 Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 Hi Keith , as far as I’m concerned you can’t go wrong with a set of BF Goodrich all terrain’s , standard fitment is 235/85/16 but you can go wider, they will get you to 99% of the places you will ever want or need to go . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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