New wheels

[Kenny123]

Hi new to the defender scene I just bought 1991 110 doesn’t start and needs a few bits I was looking to get alloys as it’s on the normal steel wheels looking at boost wheels do you need spacers rear axle has drums thanks 

[Landy7]

You never need spacers, but if you're going to switch from steel to alloy, you also need to replace the steel nuts by alloys.

Edited May 5, 2020 by Koen110

[western]

IF the vehicle has rear drum brakes the boost alloy wheels won't fit.

[Roverdrive]

Just something to be aware of, not all alloy wheels have the same load rating which is normally cast on the inside of the wheel. You need to be sure the sum of the two wheel ratings exceed the max axle weight of that axle.

Edited May 5, 2020 by Roverdrive

[Snagger]

14 hours ago, Koen110 said:

You never need spacers, but if you're going to switch from steel to alloy, you also need to replace the steel nuts by alloys.

200Tdi era vehicles such as this do.  300Tdi (late 1994 I think) and later don’t.

You can use the centre of a scrap brake drum as a spacer.  It’s 6mm or 1/4” thick and is sufficient to cure the interference between drive flange and the inside of the wheel boss on the older axles.  However, that may leave the studs to short to be safe.  Wolf studs are 12mm longer, so cure that problem, but the alloy wheel nuts aren’t threaded all the way down and won’t secure the wheel unless you tap the threads their whole length, which is easy enough.  It still leaves the problem of the plastic hub cone protruding through the centre of the wheel.

I did this to my Salisbury axle after converting from drums to discs - I used the front hubs (disc brakes) from a 90 and without the thickness of a drum on the face, had this issue.  It is possible  that the original Salisbury hubs would have accepted the wheels as because they already had a drum (I don’t know either way), but certainly the front hubs on pre300 Defenders have this problem.

I have heard a rumour once or twice that Boost and Deep Dish alloys are a straight fit on older axles, but I really don’t know if it’s true.  It’d be worth a try if you can borrow one.  It may also be that the deeper boss, if true, hides the plastic cone.  When trying it, you need to look for a gap between the hub flange and back of the wheel boss; the shape of the drive flange hits the web between the stud bores in most LR alloy wheels (perhaps all) and holds the wheel about 3mm off the hub.  A torch and dentists mirror may show it, or strong rocking of the wheel with the nuts loose will reveal it (tightening the nuts up masks the problem if testing by rocking).

If you can borrow a Boost to test it, I’m sure a lot of us would appreciate learning the results.

[Landy7]

34 minutes ago, Snagger said:

200Tdi era vehicles such as this do.  300Tdi  late 1994 I think, and later don’t.

Ow, my bad, wrong info from my part then..