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More Defender wheel and tyre combo questions!


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Hi All,

Well and truly caught the bug as my 90 continues to get spoilt with toys and the first camping trip to try the new Hannibal gear is next weekend! :-)

Now ever since i got it, i have wanted a more aggresive stance but the last owner fitted 265/75/16's BFG AT's to the boost alloys and it seemed a shame to waste them by swapping them out. I have asked before and there seems to be no right or wrong answer on wheel and tyre combo's so i am going to try one more time!

The car us used on the road a lot for local commutting, workhorse, camping and dog wagon. The plan is to extend the camping to some laning in the UK, Wales,Scotland and possibly a few overland treks, maybe Morocco next year. Plus a few pay and play days.

I love the look of the Mach 5's but heard they are a pain to balance, so have settled on the ZU rims from Simmonites in Anthrecite so the question is tyre size??

The car has OME suspension with 2" lift, discovery gearing and the JE stage 2 tune.

A guy at work just rocked up in his modded Wrangler with 285/75/16 BFG MT's which looks pretty cool and having driven it they are very good on road too.

So what tyre size? is 285/75/16 MT's going to look good and perform well? go to 285/85's? and ideas or examples, pics etc much appreciated.

Since a kid (well still am really) I fancied a chunky black "monster truck"! so now being a little more realistic, how chunky before it effects the driveability or practicality??

Heard the new BFG MT's are really good, can we get them yet?

Cheers

Nick

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BFG MT's are an excellent tyre. However, for the usage you describe, the tyre you already have is probably the best choice. You could go for a bigger tyre but all that will do is reduce turning circle and affect your gearing. The MT will also be worse on road and for places like Morocco, the AT will actually be the better tread pattern for the terrain.

You need to decide if it is form or function you are after.

If you do decide you want a bigger tyre the BFG MT is 255 x 85 is a very popular choice.

Not heard about mach 5's being a problem to ballance - it is usually the tyre on the wheel that is the ballancing problem!

Alloys for off roading are not the best choice - they will scratch easily and if damaged, much harder to repair in the field (like Morocco!)

Why not keep the AT's on the alloys for on road and get a second set of steel rims (modulars or similar cheap rims) with MT's on for off road?

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Not to mention the fact that you will defecate in your undercrackers when you see the new price of the 285s which are now getting into silly money though not as silly as the 305/70R16. BFG are losing the plot with pricing and I guess the new "rock-terrain" MT2 later in the year will be more again.

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as has been said the zu rims are 7" so will limit your tyre options, i would go with mach 5's if i were you in 8" or 10", a 12.5 tyre will sit on a 10" rim without rubbing on the body work..

i run 35/12.5/15 on 10" modulars.

10082008678.jpg

these rims are around £35 each from Paddocks

29072008600.jpg

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from what you have said, i reckon you wont go far wrong with a set of Zu's and 255/85/16 bfg all terrains.

would look lovely and be the right tread type for laning, morocco and general road work. But if you do want something that looks a bit chunky and more capable on play days, then go for the bfg mt in the same size.

Not a massive fan of bfg mt's myself, but thats cos i do little road miles, but if its doing alot of road miles and needs to behave itself on tarmac, then its an obvious and good choice.

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from what you have said, i reckon you wont go far wrong with a set of Zu's and 255/85/16 bfg all terrains.

would look lovely and be the right tread type for laning, morocco and general road work. But if you do want something that looks a bit chunky and more capable on play days, then go for the bfg mt in the same size.

Not a massive fan of bfg mt's myself, but thats cos i do little road miles, but if its doing alot of road miles and needs to behave itself on tarmac, then its an obvious and good choice.

Does BFG have 255/85/16 in All Terrain. I have only found MT in that size!

M

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Does anyone know, offhand, what the largest tires are that I could put on both the stock D-90 alloy, and the stock D-110 steel rims? I am more concerned about height and clearance through flood waters than I am about mud.

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The 255/85R16 are a bit over 33 inches tall, other than that you are into some of the "extreme" sizes of Simex etc which are available in 35", I think there is a 35x10.50R16 which should go on 7x16 alloys at a pinch, but road manners will leave a bit to be desired so may not be what you want. THere isn't a lot that will fit on the 5.5x16 steel.

Some of the old 9.00x16 size would be about the only other thing that I think would be taller, though I don't know what the actual measurements for those are and I'm not even sure what patterns (if any) they are still available in these days.

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Well, it probably helps that the maximum speed limit in this entire nation is 40 mph. We don't need a lot in the way of highway speed handling characteristics. On the other hand, ground clearance is very important here.

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Ours is 40mph too, not that most people adhere to it rigidly! :)

You still get bored with the noise a Simex tread makes even at 40 though ... I had a set of Insa Turbo Special Track and sold them because they were simply far too annoying. I didn't much like the sensation of the vehicle being fitted with a rubber draglink either.

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Ours is 40mph too, not that most people adhere to it rigidly! :)

You still get bored with the noise a Simex tread makes even at 40 though ... I had a set of Insa Turbo Special Track and sold them because they were simply far too annoying. I didn't much like the sensation of the vehicle being fitted with a rubber draglink either.

You actually exceed the speed limit once you get out of Stanley????? You have some island to move around on, though. Roads to open her up on. This one I live on is only seventeen miles long by a few miles wide. Offroad is our day to day driving, though. We live three and a half road miles from the nearest pavement.

I did some oceanographic mooring work down your general vicinity a few years ago. I was in Rio Grande, Ushuaia, and out in the ocean. Three trips, but we never got to the Malvinas. Uh...I guess you don't use that name. Probably.

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  • 3 weeks later...
The 12.50s are a lot wider

I have a set of Brand new 9.00 x 16 tyres.. These are 35.5" dia but will fit onto standard rims 5.5 - 6.5" wide.. The NDMS bar grip pattern works damn well in the Mud and unlike the wide bog trotters cuts down to the hard ground.. If anyones interested I could sell a set of 5 at £95 per cover.

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