bigger tyres = more stress?

[Mick G]

Thinking about fitting some tougher tyres to replace the road ones on my '99 Td5 D2 and was wondering if anyone has had any issues with stresses/breakages on drive train etc due to more grip increasing loads applied. Thinking about a 60% off road 40% on road tyre but am concerned that I will have to spend more $ on components due to the added grip creating greater stress.

[GRIMACE]

wat size tyres are you thinking of goin ? ? if your only goin to say 31" rubber you should be fine. 33s you are running a risk. 35s..... good luck

[Mick G]

Any tips on tyre size? Currently have a 2" lift with OME springs and shocks but would like a little more lift from tyres without doing any cutting. Don't do anything too extreme but like a bit of mud and gravel track stuff. The bigger the better but as I said, concerned that I may break something if I go too big and too agressive with the tread etc.

Thanks for the input

[GRIMACE]

by the sound of things a 31" tyre will suit you fine.
No cutting involved and your axles should stand upto it just fine.

If you dont go offroad much I wouldnt go any more agressive than a BFG mud terrain.

[Slunnie]

I've run around on 33"'s with a standard drive train and done some pretty good 4WDing with it, and that setup is fine as long as you don't give it too much stick when things start to spin. If you give it a heap of stick then you will break things.

What breaks when you give it too much...

Rear tailshaft rubber donut,
Rear diff planetary gears
Rear halfshafts.

Unlocked the fronts seem to be ok

Surprisingly the Simex JT2's never gave problems, I blew it up using 285/75-16 MTR's!

[green allycan]

Hi Mick,
i can't tell you much but i do know that my dad has an SII disco, air bags in the back, with a slight lift and he has 245, 75 r16 BFG A/T.

if 31" is all you are looking for then you will have no problem having them on your SII, they don't catch up anywhere and wheeling the car will be all good as well..

cheers Mark.

[Mick G]

Cheers guys. Narrowing the search down.

[Micka]

Just put the bigger tyres on and stop being concerned about breaking things. Get the biggest ones you can get and if you break something ie: diff, axels...then you have a great excuse to replace it with maxi-drive components.

Its an evolution thing.

Get into it.

[HSV Rangie]

you know you want 35's so jus fit them


Michael.

[110 TUFF]

well said micka!!

[walker]

I have been running 33" Siimex JT2's (closer to 34") on the Disco for the past 7 months. Only have a 2" lift and adjusted the steering stops but get no rubbing and no problems so far.

Ok, I sheared the piston on the front locker but I don't think that is the tyres fault.

I also run 32" MTR's as my road tyre.

[Mick G]

[quote="Micka"]Just put the bigger tyres on and stop being concerned about breaking things. Get the biggest ones you can get and if you break something ie: diff, axels...then you have a great excuse to replace it with maxi-drive components.
quote]

Listen to all you guys with big wallets!! Just breaking myself into 4x4 so don't want to run before I can walk or should I say break it before I can afford it!! Got to use my wheels to get to work ro pay for the next upgrade as well.

Still, I hear you and would love to go large to gove me an excuse to stick in some lockers etc. Maybe see you out there someday and you can show a newbie how it's done!!

Aye

[Aquarangie]

Just put the bigger tyres on and stop being concerned about breaking things. Get the biggest ones you can get and if you break something ie: diff, axels...then you have a great excuse to replace it with maxi-drive components.

Its an evolution thing.

Get into it.

Bloody oath

Got Front and rear maxi's on my 83 Rangie, haven't looked back

Trav

[Slunnie]

Yep, D2 with 35's with lockers and Maxi axles/CV's and no more worries about strength. Its reassuring to drive like that.

[Micka]

I never said buy them brand new.

My mate just picked up MD axels and locker in a hub to hub rear for a fraction of new price.

At the price he paid, he could get the front done too and still come in under new price for just one.

Fitting stuff yourself saves a packet too. None of it is really hard. Just talking to the right people and watching/reading as much as you can. It isn't brain surgery - just look at the blokes who do it for a living. No offense intended to any mechanics out there.

[Rainbow Warrior]

You should be right with some 265/75x16 (32"), reasonably cheap and good improvement on standard skinny tyres, fit factory steel disco rims nicely too.

[Mick G]

Looked at a couple of options testerday - Cooper ST 245/75R16 & BFG 255/70R16. Both 60%off and 40%on road but as I don't have a second set of rims, this is the obvious way to go with tread pattern. Anyone run on either of these or can anyone suggest any other brands similar, as I said before, a bit more height would be good.

Cheers for your help guys and I will let you know when the lockers etc are fitted!!!!!

[HSV Rangie]

Both will perform as required.

Michael.

[yella_rangie]

we used to run cooper ST's on our 97 discovery. cant member the size..275/85 or something like that....they are fantatsic tyres. will be getting them again on my rangie. you may have to flare the very bottom rear of your rear wheel arches to fit emthough..but you can do this easy without cutting them. i made a bracket up the was shaped like a Z to "push the panel out. tyres fitted SAWEEET. have a pic somewhere...

[Mick G]

we used to run cooper ST's on our 97 discovery. cant member the size..275/85 or something like that....they are fantatsic tyres. will be getting them again on my rangie. you may have to flare the very bottom rear of your rear wheel arches to fit emthough..but you can do this easy without cutting them. i made a bracket up the was shaped like a Z to "push the panel out. tyres fitted SAWEEET. have a pic somewhere...

Would be keen to see the pic if you have one. Keen to know the exact size as well because I want to go as big as I can to get lift.

Cheers

[Micka]

All terrains are good, yes...but you will wish you had gone with a muddie after a few trips.

I had BFG ATs and swapped to MTRs. So much better on road and light years ahead off road. Vast improvement.

Plus the noise is sweet.

IMHO go with muddies. They are just as good on road but far better off it.

[Slunnie]

I agree. I use MTR's as my road tyres and Simex JT2's as my offroaders.

[Mick G]

All terrains are good, yes...but you will wish you had gone with a muddie after a few trips.

I had BFG ATs and swapped to MTRs. So much better on road and light years ahead off road. Vast improvement.

Plus the noise is sweet.

IMHO go with muddies. They are just as good on road but far better off it.

Alright, you boys have got me thinking now as I hadn't even considered going straight to muddies as I do a fair bit of road driving. For arguments sake, if I did say 50% road, what sort of life would I expect from say a BFG MTR? Also if I increase the diametre, do I need to muck about with speedo correction etc, plus am I going to see a reduction in fuel economy? The latter is not too much of a drama, but I would like to know as much as I can before I re-shoe the Disco!!
Also being new to buying tyres it appears everyone expresses tyre sizes in inches and mm, for my benefit suggestions in mm would be great. ie 265/80/R16.

Cheers guys and getting excited about sticking some proper tyres on the beast........forget everythying I wrote about breaking bits of the drive line etc due to increased stresses.........bring on the stress I say. Got to look the part anyway!!

All comments and tyre make/size suggestions are very much appreciated.

[Slunnie]

With a 2" OME lift you should be able to run 265/75 (32x10.5) ok perhaps with an adjustment of the steering stops. These will fit factory alloys in 7 nd 8" widths. To go up to 33" tyre you really want to start looking at a 3-4" lift as the tyres will rub around on the inner front guards. The 255/85 (33x10) is a really good tyre for the 16x7" rims, and the 285/75's (33x11.5) are tight and require a 3-4" lift, they'll rub on a 2" lift for sure. For these tyres there will be no guard cutting, but if you do cut you can run 35's on the 4" lift. Lovells do a good 4" lift for the D2.

This site is a really good resourse for working out what tyres fit, and what needs doing to make them fit on a D2.
http://www.disco2.com/howto/offroader/tyresizes.phtml

With respect to tyres, the Disco really doesn't like the Cooper ST. The reason behind this is that in standard trim without the CDL it relies on the ETC to work as a 4WD and so the system naturally induces wheelspin. The Cooper ST will break tyre lugs fairly quickly under these conditions. Even with CDL locked, I managed to break lugs off the ST's just by driving around in the Vic high country. With regards to other tyres, I give mine a pretty hard time and have always seen an expected 40K minimum as measured from them, the Cooper ST's were about 60k I think. I do run the MTR on the road now, and have had them on for about 10k and they are looking to be wearing really well. The softnes is due to Silica in the compound, rather than it being a soft "carbon" rubber.

With regards to stregnth, the D2's are not too bad, they will take a bit before breaking, and on 33's if you don't thrash it then it wont break. Give it some stick while its standing on the rear wheels or land it under power and it will break rear tailshafts/axles half shafts or diff planetary gears.

[Mick G]

Good tips there Slunnie, i hadn't considered the effect of the ETC on the tyres - shows my experience. If Cooper's aren't the go, then what would you recommend? I reckon 265/75 is the go if I can get away with it. Is adjusting the steering stops a big and expensive job - I would be getting someone else to do it?

Cheers again

[Slunnie]

Most tyres are ok, except the Cooper ST. Its just their fragile side lugs. I'm not sure how the ST-C will go though, which is the same tyre with a cut/chip resistant compound, though I think the issue is mechanical rather than compound. From there you get into the big blocked MT's which are fine, likewise the ATs usually don't have a pattern that allows the lugs to hookup too significantly, or if they do they are well supported.

I've run the Cooper STT which is fine although they appear to wear quick due to a central rib, the MTR seems fine also. BFG MT and AT seem to work well also.

For the steering stops its really easy, just unscrew them out of the front axle and if put a washer underneath them. I locktited mine back in to make sure they didn't vibrate out again. 1 washer under the steering stop is enough for 255/85 (33x10) and barely just for 285/75 (33x11.5). When you fit the tyres its probably best to just wait and see if you'll need them at all.

[Mick G]

Cheers Slunnie,

Will take a look at the BFG and will hopefully have something on the Disco soon. Cheers also for the steering stop tips.

Mick

[Hardy]

Ay Mick,
A guy in our club runs 265/75 Cooper ST's + 2" lift on his D2, and while his driving is a little conservative, he has not had any problems whatsoever.

In fact, another fellow (equally conservative style) in the club is doing a 2" lift and fitting my old 265/75 Coopers ST's to his D2 as well.

Once I do my 2" lift, I'm going 255/85 but haven't decided - stick with Cooper ST or go the STT (old style or new when available)
ST's are a fabulous performer on the tracks, sand and even bitumen, despite their supposed 80/20 off road bias. - cannot offer any criticism except yep, the side lugs do chip a little here and there.

HOWEVER - there was another guy in our club who broke his D2 diff - while LR reluctantly fixed under warranty they were adament his 245/75 (I think Cooper ST again) tyres were the cause - due to increased diameter, not grip. It was one of those wheel in the air spinning then gaining not just traction but a proper grip then breaking type of things.

My first suggestion to anyone starting out is go the chunky tyres - biggest single improvement for a standard vehicle.
Then I suppose the second would be to avoid excessive wheelspin - it means there's no traction anyway....

Hardy

[Rainbow Warrior]

All terrains are good, yes...but you will wish you had gone with a muddie after a few trips.

I had BFG ATs and swapped to MTRs. So much better on road and light years ahead off road. Vast improvement.

Plus the noise is sweet.

IMHO go with muddies. They are just as good on road but far better off it.

Alright, you boys have got me thinking now as I hadn't even considered going straight to muddies as I do a fair bit of road driving. For arguments sake, if I did say 50% road, what sort of life would I expect from say a BFG MTR? Also if I increase the diametre, do I need to muck about with speedo correction etc, plus am I going to see a reduction in fuel economy? The latter is not too much of a drama, but I would like to know as much as I can before I re-shoe the Disco!!
Also being new to buying tyres it appears everyone expresses tyre sizes in inches and mm, for my benefit suggestions in mm would be great. ie 265/80/R16.

Cheers guys and getting excited about sticking some proper tyres on the beast........forget everythying I wrote about breaking bits of the drive line etc due to increased stresses.........bring on the stress I say. Got to look the part anyway!!

All comments and tyre make/size suggestions are very much appreciated.

Wouldn't worry about the speedo, you can't plead "my speedo said" against a speeding fine, and if you are driving too fast for conditions you shouldn't need to know what the speedo is reading to know so. As long as you can handle adding 5 or 10 to the number shown on the dial you should be fine, though the gf may not be able to handle this process

I've driven for years without speedo's and never been booked. I've heard you can also easily recalibrate them yourself with GPS and a Texta pen. Or just BlueTack the GPS to the cluster for the techno look.

[Slunnie]

There is a group of us that are waiting on delivery of some speedo correction units from Iceland. Its about the only one that we could find that will work with the Disco2 due to the diagnostic pulses that go through the electrical systems in the car. The unit singularly is about US$150 + about US$40 postage. When they turn up and I can fit it I'll let you know how they go, but the ones tested in Iceland and UK have been fine. The unit is called "Truspeed". By the way, I asked the RTA about using GPS as a primary speed reading device and I got a verbal no, and later a 1 page letter response from the engineers that also basically said no can do.