Thread: What Tyres A/T for Defender 90

I use a breaker bar and a 27mm impact socket instead of the standard factory wheel wrench.
Check all around the battery for the wheel nut key thingy, also check under the drivers seat in the seat box there, check the seat pockets behind the two front seats, and last but not least, some defender owners put glove boxes in the passengers side dash (there are kits that you can buy and fit) your defender may have one and the wheel nut key may be there?

Also, if it's not anywhere, Karcraft at silverwater, NSW, sell new wheel nut keys, however you need the letter stamped on the wheel nut key for ordering the correct one.

Some dealers when filling out the owners documentation, put what the wheel nut key code is in the paperwork, might do to check and see if it's been done to yours.

Mike.

Yeh looked under both seats mike have now ordered a new one from landrover at $30 so not too bad just been a waste of my day traveling to Syd and back etc. new jack tools though are so expensive so might just buy a hi lift one and keep in car as it's cheaper option believe it or not! And the tyre wrench need one as well.....

Same with the wheel spanner or lug wrench or whatever you call it. Just buy a decent breaker bar and a good quality 27mm socket (like an impact) to go with it as it works a lot better than the factory jobbie.

Hope the dealer stamped the letter code for the lock nut key in your book - same with the radio code if you still have the Land Rover radio...

Good luck!

Cheers,

Lou

Originally Posted by DefenderRhino

Yeh looked under both seats mike have now ordered a new one from landrover at $30 so not too bad just been a waste of my day traveling to Syd and back etc. new jack tools though are so expensive so might just buy a hi lift one and keep in car as it's cheaper option believe it or not! And the tyre wrench need one as well.....

Not a good idea to change tyres with a hi-lift - not wanting to be the negative one in the thread, but their instability makes them great for recoveries but bloody dangerous for changing tyres.

Buy a 2 ton bottle jack from Supercheap or one of the motor factors as the articulation makes a body lifts a lot harder work than an axle lift for a tyre change.

Cheers,

Lou

I can recommend the Micheliin LTX AT2 as a good quiet AT tyre. I have a set on my 110, and they've done 92,000km, including Cape York, the Kimberley, the Tanami, the Pilbara, the Gulf and a lot of outback NSW. So at least 20,000km of gravel / off road, all with full loads.

They have a three ply sidewall, which is one more than most radial ATs. The only punctures have been a nail, and a sidewall, when I got run off the road by hoon on the Gibb River Road.

I had Maxxis ATs before that, which were quiet and grippy, but at 40,000km I felt I had to replace them before doing the Tanami, though they would have been fine for HWY use.

The Michelins are $300ea, but given you'll get 100,000km out of them, they work out to be better value for money.

Originally Posted by Loubrey

Not a good idea to change tyres with a hi-lift - not wanting to be the negative one in the thread, but their instability makes them great for recoveries but bloody dangerous for changing tyres.

Buy a 2 ton bottle jack from Supercheap or one of the motor factors as the articulation makes a body lifts a lot harder work than an axle lift for a tyre change.

Cheers,

Lou

Someone correct me, but i understand when changing a tyre on a Defender, CDL locked, 1st Low, and use the wheel chock, as the hand brake is on the prop shaft and may not hold 100%. Me, im going to make some extra chocks out of 100mm * 100 mm pine.

And it is worthwhile getting your EKA code from the Dealer, just in case your immobilized A.H

I just replaced my 5 locking wheel nuts with regular ones. The lock nut tool is made out of butter and i didnt want to get stranded in the boonies with a puncture one day, unable to remove the wheel.

Something else to consider

Can I just add regarding wheel nuts,the reason people need breaker bars,bits of pipe and split the locking nut tool is because your are tightening the nuts too tight and you aren't using anti-seize.The reason LR have made the original spanner very short is so you can't over tighten the nuts,the reason LR mags do not tighten onto the mag but the hub is to stop people splitting the mag from over tightening,buy yourselves a cheap torque wrench,they are accurate enough for the job and do the nuts up to 100Nm and address the problem,at 100Nm with a smear of anti seize you should be able to remove the nuts with the original spanner without bending it and without stretching the studs. Pat