what is the better option 33's or 35's

[zeus11]

Hi all

I'm after some advice.

I'm about to make a purchase on a td5 110.

Now i know that big muddies are not everyones cup of tea but i'm after some help in choosing between 33 x 12.5 or 35 x 12.5 tyres.

I'm going with mickey thompson claws as my choice of tyre.

I'm more of a sand, mud and trail off roader and not a rock crawler.

Any tips or pictures would be much appreciated.

Cheers

[PAT303]

I have 33's on my defender and it didn't need any mods,with 35's you'll need to change diff ratio's and maybe do some clearance work so there's a bit more work-cost involved. Pat

[zeus11]

Thanks Pat

I have a 2 inch lift so both 33 and 35's should bolt up up in theory. The 35's may restrict the amount of articulation though this wouldnt worry me too much.

Is it hwy gearing or low range gearing that is worse with 35's or is it both?

[rovercare]

Thanks Pat

I have a 2 inch lift so both 33 and 35's should bolt up up in theory. The 35's may restrict the amount of articulation though this wouldnt worry me too much.

Is it hwy gearing or low range gearing that is worse with 35's or is it both?

35's:D

A chipped TD5 Defender will drive 35's no worries......Tdi, not so much:angel:

[samuelclarke]

I've got 255/85's (so 33.5") BFG KM2 MT's - love them! I honestly haven't had too many issues with clearance even in some heavy stuff. The only issue is deep ruts in mud caused by Jap 4x4's running 35-40'ers and small diffs...but with that even 35's can be too small!

For most driving off road I doubt you'll notice much difference - though I've only had 33's, but have a few mates with 35's. Hope that helps!

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[Treads]

I've got 255/85's (so 33.5") BFG KM2 MT's - love them! I honestly haven't had too many issues with clearance even in some heavy stuff.

Are you running standard disco rims, or are they a custom offset?

We're running the same size tyre without a lift and haven't noticed any scrubbing - yet... ;)

[zeus11]

Thanks for the replies.

The defender is an 02 with sals and is chipped with exhaust and intercooler upgrades.

33's appear the logical choice............ though you dont sell a current shape hilux to buy a defender for logical reasons :D

[KarlB]

I think an important issue to consider is that the maximum allowable increase in tyre diameter is 15 mm if you want your vehicle to remain technically road worthy. This has implications for your insurance and liability in an accident. It is likely that 33s are right on the maximum you can legally fit while 35s are almost certainly not. Another consideration that may impact on your decision is that the tyre width should not be greater than 1.5 times the widest original equipment optional tyre. You cannot legally drive an unroadworthy vehicle on any public road or any public land (eg beach or state forest) except in very special circumstances. Lots of people do it, but be warned.

Cheers
KarlB
:)

[zeus11]

Thanks for the tips KarlB.

[Psimpson7]

As a side to karls comments, there is always the engineering option in NSW I believe so that you would be 100% legal.

33" would seem to be more sensible for what you want i think.

And as an edit, If you are going to be that pedantic Karl,, I fail to see how 33's are just about legal when the standard 235/85 is theroetically a 31.7" tyre

[rick130]

and no ones mentioned stock CV's and diffs more than likely going 'pop' with 35's yet ?? :o

[edit]
oh, and the larger diameters play merry hell on your turning circle unless you increase wheel offset, and that has implications for scrub radius (and wheel bearing loads) if you go too wide, although most people don't seem to notice.
I remember Tombie's engineer did some load calcs once when he still had his Defender and the wheel bearings/stub axles were fine out to some pretty silly offset.

and Karl, do we need a legal disclaimer on every tyre/lift post ? Most in this day and age are aware of the legalities, although it's annoying IMO for the lack of adherence by all the state registration authorities on the previously agreed to DOTARS that would have cleaned things up without being so crazily restrictive.

[frantic]

For your rear call Hytuff in Qld as i did with my 02def110 with maxxi 255/85's r16(last of the salisburys with a detroit fitted) and for the front there are several options:
A: take it steady so as not to break it(what I'm doing at the moment but saving to pay the piper;))
B: get ashcroft front cv/ axles
C: wait till MR with hyuff make a new maxi front locker cv axle combo.
D:Lucky 8/rovertracks in the U.S sell a stronger replacement.
E: Kam(LRA) front but limited reports on these.

P.S If you go 35's you may as well get it engineered for 37's so if you do give in and do all the ratio adjustment etc you can go the whole hog.

[Psimpson7]

Another very good option for front end IMO is to talk to keith at Rovertracks.

[Rangier Rover]

Land Rovers and bigger tyres, do you really need them? If so, add around 5K you will need it.;) The front wont like it:D I'm now on my forth diff (Pegged) and second AEU2522 CV.:(
On offset, -25mm with 35s will clear on full lock as the 235's or 750/16's.

[Rangier Rover]

35's:D

A chipped TD5 Defender will drive 35's no worries......Tdi, not so much:angel:

Interesting you say that.:) It made bugger all diference to my 120 going from a 235 to a 35... As you know:angel:
Still charges up the same hills in forth gear:D

[KarlB]

...
And as an edit, If you are going to be that pedantic Karl,, I fail to see how 33's are just about legal when the standard 235/85 is theroetically a 31.7" tyre

I am not trying to be pedantic or legalistic, just concerned that people are fully aware of the implications of their decisions, and not only on them selves but on others as well. But you are right, 33s are probably 6-8 mm oversize when new with 235/85s (and 750x16s) about 809 mm dia while 33s are about 831 mm. Though they would be within strictly legal limits after a little tread wear. These figures are complicated by different tyre manufacturers and different tread patterns from the same manufacturer having slightly different dimensions for the same standard sizes. However 35s are about 882 mm dia (ie nearly 60 mm over size). All this is further complicated by the issue of rolling dia vs overall dia. Lets not go there!

Cheers
KarlB
:)

[zeus11]

Thanks for all the input people.

Yep i have some 8 x 16 black steel rims -25 offset ready to go.

So i'll probably go with 33 as at this point my pockets are not deep enough for the extra strength that maybe required for 35's.

Does any one know if the mickey thompson's are true sizes? Is their 35 actually 35 or 34 etc and same to with thier 33's.

I know some makes are big or small for their indicated size.

[KarlB]

The manufacturers Australian website (Mickey Thompson Tires - CLAW (http://www.mickeythompsontires.com.au/index.php?page=CLAW)) gives the dia of 33/12.50R16LT tyres as 836 mm and for the 35/12.50R16LT tyres 884 mm. That is 32.9 and 34.8 inches, respectively.

Cheers
KarlB
:)

[Rangier Rover]

Thanks for all the input people.

Yep i have some 8 x 16 black steel rims -25 offset ready to go.

So i'll probably go with 33 as at this point my pockets are not deep enough for the extra strength that maybe required for 35's.

Does any one know if the mickey thompson's are true sizes? Is their 35 actually 35 or 34 etc and same to with thier 33's.

I know some makes are big or small for their indicated size.

The imperial sizes will be under. Cant say on metric on MT.

[Ranga]

I'm also been running 255/85R16s for the past few weeks and have had no issues (yet). Doesn't scrub, and gearing seems OK. Also, being only just more than 10" wide keeps them inside the flares so they're not so obvous, and increases fuel efficiency.

[Tusker]

Seems to me it depends where the majority of your use will be.

35s are heavier. That's extra unsprung weight that makes trail work slower. And the 35s need more pressure adjustment to get a decent ride on trails. There's no need for 35s as a touring tyre.

But you will essentially unstoppable in sand.

33s are a better all-round tyre. But for sand a tall & skinny 255/85 33" will go better than the 285/75 shape you're heading towards. On the other hand 255/85s are an uncommon size. 285/75s you can get more easily in the bush, with a better choice of patterns.

And I think radial claws have been left behind too.

Regards
Max P

[flagg]

255/85 is the way to go IMO.

33 inch, but skinny enough to keep your turning circle and be better in mud, sand, less aqua planing, less stress on steering components etc.. then again, lets not get into a fat vs skinny argument :wasntme::angel:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

I run 255/85 BFG Km/2 (like many on the site) and I'm very very happy with them.

No lift, Disco rims w/ 20mm offset mod. No rubbing at full lock, or full articulation.

[Psimpson7]

35s are heavier. That's extra unsprung weight that makes trail work slower. And the 35s need more pressure adjustment to get a decent ride on trails.



I'm not totally sure on that. My 35's have a stupidly good ride at low pressure.... I can go miles faster on rough trails on them than I can on my 255/85's..... stuff just disappears into them!

However they as you say are massively heavy, and the car works very hard to turn them at any sort of speed.

The car actually runs a few degrees hotter engine temp according to my digital gauge thing when on the big tyres.

[big guy]

Thanks for the replies.

The defender is an 02 with sals and is chipped with exhaust and intercooler upgrades.

33's appear the logical choice............ though you dont sell a current shape hilux to buy a defender for logical reasons :D

Thats funny. One of our contractors(concreter) has just done very same thing.
He now drives a blue 03 extreme and loves it.

He just put on some road tyres though as his muddies did not pull up at the lights with trailer on back. They had no grip in the wet on the road so be careful.

They are probably only suited for off road and in traffic they are just O.K.
Car looks wicked, may try and take a pick and post it if he comes back for a patch up here.
He is not a forum kind of guy, I tried to get him to join.:cool:

[Tusker]

snip


My 35's have a stupidly good ride at low pressure.... I can go miles faster on rough trails on them than I can on my 255/85's..... stuff just disappears into them!

end snip

Yep that's what I meant. You have to drop the pressures to get a decent ride.

Regards
Max P

[zeus11]

Hmmmm see now I'm undecided again.

So who makes a good 34 x 12.5 tyre?

[ScottW]

I'm picking up some 255/85 bighorns on 0 offset rims later today for my county. I can't wait to see how they look and how they go in the mud on the weekend. I don't think the isuzu will be concerned about the extra diametre...

As far as legalities, insurance will only wipe you if the illegal mod / unroadworthy item has contributed to the accident. Spinning out in the wet with a blown tail light doesn't mean they won't pay up. However, the larger tyre size will affect braking distance and possibly handling, so if you run up the rear of someone, the larger tyres may be considered a contributing factor.

I'll be keeping my 235/85's as the daily tyre and swap for the mud. Highway terrain tyres should get quite good mileage :)

[sav07]

Everything is a compromise. I reckon go the 33', you have seen my defender.

[zeus11]

Yeah your defender looks great Sav.

[rick130]

[snip]

He just put on some road tyres though as his muddies did not pull up at the lights with trailer on back. They had no grip in the wet on the road so be careful.

[snip]:cool:

Depends very much on compounding, case construction and the age of the tyre.

I've found BFG MT KO's and now Maxxis 762's to be fine in the wet, which is more than can be said for the Bridgestone MT's I ran for several years. They were drift city on any corner or curve.

Oh, and contrary to popular opinion increased tyre pressure rather than reduced is better in the wet, crossply or radial construction.

[frantic]

Ditto. My maxxi bighorn 255/85 are as good if not better in the wet than the old 235 bfg at's and dont mention the cooper st's. The maxxi's are running around the 40psi + mark on the road which takes a bit longer to lower when heading off the tar.

[PAT303]

Same as above,my cooper 235's had about as much grip as a dog on wet lyno,the bighorns grip better than allot of highway tyres.With the bighorns they work out about 34'' and I haven't changed a thing running them so they are really the best option,unless you really want the extra inch or so. Pat

[Gav110]

285/75/16 BFG MT Km2s on standard alloys for my Puma. I have spacers on mine but I noticed ARB's display 110 ute running the same tyres on standard alloys without so I guess it must be fine... IN my view this is the ultimate tyre and size for a 110, and has advantage of being easily available everywhere.

[LowRanger]

Hmmmm see now I'm undecided again.

So who makes a good 34 x 12.5 tyre?


With your selection of 8" rims with -25 offset,you will find that any 12.5" tyre will hang outside the standard flares on a Defender.
Also you will find that a lot of the better 33" tyres are not available in 12.5" widths.285/75 and 255/85 both seat better on 7" rims.Which can be beneficial when running low tyre pressures off road.
Even the Simex in 34" is only 11.5" width,a nice size for a Defender though.

Wayne

[zeus11]

Thanks Wayne

I will be fitting the wider flares.

With a -25mm offset both a 285 and 255 I think I would still need the wider flares.

I'll look into the simex 34 and see if i can find some pictures.

[PAT303]

I'm running my 255's on 8'' rims and they just sit out of the guards. Pat

[LowRanger]

The Simex is only available in the JT2 in 34" and is really an extreme type tyre,and not really a road tyre.Although plenty of people use them on road.They do tend to wear quickly when used on road,but that is the compromise you make having such an agressive tyre.

Wayne

[rovercare]

The Simex is only available in the JT2 in 34" and is really an extreme type tyre,and not really a road tyre.Although plenty of people use them on road.They do tend to wear quickly when used on road,but that is the compromise you make having such an agressive tyre.

Wayne

Expect about 30k till they are rooted:)

They also drive like crap compared to a radial tyre......but air them down in the bush:cool:

[flagg]

FWIW my 255's with 20mm modded offset disco rims are within the guards.

[moorey]

Thanks Pat

I have a 2 inch lift so both 33 and 35's should bolt up up in theory. The 35's may restrict the amount of articulation though this wouldnt worry me too much.

Is it hwy gearing or low range gearing that is worse with 35's or is it both?
I'm about to order a transfer case from an old 2lt petrol landy from Rover parts. They were geared much lower, 1.6:1, due to the gutless motor. I'm going to see how it goes with my defender running my 35's. I don't need to go fast on the highway. I'd rather have the lower gearing option for towing and off roading.

[deffender]

Has anyone got pics of a defender on 255/85/16 and pics of 285/75/16 tyres to compare looks

[Tombie]

Has anyone got pics of a defender on 255/85/16 and pics of 285/75/16 tyres to compare looks

You do realise that 285's don't fit a factory rim - right?

And fitting them to a 7" rim is dangerous.

[LowRanger]

But.....on the other hand
With 7" rims,you will be less likely to roll the tyre off the bead at low pressure,than with an 8"rim.There are a lot of people on this forum that run 285/75/16 on 7" rims without any problems.Probably the preferred size on a Defender

[Psimpson7]

Hell, I run what equates to 343mm wide tyres on 8" Rims and it has never ever ever given any issues, even down at 8psi with no beadlocks....

(Not road tyres however)

I still think the 255/85 is the ideal Defender all round size.

Heres a pic of my Defender on 255/85's at std height.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/09/1805.jpg

[LowRanger]

Yeah but it looks sooooo much better on 35's:D

Wayne

[Psimpson7]

So very true :)

[rick130]

If there weren't so many hoppy, moo-y, bambi and baa-y things around these parts I'd love to build a bumper like that Pete :D

[PAT303]

Keep out of peoples paddocks then Rick. Pat

[isuzurover]

...285's ...

And fitting them to a 7" rim is dangerous.

Sorry, but that is BS. How/why is it dangerous?

While you technically need 7.5" rims, IME 7" works better - tyre stays on rim better and rim is protected offroad.

[Psimpson7]

If there weren't so many hoppy, moo-y, bambi and baa-y things around these parts I'd love to build a bumper like that Pete :D

I've managed to avoid them all so far thankfully!!

[jc109]

I'm about to order my first Defender after several years playing around with my SIII.

I've been wondering what the best option is re tyres, and am no clearer now after reading all this!

I intend ordering the dual finish alloy wheels with standard tyres as I have Wolf wheels on my 109" with Cooper STs that I've been thinking would make a good swap when I take the 110" out bush.

The Coopers (which I think are great BTW) are 265/75/16s.

How would I find these tyres on the Defender? I'm happy to consider all options. ie:

1) Full swap of wheels and tyres
2) Coopers to alloys on 110" and Grabbers over to 109"
3) Leave Coopers where they are and order 110" with factory MTs of a size TBD
4) Leave 109" alone, order 110" in standard rubber, and buy a whole new set of wheels and tyres in an appropriate size as off-road set

If the Wolf wheels come off the 109" I can either leave her on workshop stands or buy a cheap set of original wheels (I ditched the old set long ago...) with cheap rubber.

Any suggestions?

James

[isuzurover]

I'm about to order my first Defender after several years playing around with my SIII.

I've been wondering what the best option is re tyres, and am no clearer now after reading all this!

I intend ordering the dual finish alloy wheels with standard tyres as I have Wolf wheels on my 109" with Cooper STs that I've been thinking would make a good swap when I take the 110" out bush.

The Coopers (which I think are great BTW) are 265/75/16s.

How would I find these tyres on the Defender? I'm happy to consider all options. ie:

1) Full swap of wheels and tyres
2) Coopers to alloys on 110" and Grabbers over to 109"
3) Leave Coopers where they are and order 110" with factory MTs of a size TBD
4) Leave 109" alone, order 110" in standard rubber, and buy a whole new set of wheels and tyres in an appropriate size as off-road set

If the Wolf wheels come off the 109" I can either leave her on workshop stands or buy a cheap set of original wheels (I ditched the old set long ago...) with cheap rubber.

Any suggestions?

James

It really depends what you will use the defender for mainly, and how willing you are to put up with the slightly decreased fuel economy and increased tyre wear from driving around on mud tyres.

So what will you be using it for?

Mainly road? Mainly beach? Desert trips? Mud?

I am personally not a fan of coopers, but they should be fine on the 110.

[jc109]

It really depends what you will use the defender for mainly, and how willing you are to put up with the slightly decreased fuel economy and increased tyre wear from driving around on mud tyres.

So what will you be using it for?

Mainly road? Mainly beach? Desert trips? Mud?

I am personally not a fan of coopers, but they should be fine on the 110.

Can I say a bit of everything?

I live in Freo so it'll obviously see a lot more bitumen than anything else, but my intention is to kit it out for touring, and I'll do a fair bit of playing around in the dirt too. Sand is a given in the west, and my girlfriend will take the beach over all else.

This is why I figured a second set might be the go. I'll consider all suggestions though. It's all new to me since I've spent more time under my SIII than in it...

[carlosbeldia]

Not the exact issue, but 88' Series with 35':

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

109' with 38' (now it have 40's):

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

Both all stock except steering and suspension..... if that non - mods Santana axles and engine can keep the work at 2600 meters over sea level, I think a Defender have no matters handling any "little" 35'

[flagg]

Has anyone got pics of a defender on 255/85/16 and pics of 285/75/16 tyres to compare looks

see my white 110 with 33's (255/85) earlier in the thread.


I am personally not a fan of coopers, but they should be fine on the 110.

+1 I had very bad experiences with them. They seem to be of inconsistent quality, which I guess is why some people love them and other hate them.

I had terrible splits and huge chunks of rubber kept falling off my STs, until one just disintegrated completely going down the hume.

My summary of 33 Vs 35 is this:

33 will fit a standard Deefer with only a small increase in fuel consumption. Good bang for buck, good looks and extremely capable off road (i'm talking 255/85 here)

35 needs gearing mods, suspension mods, engineers cert. Much more money.. If you really want the look or need the diff clearance go for it. Me? not so much.

Flagg.

[MacFamily]

Has anyone got pics of a defender on 255/85/16 and pics of 285/75/16 tyres to compare looks

Ranga on the left 255/85/16 and me on the right 285/75/16
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/09/1782.jpg

Heres mine on a set of 285/75/16 Federal Couragia M/T on 16x8 zero offset Dynamic Rims.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/09/1783.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/09/1784.jpg

[Slunnie]

But.....on the other hand
With 7" rims,you will be less likely to roll the tyre off the bead at low pressure,than with an 8"rim.There are a lot of people on this forum that run 285/75/16 on 7" rims without any problems.Probably the preferred size on a Defender
Just about all 285/75-16 require 8" rims with the exception of the Mickey Thompson MTX I think it was that could run on a 7" rim. 8" rims are most definately the preferred size rim for that tyre, not the 7" rim.


Not the exact issue, but 88' Series with 35':

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs117.snc1/4856_1016613874694_1805526698_34271_4595816_n.jpg

109' with 38' (now it have 40's):

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs117.snc1/4856_1016710317105_1805526698_34625_5843598_n.jpg

Both all stock except steering and suspension..... if that non - mods Santana axles and engine can keep the work at 2600 meters over sea level, I think a Defender have no matters handling any "little" 35'
A spring over is a fairly substantial modification. Also consider that they are being used in mud, but I bet they still break a lot of stuff! My 37's are a hell of a lot heavier than my 35's. By the way, that 88" has awesome flex!

[LowRanger]

Just about all 285/75-16 require 8" rims with the exception of the Mickey Thompson MTX I think it was that could run on a 7" rim. 8" rims are most definately the preferred size rim for that tyre, not the 7" rim.





Slunnie
I wasn't referring to what the manufacturers recommended or what was legal.What I was referring to was what works best off road with low tyre pressure and remained seated on the bead.And there are a lot of other members on this forum that run 7" rims with this size tyre.I think a very much preferred combination on Defenders.
I have run and know quite a few people that run 265/75/16 tyres on standard defender 5.5" rims,just because they don't need to worry about them unseating a bead at low pressure.

Wayne

[Slunnie]

Slunnie
I wasn't referring to what the manufacturers recommended or what was legal.What I was referring to was what works best off road with low tyre pressure and remained seated on the bead.And there are a lot of other members on this forum that run 7" rims with this size tyre.I think a very much preferred combination on Defenders.
I have run and know quite a few people that run 265/75/16 tyres on standard defender 5.5" rims,just because they don't need to worry about them unseating a bead at low pressure.

Wayne
Hmmmm.

[LowRanger]

Another point to remember is that a 285/75 tyre is only a 10" wide tyre.And people have been running 31x10.5r15's on 7"rims on Japanese 4wds successfully since the late 70's

Wayne

[samuelclarke]

Are you running standard disco rims, or are they a custom offset?

We're running the same size tyre without a lift and haven't noticed any scrubbing - yet... ;)

Yep, stock standard disco rims at the moment...a tiny bit of scrubbing on full lock and articulation, but not too bad. Though planning to replace them with greater offset (so a negative offset) wheels in the future.

[Slunnie]

Another point to remember is that a 285/75 tyre is only a 10" wide tyre.And people have been running 31x10.5r15's on 7"rims on Japanese 4wds successfully since the late 70's

Wayne
285/75-16 are 11 to 11.5" width, not 10".

The 255/85-16 is roughly 10" and run on 7" rims as recommended by the manufacturer, but that tyre is over 1" narrower.

[isuzurover]

285/75-16 are 11 to 11.5" width, not 10".

The 255/85-16 is roughly 10" and run on 7" rims as recommended by the manufacturer, but that tyre is over 1" narrower.


From what I have seen, most manufacturers have 7.5" as minimum rim width for 285s.

I have been running 285s on 7" rims for years with no issues. I even had one tyre fitter tell me that was a good rim size for them in his opinion.

[rick130]

Keep out of peoples paddocks then Rick. Pat

Well, that's happened too, only it was pigs at various times :p

SWMBO is still traumatised when I wiped out two sows and six suckers one night in one hit.
We were coming home late and dropped into the cattle yards to check a sick calf way back during the drought. I didn't miss my opportunity....
Probably didn't help it was in her car either :angel:


I've managed to avoid them all so far thankfully!!

Both the 'fender and Patrol have had more hits than Elvis, including dents in doors when skippy decides to hop into you even though you are only going 40km/h. :(

When we bought the Patrol she was so chuffed that she wheeled and dealed and got the Ti ally bar instead of ST ute steel one.
She couldn't understand my dismay until the first roo hit.
Haven't killed it yet, but I've had to pull it out at least half a dozen times so far, yet the Defender bar is unmarked.

[rick130]

285/75-16 are 11 to 11.5" width, not 10".

The 255/85-16 is roughly 10" and run on 7" rims as recommended by the manufacturer, but that tyre is over 1" narrower.

Yep, big difference in section width between a 285 and 255.
The 255/85 is s great choice if you only have 6.5" rims, it's the minimum legal size.


From what I have seen, most manufacturers have 7.5" as minimum rim width for 285s.

I have been running 285s on 7" rims for years with no issues. I even had one tyre fitter tell me that was a good rim size for them in his opinion.

I can understand this, particularly airing down off road and not wanting to pop a bead.

We had big problems just getting 265/75's out onto the 8" Patrol rim.
Had them sitting overnight with tubes inside to get the bead out, none of the bead seaters would work, they were a proper pain in the arse.

[HangOver]

you'll kill less cv's with the 33"s ;)

[LowRanger]

285/75-16 are 11 to 11.5" width, not 10".

The 255/85-16 is roughly 10" and run on 7" rims as recommended by the manufacturer, but that tyre is over 1" narrower.


Ok teach me to try and write something at 930pm after being up since 3am:eek:

most 285 tyres that I have found,have a sectional width of 279mm or 11" which is still only 1/2" wider than a 10.5" tyre that has been commonly used for many years on Japanese 4wds.

If I was making a tourer I would consider 8" rims.But in an Offroad situation I would use 7" rims every time.
I only use 8" rims with my 35's and they are close to 13" wide.
There are many threads on Pirate 4x4 about rim widths and their pros and cons.
The disclaimer I have been making all along is that this IS NOT what the manufacturers recommendations are,BUT what works best in the real world,especially if you need to run lower tyre pressures:confused:
I also apologise for taking the original post away from the original question
Wayne

[LowRanger]

If you are not going to use the vehicle for A grade type trips,then I would just run 33" tyres.
Having 2 sets of rims,and doing A grade type trips,I would recommend 35" tyres,with all the other modifications that come with them,ie uprated diffs,cvs and axles and suspension,as 35's are a lot heavier.

Wayne

[Psimpson7]

35 needs gearing mods,


I mostly agree apart from the above. This isn't the case. It may be preffered or advisable, but I run std Defender transfer ratios, and std 3.54 diff ratios, and only once in the last 6 years have I absoloutely wished I had lower gearing available and that was on an immensley stupid track.

[zeus11]

Thanks for putting it back on topic Wayne.

Pete what is your hwy gearing like with the standard 3.54's and 35's.

Just as a side note i have done a bit more research on the mickey thompsons and the 33's are actually 32.9 and the 35's are 34.5

[Psimpson7]

Hi Caleb,

Off road it is fine. I will say that I very rarely use them on the road however, and wasn't really considering that in my last post (just the low range side of it), and now I have thought about it a bit more, I am inclined to say that for road use Flagg could well be correct.

It is a bit sluggish and has to work very had on the road... hence running 33's every day!

Sorry to add to the confusion! lol

Good luck!

Rgds
Pete

[zeus11]

No need to apologise Pete.

I have settled on 33x12.5x15

I still like the idea of running 35's once i have built/strengthened the truck to suit.

So all the info is still good to know.

I understand that the gears become taller so was unsure if 5th gear would actually become better? Even though the truck would be working harder to push them at speed.

[flagg]

I understand that the gears become taller so was unsure if 5th gear would actually become better? Even though the truck would be working harder to push them at speed.

To a point, but with some setups you end up only being able to engage 5th on flat ground.. any rise or hill and you can't hold your speed (without engine powerups..) and so the vicious cycle of upgrades begins!

imo 33s are a wise move :)

[LowRanger]

No need to apologise Pete.

I have settled on 33x12.5x15

I still like the idea of running 35's once i have built/strengthened the truck to suit.

So all the info is still good to know.

I understand that the gears become taller so was unsure if 5th gear would actually become better? Even though the truck would be working harder to push them at speed.

33's are the perfect size for a Defender if only one set of wheels are used.
The only other thing I can say is that I noticed that you are going with 15" rims.Whatever rims you decide on,make sure that you have plenty of clearance around the brakes.I have seen a couple of people over the years,that have used 15" rims,and when used in heavy mud/clay,have found that there wasn't enough clearance between the calipers and the rims.!6" rims give that little bit more clearance required.But 16" tyres are more expensive.

Wayne

[rick130]

[snip]
I understand that the gears become taller so was unsure if 5th gear would actually become better? Even though the truck would be working harder to push them at speed.

4th and 5th are better highway gears in a Tdi with 33's, (more so with the engine tweaked a bit) so a TD5 would be better again.