locker and diff ratio for 32s

[newhue]

Great minds of landy land, I have some simple questions I need help in answering. I have been reading but haven't been able to put it all together yet.
I'm looking at a locker for my defender, but will start with tyres.

I currently have standard 31s, in time I will most likely replace them with 32s, as I don't have to change rims and it keeps me legal. From what I can gather part from the extra height, the 32s will probably make my speedo more accurate, as I'm slow by 4klm currently.
My question is, would the standard ratio of 3.54 suffice for bigger tyres?

I'm looking at a rear locker, with upgraded axels and flanges. Is there a crown ring and something else in there that will need upgrading? Or is that more competition stuff.

thanks

[lambrover]

hi newhue, you can run uo to 33's on the standard gearing ok. As for your rims if they are standard they will be 16'' rims so can fit 255/85/16 they measure up to be 33's and is a common upgrade with a new rim of zero or negative 5 offset ( les richmond automotive has a good range).

the crown wheel and pinion gear set only need changing if you want to change the gear ratio, a change to 4.11 would be to much for 33's on a defender, disco's need them for 33's as they have a different ratio in there transfercase and in most cases they change to a defender transfer.

there is a ratio made by KAM that is better, I think it's 3.7 and that would be better than standard with 33's and stronger, but not realy worth the expense in my opinion. It would be only somthing I would do if my current gearset was stuffed.

So you should have no probs fitting 32's mate.

[rick130]

What lambrover said. ;)

FWIW, most all 235/85-16 tyres are around 32" OD and the 7:50/16 Michelin XZL's aren't far away from that either.

A lot of us have been running around on 255/85's for years in Tdi's and TD5's on stock gearing.

Your P38 style rear diff should be fine with a locker, no need to change the crown wheel and pinion (ring and pinion in US speak) unless there is an obvious problem.

From reports on here there's been quite a few issues with late models ones that have been fixed under warranty (eventually)
Some of the fella's on here that go a bit harder off road have gone back to the Salisbury diff out of the pre 02 models as it's a bigger, beefier (and a lot heavier and bulkier) diff.

[newhue]

thanks for that guys.
I had looked into 33s but was under the impression 7inch rims are needed. The wolf rims on a puma are 6.5 but no idea of offset. It sounds like 0 and doesn't matter anyway. Good to hear many have paved the way before hand, I assume there is no cutting of guards with 33s if it ends up that way.

[rick130]

255/85-16's are legal on 6.5" rims, it's why so many of us use them ;)

255/85's fit well on the standard 130 rim with no rubbing anywhere, except the front radius arms.
They really do bugger up the turning circle of a 130 so you get used to doing reverse u turns instead of a five point forward turn.