New Tyres

[Defender Mike]

I imagine this gas been done to death but the search engine doesn't come up with anything so .

I will soon need new tyres on Borumbah. She currently has 7.00 16 Grandtour a Chinese brand . No longer available from my Google searches.
I know I can get Firestone military tyres from Antique tyres but they are expensive. There are lots of cheap 7.50 r 16 tyres around in WA because the pull them off Landcruisers going to the mines . No split rims allowed because one flew off once and hurt someone . These 7.50 's won't go on a 5 inch rim apparently minimum size is 5.5 inch. So what options are there ? Get wider rims ,do later series fit ? Or has someone found a reasonably priced tyre that fits the series 1 rim it has to be a 4wd tyre I don't want a road tyre and I prefer something aggressive like a mud tyre or winter tread if possible. I have enough tread to get back a East but that's about all.
Mike:)

[JDNSW]

I imagine this gas been done to death but the search engine doesn't come up with anything so .

I will soon need new tyres on Borumbah. She currently has 7.00 16 Grandtour a Chinese brand . No longer available from my Google searches.
I know I can get Firestone military tyres from Antique tyres but they are expensive. There are lots of cheap 7.50 r 16 tyres around in WA because the pull them off Landcruisers going to the mines . No split rims allowed because one flew off once and hurt someone . These 7.50 's won't go on a 5 inch rim apparently minimum size is 5.5 inch. So what options are there ? Get wider rims ,do later series fit ? Or has someone found a reasonably priced tyre that fits the series 1 rim it has to be a 4wd tyre I don't want a road tyre and I prefer something aggressive like a mud tyre or winter tread if possible. I have enough tread to get back a East but that's about all.
Mike:)

Can't help on tyre sizes, but a couple of points.

All Series Landrover wheels are interchangeable, so later (2/2a/3) lwb wheels will fit, as will many coil spring wheels (caution - some alloy wheels can't accommodate drum brakes and many Rangerover etc wheels will not accommodate the large hub protrusion on Series vehicles. Since you do not have power steering I would be cautious about going too much wider. Also, larger tyres and different offsets are likely to mean adjusting steering stops and wider turning circle, although you will see little difference going from 7.00 to 7.50.

Despite the fact that 5.5" is the minimum width specified for 7.50 width, this size would have been used without incident on hundreds of thousands of Landrovers over the last fifty or sixty years.

John

[gromit]

MRF list 7.00 x 16, here is a link to Beadell Tours who list them Beadell Tours : MRF Tyres - Bias & All Steel Radials (http://www.beadelltours.com.au/mrf.html)
Super Traction looks OK and is 8-ply (not 14 like some of the others) but they state 'must be fitted to split rims'.
You should be able to get a local tyre place to buy direct from the MRF Australia agent.


Colin

[oscarf7]

Last month I ordered MRF NDMS 600/16 through my local bridgestone retailer. All up with new tubes, balanced and fitted, it totalled $767.60. So far the tyres seem pretty good.

[B.S.F.]

I imagine this gas been done to death but the search engine doesn't come up with anything so .

I will soon need new tyres on Borumbah. She currently has 7.00 16 Grandtour a Chinese brand . No longer available from my Google searches.
I know I can get Firestone military tyres from Antique tyres but they are expensive. There are lots of cheap 7.50 r 16 tyres around in WA because the pull them off Landcruisers going to the mines . No split rims allowed because one flew off once and hurt someone . These 7.50 's won't go on a 5 inch rim apparently minimum size is 5.5 inch. So what options are there ? Get wider rims ,do later series fit ? Or has someone found a reasonably priced tyre that fits the series 1 rim it has to be a 4wd tyre I don't want a road tyre and I prefer something aggressive like a mud tyre or winter tread if possible. I have enough tread to get back a East but that's about all.


Mike:)

Punch in "GT radials 23675" that should bring up 7.00x16 X grip. If you order that tyre you won't get an X grip or the tyre in the picture, you'll get the Grandtour, the tyre you currently have. I'm on my 3rd set..W.

[Defender Mike]

Will try the grandtour as I have an unused spare but they don't last very long only got 8000 miles out of this set that Keith put on although I will get back East on them another. 3500 miles so 12 000 miles i suppose that's not to bad.

Mike

[Defender Mike]

Can't get the Grandtours here and I don't like crossing East with nearly worn out tyres . I'm looking at secondhand brand new dunlop 7.50 R 16 C tyres 5 for $750. Like JDNSW says there are thousands of landys running 7.50 wide tyres . The mine industry won't allow split rims anymore so the swap them out .

[Defender Mike]

I have fitted 4 new dunlops 7.50 R 16 road grippers I got the 4 of them brand new for $350 total. An absolute bargain. They were on landcruiser split rims which I gave away. The tyres still have the lugs on them never been on the road. So what I saved on tyres I spent on the new axel. :)
The fit really well and make the 109 look a quite tough. I have only driven home in front wheel drive as the rear axel broke on the way there but they don't hit the stoppers or interfere with the turning circle too much. Will post a photo when it works again.
Mike

[S3ute]

Mike,

Hello from Brisbane.

That was definitely a canny piece of buying - I paid $500 for 4 similar never used Road Grippers which I thought/still think is a pretty good deal.

They usually seem to be going for around $180-$200 a tyre/wheel combination.

Cheers,

[Defender Mike]

I nearly bought 5 for. $750 but the guy didn't call back until
I had the others . These are great tyres come off new Toyotas and because of the split rims they won't allow them on a mind site . There must be hundreds of them around. I just need to pick 1 up for a spare now.

[Charlie's brother]

I found Deestones at Jax Tyres in NSW, quite cheap but Bar Treads. Cheers Nick

[Defender Mike]

I fitted the 7.50 16s as mentioned earlier but they are rubbing on the springs and have limited my turning circle a bit more. I could just adjust the stops but I would like to investigate changing the wheel offset or other legal mod. I'm now in Brisbane and was thinking of visiting Wilson's wheel works if they still exist. Any other ideas would be appreciated. :)

[JDNSW]

110/early Defender wheels (NRC7578) are offset about an inch further out, and look pretty similar.

John