Warranty nearly up - time to start doing bits here and there

[LoveB]

But my main question is, what bits do I really want? LOL

I'm currently at 74,000KM. Warranty expires in march 2016 or 100,000KM so I may as well start doing small mods or preparing to do them anyhow.

As above, I'm on 74,000KM on my standard MT/R's They have been great. I know we cant get the same pattern here (but I was told the one we have is good too anyway?) but was wondering what tyre options I have? I was thinking BFG KM2?

I think standard is 235/85/16 and I was hoping to get taller/slightly meatier ones. I read around here that you can go 255 to get the speedo to read correct?

I dont have plans of lifting the truck yet. I dont think I need it really. But would like to go for 33's. I once for once put mickey thompson 33x12.5 on and they didnt rub apart from when on full flex in front with the wheels turned. so I imagine if I had 255s I would be safe.

I imagine fuel consumption would go up slightly if I go 33s? not extremely fussed. on the standard ones I get over 600km to a tank and I'm happy with that.

But if not the KM2's are there other options I should look at? I dont really go touring. Not yet atleast but I have another deefer for that) and obviously spend most my time on the road but like to get muddy once in a while hence still wanting to stick to a mud terrain tyre.

I do also want new wheels. I like the dual finish I've got but was wanting to get black ZU's. I found a slightly cheaper supplier than what I've seen online so am tempted to get them. I think they come in the same standard size as the dual finish which is 7.

Should I go for 8'? I dont really ever recall being in a situation where I thought, yep i need an extra inch of tyre width LOL

Also, I know the rear door tyre carriers were a bit prone to cracking the door - is this still true for pumas? as I want to change the spare to match the new tyres which means I'll have a 33' wheel on there. I dont really want to crack the door or anything.

Now - front bars - I know they have a purpose but I'm not a massive fan of ARB style bullbars. Or even the scorpion ones. Would just want one thats slightly beefier than can hold a winch. I was thinking one from equipe in italy. Do they have any suppliers here?

Paraurti Land Rover Defender Black Cover Winch - Equipe 4x4 Off Road (http://www.equipe4x4.com/negozio/paraurti-modulare/paraurti-land-rover-defender-black-cover-winch/)

that is the specific bar I would like.

And winches, what should I get? should I save up for a warn one or are the new ones coming out from china etc good too? I'm not a hardcore 4x4 person so I dont think I will use it all the time but its good to be prepared!!! lol

otherwise do you have any suggestions for a similar bar that I could get if they dont have a supplier here?

and if I want a winch - I imagine that definitely means I will need to go for a dual batt setup??


lastly, whats your opinions on lockers (for again a non hardcore rig) I've only really thought I need it once when I got bogged on the 33s lol. But I suppose as with the winch it would be nice to be prepared? I suppose the question is if I did get one, do I go for the arb air or the eaton e lockers? pros and cons?

apart from that I will probably just do a reflash - intercooler and exhaust and I'll be happy for some time I hope!!!


all thoughts appreciated thank you kindly!!!!

[LoveB]

sorry another question before my previous ones are even answered -

local tyre place emailed me this

Hey mate,



The largest tyre you can put on a 16x7 is a 265/75/16..



235/85/16 is 806mm

265/75/16 is 804mm


converting those 2 mms into inches comes up as 31.6 thereabouts. Does that mean that is still a 31' tyre? or effectively 33? I'm confused lol


mate told me to just run 255/85/16s tho

[AndyG]

I suggest you stay with standard size tires, if nothing else retain the turning circle you have.
KM2 get a VG write up
Rims are personal taste, but again 7'' is more than adequate. If you sell your rims seperately, me me
The Truth About 4WD Tyres (http://www.outbackcrossing.com.au/FourWheelDrive/Truth_About_4WD_Tyres.shtml) a good read
Yes you need a Rijidij wheel carrier :p
After you add the freight and convert it to AUD, have a cup of tea and look at the Rijidij & APT local bars.
Now is a good time to buy a BAS chip, on special :) (& intercooler)
Have a look at the APT under body armor and maybe the Mulgo Bumperettes
APT & others sell the Avenger Mako winch, good rep, and much much cheaper.
Nugget Air Box
TM4 Temp gauge is great, Exhaust wrap makes a huge difference

[LoveB]

Thank you :D

yeah I was thinking standard but have a mate who has 255/85/16 which he swears by lol si I'm thinking maybe that to get 33's. :D

equipe have a distributor here. landrovertuning.com.au I think their company is.

Yes, Bas is on sale at the moment which is very very tempting!!! I need brakes too so I have to balance both at the moment LOL

on my standard tyres my mechanic did the adjustment for the steering which gives me a better radius.. even with the 33x12.5 I could turn in a decent manner!


I was thinking of removing the ultra gauge and going for a set of defi gauges or something. or do the double din conversion with the digital gauges but I will see.

I think I'm more than fine with the 7' wheel really. the 33's will fill the rest of the guard up nicely I imagine!

local tyre place was suggesting dick cepek but I'd rather stick to the km2s I think.


and yes I will be looking to move the dual finish wheels on as they will fund my ZU's! lol

[loneranger]

Yes you need a Rijidij wheel carrier :p
After you add the freight and convert it to AUD, have a cup of tea and look at the Rijidij & APT local bars.

Have a look at the APT under body armor and maybe the Mulgo Bumperettes


+1

Thoroughly recommend Rijidij, Mulgo and APT products based on the ones I've got. Good products and good people to deal with as well.

Can't comment on any of the other bits your looking at.

[AndyG]

I am currently being tempted by some dash bling, esp the dual gauges by redarc, umm copy and paste not working on iPad

[n plus one]

Remap
Rijidij carrier
16x7 offset rims
255/85r16 (km2 or Open Country MT)
Ashcroft rear locker, HD fingers and axles
Winch bar from Mulgo or APT fab
Avenger Mako winch
2nd battery and Drivesafe controller
Mulgo bumperettes
Nugget airbox
Scan guage II

That's a good start.

[AndyG]

Traxide loom kit
Ashcroft everything

[LoveB]

Got in touch with equipe regarding the front bar. their supplier here has it so thats good.

Not sure if I should get the bar first or the ZU's lol I'm thinking ZU and tyres first then bar/winch? or maybe ZU and tyres first and remap.

[jackdef90]

[thumbsupbig]

[noyakfat]

Hi Paul,

How much tread life left in your tyres? I'd get them sorted first, because new tread will be useful both on and off road. (and a bit of decent tread bite, together with appropriate tyre pressures, should be able to drag you out of many situations without needing a winch).

Cheers,

[Dorian]

If your not hardcore about the diffs, you should have a look at Aschcoft ATB,

Ashcroft Transmissions (http://www.ashcroft-transmissions.co.uk/limited-slip-differentials/ashcroft-atb.html),

With the TC on the defender and these, you get most of the benefits that lockers give you off road and you get a heap of benefit from them on road particularly dirt. Heap of threads on this ( As well as differing opinions) . Also for the price of one rear air locker you can do front and rear ATB's (well almost).

+1 more for the wheel carrier - makes the car quieter on dirt as the back door stops opening up at the top.

I haven't done it yet but when I find a few shekels I'll be doing the Nugget air box, APT steering guard and raising the diff breathers.

Cheer Glen

[Tombie]

My views for a clean Defender (add more as your desire takes you)



B-A-S Remap
Rijidij wheel carrier
235/85R16 Dueller M/T or if you want a little more 255/85r16 (Toyo Open Country MT)
Front & Rear Ashcroft ATB (consider Rear Axle and Flange upgrade)
Rijidij Winch bar (2 options "A" bar or with additional hoops)
Runva 11000XP Winch
2nd battery and Traxide USI160
Snorkel and Nugget stuff intake
Mulgo Ex-Box


If more range is your thing:


Mulgo Y filler point AND
Aux Fuel tank (via Mulgo)

[patclan]

Got in touch with equipe regarding the front bar. their supplier here has it so thats good.

Not sure if I should get the bar first or the ZU's lol I'm thinking ZU and tyres first then bar/winch? or maybe ZU and tyres first and remap.

Not sure where you are getting your ZU's from, but I but mine from Paddocks in the UK, but the $ was better then, it cost me 135 pounds per rim, I ordered 4 then a 5th separately to keep it under $1000.
Shipping was 187 pounds for 4 wheels, 85 for one.

On a side not I found Paddocks really good, one of the rims had a bit of a chip on the back of it and a hole in the box were something had gone through and done some damage, Paddocks replaced it and claimed TNT for the damage, and let me keep the chipped one so I have a second spare.

As for tyres, as most will say it is a personal think, I tried KM2's (285/85/16)on the ZU's and always found it hard to get them balanced. I like the extra height but found them a bit wobbly on the road, maybe i had a bad experience. I now have 265/75/16 (crappy hankooks) I bought them as I kept the KM2's as trip tyres and the cheapies for commuting. I found the KM2 wear very quickly on the road. the 265 hold the road nicely, the offset of the Zu helps the steering and also you can screw in the steering stops a bit to help more.

hope that helps.
Pat

[DiscoMick]

As others have said, definitely get a rear wheel carrier. Ridjidij or Mantec seem to be the most popular here.
Have a look at The Expedition Centre and APT Fabrications sites, but be warned - there's so much great stuff there your credit card may run and hide.

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[roverrescue]

Tombie
when did you first see the light?
"235/85R16 Dueller M/T or if you want a little more 255/85r16 (Toyo Open Country MT)"

easily two of the most under rated tyre available - both pizzle all over BFGMickeyCoopers over hyped hoops

s

[LoveB]

Nige still got decent traed on it really. I think about 5/6MM. I'll remeasure tonight but theres definitely still a good amount.


Might have to check paddock for ZU.s the local quote I got was about 1860$ for 5. paddock at the current exchange seems to be 1270 for 5. just depends how much shipping is I imagine.


I shouold have bought the rear carrier that was on here!!! lol..


the tires I will have to get as its a maintenance item. I'm due for brakes too.


What for you guys would be the first upgrade though? front bar but no winch anyway? or rear carrier? or ZU so it looks pretty? lol

[AndyG]

Rear Carrier to avoid hinge damage, if your doing lots corrugated roads

[Tombie]

Tombie
when did you first see the light?
"235/85R16 Dueller M/T or if you want a little more 255/85r16 (Toyo Open Country MT)"

easily two of the most under rated tyre available - both pizzle all over BFGMickeyCoopers over hyped hoops

s

Japanese Rubber - less chips and more grip :cool:

Some of the toughest tyres I've seen / Used, and the grip is phenomenal..

[LoveB]

I'll be doing my brakes this week or next. Think I'm about to order zu's and then 33s in a few weeks. How much could I sell off 5 fantastic condition dual finish alloys? The Mtrs on them still have life even lol

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[LoveB]

Given the choice, would you run 33s on the standard dual finish alloys and get a remap or get zus first? Lol I'm confused.

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[patclan]

Given the choice, would you run 33s on the standard dual finish alloys and get a remap or get zus first? Lol I'm confused.

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OK personal choice again, but seeing as you have quite nice wheels to begin with I would go with the remap, I did my remap before getting my wheels, I guess it is a function over looks thing, but the remap changed they way the car drove, that will have a greater affect on your driving experience than nice rims, also when people come up and say lovely rims mate it can get a bit uncomfortable!! But if you go remap then where do you stop, I fitted a larger inter-cooler also and a decat a few months after the remap and got an update map to take advantage o the change, they make a slight difference in their own right, the decat stops the the heat and seems to allow it to run smoother still, I took my decat out for my final warranty inspection and have not put it back yet, the heat difference is amazing.

But back to the original question, get the remap and put the ZU's on the wish list would be my advice, I do not think you would regret it, the change is amazing.

Pat

[LoveB]

Thats what I was thinking. Otherwise re map then get zu when I get a gift from the taxman lol.

am I safe running the remap without an intercooler and decat for the time being?

and I imagine I can run the 255/85/16 on the dual finish alloys which should be ok for now.

[patclan]

am I safe running the remap without an intercooler and decat for the time being?


Yes that's what I did, just tell them what you have and they should map accordingly.

[LoveB]

ZU orderd :x

[patclan]

ZU orderd :x

What size of tyres are you going to put on them?

I had to put in new springs in the front when I got 255/85 on the ZU's, with a full bull bar and winch and the wheel offset, the drop in the front brought the tyres very close to the flares, a set of kings fixed that, but I guess you will find out once you have all the weight on what you need to do.

Patrick

[LoveB]

was going to go that. 255/85/16 BFGs. Plus going to put an equipe bar up front but no winch yet. So I'm pretty sure I will need HD springs at some point. maybe a 2' lift if im lucky otherwise i dont really see a need to lift the defender. lol

they shouold arrive in 2-3 weeks

[LoveB]

was going to go that. 255/85/16 BFGs. Plus going to put an equipe bar up front but no winch yet. So I'm pretty sure I will need HD springs at some point. maybe a 2' lift if im lucky otherwise i dont really see a need to lift the defender. lol

they shouold arrive in 2-3 weeks




bar should be here early august!!!!




whats the go with lifts? I don't want it too high. Maybe a 2 inch lift?? I'm more so interested in getting good flex out of it with out rubbing.

[Tombie]

bar should be here early august!!!!




whats the go with lifts? I don't want it too high. Maybe a 2 inch lift?? I'm more so interested in getting good flex out of it with out rubbing.

Remember the following:

A lift only changes STATIC ride height - it wont stop rubbing (unless its so stiff it doesnt flex)

TDCi require a DC front shaft due to TC angle relative to front diff...

A 90 can easily run 255-85-16 on stock suspension without issue.

[LoveB]

Remember the following:

A lift only changes STATIC ride height - it wont stop rubbing (unless its so stiff it doesnt flex)

TDCi require a DC front shaft due to TC angle relative to front diff...

A 90 can easily run 255-85-16 on stock suspension without issue.



yeah. I once fit my 12x5 x 33s on it and it only rubbed on full flex.


and yes, it wont flex any better. I should have said an actual suspension upgrade as opposed to just a lift. as in springs,shocks etc.


any suggestions?


I'm not too big into massive lifts and all that. If I could get more flex out of the standard sus I'd be happy. But I suppose with a 2' lift I'm safe with out a DCS for now? but that'll be on the list for down the road.


I was told koni raids are good and I'll never look back. lol.




what have people used or suggest?

[n plus one]

bar should be here early august!!!!




whats the go with lifts? I don't want it too high. Maybe a 2 inch lift?? I'm more so interested in getting good flex out of it with out rubbing.

Like Tombie said, a lift (usually) only increases static ride height and therefore doesn't prevent rubbing at full articulation(though it'll reduce articulation if too stiff).

If you don't really want lift, I'd suggest trying to maximise flex at the standard ride height.

A 110 will need more offset (than standard Boost rims) to prevent rubbing on the rear coil towers when running 255/85r16s.

[LoveB]

pretty sure the ZU's I'm getting is 16x7 +25..

how do I get a bit more flex out of it?

[Tombie]

pretty sure the ZU's I'm getting is 16x7 +25..

how do I get a bit more flex out of it?


Front DC shaft.
Slightly longer shocks.

[LoveB]

As in the +2 shocks etc?

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[Defendozer]

pretty sure the ZU's I'm getting is 16x7 +25..

how do I get a bit more flex out of it?

The only Zu rims I've ever seen advertised for Defenders have an offset of +11mm and also only come in 16x7 as far I'm aware..

[Tombie]

The only Zu rims I've ever seen advertised for Defenders have an offset of +11mm and also only come in 16x7 as far I'm aware..


So still limited to 265 as a max width tyre.

Seems rather restrictive.

[Tombie]

And yes. This is the only size option...
96583

[Tombie]

If you want to run 33s on those rims you'll be going 255-85-16

[LoveB]

Unless it's a typo? I only want 255/85/16s really
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[LoveB]

Actually mine are coming from rovercraft so maybe not

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[LoveB]

put my front bar on. my ZUs have arrived.

now what to get as tyres? I'm going 255/85/16 as I want 33's. but do I get BFG km2s or wrangler MTR kevlars? i have the old wrangler mtr. 77tkm and still 7mm.

had mickey thompson mtz 33x12.5 before. probably too wild for me and apparently they get very noisy lol.


what dual battery setup do you suggest?

I wanted the warn 8274 but I dont think it fits my bar. so maybe the zeon10s platinum instead



EDIT


would appear that goodyear dont make wranglers in 255/85/16

[AndyG]

Def-USI | TRAXIDE - RV | Traxide - RV (http://www.traxide.com.au/complete-diy-dual-battery/land-rover-dbs-kits/defender-dbs-kits/def-usi.html) as a sample

and

APT Fabrication Custom Land Rover Parts & Accessories - Avenger Mako TDS 9.5 Winch (http://www.aptfabrications.com.au/4x4-winches-recovery/product/200-avenger-mako-tds-9-5-winch/category_pathway-40) but with synthetic

Knowing nothing about winches, i went the Avenger due to it's weight and Ben of APT's recommendation, apparently someone called Roothy uses it to. btw, gould winch comparo in the link, which confirms my superior skills in product selection ,:angel: