Has anyone found a good looking 18" wheel to fit TDV8 and SDV6 Sports?

[MR LR]

Hi all,

Not being a stranger to four wheel driving (I own a fairly highly modified D2 and have had numerous LR products, along with quite the extensive family background in the LR industry... ) I was quite embarrassed to get my 2012 SDV6 RRS bogged on the beach the other day, not once, but twice! I could rant for hours about the seemingly helpless terrain response and useless 20" low profile tyres, but I've already spent enough time raging about that. Needless to say I've lost faith in the marque.

My plan is to either keep this car or replace it with a TDV8. And the sheer embarrassment I felt the other day means I either have to keep my RRS for strictly on road duties and drive my D2 whenever I want to leave tarmac. Or get some wheels and tyres that I can actually air down properly... (also want to improve the JDM-spec ride quality).

The easy option is to go to the 5-V style "off road" 19' factory alloy wheel, but that is still limited in sidewall.

Ideally I would like some 18's that fit both those models (2012 SDV6 or 2010 TDV8), but I will not run the Compomotive option as to be frank they are hideous and I would rather just not take the car off the black top than run an ugly wheel (refer to comment about highly modified D2).

So what have you found? Or am I stuck with 19's?

Cheers
Will

[Graeme]

You could fit 265/50 to your current rims for a little improvement but I wonder how low you dropped the pressures and whether you used rock crawl trying to get yourself unbogged.

[MR LR]

You could fit 265/50 to your current rims for a little improvement but I wonder how low you dropped the pressures and whether you used rock crawl trying to get yourself unbogged.


285/50-20 could be an option in the Cooper Zeon LTZ, that gives a 30mm OD increase over the 255/55-19's. It's unfortunate that no one seems to make a 19" AT with a larger rolling diameter than the 255/55-19.

The first time we snatched it out with a 30 year old GQ SWB patrol on 30" AT's that walked straight past on the soft sand. The second time I got a group of people to push me before I buried it.

Dropped the tyres down to 15psi, DSC off, Sand mode, would rock crawl have made a big difference? I wasn't in a position to experiment as we were by ourselves and called on by-standers to help. But the car would not drive all 4 wheels at the same time. It bogged the rears first and then the fronts. An absolute joke. Obviously the electronic CDL isn't really a CDL. Why can't it just drive all 4 wheels at once?!?! My D2 with CDL and twin ATB's on 265/75-16 MTR's is just about impossible to bog if you try!

Good thing it's got a bloody huge recovery point on the front of it!

[Graeme]

265/50R20 is slightly larger than 255/55R19 but not quite as large as 285/50R20 which will scrape on the chassis behind the front wheels on full lock but that might be acceptable to you. Rock crawl assumes that you need maximum drive from all wheels so providing that you keep the steering virtually straight ahead, rock crawl can make quite a difference. I assume that you lowered pressures before getting stuck.

Even mud and ruts is better than sand mode.

[Nomad9]

Hi Mr LR,
I have 255 55 19 Goodyear MTR's on my TDV8. Quite aggressive tend to be quite noisy on the road in comparison to the "cone of silence" I usually drive around in. Aggressive treads dig holes quicker in sand I find road tyres with lowered pressures better in soft sand, just my experience. Interesting about the rock crawl v sand mode, I'll take that onboard and give that a go.

Cheers Marty

[rar110]

The L494 is lighter which would help.

I must be lucky. When ever I've lost forward momentum in sand I've been able to reverse and go again.

Since going to 265/60/18s with Compomotives, sand driving does seem easier.

[discorevy]

`drop your pressures down to 10 psi if you look like getting stuck again and as mentioned rock crawl makes a difference

[MR LR]

Hi Mr LR,
I have 255 55 19 Goodyear MTR's on my TDV8. Quite aggressive tend to be quite noisy on the road in comparison to the "cone of silence" I usually drive around in. Aggressive treads dig holes quicker in sand I find road tyres with lowered pressures better in soft sand, just my experience. Interesting about the rock crawl v sand mode, I'll take that onboard and give that a go.

Cheers Marty

You must have had those tyres for a while Marty! Haven't been able to get them for a few years unfortunately. The only reason I am looking to go to an AT is because I do a lot of winter driving and a fair bit on dirt roads (stronger carcasse). To be fair it was an incredibly soft beach, but still... didn't exactly do the badge justice and I wouldn't say I'm new to sand driving... t'was quite embarassing.


The L494 is lighter which would help.

I must be lucky. When ever I've lost forward momentum in sand I've been able to reverse and go again.

Since going to 265/60/18s with Compomotives, sand driving does seem easier.

18's would be ideal, maybe I should chase up another wheel company to make something good looking!


`drop your pressures down to 10 psi if you look like getting stuck again and as mentioned rock crawl makes a difference

In the end one tyre made it down that low, but as i was in my 'town car' and the compressor etc was in the Discovery (All I had was a snatch strap) I had to drive 11km (@40km/h to not kill the tyres) to air them back up... I wasn't amused and have questioned even binning the tyres after that punishment.

At the end of the day I was unprepared because I've driven on that beach several times in the Discovery without even bothering to air down. If terrain response did it's job and locked drive 50:50 F to R there would have been no issue. The fact that the car did not even want to move forward under extremely light throttle with highway tyres on a flat section of sand shows that the traction control system isn't really all that good (not sure what kind of sand they developed it on... maybe a tarmac road with a drift on it...). You shouldn't need to go to extremes like dropping tyres to 10psi in that scenario, it's ridiculous!

Currently looking at Zeon LTZ's in a 285/50R20, but the weakness of the wheels still concerns me.

[Nomad9]

Hi Mr LR, don't worry about the embarrassment I've bee there myself. Not long after I bought one of my D3's never got stuck before, suddenly in sand down to the floor pan. I found the terrain response gear challenging when I first used it.

[sandgroper57]

I persevered with 20,s on my tdv8 for a while with GGs on but after ruining 2 near new tyres i bit the bullet and got the 18" compomotives with 285/ 60 terra grapplers , very pleased with them.

[p38arover]

Will, what about these RRS 18" rims like I had on my P38A? You can borrow a couple if you want to see if they will clear the disc brake caliper.
125065
125063

[l00kin4]

Check this out in verandah section: 18" Steel Wheels now available for Discovery 3, 4 and 5 (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/the-verandah/250701-18-steel-wheels-now-available-discovery-3-4-5-a.html)

[Meccles]

And Bearmach are now offering an 18" alloy rim also see D3/4 section there is a thread running there. I have 265/50 R20 Nitto Terra grapplers been doing North Shore and Fraser they work ok

[rar110]

And Bearmach are now offering an 18" alloy rim also see D3/4 section there is a thread running there. I have 265/50 R20 Nitto Terra grapplers been doing North Shore and Fraser they work ok

I thought their 18s didn't fit in the end.

[l00kin4]

I thought their 18s didn't fit in the end.

That's right, they don't fit (the Bearmach ones that is).

[Balanda Chris]

128519I photographed this wheel and tyre on a 2007 TDv6 RRS which was parked near a local supermarket this morning. As you can see its an 18" tyre. The owner of the RRS said he has owned the vehicle since new and purchased them from a tyre outlet in Port Macquarie. Said, he tows a 23 foot van all over australia. he said the rim and tyre package was heaps cheaper than the old 20 inch tyres he used to run, I should have photographed the whole vehicle and wheels. I was just curious, because I have just upgraded to 19" alloys with Wrangler duratracs. I am happy with them but would have much preferred an 18" rim. I will be making a few more inquiries locally. Anyway thought I would post it for everyones information. (the brand on the rim is "pure wheels"

Regards Balanda

[rar110]

A 2007 RRS tdv6 would be a 2.7, which had smaller callipers and accepted LR 18" wheels.

[justinc]

A 2007 RRS tdv6 would be a 2.7, which had smaller callipers and accepted LR 18" wheels.

Yup. They are the baby brakes 😅

[djambalawa]

At the end of the day I was unprepared because I've driven on that beach several times in the Discovery without even bothering to air down. If terrain response did it's job and locked drive 50:50 F to R there would have been no issue. The fact that the car did not even want to move forward under extremely light throttle with highway tyres on a flat section of sand shows that the traction control system isn't really all that good (not sure what kind of sand they developed it on... maybe a tarmac road with a drift on it...). You shouldn't need to go to extremes like dropping tyres to 10psi in that scenario, it's ridiculous!

Currently looking at Zeon LTZ's in a 285/50R20, but the weakness of the wheels still concerns me.

Sorry if this is a silly question but I remember in my D3 that even in sand mode I'd want to turn of stability control and this would make a huge difference in sand. You'd think sand mode would turn this off but perhaps LR thought it was too much of a safety risk dunno. Its been a while since I owned the D3 so I might be remembering this wrongly but I'm pretty certain...

The stability control would stop wheels spinning etc and cause all sorts of issues in sand... did you try turning it off? On the D3 it was just a button.. looked like a vehicle with skid marks behind it from memory on the button.