Wheel advice 3.0 D4

[John_D4]

I’m a newbie to the D4 scene having bought our 1st 2013 3.0 TDV6 less than a week ago. I’ve done some research but I can’t find an answer to:

A question that’s wheely bothering me:

Why can’t you fit rims that are small than 19” to a 3.0 D4? Besides looks and onroad handling, is there a reason why I can’t have a set of 16” off road wheels in the garage?

[AK83]

I’m a newbie to the D4 scene having bought our 1st 2013 3.0 TDV6 less than a week ago. I’ve done some research but I can’t find an answer to:

A question that’s wheely bothering me:

Why can’t you fit rims that are small than 19” to a 3.0 D4? Besides looks and onroad handling, is there a reason why I can’t have a set of 16” off road wheels in the garage?

Brakes!
They need to fit over and around the brakes.

[Geedublya]

I’m a newbie to the D4 scene having bought our 1st 2013 3.0 TDV6 less than a week ago. I’ve done some research but I can’t find an answer to:

A question that’s wheely bothering me:

Why can’t you fit rims that are small than 19” to a 3.0 D4? Besides looks and onroad handling, is there a reason why I can’t have a set of 16” off road wheels in the garage?

The brake disc diameter combined with the brake caliper on the front is too large for conventional wheels less than 19". There are some special wheels in 18" designed with extra clearance these include steel wheels from Tuffant and alloy wheels from Moab and Compomotive.

[John_D4]

Thanks for that guys. I didn’t know the D4 had such lg brakes.

Realistically tho, is it worth it to go to 18”? That’s only an extra 1”, can I just get away with some good 19” AT’s?

I’m used to off roading with my 265 70 16lt D2 tyres that are great.

[Eric SDV6SE]

This has been well covered in other threads. In a nutshell, the 2.7 l tdv6 has 320mm Dia rotors and smaller calipers compared to the 3.0l that has 360mm rotors and larger TRW calipers. Only the tuff ant Componotive 18” wheels or other specialised 18” rims rated for the D4 will fit, or 19” factory. I believe 20”s also fit, but you can run into clearance issues with the upper wishbones and guards at off-road height if maintaining a decent side wall height.

there are a few tyre options around for 19” rims, I’m on the Maxxis 980’s atm with great all weather grip and only slightly more road noise.

[scarry]

Thanks for that guys. I didn’t know the D4 had such lg brakes.

Realistically tho, is it worth it to go to 18”? That’s only an extra 1”, can I just get away with some good 19” AT’s?

I’m used to off roading with my 265 70 16lt D2 tyres that are great.

There are no high load rated At's available in 19".

There are AT's around,but are not very strong.

Running 18" gives you a much greater range of tyres,and tyre sizes, to choose from,and more sidewall to play with.

But LR 18" rims will not fit,you need to go to aftermarket 18" rims,as others have said.

They will fit the D4 2.7,but none of the 3.0l models.

EDIT,so i was wrong,as per other posts,Maxis do have an AT with a 115 load rating in 19" that will fit the LR D3/4 rims.
Still not a very high load rating,but probably the best around in that size.

[LRD414]

Depends what you have planned as to whether 18” is worth it. This would have to be the most well covered topic in the D3/D4 section so a little reading will go a long way re tyres and and wheels.

Scott

[GregMilner]

This has been well covered in other threads. In a nutshell, the 2.7 l tdv6 has 320mm Dia rotors and smaller calipers compared to the 3.0l that has 360mm rotors and larger TRW calipers. Only the tuff ant Componotive 18” wheels or other specialised 18” rims rated for the D4 will fit, or 19” factory. I believe 20”s also fit, but you can run into clearance issues with the upper wishbones and guards at off-road height if maintaining a decent side wall height.

there are a few tyre options around for 19” rims, I’m on the Maxxis 980’s atm with great all weather grip and only slightly more road noise.

I too have the Maxxis 980s, very happy with them in 19". I only use them when doing Kimberley trips, and swap the other rims/road tyres back when we finish each trip. I thought about getting a set of 18s, but for what we do, basically a big trip once a year, wasn't worth the huge expense. The Maxxis on 19s held up well on our recent trip up the Munja Track, which is extremely hard on tyres (lots of sharp rocky jump ups). And we were carrying/towing a lot of weight. With some rigorous attention to airing up and airing down at appropriate times/conditions, you'd be fine with tyres like these (LT rated) on 19s.

[DiscoJeffster]

I’m with Greg, other than I run mine all year round. I don’t think the extra 1/2” radius is enough to warrant the expense of changing now the Maxxis is available

[John_D4]

I’ve just had a forumite offer me a deal on lt255 55 19’s Maxxia 980’s. From what I’ve read they seem ok. Bit of a shame as I love my falken wildpeaks in 265 70 16lt.

Like others have said, I’m also only 4wd’ing a few times a year and I’m happy to air down and up.

[John_D4]

I’m with Greg, other than I run mine all year round. I don’t think the extra 1/2” radius is enough to warrant the expense of changing now the Maxxis is available

I’ve been thinking the same - is 1/2” worth the over $2k of rims outlay? It’s not like I’d be gaining 2” of sidewall like you would with 265 70 16’s (if they would actually fit that Is)

I know someone warned me about this problem before I bought the 3.0, but I really wanted a 3.0 8 speed over a 2.7 6 speed.

[John_D4]

I too have the Maxxis 980s, very happy with them in 19". I only use them when doing Kimberley trips, and swap the other rims/road tyres back when we finish each trip. I thought about getting a set of 18s, but for what we do, basically a big trip once a year, wasn't worth the huge expense. The Maxxis on 19s held up well on our recent trip up the Munja Track, which is extremely hard on tyres (lots of sharp rocky jump ups). And we were carrying/towing a lot of weight. With some rigorous attention to airing up and airing down at appropriate times/conditions, you'd be fine with tyres like these (LT rated) on 19s.

A) why do you swap them and not use them all the time?
B) do you notice any difference in fuel economy or performance on road?
C) what pressures off road are you using? With my Falken lt265 70 16 I use 15psi in sand, 20psi general off roading/rocky, 25psi dirt roads, 30psi tarmac (5psi extra in the back tyres to counter the draws and long range fuel tank)

[GregMilner]

Mainly because I don’t want to wear out the Maxxis on the blacktop, and I have Goodyear Wranglers for that so may as well use them.

Not really, although I’ve never done a scientific test. The Maxxis are a bit noisier in sealed roads, not that it’s ever bothered me.

off road with the Maxxis, generally 42 rear (cold) and 40 front, when towing and loaded. The rears will reach 46-48 when hot. I’ll air down to 32 rear ( hot) and 25 front on corrugations.

[DiscoJeffster]

A tip for sand pressures. Go low and the 19” will be ok. I go around 15 front and 18 rear on soft sand. At signs of trouble I go down to 12 and 15. When bogged badly I’ve gone down to 8psi with success. The LR bead never lets you down.
Always remember to turn off DSC (stability control) in the sand or it’ll rob you of forward momentum. And don’t forget to re-turn it off if you stop the engine. The car will enable DSC again - catches out many.

[John_D4]

A tip for sand pressures. Go low and the 19” will be ok. I go around 15 front and 18 rear on soft sand. At signs of trouble I go down to 12 and 15. When bogged badly I’ve gone down to 8psi with success. The LR bead never lets you down.
Always remember to turn off DSC (stability control) in the sand or it’ll rob you of forward momentum. And don’t forget to re-turn it off if you stop the engine. The car will enable DSC again - catches out many.

Wow, I’ve got a lot to learn about D4 features. Looks like I’ll be reading the owners manual over a cuppa later today. Thanks

[Milton477]

I have stuck with 19's & progressed from the OEM's which I chucked at 5000 km to Cooper Zenons & now on to Maxxis.

When I first bought the car I also did the while 19" vs 18" thing but took it a bit further & measured the contact patch of the tyre on the road at various temperatures.
Here is the thread: 18" v 19" v 20" tyre sticky patch size difference? (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/l319-discovery-3-and-4-a/238486-18-v-19-v-20-tyre-sticky-patch-size-difference.html) Post Nr 26 gives measurements for an 18" tyre.

I have now covered 100k km with 1 puncture in the Coopers & 1 staked sidewall in the Maxxis which occurred in deep sand tracks.
I guess that it depends on what the vehicle is going to be required to do which dictates the tyre choice. Mine is primarily a tow vehicle for business & is mainly blacktop with access to some sites along dirt roads for some distance. The occasional beach trip or national park trip completes it's duties. I haven't been prevented from going anywhere by my 19's. On the road with the van it is sure footed, brakes & turns well.

I started out worrying about the 19's but just couldn't justify Compomotive 18's. For me it was the right decision.

[John_D4]

Thanks Milton. I’ve done lots of googling and I still can’t find a reason that, for our situation, will justify an over $2k purchase to get 18” rims. I think I’ll take the other forumite up on his offer for his old rims & tyres and be done with it. If it doesn’t work out for some reason, all I’ve done is delayed buying newer tyres for another year or 2 while I wait for his Maxxis ones to wear out.

[LRD414]

..... an over $2k purchase to get 18” rims....
I agree with the logic from others posted here regarding 18 vs 19 and assessing your needs.

However there is another 18" wheel option that would get you 4 steel wheels for around $900.
Discovery 18" wheels | Land rover 18" rims | Tuffant (https://www.tuffant.com/tuffant)

I think that if you do enough remote offroad and/or beach driving 18s are still worth it.

Cheers,
Scott

[LRD414]

Wow, I’ve got a lot to learn about D4 features. Looks like I’ll be reading the owners manual over a cuppa later today. Thanks
There's a pretty good FAQ thread in the Sticky section that you should read.
The AULRO Discovery 3/4 & RRS FAQ (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/the-d3-d4-sticky-zone/93220-aulro-discovery-3-4-rrs-faq.html)

[GregMilner]

John, this may give you some comfort around 19 inch wheels. I've posted this previously, but you may not have seen it - a video showing (among lots of silliness) our D4 on the Munja Track, on some very difficult, steep, sharp rocky jump ups.
The Maxxis 980s worked fine, bearing in mind our heavy loads and keep the tyres pumped up pretty hard on the really gnarly bits, to avoid pinching the sidewalls on the rims.
(Mind you, we still managed to damage one of them beyond repair. But had a couple of spares, so all good.)

YouTube (https://youtu.be/J8riM1vbE2g)

[Eric SDV6SE]

I've run 19" only ever since I've owned the car, never had an issue getting tyres or replacements in case of a puncture. I don't plan on going to 18" even if doing a remote trip. Tyre management and driving to the conditions are the key in my view.

[John_D4]

By the movie and others stories, it certainly looks like the 19’s will be fine for us

[Odysseyman]

mm
There are no high load rated At's available in 19".

There are AT's around,but are not very strong.

Running 18" gives you a much greater range of tyres,and tyre sizes, to choose from,and more sidewall to play with.

But LR 18" rims will not fit,you need to go to aftermarket 18" rims,as others have said.

They will fit the D4 2.7,but none of the 3.0l models.

EDIT,so i was wrong,as per other posts,Maxis do have an AT with a 115 load rating in 19" that will fit the LR D3/4 rims.
Still not a very high load rating,but probably the best around in that size.

Just to clarify, the Maxxis AT980 appear to be the only AT tyre in 19” that have a Light Truck construction. There are other AT tyres available but it seems many, including me, are using the Maxxis with no problems. They are a tough tyre and speed and pressure are much more critical than anything else. I run 34 front 46 rear on bitumen towing my camper trailer and 28 front and rear on any gravel/corrugations (wt on the trailer). Never had a problem and will buy them again (unless Pirelli start to offer their AT tyre in LT construction).
Cheers,
David

[Eric SDV6SE]

mm

Just to clarify, the Maxxis AT980 appear to be the only AT tyre in 19” that have a Light Truck construction. There are other AT tyres available but it seems many, including me, are using the Maxxis with no problems. They are a tough tyre and speed and pressure are much more critical than anything else. I run 34 front 46 rear on bitumen towing my camper trailer and 28 front and rear on any gravel/corrugations (wt on the trailer). Never had a problem and will buy them again (unless Pirelli start to offer their AT tyre in LT construction).
Cheers,
David

+2 for me, they are the only tyre with a ply rating (PR) of 10 - AND with the load and speed rating to suit the D4.

Another excellent option is the wrangler duratrac, but at over $ 500 each, a bit steep.