Wheels & Tyres for 110

[D3Jon]

Hi All,

Just after a bit of advice regarding replacement wheels & tyres for our 'new' Isuzu County 110.

It's currently on standard rims (steel 5.5x16x33 offset) and has 7.5R16 tubed tyres. Suspension is standard height but a 2" lift might be on the cards this year.

This is basically a weekend car, bought for off-roading fun! So was thinking of Mud Terrains on new steel rims.

I have done a search and read quite a few threads, but here are few questions for those with experience in these matters:

1) Are AT's better than MT's on sand? I read in a UK LR magazine article that AT's are best as the tread is less aggressive, so digs in less - is this only an issue if you start to spin and therefore 'dig'?
2) Is the offset of a 6.5" steel rim (say a wolf) different to the 5.5" rim?
3) Is a Wolf rim tubeless compatable? Would love to get rid of tubes as I like the tyre sticks for temp repairs!
3) BFG MT's or Goodyear MTR's? What's best in your opinion.
4) Nexus Tyres - anybody tried these?
5) Was thinking of 235/85R16, but is a 265/75 OK on a 6.5" rim, or does it need to be 7"?
6) If I went 265/75 R16, will they scrub with standard suspension / arches, etc? (110 County)

I don't want to go larger than a 6.5" rim after reading rule 1 of this:

http://www.dpi.wa.gov.au/licensing/1884.asp

EDITED, just to put the above link in context, these are the conditions to be met so that you don't have to get prior-approval from WA DPI.

Thanks in advance,

Jon

[scrambler]

You should be right fitting 235/85R16's to the 5.5 rims. That said, there's no real advantage over the 7.50s except wider choioce of tyres. You should be able to get some decent though older looking treads in 7.50.

Yes, the gen-u-wine wolf rims are tubeless - and you could afford to carry multiple spare rims and tyres for the additional cost of the Wolf ones.

Tread doesn't matter as much as pressure - you need to remember that the same rules apply for heavily treaded tyres and for bald ones. The main thing is - there is no advantage to heavy tread patterns in sand, and potentially the digging disadvantage. You want to have the forward edge of the tyre compressing the sand, not trying to "bite" it.

EDIT: - After reading the rules link you posted, you can go quite a bit wider than 6.5 inches. The vehicle (which is = current Defender) can be fitted ex-factory with up to 7 inch rims, so 8 inch rims are the maximum.

[spudboy]

When I got my 130 TD5 it had alloys with huge/wide tyres on it (don't know the actual size - but big...).

I changed them to tubeless Wolf rims with original fitment (for a 130) Michelin XZL 750R16 tyres. Much improved steering, quieter on the road and looks 100% better in my opinion. Alloys on a defender don't look as good as steel rims IMHO.

For sand work the original 'skinny' tyres are as good as anything. Deflate to 15-18PSI and they are great.

[rangieman]

I have ozzie army rims mine are 6" wide and a wider offset:D

[spudboy]

Here's a UK link for XZLs on Wolf rims:
http://www.paddockspares.com/pp/DEFENDER/*SPECIAL_OFFERS*/750R16_Michelin_XZL_tyre_fitted_and_balanced_on_16 x6.5in_Wolf_wheel.html

Forgot to say in the prev post that they are the favourite tyre of long distance expeditions for their long wear and puncture proof characteristics, and the Wolf rims are probably the strongest rims you can buy.

[D3Jon]

You should be right fitting 235/85R16's to the 5.5 rims.

Thanks Scrambler, I'm not sure (and I could easily be wrong) but I thought from reading a few threads on here that I'd have to get new rims for two reasons, 1) The rims I have are not suitable for tubeless tyres? and 2) The 235/85 tyre had to have a 6" rim minimum? If I can save a few dollars on rims, then it all goes towards that locking rear diff ! :D:D

Jon

[rar110]

I use steel disco rims on my 110 because they are tubeless. I think they are 6.5s. I run 235/85s. They are good, little wider than 7.5016s.

1990 county would be a rare find, only the 2nd i've heard of.

rar110

[Turtle61]

Disco Steels are 7 inch... perfect for 235s but too wide for 7.50s. 235/85s are actually 9.25 inch wide but have the same (or very similar) diameter as 7.50s

235/85s is what I have on the old Series II.

-- iRek

[LoveMyV8County]

... 1) The rims I have are not suitable for tubeless tyres?

If they are standard County steel rims then they are definitely not suitable for tubeless tyres. Will work OK unless and until you drop the pressure below about 18psi, or you have a sudden flat, when there is a risk they will roll off the rim.

I researched County rims + tubeless extensively last year and got all sorts of conflicting advice from tyre shops who you think should have known what they were talking about but usually didn't. Finally got the definitive technical info buried somewhere on the DOTARS site I think.

Chris

[scrambler]

Quid would have been fine - still gets used for Aussie dollars :)

There are a range of widths specified for given tyre sizes which differ depending on the tyre manufacturer Some 235/85 can be fitted to 5.5 rims. The narrower the rim, the taller the tyre stands so there is an arguement for using the narrowest rim you can for your prefered tyre.

As for the tubed/tubeless - You will need tubes, which I myself don't mind doing with a tubeless tyre, but that some feel compromises the tyre.

I have 235/85 Simex road tyres on my 110 County rims, fitted at a tyre shop. They might not know what they are doing, but they did it without hesitation.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but aren't Defenders fitted with 235/85 tyres on 5.5 inch rims?

[Scouse]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but aren't Defenders fitted with 235/85 tyres on 5.5 inch rims?The 235/85 tyres are only fitted to the later models with the 7" alloys.
All the earlier Defenders with the 5.5" steels had the 7.50 tyres. Mind you, even the 130 has 7.50 tyres still & they're only on 6.5" rims.

[incisor]

to the best of my knowledge the 235's are fitted to the 6" alloy rims.the 7.50x16 to 5.5" std steel rimsmine had 235's bfg at's on the std 5.5 rims and they were fine onroad but bloody hopeless offroad imho.i eventually went with 7.50x16 steeltreks even tho i am no fan because they can scollop badly. i couldnt find anything else on the market that offered the bite they offer and the road manners they offer.... they do tend to track a bit in the soft stuff but go further than the others that i have tried.at $275 a corner they are not cheap, but they are a good compromise if you want to stick with std rims.if i had the cash i would be getting MTR's on performance mags, but alas the minister for finance frowns on the idea :P

[weeds]

Disco Steels are 7 inch... perfect for 235s but too wide for 7.50s. 235/85s are actually 9.25 inch wide but have the same (or very similar) diameter as 7.50s

235/85s is what I have on the old Series II.

-- iRek

oops i have 7.50 fitted to disco rims, is it ok to leave them fitted, i have had no pproblems to date

[Scouse]

oops i have 7.50 fitted to disco rims, is it ok to leave them fitted, i have had no pproblems to dateMe too. I feel the 7" rim is just a bit too wide for the 7.50 tyre as I've had a few popped beads when off road.

[weeds]

Me too. I feel the 7" rim is just a bit too wide for the 7.50 tyre as I've had a few popped beads when off road.

umm food for thought

i have done two trip running between 20 and 25 psi, coffs habour 4wd monthy tracks and the tracks that i did on the sydney expo weekend and they held up alright

will continue and see how they go i guess

[D3Jon]

Thanks for all the advice.

I think I'm going with 235/85 x 16 on a set of steel rims - probably Wolf, but maybe secondhand Disco 1 if I can get any.

Decided on the 235's as opposed to sticking with 7.5's due to slightly extra width of the 235 + tubeless advantages when airing down.

Must have now..now..now ! :p want to go and play on the Powerline Track! Sooo.....

Anyone know where to get steel wheels in Perth? I tried Rovacraft, they said "4 week wait... until next container comes in". Also tried interstate with Karcraft, they said exactly the same thing as Rovacraft "4 weeks... next container".

Also any comments on BFG MT v's Goodyear MTR's ???

[LRCounty]

Rovatech might have a set if you're really lucky. I don't know anyone who's bought BFG's for a while, but the MTR's, and also Maxxis Bighorn's perform quite well.

Cheers
Andre

[DeeJay]

I had some Nissan 6" wheels lying about so I got Eastern Wheel Works here to cut out the centres and fit spokes. I also had an offsett to the max allowable, 25mm overall I think.
$100 each about 5 years ago

[Ruslan]

1) Are AT's better than MT's on sand? I read in a UK LR magazine article that AT's are best as the tread is less aggressive, so digs in less - is this only an issue if you start to spin and therefore 'dig'?
Hi Jon,

If you spinning you in trouble already. UK people... interesting to ask them how they know about our sand quality :D :wasntme:

MT's better on sand. I have 2 sets of BFG AT and MT and can confirm for sure. I run 8-10psi on sand (Robe, Beachport) and never had any probs. Also they don't come off from rims easy as any other brand because rim protector.

Noticed BFG MT's on highway +1L/100km and noise.

235/85 is a good choice IMHO.

Cheers,
Ruslan

[numpty]

Me too. I feel the 7" rim is just a bit too wide for the 7.50 tyre as I've had a few popped beads when off road.

Interesting thought that, as Discovery 1's had 205/16 on their 7" rims and that corresponds to 700/16.:o

[D3Jon]

I had some Nissan 6" wheels lying about so I got Eastern Wheel Works here to cut out the centres and fit spokes. I also had an offsett to the max allowable, 25mm overall I think.
$100 each about 5 years ago

Good idea, nice wheels and nice looking truck :thumbsup:

[D3Jon]

MT's better on sand. I have 2 sets of BFG AT and MT and can confirm for sure. I run 8-10psi on sand (Robe, Beachport) and never had any probs. Also they don't come off from rims easy as any other brand because rim protector.

Noticed BFG MT's on highway +1L/100km and noise.

235/85 is a good choice IMHO.


Thanks Ruslan, I think from what everyone has said here and in older threads that I have searched, MT's it is. Noise won't be a problem as it's not an everyday driver.

Interestingly, I found a pile of old Landrover Owner International mags last night in our back (junk) room and found another article on tyres. They were saying that the BFG MT was their #1 mud tyre. The Goodyear MTR's were said to be good in the mud, but had a less open pattern, so in their words a cross between an AT and a MT, so good for both mud and road, but not as good in the gloop as a BFG.

Don't flame me for the above comments, :wasntme: I'm just trying to get an opinion from those who've used the tyres in Australian mud, not a UK magazine that is biased towards it's advertisers.

[Scouse]

Interesting thought that, as Discovery 1's had 205/16 on their 7" rims and that corresponds to 700/16.:o205mm = 8" according to my calculations;).

A check on http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculator.asp says the same but interestingly also says the 7.50 tyre is OK on a 7" rim.

[lokka]

Thanks Ruslan, I think from what everyone has said here and in older threads that I have searched, MT's it is. Noise won't be a problem as it's not an everyday driver.

Interestingly, I found a pile of old Landrover Owner International mags last night in our back (junk) room and found another article on tyres. They were saying that the BFG MT was their #1 mud tyre. The Goodyear MTR's were said to be good in the mud, but had a less open pattern, so in their words a cross between an AT and a MT, so good for both mud and road, but not as good in the gloop as a BFG.

Don't flame me for the above comments, :wasntme: I'm just trying to get an opinion from those who've used the tyres in Australian mud, not a UK magazine that is biased towards it's advertisers.


You should go for a set of d1 rims and maby have the centers fliped to get a beta offset theres places over your way that dose em or have a look on here in the markets section for a set allready fliped tho its not important to flip em as they work ok how they are and you can fit em backwards if you counter sink the stud holes on the inside this will give you a beta offset and improved stability and beta on road handling with a wider track ....

As for tyres go have a look at maxxis buckshot mudders and then compare em to a bfg there near the same and the maxxis is just as good if not stronger than the bfg without the over rated price tag ....

As for runing muddies on the sand i do it all the time i run buckshots 33x12.5x15 on offset 15x8 sunnies and i drop my pressures to between 8 and 14 psi on the sand i havent rolled a tyre off yet and i dont pussy foot round either :p:p:p:p

[shinz]

Interesting thought that, as Discovery 1's had 205/16 on their 7" rims and that corresponds to 700/16.:o

At risk of being labelled a pedant, they're approx a 700 width but about a 6.50 in diameter, have to agree though, anyway you look at it, I always thought a 7" rim was too much rim for the width of a 205, early Rangies with them on rostyle rims look about right. From memory these were 6" wide.
Steve.

[isuzurover]

[QUOTE=D3Jon;582246]
1) Are AT's better than MT's on sand?

Not necessarily - IME my falken AT 235/85s were crap on sand compared to my MTR 285/75s.

2 and 3 - not sure - I run disco steels as some others do. Just got a set modified to increase offset by 20mm for the 255/85-16s I am getting.

3) BFG MT's or Goodyear MTR's? What's best in your opinion.

I have tried both. MTs are better in mud, MTRs are better in everything else. I have a set of 285/75-16 MTRs in brissie, but currently buying some 255/85-16 Maxxis Bighorns for the 110. These are very similar to the MTR in tread pattern.

4) Nexus Tyres - anybody tried these?

No


5) Was thinking of 235/85R16, but is a 265/75 OK on a 6.5" rim, or does it need to be 7"?

Should probably be 7" AFAIK

6) If I went 265/75 R16, will they scrub with standard suspension / arches, etc? (110 County)

Depends on rim offset - even 235/85s scrub the rear spring turrets on stock rims or disco rims. My 285/75-16s on +30mm disco rims don't scrub (the scrub on the outer wheelarches and the isuzu exhaust instead!! - hence the +20mm rims and 255s I am getting now.

I don't want to go larger than a 6.5" rim after reading rule 1 of this:

http://www.dpi.wa.gov.au/licensing/1884.asp

EDITED, just to put the above link in context, these are the conditions to be met so that you don't have to get prior-approval from WA DPI.

Thanks in advance,

My 110 went over the WA pits with disco rims fitted, and no questions were asked. Some models came fitted with 6" wide rims, so should be no problems with 7" being legal.

[numpty]

205mm = 8" according to my calculations;).

A check on http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculator.asp says the same but interestingly also says the 7.50 tyre is OK on a 7" rim.

As soon as I'd posted that I realised my mistake:( Of course a 205/16 is around about the same rolling circumference as a 700/16, which is what was turning over in my brain but came out wrong.:p

[D3Jon]

Well, you can't get better service than that which I received from Stuart at Rovacraft. He contacted me to let me know they had located 4 shiney new Wolf rims for me, which now sit on my office floor awaiting tyres! :thumbsup:


http://www.jonmurray.com/gallery/albums/uploads/Landrover%20110/110-Wolf-Wheels.jpg


The containers have arrived at their place and it's like Christmas time down there. Very Highly recommended! :)

http://www.rovacraft.com.au/index.html

Thanks again Stuart.

Jon