Thread: Wheel/Tyre options for D2 and legal/safety considerations

The main legal consideration is rolling diameter.

So, if you put 16" rims on, the sidewall of the tyre will be bigger to give you the same overall rolling diameter as the original.

Now that said, there is a small amount of leeway allowed within the specs, and any good tyre retailer will be able to help you with that.

For what it is worth, I had the 18" rims, sold them & bought 16" due to the fact that the tyre choice is much much greater.

If you can afford it, buy some second hand 16" rims for when you go bush, and keep the dress rims for looking good.

and for my 2c, don't get coopers
sidewalls are ..............

Cool. Thanks for the input.

I actually dug out my D2 manual .. .. and looked up the recommended tires..

It states :

• 7J x 16 - use with 235/70 R16 Goodyear Wrangler HP 105 H
  or with 235/70 R16 Michelin XPC 105H
• 8J x 16 - use with 255/65 R16 Goodyear Wrangler HP 109 H
• or with 255/65 R16 Michelin XPC 109H

I have deduced that the 7J is narrower that the 8J (which I have now I guess) - and pros / cons to the skinny wheels?

Did i read somewhere here that the XPCs are no longer available?

Changing rims will open up a whole world of tyre options by the looks of it, so I reckon I'll go that path.. will probably be cheaper in the long run too.

Cheers

Wil

7J is 7" wide. 8J is 8" wide
why they run imperial diameter with metric width and profiles i still don't understand.
in my opinion the 7" rim is a better looking rim than the 8" in 16" for the D2. unless you want to go stupid width, i.e 285/85 , then the 7J will be fine.

yes, the XPC are gooooorn.

You can't go wrong with two sets. You will get a lot more out of your play tyres that way, and it leaves you the option of going with an agressive tread like a BFG KM2, MTZ etc as you dont drive everyday with that tyre. Do you have a lift on yours? You can run up to a 285/75, but most people run the 265/65 which is readily available and isn't that big so the cops should care too much. Yes they are an illegal size, but running them only on trips reduces the risk. It still isn't perfect, but in QLD there is just no other way.

Bigger tyres will throw your speedo out, by about 10% if you run 265's. The car will also lag a bit more as the engine has to work harder due to the larger tyres overgearing the vehicle.

I currently run BFG AT 255/70 R16 which gives a bit more height (within the law) under the diff over the 235/70. They are a good tyre for the on/off road combination (not extreme muddy stuff) and saves you running 2 sets of tyres.

For the 18 inchers my father runs General Grabber AT2 on his 03 RR and has taken it through the Vic high country and Tassie without any dramas. Just another option to get a bit more agressive over the Goodyears without changing rims. The downside is the lower profile of course.

Yo Will....I get to respond to one of your posts . I would flick the idea of 2 sets of wheels....unless you are looking at running massive muddies off road. Also for better tyre options...would get rid of the 18's and get 16's. As you know I run Maxxis Bighorns....which in a recent 4WD Action tyre comparo of HT's, ATR's and MT's it was determined that the Bighorns and KM2's were the winners in terms of being an all round tyre.

With 18's there is always going to be a profile issue at some point when airing down and going over rocks....even rocks that arent that "extreme". I went through this whole scenario 12 odd mths back...same thing...run road tyres and a 2nd set for off road. Bloody hell....that was from people with out a horde of kids.....or much younger...who could be stuffed. Then there was the old day to day tyre issue. Now as you know I would do well over 500kms a week ++ so would say 80% of my time is on road.....20% off. With the Bighorns I have found them a very reasonable on road tyre and off road they are as tough as hell in all terrains. In 12 mths I have done over 12 off road trips and clocked up over 30,000kms....no issues with them at all.

With the way MT's are these days...especially the Bighorns, KM2's. Mickey Thompsons etc...I reckon if you are serious about doing even a bit of medium to hard off roading...an ATR shouldnt even get a look in....not when there are better MT's which are just as good on road. I can bring the copy of the mag over when I pick up kids on Friday,

Regards

Stevo

Originally Posted by For The Horde

What are the considerations regarding safety and legality if I change my alloys to something smaller? (Speedo, load, handling etc)

At the risk of becoming unpopular (legal statements are generally not received well here – but you asked). To remain legal - “The rim diameter may be varied from the standard size but the overall diameter of the tyre must not vary by more than +15mm or -26mm.” (end quote). QLD Transport rules

The last time I used (one of the many) a tyre calculator the largest 16’’ tyre that is legal on a D2 is a 245/70. I also know the insurance companies are now checking these in the event of a good accident.

There is also legislation around speedo accuracy. Basically the speedo must be within 10% but CANNOT read slower than the actual vehicle speed