Thread: Introduction with pics ('cos we all like pics)

Nice new addition to the family, mate. Those wheels and tyres certainly give your FL2 a "mean" look!!!! Welcome to the Forum!!

hello freeloader 2 - could you please provide further info on the tyres and rims - they look good

i have a 2010 2.2d auto - std 18"s - fitted a set of oe 16"s with 225/75x16 maxxis buckshots

freelander dave

Wheels took some finding but what you see are Ford Mondeo/Focus 17x6.5 (pcd 5x108, cb 63.4, offset +45) and tyres are 255/65-17 Maxxis Bighorn. I umm'd and ahh'd over every tyre on the market but when it all boiled down, i wasn't prepared to fork out $400 per tyre for BFG and the Coopers range are too controversial for me to 'trial'. So, in the end it came down to the Maxxis for these reasons;

1. Great price - 25% less that the rest
2. Perfect Size - 23mm larger in diameter than stock
3. Availability - fitted within 18 hrs of ordering

It's a pity that the Kumho KL71 don't come in a similar size as they were a good balance for my needs. oh well

The difference in the ride is fantastic. The extra 3" of sidewall has made it into a cushioned (yet not soggy) beast with the expected and tolerable whirring of a mud tyre.

Start to finish i spent less than $1400

Freelander Dave,
I noticed on the wheel and tyre placard in the door that they can have a 16" but i've never seen them nor could i find them on the net. Do you have pics?

I wish i could have gone to a 16" for the great range of tyres, but it seemed like a bit of a gamble. I almost bought a set of 16x7 Volvo mag wheels but read of people having calliper clearance issues. I did try on a volvo 16x6 steel wheel and i believe it would happily run 235s with no rubbing.

I've been looking for wheels and tyres for ages since our TD4e came 'upgraded' with 19" wheels

LR dealer in Adelaide has some 17" on order for us, and there was the option of 16" too (but only for the diesels - the petrols have bigger brakes, and maybe the new SD4s do too). 16" are standard on the base model in europe. However, we're still under warranty, and try as I might, they refused to let me go near tyres not on the placard unless I didn't want the warranty. Fair play to the guy I was speaking to, he sounded as cheesed off as I was about the whole thing. The trouble is, there are even fewer AT/MT tyres in the official 16" size than 17", so we had no choice but the 17" wheels.

I asked several after-market places online and in Adelaide about wheels, but noone could get hold of any to suit apart from LR. What's the load rating of the mondeo-fit wheels? That car's a good deal lighter than the FL2, and wouldn't be engineered for taking hits off road either.

Hey Zokes,

I know your frustration, finding wheels and tyres for this rig has been the death of me. If only they make 17x7 Steel rims for it!

I am using the muddies for 4wd trips only, so as not to wreck the OE 19s and tyres. I wasn't too happy with the amount of wheel spin (with the UHP tyre)required to engage the effects of TR, so I hope this reduces significantly with the new ones.

Ford(UK) rate the wheel at 690kg(2760kg for 4), i'm guessing to cater for the Mondeo Estate owners that pack them out then tow a caravan. It's over the FL2s gross weight, even still, i'm never going to max out the rig for a 4wd trip and the Bighorns will absorb most of the impact of offroad hits. For normal use and towing, i'll be using the 'stockies'.

Try a set of Volvo xc90 rims if you can get a hold of them in SA.

Nice I went Mt Coree, Flea Creek and Macintyres few weeks ago. Not much of a challenge at the moment there were xtrails and a Subaru Outback down there. Wet weather would sort them out

How close are those tyres to rubbing? I was toying with 245/70/17 Cooper ST's as they have a new compound and are 10 ply lt. They would be another 11.5 mm bigger than yours in diameter. Cheers

Looks great with those wheels and tyres on it... Go get it dirty!

mikehzz,

When i was first looking at new tyres for it, all I could find at first was the 245/70-17 and i was worried that they would scrub. I put the OE 235/55-19 on full lock L&R at the front and measured the clearances. The end result was that if I ran a tyre with 776mm diameter (maxxis), I wouldn't have any day to day issues but there was a risk of rubbing when articulated. Just to play it safe i went for the 255(764mm) though with 773mm(cooper), 16mm of extra clearance over stock would make a welcome difference to all FL2 owners that don't mind taking them offroad.

You're right DJHampson, it needs to be dirtier. I am looking at a weekender soon and will do either McIntyres or Bendethera. I just got back from my first trip to Bendethera yesterday and I am confident that, as long as the watercrossings stay down, the Freelander would eat it up.
I drove my Vitara and with 240mm clearance and didn't have a trouble in the world. It's got crawler low range gears and i was in 3L to 5L most of the time. 5000rpm in 5L just cruising along the flat bits
I actually think it is a track more suited to the FL2 than the Hilux's i went with. They were in and out of low range every few minutes.

On a side note, I found something quite amusing/ridiculous on the LR Roadside Assistance website,

"Bogged Vehicle
If your vehicle is bogged, we will arrange for it be recovered, provided access is available to a conventional two-wheel drive recovery vehicle and no other specialist equipment is necessary. Any additional costs will be your responsibility."

I am struggling to see the logic in this