Thread: Getting tyres in the bush,,

That's why I'm keeping my D1 for as long as Dave ( blknight) can keep it running for me Thanks to Dave it runs like a dream.
John.

Originally Posted by B.S.F.Nut

I thought the reason for bigger rims was so you could use lower profile tyres for smoother running on sealed roads. Why would you use them to go bush? .W.

The Overlander Mag. has this to say about it, words by Neville Gleeson. Bob

'There was a time when 19 inch tyres weren't an option on sports cars, but now they are commonplace, finding their way into the standard fitment of popular models such as the Discovery 4, Range Rovers & BMW X6. The decision to adopt the wheel size on these vehicles revolves around the ever increasing demand to make large 4WD's behave like their 2WD sports car cousins through the need to accommodate large brake calipers for improved stopping performance. While low profile tyres are not the only trend adjustment made to improve the on road handling dynamics of a vehicle, there is no other change that has had such a significent effect on off road performance.
Situations where terrain demands tyre pressures be dropped as low as 10 psi have become problematic' He goes on to say,
' Whenever you head off-road, reducing your tyre pressures improves the contact area your vehicle has with the terrain. The longer the contact area, the more traction can be had thru distributing the weight of the vehicle over a greater surface area.When airing down tyres fitted to a wheel larger than 17 inch, at pressure lower than 15 psi, the wheel reduces its pneumatic barrier to as little as 15 mm. With such a limited amount of side wall, the tyre cannot absorb the impacts of driving on rough terrain, as it no longer has a cushion to dampen the ride. This puts the the wheel at increased risk of damage from impacts, and tyre damage, as well as a high probability of the bead rolling off the rim, due to insufficient air pressure to maintain the bond. ' Makes sense, Bob

I read a similar review approximately 7-8 years ago in regards to how 17" tyres were the devil as well

Many years ago when wind surfing was just beginning to be popular/trendy on Lake Burley Griffin , the Canberra Times had poked fun at the poseurs who drove around the ACT with wind surfing gear actually welded in place on their roof racks reputedly to stop theft... or actual use

There's a lot of that same mentality amongst 4WD designers pandering to the latte set with ever increasing diameter wheels... where image takes precedence over substance : what a damned shame!

One of the joys of this forum is that it is largely inhabited by practical people with common sense who see through the fog and call it for what it is... long may it continue!! Happy New Year!

Originally Posted by garrycol

Most bigger OEM rims are to fit over bigger and bigger brakes being fitted - or for the Latte set just to look good (in their eyes not mine). This last group are unlikely to be seen offroad.

Garry

A good guess would class 95% of 4wd's as tow vehicles or mums taxi's so having bigger brakes is what the market is asking for. Pat

Originally Posted by rick130

Hahaha, we had lots of adventures then when I was little.
Loved every one of them, but as I was only in primary school the pressure wasn't on me to get us back home or even civilisation either, but I learned a lot about improvising and spanner spinning from dear old Dad

Yep, know where your coming from there, but funnily enough done the same thing to my daughters.

12 months ago driving from Darwin to adelaide with a friend in a Prado, he blew 1 of his 18" tyre's and we had read difficulty buying a 18" tyre. he got the last 1 in alice at that time. I always carry a spare plus a carcass with me on the D3 if I travel, usually on the camper trailer drawbar, but its just piece of mind.

Cheers Ean

Originally Posted by rick130

Hahaha, we had lots of adventures then when I was little.
Loved every one of them, but as I was only in primary school the pressure wasn't on me to get us back home or even civilisation either, but I learned a lot about improvising and spanner spinning from dear old Dad

Yep,sure learnt a lot from dear old dad as well.

We spent many years on Fraser island in the early 70's.

Apart from the sand miners and timber cutters,we often didn't see another vehicle for three weeks.One trip to the mainland for supplies every 3 months,that was it.
All repairs,maintenance,etc had to be done ourselves,you certainly learnt a lot.
And if you got badly bogged,which happened often,there was no one to help.the SWB landys were not bad,but once the company started to use the LWB models,often with trailers,well getting bogged was a regular occurrence.

No worries with tyres in those days,just 7.50/16 and 7.50/16's

Fishing was also fantastic,but we only had one old kero fridge.......

[QUOTE=cewilson;1825302]There has been a lot of discussion regarding the price of freight to Cape York. Regardless of it all, I would take that story with a grain of salt somehow.....

I lived in Cairns for many years until recently. Freight cost to the Cape communities is very high, more so at this time of the year as frequently roads are impassable due to high rainfall.
Basically only a couple of freight options, by sea - 1 company, by road, if passable, about 2.