Thread: Are land rover defender rims really rubbish?

i have disco rims on my fender fitted by the previous owner, i think they are 1/2 wider but the main reason for fitting them is you can run them tubeless i think

actually i'm starting to think i don't really know why they are fitted however i do like to look of them compared to the standard defender rim

I thought the 130 steel rims were particulary tough - not rubbish at all.

Maybe it's older ones with rivets that gave him grief.

It seems unlikely they are that bad seeing that the wheels remained in production and use world wide with almost no modifications for around fifty years.

The drawback to them is that they are not set up for tubeless tyres - do not have the safety retaining ridge. Also, being designed for 7.50x16 (or 6.00x16) tyres they are 5.5" (or 5") wide, rather too narrow for fashionably low profile tyres while maintaining the overall diameter, which is, of course, far more important than width.

Unlike the traditional Jap wheels they are not detachable side, and hence rather more difficult to change tyres on, which may have influenced his views, particularly in the light of what you have just asked him to do!

You also need to take into account the fact that he probably makes a significant proportion of his income selling new wheels, so it is directly in his interest to convince you that your wheels need replacing!

The rivetted construction of some Landrover wheels is only a drawback in that they are more likely to leak if used with tubeless tyres - but then they are not approved for tubeless tyres anyway because of the lack of the safety ridge. Failure of these wheels is rare, the only case I have personal knowledge of involved the well splitting, but it was not in way of the rivets, but along the bend at the side of the well.

Like most things they are not perfect (define perfect?) but I think calling them rubbish is simply displaying either bias or ignorance.

John

Get a new tyre fitter, they only whanto sell you new rims.

The only problems I have seen in the past have been splitting around the inside of the rim on a stage 1 and the annoying rotating around the bead and consequent punctures when deflated on a '97 130 cc.
Other than the fact you can't run them tubeless I think they are not such a bad rim. I would also add that later (Td5 130, '99 on) wolf style rims(16x6.5")are tubeless, and look good too.

JC

what are the pro and cons of running tubes or going tubeless

i run disco rims tubless, mainly because the previous owner fitted them

i always carry a tube in my spare parts box just incase, i carried it for thousands of km'son my simpson trip and ended up inflating it for josh to float around in on the cooper river

Dont know much about steel landie rims but alloy rims on Disco2 s are one of the hardest rims to get a tyre off the bead with a tyre changer thats why I wont change to after market because you can run really low pressures with them and they wont break the bead

Originally Posted by weeds

what are the pro and cons of running tubes or going tubeless

i run disco rims tubless, mainly because the previous owner fitted them

i always carry a tube in my spare parts box just incase, i carried it for thousands of km'son my simpson trip and ended up inflating it for josh to float around in on the cooper river

Pros of running tubless if you puncture your tyre and the hole isnt big bung a cord repair in and your away (or a tube or patch)

Cons of running tubes you have to remove damaged tube. repair, replace or replace with new tube
(Metal valve tubes (Split Rims)can rust and irritate the tube leading to punctures )

If running tubes it always pays to run talc powder between the tube and rim as it keeps the inside of the rim dry preventing rust and stops the tube sticking to the tyre which can be a pain when trying to repair puncture