Thread: 18 inch 3.0 wheels.

You don't have a conflict Gordon..
You went out of your way to design a wheel that meets the needs.
You hardly make a living off the sales volume, so I see it as more of a service.

Your observation that LR owners can be tighter than a fishes arsehole is not one that is lost on several of us...

gghaggis

I don't think you should excuse yourself from the thread.
Providing accurate advice that meets the standards in all states is not a conflict of interest.

Would I like some of your wheels you bet I would, however we bought a new house last year and there is always something to spend money on, particularly on a country block.

I compromised and put better tyres on the standard rims.

I have contributed to this thread not because I am a cheap ass but because I am interested in a rigorous test of the options for our vehicles. Coming from a rallying background I fully respect the inherent quality of the Compomotive wheels and actually like the simple design over the fully sik style of the CSA rims. Personally I have not gone the GOE route (as yet) as I am happy with my 19" wheels with AT tyre choices.

I am actually more interested in the question of if the OP says that the brakes have not been modified, how come the CSA wheels fit? Have the calipers been changed with the MY16 model?

Try it this way - would you admit to a complete stranger that you performed an illegal modification to your brakes?

The only way any 18" other than Compomotives fits is with spacers or large offset

From what I understand Gordon went searching for 18s that would fit, looked at steel options made locally but offsets were not correct or load ratings were under. Tried fitment of various alloys available. Found nothing that worked so went the development route.

When these Compomotives were first imported my understanding was that they were a lot cheaper because of exchange rates.

Since the Compomotives were developed other rims have been designed that have the LR 5 x 120 pattern what is wrong with the AULRO community continuing to search for rims that would be an alternative to the Compomotives?

I would dearly love some Compomotives however I am unable to fork out over $5k at present for the experience, just finished forking out the $100k for the new car.... and until the ready cash becomes available I will put up with lack of rubber in my OE 19s.... but what is wrong with continuing to look, discuss alternatives... sort of the point of this site.... and the knowledge contributed by Tombie, Gordon, Greame is very welcome to all i'm sure, i have bought quality products from both Tombie and Greame and supported the community as much as my wallet will allow...

There is a plethora of rims available of very good quality in 18inches at good prices to other vehicle manufacturers...

Just for reference, since it has been brought up a few times in this thread. LR 18 inch rims won't even fit over the rear brakes on the 3.0 l. I bought a second hand genuine LR 18 inch rim for my second spare just to use on the rear in an emergency (by swapping rear to front etc as necessary) but the wheel won't turn due to it scraping on the rear calipers. While the disk is smaller the single piston caliper seems to have a lot of metal which makes it nearly as bulky as the front caliper.

Originally Posted by gghaggis

[rant "on", level=4]

You know, it amazes me the strange compromises people are willing to make. You have parted with the best part of $100,000 for the most capable straight-from-the-showroom-floor 4WD available, and you're willing to put a set of crappy steel or alloy rims on that are no stronger or better than the ones it came with. Just to save $1200??

Really? Just to fit 18" tyres? Which isn't the only reason to build an 18" rim.

When we were designing the 18's, I wanted a rim that had no compromise behind its design:

I wanted it to be lighter than the OEM rim, because I was worried about total unsprung weight affecting the CV life. A PD1881 fitted with a 285/60R18 Cooper LTZ is only 1kg heavier than the OEM set-up.

I wanted a rim that was strong enough to be driven at speed on a gravel road with a burst tyre without damage, because we'd done that a few times (easy to do with the D4's stability control).

I wanted a rim that was functional, not with silly little spokes and "designer" bolts / buttons / studs that caught on everything and got kerbed.

And of course, I wanted it legal and insurable in every state.

That's what we built. Contrary to much of the armchair opinions on here, it wasn't easy. It's quite an engineering challenge just to make a rim that fits, let alone meet the other demands above. You can't meet these requirements with a casting process, which is what the vast majority of rim manufacturers use.

If you want "pretty" wheels, the car came with them. If you're going to spend good money on proper off-road rubber, why would you compromise on what they're fitted to? When the rim breaks, you're just as stuck as when the tyre goes.

I'm not saying a PD1881 is unbreakable - you can destroy anything, given enough bad luck or bull-headedness. But it elevates you to a level playing field with the tricked up Nissan's/Toyota's etc.

Some of the wiser ones on here get it. Some of them may not have bought a set of PD1881s, but they're not going to consider a dubiously legal or safe component in what is a critical area of the car.

I'll excuse myself from the rest of this thread, as I obviously have a conflict of interest.

[rant "off"]

Ha ha ha what's the definition of Frustrating

For one I didn't realise you actually designed the rims, I thought you were the importer and Compomotive designed/manufactured them.

I can't imagine what would have went into it to produce these with load ratings, legalities etc. and I think Tombie might be right your doing the service

However, there obviously was a small compromise with design (which is understandable) and they are what they are.

My opinion only here, the Raids that seem to be boycotted are a better looking rim, but there doesn't seem to be enough info on them with regards to legalities and load ratings.
The CSA aren't my cup of tea with the bolts and bling you mentioned but still more suited to a modern D4 IMO.

Price, I would pay you double per rim for a more modern suited option for a D4, so not everyone is basing their decisions on price.

You will never keep the masses happy everyone has such diverse taste.

In my comments throughout the forum I mean no disrespect, and do appreciate there is an option there to fall back on with your rims. If all else fails with my decision of sticking with the 19" I'll be forced to go down the GOE 18" road, if you would still sell them to me

But I just can't get my head around the fact they look like a 1995 RR rim

So my next question, is there anything in the pipeline with regards to modifying the styling

Maybe flattening out those spokes at the least, keeping them plain would be fine but flattening them out would be closer to an OE rim at the least.

Like mentioned above people are just exploring options but yes your point is Very Valid with regards to going steel etc over yours.
It's not all about price saving though.

I'm praying for two things, 1 you either bring out a different style 18" rim or a tyre manufacturer brings out a LT 19" with a 31" 31.5" or a 32" tyre

Your rant is appreciated and is your right of freedom of speech. Sometimes things just have to be said and I for one respect that