what is the better option 33's or 35's

[zeus11]

Hi all

I'm after some advice.

I'm about to make a purchase on a td5 110.

Now i know that big muddies are not everyones cup of tea but i'm after some help in choosing between 33 x 12.5 or 35 x 12.5 tyres.

I'm going with mickey thompson claws as my choice of tyre.

I'm more of a sand, mud and trail off roader and not a rock crawler.

Any tips or pictures would be much appreciated.

Cheers

[PAT303]

I have 33's on my defender and it didn't need any mods,with 35's you'll need to change diff ratio's and maybe do some clearance work so there's a bit more work-cost involved. Pat

[zeus11]

Thanks Pat

I have a 2 inch lift so both 33 and 35's should bolt up up in theory. The 35's may restrict the amount of articulation though this wouldnt worry me too much.

Is it hwy gearing or low range gearing that is worse with 35's or is it both?

[rovercare]

Thanks Pat

I have a 2 inch lift so both 33 and 35's should bolt up up in theory. The 35's may restrict the amount of articulation though this wouldnt worry me too much.

Is it hwy gearing or low range gearing that is worse with 35's or is it both?

35's

A chipped TD5 Defender will drive 35's no worries......Tdi, not so much

[samuelclarke]

I've got 255/85's (so 33.5") BFG KM2 MT's - love them! I honestly haven't had too many issues with clearance even in some heavy stuff. The only issue is deep ruts in mud caused by Jap 4x4's running 35-40'ers and small diffs...but with that even 35's can be too small!

For most driving off road I doubt you'll notice much difference - though I've only had 33's, but have a few mates with 35's. Hope that helps!

[Treads]

I've got 255/85's (so 33.5") BFG KM2 MT's - love them! I honestly haven't had too many issues with clearance even in some heavy stuff.

Are you running standard disco rims, or are they a custom offset?

We're running the same size tyre without a lift and haven't noticed any scrubbing - yet...

[zeus11]

Thanks for the replies.

The defender is an 02 with sals and is chipped with exhaust and intercooler upgrades.

33's appear the logical choice............ though you dont sell a current shape hilux to buy a defender for logical reasons

[KarlB]

I think an important issue to consider is that the maximum allowable increase in tyre diameter is 15 mm if you want your vehicle to remain technically road worthy. This has implications for your insurance and liability in an accident. It is likely that 33s are right on the maximum you can legally fit while 35s are almost certainly not. Another consideration that may impact on your decision is that the tyre width should not be greater than 1.5 times the widest original equipment optional tyre. You cannot legally drive an unroadworthy vehicle on any public road or any public land (eg beach or state forest) except in very special circumstances. Lots of people do it, but be warned.

Cheers
KarlB

[zeus11]

Thanks for the tips KarlB.

[Psimpson7]

As a side to karls comments, there is always the engineering option in NSW I believe so that you would be 100% legal.

33" would seem to be more sensible for what you want i think.

And as an edit, If you are going to be that pedantic Karl,, I fail to see how 33's are just about legal when the standard 235/85 is theroetically a 31.7" tyre