The end of an era

[lebanon]

Was on the highway heading to the beach when I started hearing a repetitive hissing sound that sounded like a stuck pebble in the tire.

I pulled over to inspect the tires, to my horror I found this on one of the rear tires.





These BFG TracEdge were the last set I had from a batch of tires I bought from a tire dealer that has put them on sale when the demand for the 7.50R16 nearly stopped. They were fitted almost 9 years ago and never had a any puncture, by the way the car was always parked in a garage, so minimal UV exposure.

A previous set showed the same problem and was replaced subsequently.

The search for a replacement looks difficult as the 7.50R16 size is very hard to find. Till now I just found the LASSA LT/A Tyres Lassa LT/A - www.iTyre.com

From the look of the tread, I am sure that it will not be a quiet tire on the tarmac.

I will be checking if Chinese tire brands produce the 750R16 but that will be my last option.

I considered replacing the rims to Discovery Boost

to benefit from the possibility of fitting 235/85R16 but I was informed that they will not fit to the Salisbury rear axle because of the drum brakes.

The other option is the wolf rims but these are not available on the local market.

Is there any other option? has someone tried the Lassa tires or any Chinese brand?

[Homestar]

What about the Dunlop Road Gripper? Easy to get and quite cheap. Plenty of good second hand ones out there too. They're fitted to 70 series Toyota Landcruisers from new and tend to be removed by the owners as soon as they roll out the showroom for wider tyres.

I've got old ones on my Series 3 project and will be using new ones when I rebuild it - there is a thread in the Series 3 forum about them.

[rar110]

235/85 tyres fit a standard 5.5x16 Land Rover Defender or Series rim. Steel Discovery S1 rims will also fit if you want to run tubeless tyres.

[Jojo]

I cannot see a reason why a standard Land Rover alloy rim as the Boost should not fit a Salisbury axle with drums, apart from the fact that the studs might be a bit short. I can check as soon as I get home.
I assume you are running standard Land Rover steel rims? There is no reason why you should have to stick to 7.50R16 size (apart from keeping up the tradition). Wolf rims are a good alternative, but will not give other choices for the tyres you are going to fit.
Keep in mind, though, that the rims you are going to fit should have the correct weight rating for your truck. Discovery I rims are not rated for a Defender 110. They will fit, though, and I doubt the rating will have any practical consequences. In some countries, the lack of appropriate rating will make fitting these illegal, so you better check with the relevant bodies/authorities beforehand.
As for those Chinese tyres, I have never used them and, to be honest, will steer clear of them as long as ever possible. Call me a chicken, but I do doubt they live up to any decent quality requirements. Tyres are an important, but often overlooked and misunderstood, part of any vehicle's safety equipment.

[460cixy]

What about the Dunlop Road Gripper? Easy to get and quite cheap. Plenty of good second hand ones out there too. They're fitted to 70 series Toyota Landcruisers from new and tend to be removed by the owners as soon as they roll out the showroom for wider tyres.

I've got old ones on my Series 3 project and will be using new ones when I rebuild it - there is a thread in the Series 3 forum about them.

Great tyre I rum them too . Just more proof that jap owners are not that bright

[frantic]

If you want to fit the disco/defender boost alloys, another option is to fit some spacers from the uk. They are legal there and in the eu, just don't know about your laws. These will push the wheels out 30 mm and give you a larger choice, 235/85, 255/85, 265/75 or 285/75 on 16in rims that won't rub on your suspension now.

[lebanon]

What about the Dunlop Road Gripper? Easy to get and quite cheap. Plenty of good second hand ones out there too. They're fitted to 70 series Toyota Landcruisers from new and tend to be removed by the owners as soon as they roll out the showroom for wider tyres.

I've got old ones on my Series 3 project and will be using new ones when I rebuild it - there is a thread in the Series 3 forum about them.

Thank you for the info, I will ask Dunlop's agent if they import this tire. Landcruisers like 110s are not a common sight over here as people tend to look for upmarket models.

[lebanon]

235/85 tyres fit a standard 5.5x16 Land Rover Defender or Series rim. Steel Discovery S1 rims will also fit if you want to run tubeless tyres.

I read many threads about the possibility of fitting the 235/85 on standard 5.5x16 defender rims, opinions are contradictory, the issue is with the rim width range, the 235/85 are designed to be fitted on 6" to 7.5" so the 5.5" of the defender rim is a bit narrow. I don't know if 0.5" (1.27 cm) will make such a difference to make fitting them illegal in certain countries.
Because of the increased possibility of having the tire roll of its rim when cornering and due to the fact that the weight of the car will be shifted from the the area of the tire side wall that is designed to handle it.

Over here we don't have such laws, you fit what ever you like, but in my case I believe in regulations, if they are illegal in other countries it is for a reason. I don't like driving a car that could be a hazard to me, my family and other road users.

[lebanon]

I cannot see a reason why a standard Land Rover alloy rim as the Boost should not fit a Salisbury axle with drums, apart from the fact that the studs might be a bit short. I can check as soon as I get home.

I haven't tried to fit the Boost on Salisbury axle but through my readings I found that the drum size will prevent the rim from being fitted.

I assume you are running standard Land Rover steel rims? There is no reason why you should have to stick to 7.50R16 size (apart from keeping up the tradition). Wolf rims are a good alternative, but will not give other choices for the tyres you are going to fit.

The wolf rims will meet the required rim width recommended by tire manufacturers for the 235/85 http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/tire-...2/tire-details

Wolf XD Rims heavy duty wheels for Land Rover | Landroverweb.com

Keep in mind, though, that the rims you are going to fit should have the correct weight rating for your truck. Discovery I rims are not rated for a Defender 110. They will fit, though, and I doubt the rating will have any practical consequences. In some countries, the lack of appropriate rating will make fitting these illegal, so you better check with the relevant bodies/authorities beforehand.

As I previously replied to rar110, we lack any sort of rules or ratting regarding tires and rims.

As for those Chinese tyres, I have never used them and, to be honest, will steer clear of them as long as ever possible. Call me a chicken, but I do doubt they live up to any decent quality requirements. Tyres are an important, but often overlooked and misunderstood, part of any vehicle's safety equipment.

I totally agree with you on this point

[lebanon]

...

If you want to fit the disco/defender boost alloys, another option is to fit some spacers from the uk. They are legal there and in the eu, just don't know about your laws.

These will push the wheels out 30 mm and give you a larger choice, 235/85, 255/85, 265/75 or 285/75 on 16in rims that won't rub on your suspension now

It this the only reason the Boost alloys are said not to fit on Salisbury axles? .