Disco II 16's vs 18's

fkphoto

Observer
16"s

UK4X4 said:
I have a set of 4 16" disco 2 aluminum wheels with no damage complete with good tires, larger than standard...just not sure what they are

they are in bakersfield CA $ 200 for the set plus shipping with or without the tires ie it will cost you less for shipping but cost me to pull them off

PM me and their yours

venezuela2008332.jpg

venezuela2008334.jpg

for sure interested. sent you PM
 

R_Lefebvre

Expedition Leader
Those are the exact wheels I got for mine. Fit fine on my 2004. They're from a P38 4.0. I traded a guy, he had those wheels with crap tires. I gave him my 18's with good Michellins on them, plus he gave me $600 in the deal which paid for my new tires.
 

UK4X4

Expedition Leader
FKphoto,

you have a PM...just need to get hold of the guy's in my old yard where they are living right now ...once I speak to him I'll give you his no

Don't suppose you want a complete steering box for a D2 with only 4000 miles on it ? as I have one of those too just sat there gathering dust
 

fkphoto

Observer
UK4X4 said:
FKphoto,

you have a PM...just need to get hold of the guy's in my old yard where they are living right now ...once I speak to him I'll give you his no

Don't suppose you want a complete steering box for a D2 with only 4000 miles on it ? as I have one of those too just sat there gathering dust

Hey, picked up the wheels today and already mounted them on my disco II! they ride GREAT! Thanks for the deal! can't wait to try them off-road! i don't have a lift on mine yet, do you think i'll have any rubbing problems?
 

Redline

Likes to Drive and Ride
Apples-to-Apples 16s ride much better than 18s. Good decisions!

fkphoto said:
Hey, picked up the wheels today and already mounted them on my disco II! they ride GREAT! Thanks for the deal! can't wait to try them off-road! i don't have a lift on mine yet, do you think i'll have any rubbing problems?
 
Last edited:

Ruffin' It

Explorer
I wheel with 18's and have yet to feel the need to put the 16's I bought for my Disco II on. I run the General Grabber AT2 and have never felt that I have been at a real disadvantage - even against the BFG's. Keep in mind that I drive slower than the people on 16's when aired down and I don't do much rock crawling that I can avoid. But, at this year's Expedition Trophy, I was able to get myself out of the "stuck-axle-deep-on-a-sand-hill-and-can't-back-up" only aired down to 10 psi and no lockers within the alloted time. They aren't going to ultimately be as good as a 16, but they are a lot better than most people would think. I had a chance to spend a few days with Bill Burke a while back and he was impressed with their abiliy to keep up. Like I said, I have a set of 16 alloys collecting dust because I don't think they are enough of an advantage for me.
 

fkphoto

Observer
thanks for your input. its exactly the kind of info i was looking for, from people who have practical experience with the 18's. what size tire do you have mounted on the 18's? i have to say, 18's look really good. when i bought the 16's they already had 265/70 goodyears mounted on them so i was able to bolt them up right away and try them out. they handle and work great, but on the other hand i've never tried 18's with a larger tire than the stock 255/55's which as you know have a very low profile. if i was going to buy tires for the 18's i was thinking of 265/65's. look at all the new
rovers, 18's and 19's.

Ruffin' It said:
I wheel with 18's and have yet to feel the need to put the 16's I bought for my Disco II on. I run the General Grabber AT2 and have never felt that I have been at a real disadvantage - even against the BFG's. Keep in mind that I drive slower than the people on 16's when aired down and I don't do much rock crawling that I can avoid. But, at this year's Expedition Trophy, I was able to get myself out of the "stuck-axle-deep-on-a-sand-hill-and-can't-back-up" only aired down to 10 psi and no lockers within the alloted time. They aren't going to ultimately be as good as a 16, but they are a lot better than most people would think. I had a chance to spend a few days with Bill Burke a while back and he was impressed with their abiliy to keep up. Like I said, I have a set of 16 alloys collecting dust because I don't think they are enough of an advantage for me.
 
you can buy the BFG AT in that size but I caution you. Depending on what type of wheeling you're going to do, it would be well worth it to buy a second set of 16s to run when hitting the trail. But then again it depends what you're doing and how often. I love the aesthetics of the 18s but the ride is more harsh, the mpgs suffer a bit because there is more rolling resistance, and the tires are $$$ compared to 16s. You can buy two 16s for the price of one 18

it takes only a few minutes to change to 16s from 18s and well worth the investment. The 18s with real trail tires, the kind you can rely on and that won't get stuck on logging trails, are going to be loud and certainly mpg will suffer more

If you compare the cost and the ease of changing to 16s, you might reconsider. Then again it depends on how frequent you hit the trail and what type of trail you're on. I'd never want to air down 18s - that is a lot of soft alloy. I love the 18s in snow but mud or rock? they are going to acquire lots of chips and scratches

But hey it's a free world, kind of, and you my good man can do as you please! If you go with 18s post some pics of your set up, or with 16s :)

good luck

ps - getting dirty 16s off your rig that have gone flat is a lot easier than getting 18s off
 

fkphoto

Observer
Z O O R O P A said:
you can buy the BFG AT in that size but I caution you. Depending on what type of wheeling you're going to do, it would be well worth it to buy a second set of 16s to run when hitting the trail. But then again it depends what you're doing and how often. I love the aesthetics of the 18s but the ride is more harsh, the mpgs suffer a bit because there is more rolling resistance, and the tires are $$$ compared to 16s. You can buy two 16s for the price of one 18

it takes only a few minutes to change to 16s from 18s and well worth the investment. The 18s with real trail tires, the kind you can rely on and that won't get stuck on logging trails, are going to be loud and certainly mpg will suffer more

If you compare the cost and the ease of changing to 16s, you might reconsider. Then again it depends on how frequent you hit the trail and what type of trail you're on. I'd never want to air down 18s - that is a lot of soft alloy. I love the 18s in snow but mud or rock? they are going to acquire lots of chips and scratches

But hey it's a free world, kind of, and you my good man can do as you please! If you go with 18s post some pics of your set up, or with 16s :)

good luck

ps - getting dirty 16s off your rig that have gone flat is a lot easier than getting 18s off

why would the 18's be any harder to change than a 16 when flat?

as for the type of off roading i would be doing... it's hard to say. i know you can be going down an easy trail which can turn nasty in an instant, or an easy trail with a short nasty section. (enough to crunch a bumper or bend a rim...

i was looking at fourbylands 18's and have to say they look great. he says he hasn't had any problems with them, but of course i don't know what kind of off roading he's been doing with them.

arn't there any aftermarket rims that fit the disco other than just using stock factory rims??
 
Perhaps the right question would be, what are your goals?

If your goals are to have 18s on your truck because you like the aesthetics and don't want to be bothered by the hassle of buying an extra set of wheels or something I can understand, I had that conversation with myself once too.

When you look at your options I would encourage you to look at accessorizing your vehicle in terms of what is practical for preparation or prevention, not in terms of looks.

The saying "everything you need, nothing you don't" or the philosophy of "keep it simple" has everything to do with application and practicality when things get tough.

I think you'd be hard pressed to find an experienced driver choosing 18in wheels for many practical reasons. Weight, room, that is a lot of alloy, tire options, and cost. That doesn't mean you can't do it but, that doesn't mean you should either right?

18s are inherently more difficult to change due to the size. They are much harder to get a tire on the rim and to get a wheel off the truck. If you've never had to change a flat on the trail or rather in conditions less than ideal; mud, sand, rain, water, etc well every advantage helps. 18s weigh more so if you're carrying more than one spare tire they are a lot heavier with off road tires than 16s, they are a lot taller on the roof rack which won't help mpgs or weight distribution etc basically you're giving up quite a bit to have 18s

On the other hand, if you're doing club rides or occasional light treks, life is short and you are entitled to live it your way! But 18s crack easier, and shearing off alloy is bound to happen because there is less height on most 18s. But it can be done and has been done -

let us know what you decide and post some pics and or opinions. Don't let anyone here decide for you, make your decision and find out for yourself :)

Personal note -

I had 18s on my 04 HSE and they held up great in deep snow but were loud and cost mpgs and I'd never do any serious off road endeavors with them. We are about to purchase ( next few months as prices continue to drop ) a 04 HSE7 or SE7 even though I know energy prices are going to go up again. I think Defenders will become more and more available but I'm not dropping $20K on a 25 year old 110 when I can get a 04 Disco for $6-8K with 50K miles. I fully plan on selling the 18s and getting 16s and I've never seen a Defender of any kind with 18s if that says anything.

Good luck!
 

fkphoto

Observer
heres the 16's & 18's for now i guess i'll work with the 16's these are 265/70's
i read some where on a forum that one guy fit 285/75 16's with a 2" lift
if i could fit the 285's with a 2" lift, would be nice. but on the other hand
i don't want to go to big, thinking about gear ratio and brakes...

i have to say, at this point the 04 disco II is looking like my next vehicle
however i'm happy with my "99 for now

16s_9947.jpg
IMG_9495.jpg
 

Ruffin' It

Explorer
I actually run stock tire size with the Generals - 255/55/18. I've done Pismo at 12 psi with no problem (and not babying it), I've done portions of the Cont. Divide with Bill Burke, hit up Moab solo and have competed in two Expedition Trophys with them. I did bend a wheel once when I hit a large rock while simply driving too fast aired down to 20 psi though.
Like I said, they are better than people think (Bill even made a comment about them doing better than he had expected). However, if you are looking for hard core rock crawling or bombing down a trail, you are better off with a 16". I generally stay away from anything rated higher than a 6 (1-10) and I usually take my time with obstacle (old Rover mantra: As slow as possible, as fast as necessary has served me well so far) and I am sure that helps. I'm not out every weekend, but I'm am more than an occasional wheeler.
Just my thoughts,

fkphoto said:
thanks for your input. its exactly the kind of info i was looking for, from people who have practical experience with the 18's. what size tire do you have mounted on the 18's? i have to say, 18's look really good. when i bought the 16's they already had 265/70 goodyears mounted on them so i was able to bolt them up right away and try them out. they handle and work great, but on the other hand i've never tried 18's with a larger tire than the stock 255/55's which as you know have a very low profile. if i was going to buy tires for the 18's i was thinking of 265/65's. look at all the new
rovers, 18's and 19's.
 
Last edited:

fkphoto

Observer
Ruffin' It said:
I actually run stock tire size with the Generals - 255/55/18. I've done Pismo at 12 psi with no problem (and not babying it), I've done portions of the Cont. Divide with Bill Burke, hit up Moab solo and have competed in two Expedition Trophys with them. I did bend a wheel once when I hit a large rock while simply driving too fast aired down to 20 psi though.
Like I said, they are better than people think (Bill even made a comment about them doing better than he had expected). However, if you are looking for hard core rock crawling or bombing down a trail, you are better off with a 16". I generally stay away from anything rated higher than a 6 (1-10) and I usually take my time with obstacle (old Rover mantra: As slow as possible, as fast as necessary has served me well so far) and I am sure that helps. I'm not out every weekend, but I'm am more than an occasional wheeler.
Just my thoughts,

the photo of my DII with the 18's was taken at pismo. i didn't drive back into the dunes. mostly stayed along the beach. are you able to climb some of the dunes with the 18's? do they require you to have a flag if you want to drive in the dunes?
 

Forum statistics

Threads
189,922
Messages
2,922,206
Members
233,083
Latest member
Off Road Vagabond
Top