canter rims

[whatcharterboat]

Hi Leon. Welcome also.

When you run the stock wheels as singles on the rear, are there any axle modifications or spacers required?

What is the largest tyre you can fit on the stock wheels and stock suspension without having clearance/rubbing issues?

What about the 16"x8" wheels, is this not a good option?

Leon. I presume this was aimed at me but I'm in Australia and by coincidence I only saw my first FGT140 at lunchtime today. One of the first to go on sale here. Modifying FG's and Isuzu NPS's is pretty much all I've been doing at work for the last 6 years and my boss has been into it longer than anyone here so I can give advice on the older FG649 and 637 models but anything I said about the FG140 would just be a guess and you should ask the guys on ExPo who already run them and also to see what you can and can't get away with in the US as far as your DoT goes. Really helpful people here. So I shouldn't say too much about "axle modifications or spacers" or "the largest tyre you can fit on the stock wheels and stock suspension without having clearance/rubbing issues".

Give us a couple of months to do some R&D. I pretty sure we'll have some FG140's to do first thing in the new year. Everyone's been hanging out to see what they look like. So I suppose buyers here will either go for them now or the new Euro IV Isuzu's that were released here a few months back.

I know you asked about shortening the chassis in the other thread > well I can say that it would a really simple job however we have never done it IIRC but it's not something that seems logical to me either. Just buy a short one if that's what you need. We regularly stretch these chassis 2 or 3 feet and that is quite a bit more involved. The rear half of the new chassis looks unchanged from the old model so I'm confident that this is accurate about being easy to do.

Personally I like the standard length wheelbase over the SWB especially for desert work and if your camper body is only short you can either shorten the end of the chassis so there is less overhang or utilize it for a bike / tyre rack.

BTW I don't know of any 16" tyres here with the correct load rating that will fit the 16 x 8 or anything bigger than 16 x 7??? Is there some in North America?

 

[whatcharterboat]

BTW I don't know of any 16" tyres here with the correct load rating that will fit the 16 x 8 or anything bigger than 16 x 7??? Is there some in North America?

Except XML's and your talking major mods to get them on without rubbing. See the one we built in the pic below. Not sure but maybe they were 9.25" rims.

 

[93Canter]

Hi WCB

Mine is a 93 FG439 that has done about 30,000km. So the low power might be a reason to minimise the increase in diameter.

The 9.00 R16 has been superseded by the metric version 255/100. I have asked for the current specs from Michelin Australia. Since they stopped selling them to the public in the US there is very little up to date info published.

I will take a closer look at the 19.5 Bridgestone 305 combination tonight.

Thanks!

 

[whatcharterboat]

If I get real crazy I may end up attempting a portal axle project.

Leon, please take this the right way, but at some point you will say to yourself "Maybe I should just buy a Mog or MAN and save myself the time and trouble". FG's are a great "allrounder" with only minor mods but sounds like you are after something far more specific.

John

 

[alan]

I should point out my Canter is a SWB and rated at 4450kg max so there are tyres in 16" that will do the job. It will never exceed 4000kg in it's life.
The tyres 35"10.5X16" will cost approx $350 each and the rims will cost the same so it is within reach for me price wise.

 

[alan]

305/75 16" is about 33" , Coopers have several tires that have load ratings around 118 or 1320kg, there's plenty of Nissan Patrols and Toyota Landcruisers weighing over 3500kg getting around OZ.

 

[whatcharterboat]

The tyres 35"10.5X16" will cost approx $350 each and the rims will cost the same so it is within reach for me price wise.

Alan This sounds like it could be a great option for your truck then (Only just realised it was a SWB, Sorry).

The XZL's that we commonly fit would definitely cost more than this but then they are a military spec tyre. They work out close to 37" high which isn't that much more so you shouldn't have any issues running with them either. If you retain the standard springs maybe just check the location of the air/con condensor.

Hope you can post some pics as soon as you've got the new wheels.
John

 

[whatcharterboat]

Alan, How dumb do I feel. Just found this. Check it out. Cooper Disco's on one of our own trucks . This one was built well before my time. Probably 7 or 8 years ago. But there you go. I'll see if the boss remembers what size the rims were.

Also we have some 16" XZL's and 19.5" Hankooks mounted up on rims in the workshop at the moment so maybe some of the other guys who were weighing up options, might like to see what they look like standing next to one another. See what I can do.

 

[alan]

Exactly what I had in mind!
Thanks for the pic's

 

[whatcharterboat]

Thanks for the pic's

No worries mate.

BTW Here are the pics I promised of the XZL 100R/16" and the 265/70 R 19.5" Hankook and also a Bridgestone that came out as standard on an FG. The pics give a great comparision when you see them next to one another.

Also is a pic of that SWB from before but how it looks now . Check out that fuel tank. Something the owners organised. About 320 litres hanging off the side !!!!

Hope you guys don't think I've been hijacking this thread too much. It's just that wheel/tyre setups seem to be talked more in this forum than any other on ExPo and it's been a good opportunity to throw these pics up and talk about the pro's and cons of setups for different situations. And especially what the professional drivers (such as "Engineer") are driving with on a day to day basis.

 

[93Canter]

Hijack away!

Up until now info on this topic has been hard to get. Seeing the picture of 3 wheels and tyres next to each other is great, it puts it all in perspective. Thanks!

The big dollars involved make it a tough decision but it seems that many owners recognise the need to change wheels or not travel on sand, that alternative rules out a lot of Australia.

My next step is to contact a local engineer (Canberra area) and see just how many inches in additional diameter they can cope with approving. But I will wait until Feb 2009 before I start making the phone calls.

 

[Mickldo]

Alan, How dumb do I feel. Just found this. Check it out. Cooper Disco's on one of our own trucks . This one was built well before my time. Probably 7 or 8 years ago. But there you go. I'll see if the boss remembers what size the rims were.

Also we have some 16" XZL's and 19.5" Hankooks mounted up on rims in the workshop at the moment so maybe some of the other guys who were weighing up options, might like to see what they look like standing next to one another. See what I can do.

I had a set of the Cooper Disco's on my 80 once but I wasn't happy with them as the tread blocks kept on separating from the tyre, not good. Apparently they have got a different compound now in the ST/C to stop this. From my personal experience I wouldn't go for the standard ST but maybe the ST/C might be OK.

While researching what tyres I want to get for my 105 I noticed that some of the Pro Comps now come in an E load rating. They might have something suitably sized to suit a Canter???? Some of the Pro Comps are available 37"????

 

[whatcharterboat]

Hey Mick. How ya goin?

Actually just today I was talking to a tour operator who runs a fleet of new Cruisers and he was having the biggest spit about those tyres.

He was saying that in between the tread blocks were tearing. Not repairable holes but actual tears. So the tyres end up as "throw away" jobs. Don't know which particular tread pattern, but he mentioned them being up around $400 so they must have been substantial. He's gone back to the original Grand Treks until he can find something better.

My experience has been good with them in the past though.

BTW did your FIL get in touch with Tor about the Porsche ???

 

[Mickldo]

Hey Mick. How ya goin?

Actually just today I was talking to a tour operator who runs a fleet of new Cruisers and he was having the biggest spit about those tyres.

He was saying that in between the tread blocks were tearing. Not repairable holes but actual tears. So the tyres end up as "throw away" jobs. Don't know which particular tread pattern, but he mentioned them being up around $400 so they must have been substantial. He's gone back to the original Grand Treks until he can find something better.

My experience has been good with them in the past though.

BTW did your FIL get in touch with Tor about the Porsche ???

Hey John

I found the ST's to be reasonable for an all terrain tyre but they held small rocks between the tread blocks, which then caused tiny splits between the blocks, which eventually lead to me tearing a few tread blocks clean off the tyre right back to the steel belts.

I replaced them with some Bridgestone Dueller M/T's which were a great tyre, no problems with them at all apart from the size I was running at the time was only available as a C load rating but I have since found out are available in a D rating in the size I use now.

My current tyres on the 80 are Goodyear Wrangler MT/R's in a D rating. I am not impressed with them either. Not construction wise like the Coopers but grip wise. I find I am losing traction in places on and off road where I never would have with the Bridgy's

I reckon when I get some muddies for the 105 I'll be getting some Bridgy's in the D load rating. Although I have been looking at the Pro Comps and Mickey T's also. Probably will stick with the Bridgy's though.

For an all terrain though my favourite is the Bridgestone Dueller A/T. We used to use them a fair bit on our hire fleet over on Fraser Island. Had no problems with them at all and they were getting used off road everyday. Lots of other brands we used didn't hold up as well.



I am not sure if my FIL has done anything further about that yet.

 

[whatcharterboat]

which then caused tiny splits between the blocks, which eventually lead to me tearing a few tread blocks clean off the tyre right back to the steel belts.

Mick, This sounds like the same thing that was described to me. He was saying that it is a common occurrence and one Cruiser even got a front and rear puncture at the same time. Luckily they were in convoy and were able to sort it straightway. These guys run the Cooloola Way and Toolara State Forest to access Fraser when the tides are high and there is a lot of sharp gravel on those roads. (Actually that would be a good "cruisey" trip for you to do whenever you come down to the Sunny Coast)

I replaced them with some Bridgestone Dueller M/T's which were a great tyre,

My brother runs them on his TDi 3 door Defender and says the same thing. Mick I've got RT 01 Hankook (muddies similar to the Duelers) on my Subaru. I know it's almost a sin to mention "Subaru" in the same sentence as a Cruiser (or Defender or a Canter) but the Hankooks have been awesome so far. Actually I've never even seen them in a 14" on anything else yet.

For an all terrain though my favourite is the Bridgestone Dueller A/T. We used to use them a fair bit on our hire fleet over on Fraser Island. Had no problems with them at all and they were getting used off road everyday. Lots of other brands we used didn't hold up as well.

Thanks mate. I am going to pass this advice on to this guy and see what he thinks. He just bought a 20 seat FG off us so maybe in time he'll ditch the Cruisers altogether anyway. (Maybe wishful thinking on our behalf)

I am not sure if my FIL has done anything further about that yet.

No worries. My outbox was doing weird things and I really just wanted to make sure you got the contact details through OK.

Regards John.