Disco II tire question

[LtFuzz]

I am also running the stock 18" rims, is this a mistake? Should I find a set of 16s?

The reason most switch to a 16" or even 15" is because the tire selection is somewhat limited for 18" wheels.

 

[bmxer06pa]

I would suggest ditching the 18s and going for a set of 16 inch rims. There are many more tire options and they are more durable when airing down off road. I have the rovertym 3in lift with 265 75 16s and I could not be happier. The tire size does well on the highway without having to re-gear.

 

[HillbillyfromAL]

That is true on all accounts about the rims, but there is still a decent selection of tires for them. You could sell the factory ones and pay for the 16" though. I say keep them because the selection of rims isn't that great and the factory 18"s are in my opinion very nice.

 

[dcwhybrew]

Great info!

All of your assumptions are correct, this is my first LR and I do see myself having a hard time finding a comperable vehicle, I love the Rover.

My next questions are in regards to the 2" lift, I am mostly thinking of raising the axel due to the rocky trails in colorado, I really don't want to start hitting that on rocks. I also wanted to improve the approach and particualarly the departure angle. How much of this needs to be done with a lift and how much is just good trail driving?

I did see that a popular way, or at least recommended way to go is to do ARB shock upgrade with RTE 2" springs. any thoughts on that?

The Drive shaft thing does seem to be discussed quite a bit and sounds like a good investment to save a major repair.

I am also running the stock 18" rims, is this a mistake? Should I find a set of 16s?

All the info is great, I really appreciate it all. I am looking to make this as capable an allroad/offroad vehcile as possible, however I am not looking to conquer the hardest/ gnarliest stuff out there. The rig is my daily driver and I love the comfort, so I don't want to ruin it. I love the look of the vehicle, however like most offroad capable trucks it looks like it would be better suited a few inches taller with a slightly larger tire. feel free to correct me if I am mistaken.

Again, before you go buying a bunch of stuff...get a feel for your Disco in current form. In stock form, the suspension is quite flexible and you will be surprised what you can go over. Then decide where to go from there. The popular lift options have always been Rover Tyme or Old Man Emu springs (OME) with either OME or Bilstein shocks. If I remember correctly (and there are all sorts of opinions on lifting a truck), if you go 2" you should be ok with regular Bilstein or OME shocks. Going higher than that, you'll need the extended travel shocks and other related goodies.

Call John Lee at Expedition Exchange, both he and Ho are good resources - plus they sell the stuff you're looking for. More importantly, if you want to buy something they sell and they don't think you'll need it or they think you're wasting your money....they'll say so. They also advertise in the Overland Journal so the recommendation isnt referring you away from this site's owners.

Regarding the 18" wheels. Yeah, as stated already, the 16s are preferred but there seems to be more options for 18" wheels since the wheel size is more prevalent. You can get 265/65-18 BFG ATs which are almost a 32" tire.

Go run some light then moderate trails with your truck first...hell, bring your buddies along (with their trucks) and go get yours stuck so you can see what you can do and not do. Also, go through the picture page and look at the modded trucks. That way you can see what you might like and dislike. You'll have an idea what your intended mods will look like.

Just some additional thoughts. Like I said, I ran with stock suspension and a slightly larger tire (~30-30.5") and I did just fine on the moderate trails.

Have fun!

 

[ebg18t]

Somedays I wished I old my 18's and went with 16's. But I have been happy with my 18's. I am currently running the Nitto Trail Grappler MT. Not bad on street, and very predictable off road. Th BFG AT is a gret AT that is avaliable in my 18" sizes.

 

[deadbeat son]

Howdy, not a current Rover owner, but I have owned one in the past and I am also live in the Denver metro area. On my current vehicle (a Toyota), the 32" tires I have go anywhere I really care to go. I can tackle most of the trails I would want to hit without risking body damage anyway. While 33"+ tires seem to be common around our area, I don't really think they're absolutely necessary.