Hi all,

I have fitted Nitto Ridge Grapplers 275/65/R18 on the stock steel wheelies of a 2023 Defender 90S on coil springs.







It took some millimeters away from the space on the suspension arm, see before and afters. I have driven 50 miles so far without any rubbing or issues.

Will I have issues off road?

Stock tires 255/70/R18:



Front left tire

Front left tire

Front left tire

Front right

Front right

Front right


Nitto Ridge Grapplers 275/65/R18:



Front Right

Front Right

Front Right




Front Left

Front Left

Front Left

 

BadAss! Did you manage to fit the spare tire without issues? I just fitted Nitto Ridge Graplers 275/65/R18 and am thinking of buying the spare now.

 

i would say, just be conservative when you air down, as the less air the more lateral flex the tire will do over obstacles.

 

That raises an interesting question that I don't know the answer to: Yes, the low-pressure tire will flex more, but wouldn't that only be on the ground, under force exerted by rocks and other irregularities? I.e., under normal circumstances, a low pressure tire looks exactly the same everywhere except on the ground, where it spreads and flattens out. So my guess is that the parts of the tire carcass near the control arms and other suspension pieces won't change shape even going over rocks at low pressure, where the tire carcass flexes and spreads down near the ground. But I can't say that definitively. Just surmising.

For visuals, my 2014 Jeep on 37" bias plies with 8-ish pounds of air:

 

Thats exactly how I visualized it and in theory

 

I think i was visualizing more obstacles on steep approach/departure angles, but I also don’t know the answer. On flatish ground I think you are absolutely right.

i’m very interested in anyone running taller 265/70/18 on stock offsets. It seems like some here have had good results

 

I tried 275/70-18s and no can do. Not with spacers, not with 1.5” rods, it with both. Too much rub.

I was scared to try going down to 265/70-18s and getting stuck with 5 more tires I couldn’t use so I ordered stock sizes.

 

@NoGaBiker Just thought I'd check-in with your experience... I've a P400 and close to pulling the trigger on some OEM steelies and have found a local powder-coating place that can get me blacked out.
Wanting some BFG KO2 255/70R18's and not wanting to use spacers. You think its possible? I'm not afraid to grind down the rear brake caliper studs as much as needed...

 

Good afternoon, Dr. Coop (Loved your work as the Surgeon General, by the way!)

Okay, so here’s where I am after about 3 weeks of having everything fettled, including two mild off-roading trips (mild because that’s all we have that’s open around here right now.)

Progression:

1) Bought Lucky 8 rear calipers. Had them installed at my local Land Rover specialists. Looked great.
2) Bought 5 OEM 18” steelies in black, overstock from the Trek Edition trucks.
3) Ordered five 275/70R18 Kenda Klever RT601s. They shipped to Tires Plus shop, who mounted them. I took them home and installed. They rubbed. Not just at access height. They rubbed at all heights. They rubbed with and without spacers. They rubbed with and without 1.5” Johnson rod lift.
4) Sat around mildly cussing.
5) Did nothing but read some more for a few weeks.
6) Decided to go with stock sizes since as I educated myself more plus attended a full-day LR school at Biltmore I began to learn that the larger tires with lower pressure weren’t really what the Defender’s logic was designed for.
7) Since I’d always wanted to try Ridge Grapplers I called my Discount Tire store to order some. They didn’t have any, said they’re on backorder with no delivery date. They have 265/70s though. I was afraid of rubbing with that size and it wasn’t worth it to tempt fate. Tried the internet and no search turned up any available RGs in stock size; some sites said they had them but then would inform me the day after I ordered that they’re back ordered with no date. Shoot.
8) More reading and research. Decided on the Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek (RT). Good reviews, looks good. Ordered 5 of them.
9) Loaded the “too big” Kendas (still mounted) and the new Coopers onto my trailer and hauled all 10 tires and 5 wheels to Discount Tire. They pulled the Kenda’s and mounted the Coopers to the OEM wheels. Installed on the truck. I had put the 30mm spacers on in case they were necessary. Tires rubbed at anything close to lock. A little noisy but doable. I hooked up the trailer and carried everything back home.
10) Pulled the front spacers, left rears installed. Front Tires quit rubbing but now with no spacers the wheels rubbed on the calipers only under hard braking or cornering. They are close enough that the deflection from those forces will put them in contact. It wore a small groove at the points of contact which made my job easy. I took a 16th to an 8th off anywhere there was contact, making the groove disappear, plus a little more. I also looked at the inside of the wheel barrel to see where it had touched the caliper and took a little off there; it was all at the place where the barrel is welded to the face of the wheel — the contact was basically on the weld bead, and it was only in one place, indicating the weld bead is actually thicker at that place, so taking it down a 32nd or so gets it the same as the rest of the weld.
11) all is well. So the front now works (without spacers) and the rear does as well (with spacers.) No rubbing at any height. I haven’t installed the rod lifts but that should only make things better. I only want to use them on western off-roading excursions so I’ll carry them out there and install at the trailhead to get a little more rocker-panel and underbelly clearance among the rocks.
12) I want to lose the 30mm spacers in the rear, but that will require a bit of grinding. I already did some and the wheels clear, but not the weights. That’s too close for my comfort so I’m going to work on that as soon as I get some new grindstones for my die grinder. No rush though — things look pretty boss with the rears flared.

Original fitment of 255/70R18 Cooper Discoverer RT, with 30mm spacers front and rear:










Same tire with 30mm spacer in rear, no spacer in front. These photos are at OffRoad height because I was just pressure washing mud and gunk out of the wheel wells when I decided to take the pix.








[TL: DR] Executive summary: Current setup is Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek (RT) in 255/70R18 on OEM 18” steelies, with 30mm spacers on rear and no spacers on front. Small amounts of grinding (or even filing — I used a good steel file for some of it) on the fronts necessary for full clearance under hard braking and cornering.

 

Had that setup this winter, was great for everything except for heavy wet slush over 10cm, the treads would load up. Other than that, excellent. Very smooth on the road, even better than the OEM 19 Goodyear wrangler tires.