i have a 97, putting a 2in susp and 2in body lift on next week, found some tires with decent prices, looking at 32's but wondering if 35's would be too much, anyone running big swampers?

 

2" suspension, yes, 2" body, no. 32s yes, 35s, no.

The axles & differentials may not be strong enough for 35s. You'd definitely need to re-gear or have an even more dog-slow Disco. You also may want to upgrade to a solid carrier differential if you go that route. Get a grasp for what re-gearing costs, and the labor involved before committing to a big lift & huge tires. On my Ford, re-gearing and rebuilding both diffs totaled $1400. That would be cheap in Rover terms.

There are several reasons you don't actually need a 35, or even a 33 inch tire on these rigs. One is the solid axle setup, with relatively long travel front and rear. You can crawl through obstacles others have to brute-force their way through, hence 35s on many larger rigs you see. Another reason is a the small wheelbase, both length and width. Park your Discovery next to a Large ATV sometime, you may be surprised at how similar they are in terms of wheelbase. The final reason that comes to mind is there is a very high probability that you will have to hack your fenders apart to fit a 35" tire, even with 4" of total lift. These are truly designed for skinny tires in the 29-32" range. I am now shopping for 235/85-R16s, I think they are the biggest I can go without having problems.

I went through the same thing as you, I got my Disco with 2" of lift already and wanted more, I felt it was necessary to fit at least a 33" tire. After driving it for a while, on road and off, I've decided it would be total overkill. Plus with a smaller tire you lose the element of surprise, if you stick to a 2" lift with 31s or 32s, you'll have the privilege of laughing at the guys who need 35s or bigger for the same obstacles.

If you have the time/money to go big, no one's stopping you. Just remember you're going well outside the vehicle's design specs and can expect problems in the form of broken gear sets, broken axle half-shafts, broken spider gears, or rollover damage. If you want big tires, lift the truck, cut the fenders as necessary, and go to a wider stance for stability. Also keep up on bearing maintenance, and upgrade everything that could be damaged on the trail. Whatever you do, just don't get stranded on some remote trail and make a Jeep pull you out, that would be embarrassing.

 

i suggest you take it off road stock. then after you realize this is not your normal truck you will put a 2 inch or 3 inch terrfirma lift in it and get yourself some 265/75/16 treadwright guard dog tires some stainless steel brake lines and you will be crushing the competition for about $1,000.

 

I AGREE...35's are overkill...even 33's really

 

^ what he said.

Hilltoper, I would suggest a 235/85, a 215/85, or a 245/75 since his is a D1. All those are available through TreadWright. My 265s rub on the edges a bit when I really flex, and I don't want to trim the bodywork. That's with the OME +2" HD springs. Other than that, I agree 100%.

 

looks like i will go with 32/1150x16 swampers, thanks for the advice.
and i will never let a jeep hook up to my rig unless i am pulling him out

 

LOL. What model swampers are you going with?

 

An 1150 is still pretty wide tire for these wheel wells, IMO, considering my 265s sometimes rub (about 1050 width) on the corners. I think those will rub pretty bad when you try to stuff the tire, unless you use bump stops/trimming. That is assuming around 2" of lift as recommended earlier. I'm mostly concerned about the rear, where the tires are designed to stuff pretty far. Oh, and you'll definitely need to adjust the steering stops.

Maybe a 2" front, 3" rear lift would remedy that, plus it would give you a nice rake for towing if you ever need it. I think Lucky 8 has a set of springs like that. With the 3" rear lift, you'll still have enough axle travel if you do end up needing bump stops. I've heard the front doesn't tolerate much more than 2" of lift before you need to consider a driveshaft upgrade, hence the slightly uneven lift. (Typical OME springs do 2" rear, 1.5" front, for instance).

Be sure to post pics when you get the tires & lift on, plus impressions on whether or not they rub on articulation, and any necessary mods.

 

Dont get too cocky about land rovers because if you do get stuck (which i will guarantee you will) and there is only a jeep in sight you will be very glad that the person is there

235 85 16 is prolly the best all around size

 

Yes PLEASE dont be cocky about a Rover, they are like any other vehicle out there.......Capable of getting stuck. I have run many rigs, but my last rig I built was a 78 K5 Blazer.....400HP, 4-speed low geared sm465 tranny, 205 T-case, 5.13 gears, 42" Swampers, welded rear end, ARB locker up front etc etc etc.......I still got stuck now and then and I'm a pretty good technical driver, bottom line....IT HAPPENS to everyone. I dont care what pulls me out because I've pulled every kind of vehicle out imaginable, its about the wheeling and the adventure NOT a Pissing match between name Brand vehicles. HUMMER guys are really cocky.......thats why when one gets stuck everyone makes a big deal out of it, dont be like that, be humble, just go enjoy your ride and GET STUCK, i repeat GET STUCK.......It will help you become a better driver and help you understand your vehicles capabilities. How you gonna know the limits when they arnt pushed. For every "Stuck" you have you will drive out of there with a good story and more importantly EXPERIENCE. I can pretty much un-stuck any rig because of countless hours of using a Hi-Lift, using ****** blocks, digging holes for dead man points, using come alongs, using winches, using tree limbs to fill up holes etc etc. Been there done that and it was ALL FUN.