I need an extra set of rims for winter and want to know if there is anything special about Disco rims.

 

The Disco 1 like you have uses a 5x6.5 bolt pattern. Not easy to find, especially if you want inexpensive. Other than the unique bolt pattern I don't believe there is any specail about the rims.

 

You are limited to factory alloy or steel wheels.
The factory alloys are cheap to find as a set on any of the Rover forum classified sections for about $200 a set.
Why are you wanting a set just for winter tires? There are plenty of tires that will work well for both winter and off road.

 

What snow tires are you going to run? I use Blizzak's.

 

there is a adapter that you can buy that changes the disco1 bolt pattern to the smaller and weaker discovery 2 bolt pattern. With that you can put on cheaper aftermarket rims that fit the more common disco2 bolt pattern.

 

Here is a web site that sells them.

http://www.skulte.com/product_info.php/products_id/82

These custom billet adapters allow everyone with a Range Rover Classic, Range Rover Discovery I, Land Rover Defender 90 and Land Rover Defender 110 to convert bolt patterns to a more popular wheel. Our 5 on 6.5" Land Rover wheel adapters are precision CNC machined from an 8" diameter billet of 6061-T6 aluminum for precise tolerances and a perfect fit. Edges have been radiused to eliminate stress risers, and only the highest quality heavy duty M14x1.50 studs are pressed into the adapter for the ultimate strength, and other thread types are available if requested. Short cadmium plated open ended M14x1.50 lugnuts are included with the adapter pair to easily verify thread engagement, save weight, and prevent corrosion. We take extra care to design and machine the highest quality adapters possible. These are the best adapters you can buy.

To convert down to a bolt pattern smaller than 5-1/2" (i.e. the modern Land Rover 5 on 120mm) requires adapters that are 2.625" thick. This allows the adapter to fit over the large hubs, and then reduce the centerbore to press in the 5 on 120mm bolt pattern studs. The picture is of these adapters with the wheelcentric lip. For 5x5.5" bolt pattern wheels (Jeep, mostly) and larger, we can machine the wheel adapters as thin as 1". Adapters thicker than 1.5" will be slightly more expensive to cover the additional material and machining time.

For our international customers, we ship via USPS Global EMS (3-5 day service) and FedEx International Priority. Our postal code is 06032 if you'd like to check shipping rates at www.usps.com or www.fedex.com. The FedEx rate will be nearly 50% off retail FedEx rates. A set of four 2.75" thick adapters has a shipping weight of 35 lbs, and is about $135 to most locations in the UK.

For customers that wish to use OEM Land Rover wheels with the large 16mm lugnut/washer combination, we will subsitute M16x1.5 Studs and lugnuts at $3.99 per stud.

 

I would like to run studs in the winter sincedriving in Alaska can be treacherous. The cost of having the studded tire swapped out twice a year is equal to getting another set of used rims and doing it myself. In two years it will have paid for itself plus I don't have to waste an entire day sitting around for a shop to put the tires on my vehicle. I can swap 4 tires out in about an hour in my own garage if they are already mounted. I found a set in Seattle I'm just barganing with the guy to ship them to me. $60 bucks a piece with minor scratches.

 

I have to ask, what part of Alaska are you in? I grew up in Fairbanks and was living Kenai prior to getting a wild hair and leaving the state for Arizona. That's where the AK in my screen name comes from. I never had a Rover in Alaska but I also never ran studded tires. Only used four-wheel-drive if I had to. But that's just my driving style, not saying it's right for everyone.

 

Wife drives it once in a while and she's more comforatable with studed tires.

 

http://greendiamondtire.com/index.html
You can use these tires year round, might be cheaper than buying another set of rims and snow tires.