I've been thinking about getting a set of steel wheels from Atlantic British. Besides aesthetic is there any reason for them (or against them)?

 

I run a set and they are simply heavy. If running bigger tires I believe the offset is different than the alloys so may end up coming in contact with fenders more than the alloys. I'm contemplating going back to my alloys to try and free up some unsprung weight as my disco is a bit of a pig running 285s on the highway. It won't help much but aside from adding more power (swap) nothing will help too much.

 

I love the way they look but hate the way they balance. The ones i've ever had were not hubcentric so at around 70 mph they would shake violently. I have only had them balanced hubcentrically though as I have had not had good luck with anyone doing lugcentric balancing.

 

So they're not hubcentric, but you still balanced them hubcentrically? Does that mean you still had problems with them?

It sounds to me like the aesthetic is the only thing they've got going for them.

 

Yes reason being most shops only balance hubcentrically and then when you install them they are centered on the lugs. This is just my experience with multiple sets on multiple discoveries. I now have method wheels and love them. They are hubcentric.

 

Now those Method wheels are nice!

 

I realize this is an old thread but it's an interesting topic to me.

I think one advantage to a steel wheel is that it can be field repaired. Whereas with an alloy wheel when they fail it's catastrophic. How often do they fail? I have no idea probably not that often.

Another advantage to the 15-in diameter wheel is the rubber is less expensive. A 35 in a 17-in is ~$350, in a 16" ~$310 and 15" ~$234. Plus for off road purposes you effectively have more sidewall.

I purchased a set of Procomp 15" 97's in a 5x4.5 bolt pattern because the selection in 5x120 is pretty limited. To accomplish this I had wheel adapters made 1" thick, inside hub bore to match the Disco 2 and a outer lip to fit the steel wheels hub bore hopefully no vibration. I realize spacing a wheel out isn't ideal but I really don't feel that extra 1" is going to be a huge deal. Besides the previous owner already had one inch spacers on there to fit the wheels that It came with. I also use Counteract balancing beads, I love these, my wheels are always balanced. Also I've never had a problem with the beads clogging the valve stem as I heard others complain.

Weight, yes they increase unsprung weight so speed ramp up will be longer. My Disco isn't built for speed anyway, it's built to handle rough trail conditions.

I'll report back my findings after using the rig with this setup.

Hugh

 

5x120 is the same as BMW, which is nearly the same as some GM patterns. When I had my old E36, It did not come with a spare, so I hopped over to the nearest junkyard to get one off of a 90's camaro. Worked a treat on that car.

But if you wanted LR wheels.. would these work from our marketplace? https://landroverforums.com/forum/market/104891

 

I prefer the OEM wheel, on a D2 you usually already have a spare on the back cargo door so a trail repair for one wheel is as simple as changing a flat tire.

Now safety wise the OEM wheel has a double lip vs the aftermarket which only has a single lip. Meaning if you ever have a blow out the tire shouldn't just fall off the bead.

Aluminum LR wheels aren't your standard alloy wheel either, it's designed to truly take a beating. Steel wheels can be beat back into shape, but they can also rust and will need repainting eventually. Weight wise = OEM is gonna beat a steel wheel no doubt and your rear cargo door hinges will thank you for using oem wheel vs steel.

 

This is so true. My steelies are really sh!tty looking now due to sitting in the elements for the past year during our lockdown.