So I am wondering if anyone has any experience off roading with street tires with chains added? My disco 2 has pretty dedicated street tires on it (goodyear eagle ls2) and they really have no business being driven in anything slippery, such as mud or snow, as I have learned. I would like to be able to retain the smoothness and efficiency of street tires, while still not being totally screwed if I need to go off road or need to get through some nasty snow or something.

I guess my question would be what level of capability could I have in comparison to some dedicated 4 wheeling tires. I don't really off road enough to justify a second set of expensive off road tires.

So I was just thinking I could carry some chains in the back, along with a working bottle jack (which mine isn't right now) and I could instantly be significantly more capable than I am with my street tires which barely handle MN winters on the streets.

 

Ehhh...


Have you ever seen a rear quarter of a D II after a tire blowout? You better make damn sure the chains don't come loose. And they would work that's what they are made for ice/snow i have used them on my John Deere with turf tires for plowing sidewalks and driveways. Mud guess that would depend on the consistency on of and the grade.

 

I never intended to use them on paved roads or at high speeds. For one, they are illegal in MN on streets, and it would kill the mileage etc. I am more talking about options for non planned off road ventures when necessary.

 

It will not take highway speeds for the chains to tear the **** out of the rear quarter if they come loose....you got bigger problems right now to get fixed first then worry about getting the cdl installed and forget about the chains.

 

Tire chains add significantly to traction. I've never had occasion here in GA to use them so have never used them on a Discovery, but I used the frequently on my Series Rovers. My '62 I kept chained at least 6 months of the year on the farm.
That said, chains won't make you "instantly" more capable. They take some work to install. If you get only one set, put them on the front.

 

yep they work, they are a bitch to put on when you want them... on. and then you have to take them off. I would look at a differnt set of tires something that retains the street comfort yet upgrades your occasional off road needs. I switched to the goodyear silent armour. Excellent on the highway and have never had an issue off road. I have a few other friends with different trucks and we all have these. seriously deep snow, mud, mixed gravel rocks etc.. and are really good on the road and highway.

 

BMW,
Nice name btw, I've got a few BMWs

Tire composition is as important as the tread pattern. I had a Series IIa for a number of years up in Vermont and the thing was terrible in the snow. The tires were fairly aggressive off-road/mud tires and were (loud as heck) great in the summer months on and off road. As soon as the temperature started dropping down to the freezing point the tires got rock hard and slipped all over the place.

I owned a RWD automatic BMW that was more capable in the snow than my Series IIa was.

Another great example is the Nokian Hakkapeliitta brand of tires. That's what I had on my BMW up in Vermont - amazing tires. However they are vastly criticized for cracking and early failures because they have a different rubber compound than most tires which makes them amazing in the snow/winter/ice but really terrible/horrible in a hot summer environment.

I'd suggest that you either pick up a second set of tires/rims or just put more aggressive tires on your current Disco when they wear out. Out west many roads are closed unless you have EITHER 4wd or chains. Your Discovery should be very capable in any snow conditions with almost any type of tires short of summer slicks.

 

Buy some decent all terrain tires and you're set. I've had Toyo Open Countrys, BFG Rugged Terrains, BFG All Terrains, among others. But those three have pretty good capabilities when the going gets rough and have great street manners.

 

All this is good stuff, and very true. I see what you all are saying and that's what I should do, but the tires I have are pretty new, and a new set of good all-seasons would cost a good chunk of money, plus if I was going to buy new tires I think I would buy a set of dedicated off road tires and only use them for those purposes. It would seem hard to carry all 4 tires with you at all times. What I am mainly looking for is a way to have my cake (smooth efficient street tires) and be able to go off road if needed. My wife mainly drives the LR anyways so it doesn't get much off road time.

Ok so how much time does it take to put them on? I would have guessed it could be done on the side of the road in 15 mins or so but maybe I'm way off on that. When I lived in Denver, I would see truckers stopped to apply chains all the time.

So anyone want to buy a used set of 255/55R18 Goodyear Eagle ls's? lol.
The thing is I think I could find some chains for cheap, I saw a set on CL locally for $75 a while back, that were for a LR dico 2(would there be a difference anyways if they were for the same tire size?) and in a situation in which, say, you had to cross a river because a bridge is out because the apocalypse has started and you had time to put on the chains, they would probably be better suited for this task than all season tires alone?

 

You should not drive it period until you get the coolant leaking issue fixed.... right now you are pumping coolant out of the bleeder screw that is missing every time you start it. Your going to fry your engine if you continue to drive it that way.