Your factory 6 spoke will have markings similar to the attached. The jpg's are from the back side of both my factory 19" six spoke and factory 10 spoke 18" rims.

My 18" rims came off a wrecked 3 from Diamond auto Parts in Wisconsin. Diamond Auto Parts - Quality Auto Parts and Auto Repair - Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

I like the stock tyre and wheel sizes as there are enough challenges with a 3 that one does not have to be engineering in more problems. Unsprung weight which is what too large tyres yield can be a concern as well. In the case of 32", when the air system fails, the 3 drops and the oversize wheels lock within the wheel wells - a real problem as you have to skid the 3 out of where ever now.

The reason people install large OD tyres is to get increased clearance between the ground and the front and or rear differentials.

With the 4 wheel independent air suspension, the differentials are bolted up within the frame and the air suspension lifts the frame and that provides the additional clearance others with conventional 4x4's strive to get by putting on larger OD tyres.

Also there is an extended lift mode that automatically increases the clearance when the 3 senses it is hung up.

As far as wider is concerned, that is the Baja look that many regard as cool looking. It works in the sand but not for mud or snow. That is why the old Ford Model T's were able to get about - narrow rubber that cut thru the slime to hard material and the traction underneath the soft stuff.

 

You really seem to know your stuff, thanks!

Does that increase in clearance when hung up go above and beyond the normal high mode? I only use that mode when in deep snow going slower.

Yes its funny how many people advocate these huge tires bragging on them but they some how forget to mention the downsides. Things like losing air suspension and locking up tires as you said.

I like my LR3 and have taken it off road some on a LR sponsored event. It is amazing for a 6000 pound car. But it is not amazing vs say a dune buggy. So I will probably keep the tires within the stock range.

Do you know what the tallest tire you can go before the wheels rub if you lose the air suspension? Just asking because some tires I was considering are 30.5 and one was 31.5. I would like to still be able to lower the suspension to allow my mother to get out without wheel rub.

 

Since I seem to have happened across a LR3 Brainiac. I thought I would ask a side question. Regarding the enigmatic Terrain Response system.

I've read a little on it but the explainations fall a bit short.

1. Regular mode. 50/50 power front and back.

but... What if one of the rear tires is spinning in this mode. Will the car stop that wheel and put power to the other wheel? Mine does not have the HD rear locking differential. Is this computer controlled or is it like any other differential all mechanical?

My Ford had a lock for 4 wheel low. It would lock the front and rear tires so they both spun. The problem was on pavement, they would bind up fast. Could drive maybe 20 yards before it would bind up and start dragging a tire.

So just trying to understand how my LR3 transfers power to each wheel.

 

My $0.02: Larger tires are not only for increased ground clearance. They also make larger obstacles a little smaller. Imagine you are clambering up a rocky slope. If your tires are bigger the "bite" that they are taking out of that boulder is a bit smaller. Furthermore, going to 18" wheels and getting larger tires gives you more sidewall and reduces the chances of a tire being ruptured.

The difference in the way my LR3 performs with the stock tires on versus the 32" MT/Rs I run on the trail is night and day. Does just fine with stock sized tires off-rod but is an absolute BEAST with the MT/Rs on.

As for Terrain Response and your locker: I believe that even in general mode there is a torque threshold behond which the diffs will lock, but it's very difficult to get there. With each mode that threshold is changed. In Rock Crawl, for instance, the rear locks up pretty quickly. Not as much for Snow mode...and I've found Mud 'n Ruts to be the most versatile mode...it's my go-to mode, often times even in deep snow. Neither locker (center or rear) is mechanical. They are electronic but you can manipulate them and "effectively lock them" by selecting the right TR Mode.

 

Which modes lock them? Rock crawl?

Yea I don't doubt those 32" tires would really hook up in the dirt.

Do you change your own tires? When going offroad you swap them in the driveway?

I might have to buy a second landrover that I can beat the crap out of. But for hard core offroad I usually ride a buggy with a buddy of mine. The only thing that can hang with them in climbs is a motocross bike. But they are much lighter, not a 6000 lb car.

Those 32s look like you need to modify the wheel wells or add spacers.

 

I would say Houm has the Terrain Response and Locking bit well said.

If there is anything difficult to understand about the LR system, it is that very rarely does a wheel lock in the conventional sense as with say ARB Lockers. The retardation of wheel spin, (I will call it), is a combination of a slip clutch setup within the rear differential if you have that rare option and the anti lock brakes acting as spin retarders which is for the most part what goes on.

Each antilock brake mechanism takes instructions from the Terrain management system that gives and and receives instructions to various other computers. The computer programs combine engine rpm/torque with transmission gear ratio and braking to provide froward motion and maybe reverse as well.

On YouTube, there are videos of the 3 stuck or almost stuck in various places. I find watching how the wheels almost stop then rotate a bit and then almost stop or stop and then for some reason, the 3 starts to lurch forward again quite fascinating. The wheel motions are so different from what I normally see when watching a Jeep or Land Cruiser in action, let along a Dodge, Chev or Ford.

The video below, I suspect if you added a bit of rain, the 3 would not be so agile. Note the wheel motion of the front wheel that is often suspended in the air. It is a wonder the glass roof does not pop out given the twisting forces on the frame. In fact, what other 4x4 that can play in that has a glass roof?

I figure a wheel OD of much more than 31" can yield concerns - it depends a bit on the tyre width and if the wheel wells contain frozen material as is common up here five months a year.

Yes, extended height - the auto extended is extra and higher than what we can dial up in our high mode using the flipper switch. Below is from a LR maintenance document but it makes no mention of how much higher.

Extended Mode
If the vehicle becomes grounded and the traction control becomes operational, the air suspension control module automatically increases the mass of air in the air springs to raise the vehicle clear of the obstruction. Extended mode is activated automatically and cannot be selected manually.

When the air suspension control module has activated the extended mode, the off-road mode lamp will flash if the suspension is above off-road mode height. The off-road mode and on-road mode lamps will flash if the suspension is between off-road mode and on-road mode heights. The on-road mode and access mode lamps will flash if the suspension is between on-road mode and access mode. A message will also be displayed in the message center.

To exit the extended mode, press the air suspension switch briefly in the up or down position or drive the vehicle at a speed of more than 12.5 mph (20 km/h) .

 

Nice video!

That is cool that it can go even higher. On the dealer off road thing they took us in this crazy dried up river bed which was up,down, up down etc. I was basically on the frame on every mogul. That scraping sound. I really did not care for that type of driving, just beats the crap out of the suspension scraps up the bottom. Wish that extra lift activated, could have used more clearance.

I'm more of a hill climber, that is fun to me.

 

The LLAMS link below is for you.

You have a nice little rotary switch inside and you can dial up your height and it will stay there. Lots of 3's and 4's in Australia use the system as the auto drop feature is not the best when fording creeks and the like. Higher is better and it best remain high regardless.

Within the link are links to the install guide - kind of plug and play - well almost - you just insert a loom in between existing connectors and install the switch.

In other words, you can lock it at the high high height.

Llams PTY LTD

 

Thanks,

That site failed to mention how many inches the new Higher height is vs the current high/offroad mode.

Thats the one thing that landrovers are know for, bad electronics. I got lucky and have had zero issues. Don't want to open a barrel of issues unless this thing offers some significant rise over the standard high mode.

 

How high you can go depends upon how you set it up.
The instructions give the official line; how you calibrate is up to you.

The higher you go, the less stable any vehicle is including the 3.

The main feature of the LLAMS is that once a height is set, the 3 remains at that height regardless of speed. For rock climbing, that does not matter as speed is not a concern; for fording creeks, keeping speed up does at times matter.

Doodling thru the water when the roof rack is getting wet is not the best technique. In the jpg below, in addition to speed, a little more height might also be desirable.