38" tires for Land Rover Defender - which mods?
 

Hi

I have been offered to buy some cheap Maxxis Creepy Crawler M8090 sixe 38X14,5X16, which I want to fit to my Land Rover Defender 90" from 1992. Right now i´am driving on 33X12,5X17 and the car is liftet 2". What do I have to change to get space to the 38" tires? Is it enough to cut the fender flares and fit bigger bumpstops?

Best regards PeterL

RE: 38" tires for Land Rover Defender - which mods?
 

Peter, why do you want that large of a tire, it won't benefilt you over what you already have?
Mike

RE: 38" tires for Land Rover Defender - which mods?
 

You will have to spend at least a few grand to get that kind of lift. You're pretty much going to have to change out anything that touches your axles. And a few other things too.

RE: 38" tires for Land Rover Defender - which mods?
 

The reason why I would prefer the bigger tires is because I would like to have better ground clearance and I also belive the tires are better on snow, because the are wider. Does any of you have experience with such a mod? How big tires can be fitted if I just cut the fenders? Hazletsbassist89, you mention that I have to change a lot, but what?

Best regards Peter

RE: 38" tires for Land Rover Defender - which mods?
 

Where to start? Obviously you'll need a big lift. Probably at least 5-6 inches. The biggest lift I know of is the rovertym 5 inch lift, which costs just under $3000 before drive shafts. Those tires are also a bit fatter so you may need wheel spacers, probably 1 or 1.5 inch. And you'll pretty much need to cut out all of your wheel wells. Fitting tires that big on any rover is no easy task, unfortunately.

RE: 38" tires for Land Rover Defender - which mods?
 

Peter,
Do you have stock diffs? If not, those tire will take your diffs apart in a heart beat.
You are looking at new drive shafts, gears, locker and HD axles, that in itself can run close to $3000. Then as already mentioned the lift, with all the extra parts requires to make that lift work for yo, here again, big bucks.
As for your theory on the bigger the tires, the better it will handle of road, wrong, living here in Colorado that has long since been disproved.

RE: 38" tires for Land Rover Defender - which mods?
 

I can see it´s getting quite tricky to make such a solution. What is the maximum size I can fit to my car if I only want to cut the fender flares and not do anything to the suspension, except what there has already been done? Which is a 2" inch lift withsprings and shocks from trailmaster.Any experiences?

Best regards Peter

RE: 38" tires for Land Rover Defender - which mods?
 

33 inch tires are the biggest you can fit on that lift. And they may still rub just a bit. Unless you're doing some SERIOUS wheeling you really shouldn't need much more than that. Rovers are really capable, even stock;)

RE: 38" tires for Land Rover Defender - which mods?
 

You still haven't answered my questions regarding your diffs, are they stock???? If so they are not going to handle those tires.
By the way, I know many long time Rover owners that would hang you upsdide down by your B for even thinking of cutting up a Defender.

RE: 38" tires for Land Rover Defender - which mods?
 

Sorry, i didn´t think the diffs was a question. My diffs are completely stock. Iwas thinking about changing the axles to Maxidrive if the can´tlast, but i would start out on the stock axles. I´am starting to think the mod is a bad idea. I wouldn´t like tohang upside down anyway...:-)

But what else canI do to get better tires? Ihave seen a car like mine on 35" and it was only lifted 2" and the plastic wheel arches was cutted alittle. Is this posibly? Or shouldI just get some Simex tiresin 33"?The car is not my everyday car and I use it for serios offroad - on snow, mudand sand.

Best regards Peter