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I currently have 18x8, and from research, if I want to run skinnier tires, I'll need 16x7 rims. The steelies from Lucky8 or AB are an obvious option, but I'm thinking that silver or white rims will look better on my silver disco than black.
I think what I need is
5x120 bolt pattern
4.75" backspacing is stock, but 16x7 are mostly in ~2.5" backspacing. I think the 2.5" is more ideal for skinny tires to tuck them in under the wheel wells nicely?
Terrafirma or Trail Worthy Fab Beadlocks are super sexy, but it seems that they're not street legal and require periodic maintenance? And can any ol' tire shop install these?
Or should I venture outside of land rover aftermarket wheels and look for other 5x120 options? I'd need help and links here to make sure I get the right one.
Goal:
Last edited by Jeff Blake; 12-31-2016 at 03:01 PM.
Yeah, no dice on the disco one wheels. Different pattern. P38 spares are my favorite. All the other easy to find steel wheel options are going to have goofy (my opinion) offsets resulting in a wide track. The trick is finding 5. I started hoarding every one of the vented style I could find a couple years back and after about a year I was up to six. Then I realized, "what am I gonna do with these if I keep collecting them?" So I stopped, but anytime I'm at the U pull salvage lot and I see a P38 I still have to look. Because I know sooner or later I'll have enough to make another set of five, and then I can at least get my money back. Sort of like a really dysfunctional savings account. But at least I'll be helping someone make another sweet Rover.
I recommend looking for P38's being parted out on Craigslist or at the salvage yard. The early (95) and later (02) SE's seem to be the best bet. I found a couple on eBay. At the onset it seem like it was going to be a pretty cheap way to line up a set of bombproof steel wheels. But by the time they were shipped, scrounged, stripped of old tires, and then eventually powder coated the same shade I reckon I'm into a set for at least $500. So… Maybe not such a wallet friendly option ultimately. But they do look cool!
Last edited by G150driver; 12-31-2016 at 03:15 PM.
In tire terms a 7.5x16 is a cross ply, don't go there, ancient technology and useless on the highway whereas 235 85 R16 is a radial and depending on the make and type it should be fine as an alround tire..
Technically all beadlocks are illegal on the street, but no cop is going to give your grief for them. Hell, most probably wouldn't even notice the difference between real beadlocks and fake street legal beadlocks.
Yeah the 7.5x16 are rare, but they sure look nice. Like the Michelin ones RoversNorth sells. Too expensive for my taste though. From what I can find, 235 is the skinniest tire we can run and still maintain about 32" diameter. There are 215's, but they are 29"
As long as the wheel is 5x120, with approx 5" of backspacing, will any wheel work? That would widen my search quite a bit.
Should I shoot for 6 or 6.5" rims? I understand that limits tire options, but if I ever wanted to go 255, I would need 8" rims anyway.
Did more looking into the TF beadlocks. Essentially, the actual beadlocks are an addon. By default, they're regular 16x7 wheels. If you add the beadlocks then it turns into a 16x8 wheel. They're also only about $170 shipped each, from LRdirect.com
The "rare G4" wheels that TRIARII has are pretty sweet. Found em used online for about $119 each. Leaning towards this option.
Any other options that I am missing?
Last edited by Jeff Blake; 12-31-2016 at 08:09 PM.
I may be wrong Jeff, but what you are looking for in tire sizes was at one time quite common but now seems to have become rare(ish). The 7.50x16 typical LR tyre was used frequently by the military and agriculture, I even used them on my Series 2A when heavy duty radial tyres were, back then, too expensive. If you know of a good military tire supplier or agricultural supplier they may have a regular supply.
Jeff, I believe we are at cross purposes, 7.50x16 tires are cross ply tires and are relatively ancient history these days whereas wheels are still measured in inches hence the Paddock
7x16 wheels advertised. Most rim and tire diameters, even French and European , are still measured in inches imperial, hence 235 75 R16, the R16 being 16 inch diameter.
Typically, it blows their tiny here when my tires are US sizes 31 10.5 R15 on the old Pajero, duh, there are lots of shrugs, sharp intakes of breath and head shaking when the see them Interestingly the Germans and French offroaders are far more switched on and know these things but the locals are still living in the 19th or 20th century.
Just to confuse things even more they still use NPT and BSP pipe thread sizes on many types of fittings.
12-31-2016, 02:24 PM
Wheel options for 235/85R16 or 7.5x16?
Cheap, too.
, are still measured in inches imperial, hence 235 75 R16, the R16 being 16 inch diameter.