Wheels/tyres for Disco 2

[kzycnn]

All you guys that use your Series 2 Disco off the tarmac. What tyres do you use?

My Disco is used most days for work and it's taken out to play at weekends - mainly green laning. At the moment I have 255/55*19 Michelin All Terrains fitted to RR3 Vogue alloys. Whilst these tyres are excellent on the road and are quite quiet, when the surface is a bit sloppy they soon fill with mud and turn into slicks. Traction control goes bananas and I just sit there with the wheels spinning.

If I was to change, I see my options as going for Goodyear MTR (on the 19" rims) or swapping for some 16" rims and (probably) fitting BFG ATs. Wheels and tyres on each corner and a spare seem to be running at about £1000 (for the BFGs) so I looked at the GoodYears and was a bit surprised to find them costing about £190 each - in other words, the cost would be about the same just to replace the tyres.

This is serious money so It has to be the right decision.

What I haven't done is play about with tyre pressures. I'm running 28 psi at the front and 35 at the rear, which may be too high. Any thoughts on this? I thought maybe drop them by about 3 psi each but I don't want to under inflate and get wear problems.

One more thing to add to the equation - I damaged one tyre in Wales slipping off the side of a concealed rock. The side wall is damaged so this has had to be relegated to the spare. Doesn't say much about the strength of the Michelins.

The car has a small lift (about 1.5 - 2 inches), courtesy of OME springs/shock absorbers.

Sorry if this is a bit lengthy, thanks for any advice.

Tony

[Hightower]

Not sure why you would go from 19" AT/R's to 16" AT/R's (if you go with the BFG option) to be honest.

I used to run two sets of wheels, one with AT's on the other with Colway MT's.  Since getting a lift and my bigger BFG Muds, which are now on the car permanently, I've now got a redundant set of D2 wheels in the garage with 6 month old Goodyear Wrangler AT/R's on.  Tyres are 235/70R16's.  If you fancied them as a second set, let me know.  I'm sure we could do a deal on them  

[kzycnn]

Hightower

If I dropped to 16" wheels, I'd probably go for 265/75s.  I thought about BFG ATR because they are more aggressive than the Michelins I've got and would probably be a better all rounder than going for MTRs (or so I thought) as the car is used every day.  What I don't want to do is have two sets of wheels and be faced with the hassle of changing over each time.

You say you run on the muds all the time.  How do you get on with these as a 'road tyre'?

What style are your spare 16" wheels?

Tony

[Hightower]

Tony, I find the MT/R's fine for everyday use.  Mine are 265/75R16's and the only thing I had to do was wind my steering stops out a couple of turns so that they didn't catch on the radius arms.  Other than that, a perfect fit.  Just have to remember that the speedo is 10% out  

Pics of the spare wheels (sorry, don't know the style name) and what the car looks like with the big wheels (and OME lift)  below:

[chuggaman]

and simon pulled me out of the mud with ease :oops:


mike

[Spooky]

Here's a piccy of mine - also on 265/75-16 Mt-Rs, along with an OME lift ...

Sorry, no pics of it in 'action' yet.

[td5disco]

And here's a pick of mine with 255/85x16 BFG MTs  :D

[kzycnn]

Mark

I like those wheels you've got fitted.  Are they 'Mach5s'?  I didn't know they were available in a 'Disco2' fit.

All the cars look good on the larger wheels/tyres.  I'm also amazed how many run everyday on muds.

This is a picture of my car, as it stands with the 255/55x19

Tony

[td5disco]

I like those wheels you've got fitted.  Are they 'Mach5s'?  I didn't know they were available in a 'Disco2' fit.

Yes, they are Mach 5's

[Spooky]

Tony, what length is that Patriot rack?

[kzycnn]

Spooky

It's a 2.0 m rack but fitted with tourer legs which are a bit shorter than standard.

Tony