By MA on Monday, April 09, 2001 - 01:15 pm: Edit

I am in the process of getting a Rovertym 2" lift on my Disco. I want to get an early start to find out which tire size I should use. I know that I will order the American Racing 16" wheels(4.25" back-spacing) with whichever tire I select. I will probably get some BFGoodrich Trac Edge tires(is this a good tire?). What tire size should I run? I want something stable for on-road use, and something stable for off-road use as well. I will spend most of my time on-road, so I don't want the power to plunge down. Which one should I pick?

By pk on Monday, April 09, 2001 - 01:23 pm: Edit

Well,

You have a problem. I have the same RTE 2" lift and it rocks but 245/75/16 tires look silly and small under there. I tried 235/85/16s and it all works and looks great.

The power will plunge with either larger tire size, just a little more so with 238/85.

pk

By MA on Monday, April 09, 2001 - 01:52 pm: Edit

how was your turning radius affected? Do you have the stock alloys?

By Bob on Monday, April 09, 2001 - 01:54 pm: Edit

O.K. I'm new here and I've read about the trimming part for 245/75-16's and understand it. How much different would you say the trimming is for 235/85's vs. 245/75's with a 2" lift. More, less, the same?

By pk on Tuesday, April 10, 2001 - 07:35 am: Edit

I do have stock alloys and I have no rubbing of the radius arms. I did not adjust the steering stops and the turning radius is unaffected. This is using 235/85/16 BFG MTs.

I understand that this is the exception rather than the rule so you might have to limit the turning radius a little.

pk

By pk on Tuesday, April 10, 2001 - 07:37 am: Edit

The trimming is about the same for 238/85s. It is a bigger diameter tire but also narrower so it rubs no worse under full sexy flexy.

pk

By Ron on Tuesday, April 10, 2001 - 07:45 am: Edit

Pk it is probably because you bump stops were set far out at the factory. We reset ours and gained 4 turns on one side and 1 on the other with 30in tires.

Ron

By pk on Tuesday, April 10, 2001 - 12:05 pm: Edit

I am sure you are correct.

pk

By MA on Tuesday, April 10, 2001 - 12:26 pm: Edit

if anybody has a pix of their Disco with 245/75-16 or 235/85-16, please send it to me. I want to see how small(or big) they look on a 2" lifted Disco.

By MA on Tuesday, April 10, 2001 - 12:28 pm: Edit

sorry....e-mail address is [email protected]

By Mike on Tuesday, April 10, 2001 - 03:04 pm: Edit

I would love to see the pictures as well. I also have the RoverTym 2" lift. I am debating between the 245/75/R16 and the 235/85/R16 sizes as well. My email address is [email protected].

Thanks,
Mike

By E Snyder on Tuesday, April 10, 2001 - 03:19 pm: Edit

Go with the 235/85s. I didn't, and have been kicking myself. I'm saving up to get some 750/16s as my second set. I bought trac-edges and love them. They are the best all-around, "fit and forget" tire going. The 245/75s I have required almost no trimming (just folded back the lip of the rear fender a bit) with the OME heavy duty kit (approx. 2 1/4" lift). I did cut away the lower bumper plastic at the front. The 245s look OK, but you will ALWAYS wish you had more height. Especially after the first time you have to high-lift yourself over something because your diff just didn't quite make it! You shouldn't need the special offset rims with either of these tires, although the turning radius definitely changed with the 245s.

By MA on Tuesday, April 10, 2001 - 04:26 pm: Edit

What kind of places can install the Rovertym lifts. I think that my local LR dealer will let me use their facilities, but I don't really trust myself. Would like a Midas be able to do it?

By Slider on Tuesday, April 10, 2001 - 04:49 pm: Edit

Where are you MA...I know several in CT...

By MA on Wednesday, April 11, 2001 - 02:59 am: Edit

TX, but I will drive to NM,CO,OK.

By Ron on Wednesday, April 11, 2001 - 03:18 am: Edit

Any garage can install a rovertym lift. They really don't even have to have ever seen a rover before. Any place that does Early Broncos would be ideal as the suspension is the same. There are a lot of rover people in your area maybe join a club and see if someone wants to help you do it.

Ron

By Bill Gill (Bluegill) on Wednesday, April 11, 2001 - 06:15 am: Edit

OME HD-F/MD-R springs & shocks with 245/70/16's with 20,000 miles on the tires (tread about 1/2 worn away). I'm goin in for either 265/75, 235/85, or 245/75 today...we'll see what I end up with.

By Ron on Wednesday, April 11, 2001 - 07:03 am: Edit

For pics look in the photo gallery.

Ron

Can't help as we have punny 30in tires but the tread kicks a** I don't think they look small though

By nadim on Wednesday, April 11, 2001 - 07:22 am: Edit

go with the 265/80 TSLs!...or the 255/85 BFG MTs!

By MA on Wednesday, April 11, 2001 - 10:59 am: Edit

how old do you have to be to join a rover club? where can i get information to join one?

By Ron on Wednesday, April 11, 2001 - 11:10 am: Edit

How old do you have to be? I would say 16 or whatever driving age I guess although I have met some people who are younger who know a lot about rovers and have been active in clubs as far as working on trucks and whatnot. Clubs vary a lot. Some are really serious, others are just a way of meeting other rovers to go four wheeling with. If you are mature enough no one is going to care about your chronilogical age. I think there are some clubs in your area, RoversNorth has a list or I am sure the local dealer would probably know about ones in the area.

Ron

PS a lot of "rover" people are actually quite young and I find the general nature of rover people to be good and very accepting so I think you will be fine, in the clubs I belong to even people in high school are accepted without a problem and there will always be a cross over if you are young enough with members children.

By Chris on Wednesday, April 11, 2001 - 11:11 am: Edit

MA--

Where in Texas do you live? I know there are a few clubs in Texas such as Texas Rovers (DFW area), or the Houston Land Rover Club.

Chris Condon
(I'm in Ft. Worth)

By nadim on Wednesday, April 11, 2001 - 11:16 am: Edit

MA

I have to insist that you get 2 sets of tires!
TSLs and road tires!
i know that money talks...but if there is a will, there is a way!

By Bill Gill (Bluegill) on Wednesday, April 11, 2001 - 11:28 am: Edit

Just dropped the beast off at the tire shop - went with 245/75/16 Big O Big Foot XT's. The 265's were wayyyyyy too big. 265 will "fit" under fender and are OK on-road, but I need them to stuff all the way without cutting rubber or mashing sheet metal. I don't want to chop the hell out of fenders and limit steering - might get away with no chopping on these 245's. 235/85's would be OK, but I really want those extra 10mm of width out here in the gravel and rocks. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

As far as age for joining a Rover club goes - I don't think it's important at all, especially since we all act like we're 10 years old when we get our toys out in the dirt. My wife and I and our 5 month old daughter all belong to Arizona Land Rover Owners Association.

By MA on Wednesday, April 11, 2001 - 11:37 am: Edit

Ron: I am a 16 year old kid who happens to have a Disco, i don't know that much though.
Chris: I live in Amarillo. Not that much Disco
freaks up here. Do you have the # to any of those that you mentioned?
Nadim: I found a job at my local LR dealer!! if I have enough money, i will get some super swampers.
Bill Gill: i'm looking forward to seeing those pictures.

By nadim on Wednesday, April 11, 2001 - 12:23 pm: Edit

swampers are cheaper than BFG!at least in the US...

By Bill Gill (Bluegill) on Thursday, April 12, 2001 - 03:51 pm: Edit

Here's the new shoes - Big O Big Foot XT 245/75/16 - tread is mid-way between an AT and an MT. 10-ply load range E @ 80psi (I'll run @ 40-50 on-road). 30.4in diam X 9.6in wide (~30 X 9.5). $158 each. I know that a lot of you probably never heard of Big O - they're only midwest and west coast. Tire construction is great, and no questions asked full replacement warranty can't be beat. I should get at least 50,000 miles out of 'em.

By Bill Gill (Bluegill) on Thursday, April 12, 2001 - 03:51 pm: Edit

Here's the new shoes - Big O Big Foot XT 245/75/16 - tread is mid-way between an AT and an MT. 10-ply load range E @ 80psi (I'll run @ 40-50 on-road). 30.4in diam X 9.6in wide (~30 X 9.5). $158 each. I know that a lot of you probably never heard of Big O - they're only midwest and west coast. Tire construction is great, and no questions asked full replacement warranty can't be beat. I should get at least 50,000 miles out of 'em.

By Milan on Thursday, April 12, 2001 - 06:31 pm: Edit

Looking good Bill! And being in the west I know Big O.

By Gabe R on Thursday, April 12, 2001 - 07:34 pm: Edit

I'm running Trac Edge 235/85/16 and will go for the 245/75/16.... Maybe even 33s on the next go-round. I love my tires though, but I'd like to know what the advantage of having a little more width would be. I ponder about this when mud-slinging. Since I've had my tires, I've only been stuck twice. Part due to ongoing learning and part due to the tires and a Detroit in the rear... and the lift... and the... you get the idea. Check out the picture gallery for examples of what different people are running on their Rovers.

By Dulles on Friday, April 13, 2001 - 04:26 am: Edit

Blue Gill;
Great looking doughnuts! Big O's wear great and grip good too. Another tire that I haven't seen too much on Discos but is a great tire that wears like iron and sticks GREAT is the Buckshot Mudder (radial or bias)

By Bill Gill (Bluegill) on Friday, April 13, 2001 - 05:48 am: Edit

I go for extra width because every little bit of grip helps on the rocks - obviously bigger footprint means more rubber on the rocks(especially when aired down). However, there's a trade-off with wide tires wandering all over the road. I tried on a 265, but it would have meant major surgery to the fenders, and big loss of steering radius. No conflicts at all with these 245's (and OME HD/MD lift). Here in Phoenix, the asphalt becomes viscous in the summer heat (110+), and the roads actually deform into ruts and the asphalt gets pushed-up from braking at stoplights. This makes quick-stopping for a yellow/red light an adventure with tall, heavy Disco and fat tires.

Also, 245's are 10-ply load range E (3,020 lbs) vs. 265 8-ply load range D (2,xxx lbs) - 245's are a much stronger tire.

Living in the desert, I'm not too concerned about mud and snow. Therefore, MT's weren't really even a consideration. Why sacrifice relatively quiet ride (these XT's are no louder than stock Michelins) and wet pavement traction for mud tread I'll rarely use? Of course, MT's look killer, but I'm more concerned with function over form. My two cents...

By Chris Browne on Friday, April 13, 2001 - 06:24 am: Edit

I run 750 R 16 Cooper STT equivalent of 235/85 16. I teetered between these and the 245/75. Have no hesitation about going with the 235/85.
Slower acceleration is pretty minor issue-my speedo is spot on with these tires.
I run them on 110 rims and have the RN 2 inch lift.
Go with the extra height-you'll kick yourself if you don't at the first obstacle you can't get over
Chris Browne
Mass
BSROA member

By Courtney on Sunday, April 15, 2001 - 05:11 pm: Edit

Does anyone hav any thoughts about the Goodyear/Wrangler MT's 235/85/r16 with a RTE 2" lift for:
'98 Disco I
more on road than off-road, the on- road is mostly highway

Substantial decrease in power/performance on-road?

By Ron on Monday, April 16, 2001 - 04:18 am: Edit

That would be a really good set up. Make sure your get Goodyear MTR, Goodyear MT is not as great.

Ron

By Disco Infurno on Monday, April 16, 2001 - 01:12 pm: Edit

Would 265/75-16 BFG MT's fit on the same set-up with the backspaced GCR American Racing wheels?

By MA on Tuesday, April 17, 2001 - 02:58 am: Edit

Bill, has your power gone down at all with the 245/75-16 tires? That tire size looks really good on a 2" lifted Disco! Do you think that I should get the AR wheels with 4.25" back-spacing?

By Bill Gill (Bluegill) on Tuesday, April 17, 2001 - 05:50 am: Edit

MA: no sense of power loss or wacked-out speedo. Then again, I'd been running 245/70/16's for two years before these 245/75's, so there wasn't much difference in diameter (about 2" total difference - 28" vs. 30.4").

I think that the AR wheels are pretty nice (and cheap), but the stock alloys are nice too. If you really want aggressive swampers, then you might want two sets of wheels - one for road (alloys), and one for the mud (AR steel). All else being equal, I think the alloys are a much better wheel, so I'm keeping mine on. The backspacing would be nice for wider tires, though...but then again, there's always wheel spacers for the stock alloys!

By MA on Tuesday, April 17, 2001 - 01:48 pm: Edit

Do you think that i should get the front radius arms from Rovertym or the front castor correction from OME for my Rovertym 2" lift. Does it really make a difference?

By Ron on Wednesday, April 18, 2001 - 03:14 am: Edit

depends, if it handle like crap it will help, otherwise don't worry about it. Lift it then decide.

Ron

By MA on Wednesday, April 18, 2001 - 12:00 pm: Edit

if i do get vibrations in the front of the car, what should i do?(i don't feel like spending a lot of $ on a new drive shaft). Would the castor correction help here?

By Bill B on Thursday, April 19, 2001 - 06:26 am: Edit

See other recent thread (ARB castor correction)on this subject - handling and driveline vibtrations are two seperate issues.