Defender wheel/tyres
Discussion
Dear all - Im just about to take the plunge and join the Landy fold for the first time....
I think Ive found a tidy 1988 2.5 3dr with only one thing Im concerned about .... the wheels and tyres look pretty small on her - can someone tell me what the standard wheel/tyres would be ? and what is the best combination to go for if not already fitted ?
I will not be going off road too much - but may need to cover some rough ground on occasion , but it will mainly be used for a 20 mile daily trip to work and some weekend pottering , oh and the occasional camping, B+B trip down to Cornawall...
Many thanks
I think Ive found a tidy 1988 2.5 3dr with only one thing Im concerned about .... the wheels and tyres look pretty small on her - can someone tell me what the standard wheel/tyres would be ? and what is the best combination to go for if not already fitted ?
I will not be going off road too much - but may need to cover some rough ground on occasion , but it will mainly be used for a 20 mile daily trip to work and some weekend pottering , oh and the occasional camping, B+B trip down to Cornawall...
Many thanks
Rugbyman said:
Dear all - Im just about to take the plunge and join the Landy fold for the first time....
I think Ive found a tidy 1988 2.5 3dr with only one thing Im concerned about .... the wheels and tyres look pretty small on her - can someone tell me what the standard wheel/tyres would be ? and what is the best combination to go for if not already fitted ?
I will not be going off road too much - but may need to cover some rough ground on occasion , but it will mainly be used for a 20 mile daily trip to work and some weekend pottering , oh and the occasional camping, B+B trip down to Cornawall...
Many thanks
1988 will make it a Ninety, rather than a Defender, as the Defender branding wasn't used until the early 1990's when the 200Tdi 90 was launched.I think Ive found a tidy 1988 2.5 3dr with only one thing Im concerned about .... the wheels and tyres look pretty small on her - can someone tell me what the standard wheel/tyres would be ? and what is the best combination to go for if not already fitted ?
I will not be going off road too much - but may need to cover some rough ground on occasion , but it will mainly be used for a 20 mile daily trip to work and some weekend pottering , oh and the occasional camping, B+B trip down to Cornawall...
Many thanks
Tyres would likely be some 205's, but LR might have fitted 7.50's.
There is a lot of choice if you want bigger tyres. 7.50's are a direct fit, a similar size and more choice will be a 235/85R16.
If you want chunkier then a 265/75R16 is about the same higher but wider.
Many other sizes can and do fit, but these are the most popular ones. You might be able to retain the standard rims, but you might need wider ones and with different offsets. Steel rims can be had from £30-50 each new. Alloys more money.
As for tyres, there are loads of mild AT's that are M&S rated which would probably be fine. Or if you aren't for racing it about, you could probably run some winter biased tyres all year round on it for maximum performance in snow and colder conditions.
Tyres should range from about £80-140 a corner.
Rugbyman said:
Many thanks for the reply ....my learning curve is vertical right now and your reply has been really helpful
This one has the 'Defender' logo diagonally across the doors - does this not a defender make ( Yoda voice off ) ?
Sounds like it's had some stickers added later in it's life.This one has the 'Defender' logo diagonally across the doors - does this not a defender make ( Yoda voice off ) ?
Anyhow I'm only splitting hairs, many consider all of these vehicles to be Defenders. But the name wasn't used until 1991'ish.
Original period door stickers would have been this:
Or if County spec might have said county.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
This is the vehicle in question - looks like its a 90 with a Landy 200Tdi fitted after TD5 let go .....( nothing unusual Im told ) ?
Its a county look alike .....are thise county wheels with road tyres ( looks too small for the arches to me ) or maybe its been lifted ?
It does has a whine from front o/s increasing with speed so pehaps a wheel bearing ? is this common and is it a fairly easy fix ...?
Sorry for all the questions , Im new to Landy world ...just want to get it right
So what do you guys think ?
This is the vehicle in question - looks like its a 90 with a Landy 200Tdi fitted after TD5 let go .....( nothing unusual Im told ) ?
Its a county look alike .....are thise county wheels with road tyres ( looks too small for the arches to me ) or maybe its been lifted ?
It does has a whine from front o/s increasing with speed so pehaps a wheel bearing ? is this common and is it a fairly easy fix ...?
Sorry for all the questions , Im new to Landy world ...just want to get it right
So what do you guys think ?
It doesn't look lifted. Rims look like painted Range Rover rims, but the pics aren't very clear.
Sadly with these you need to crawl under and check out the chassis and other areas. That's the key to buying them.
A whining from the front doesn't sound like a wheel bearing to me. Are you sure it's not the turbo you can hear or some other wind noise, maybe the snorkel?
Sadly with these you need to crawl under and check out the chassis and other areas. That's the key to buying them.
A whining from the front doesn't sound like a wheel bearing to me. Are you sure it's not the turbo you can hear or some other wind noise, maybe the snorkel?
In fact you can listen to the whine as the trader has posted a video on his website of him driving thr car ....looks like a very professional site and dealer .....I know its a big ask but if you do have a min can you have a look for me and see what you think ? ( cheeky I know but if you don't ask............. )
Many thanks
Many thanks
Rugbyman said:
Any obvious areas Im looking for as I crawl ?
Loads... There are soooo many nooks & crannies on the Defender chassis, it traps mud, salt & water in all sorts of places.Have a general look for rust but the main locations are the rear chassis cross member (if it is covered in chequer plate, run away!) & bulkhead. Check the top of the chassis rails... Front end of the chassis... Bulkhead (mainly in the corners by the door hinge). Also check the condition of the brake lines. They run along the top of the chassis rails and can rot if left covered mud & s
t.That's just the chassis...
Suspension, bushes, steering, oils, etc...
M
I'll try and take a look/listen to the vid for you.
The rear cross member (rear bumper bit) is prone to rust. Check from inside the rear wheel arches looking at the inside of the cross member.
Remember they will all rust, but every bit is repairable. But it makes sense to buy a solid one. Oily bits like axles and gearboxes are easy to replace, but major chassis repairs require a lot more labour and can be pricey. To this end, most/many Defenders will have had some welding in their lifetime, I wouldn't worry about this, just check condition and make sure it's currently solid.
The main chassis rails as they bend up over the rear axle are another common area, you really need to check both sides of the rail, so the outter side you can check from the wheel arch, but the inner side you'll need to crawl under and look up above the axle.
Front body outriggers are another common area, although easier to fix.
The bulk head itself can rust too, although it looks ok in the pics. They rust about inline with where the door mirror is.
I would also pull up the floor mats and check the footwells and battery box (under the passenger seat).
I honestly would expect some rust, so don't be put off if it's not like new. Just make sure it's not a wreck.
A small hammer, screw driver or magnet can be handy to check some of these areas, or just use your best judgement.
All of the body panels are Birmabright, which is an aluminium alloy. These won't rust, although they can degrade and become brittle. That said, Defenders aren't prone to this. Door bottoms can corrode due to the steel frame, so check along the bottom edge. Again it's common for some corrosion here, but if they are really tatty, be warned replacement doors will set you back £300-400 a side!!
The rear cross member (rear bumper bit) is prone to rust. Check from inside the rear wheel arches looking at the inside of the cross member.
Remember they will all rust, but every bit is repairable. But it makes sense to buy a solid one. Oily bits like axles and gearboxes are easy to replace, but major chassis repairs require a lot more labour and can be pricey. To this end, most/many Defenders will have had some welding in their lifetime, I wouldn't worry about this, just check condition and make sure it's currently solid.
The main chassis rails as they bend up over the rear axle are another common area, you really need to check both sides of the rail, so the outter side you can check from the wheel arch, but the inner side you'll need to crawl under and look up above the axle.
Front body outriggers are another common area, although easier to fix.
The bulk head itself can rust too, although it looks ok in the pics. They rust about inline with where the door mirror is.
I would also pull up the floor mats and check the footwells and battery box (under the passenger seat).
I honestly would expect some rust, so don't be put off if it's not like new. Just make sure it's not a wreck.
A small hammer, screw driver or magnet can be handy to check some of these areas, or just use your best judgement.
All of the body panels are Birmabright, which is an aluminium alloy. These won't rust, although they can degrade and become brittle. That said, Defenders aren't prone to this. Door bottoms can corrode due to the steel frame, so check along the bottom edge. Again it's common for some corrosion here, but if they are really tatty, be warned replacement doors will set you back £300-400 a side!!
camel_landy said:
Loads... There are soooo many nooks & crannies on the Defender chassis, it traps mud, salt & water in all sorts of places.
Have a general look for rust but the main locations are the rear chassis cross member (if it is covered in chequer plate, run away!) & bulkhead. Check the top of the chassis rails... Front end of the chassis... Bulkhead (mainly in the corners by the door hinge). Also check the condition of the brake lines. They run along the top of the chassis rails and can rot if left covered mud & st.
That's just the chassis...
Suspension, bushes, steering, oils, etc...
M
Great info many thanks - I will take a torch and something to poke with .......Have a general look for rust but the main locations are the rear chassis cross member (if it is covered in chequer plate, run away!) & bulkhead. Check the top of the chassis rails... Front end of the chassis... Bulkhead (mainly in the corners by the door hinge). Also check the condition of the brake lines. They run along the top of the chassis rails and can rot if left covered mud & s
t.That's just the chassis...
Suspension, bushes, steering, oils, etc...
M
If all looks pretty sound .....does the price sound about right ? ( very hard without seeing I know ).....
and one more question ....is this model a good intro into Landy ownership ?
again, many thanks for any advice ......
300bhp/ton said:
I'll try and take a look/listen to the vid for you.
The rear cross member (rear bumper bit) is prone to rust. Check from inside the rear wheel arches looking at the inside of the cross member.
Remember they will all rust, but every bit is repairable. But it makes sense to buy a solid one. Oily bits like axles and gearboxes are easy to replace, but major chassis repairs require a lot more labour and can be pricey. To this end, most/many Defenders will have had some welding in their lifetime, I wouldn't worry about this, just check condition and make sure it's currently solid.
The main chassis rails as they bend up over the rear axle are another common area, you really need to check both sides of the rail, so the outter side you can check from the wheel arch, but the inner side you'll need to crawl under and look up above the axle.
Front body outriggers are another common area, although easier to fix.
The bulk head itself can rust too, although it looks ok in the pics. They rust about inline with where the door mirror is.
I would also pull up the floor mats and check the footwells and battery box (under the passenger seat).
I honestly would expect some rust, so don't be put off if it's not like new. Just make sure it's not a wreck.
A small hammer, screw driver or magnet can be handy to check some of these areas, or just use your best judgement.
All of the body panels are Birmabright, which is an aluminium alloy. These won't rust, although they can degrade and become brittle. That said, Defenders aren't prone to this. Door bottoms can corrode due to the steel frame, so check along the bottom edge. Again it's common for some corrosion here, but if they are really tatty, be warned replacement doors will set you back £300-400 a side!!
That's great advice .....thank you so much for your help / advice ....it is pricelessThe rear cross member (rear bumper bit) is prone to rust. Check from inside the rear wheel arches looking at the inside of the cross member.
Remember they will all rust, but every bit is repairable. But it makes sense to buy a solid one. Oily bits like axles and gearboxes are easy to replace, but major chassis repairs require a lot more labour and can be pricey. To this end, most/many Defenders will have had some welding in their lifetime, I wouldn't worry about this, just check condition and make sure it's currently solid.
The main chassis rails as they bend up over the rear axle are another common area, you really need to check both sides of the rail, so the outter side you can check from the wheel arch, but the inner side you'll need to crawl under and look up above the axle.
Front body outriggers are another common area, although easier to fix.
The bulk head itself can rust too, although it looks ok in the pics. They rust about inline with where the door mirror is.
I would also pull up the floor mats and check the footwells and battery box (under the passenger seat).
I honestly would expect some rust, so don't be put off if it's not like new. Just make sure it's not a wreck.
A small hammer, screw driver or magnet can be handy to check some of these areas, or just use your best judgement.
All of the body panels are Birmabright, which is an aluminium alloy. These won't rust, although they can degrade and become brittle. That said, Defenders aren't prone to this. Door bottoms can corrode due to the steel frame, so check along the bottom edge. Again it's common for some corrosion here, but if they are really tatty, be warned replacement doors will set you back £300-400 a side!!
Rugbyman said:
This is the vehicle in question - looks like its a 90 with a Landy 200Tdi fitted after TD5 let go .....( nothing unusual Im told ) ?
I'm relatively new to Land Rovers but I'm fairly certain it wouldn't have been a TD5 in 1988...Edit to fix formatting
Edited by Nick1point9 on Thursday 7th November 11:21
Nick1point9]ugbyman said:
This is the vehicle in question - looks like its a 90 with a Landy 200Tdi fitted after TD5 let go .....( nothing unusual Im told ) ?
quote]
I'm relatively new to Land Rovers but I'm fairly certain it wouldn't have been a TD5 in 1988...
Im sure you are right Nick...Im brand new to this and learning fast .....many thanksquote]
I'm relatively new to Land Rovers but I'm fairly certain it wouldn't have been a TD5 in 1988...
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