Freelander 1 Bigger tyres! (?)

Andy Moor · Aug 21, 2017

Hello!

How can I achieve bigger tyres on my Freelander?
What's the largest safe diameter of wheel/tyre that will allow enough clearance for use? Or is there such thing as "low profile fenders/lower body trim" to allow more clearance? I would essentially like my wheels to be bigger in general, since I think the usual size look a bit dinky.

You probably missed my introductory post, so a quick summary. I'm a fun-loving driver. I'm not clued up on many aspects of cars, I ask this questions to achieve a purely aesthetic goal. However, obviously any insight into the negative aspects of this change would be more than welcomed, because it's all about learning!

Thanks in advance for your help

Nodge68 · Aug 21, 2017

It depends on what wheels you have. But 28.5" and a width of 225 is about as large as you can go without problems.

freelance · Aug 21, 2017

The bigger you go the more underpowered it will seem, all that extra torque going thro drivetrain is asking for things to go bang !

Andy Moor · Aug 21, 2017

freelance said:
The bigger you go the more underpowered it will seem, all that extra torque going thro drivetrain is asking for things to go bang !

Thanks for the heads up. Can we counter that with using smaller alloys? I'm not sure which is heavier, tyre or alloy.

Nodge68 said:
It depends on what wheels you have. But 28.5" and a width of 225 is about as large as you can go without problems.

I have 16 inch alloys at the moment. What do you reckon the max profile would be safe?

Nodge68 · Aug 22, 2017

Andy Moor said:
Thanks for the heads up. Can we counter that with using smaller alloys? I'm not sure which is heavier, tyre or alloy.

I have 16 inch alloys at the moment. What do you reckon the max profile would be safe?

225/65/16 should fit ok. You have to ask yourself the question. Why do you want larger tyres?

FlatbedPilot · Aug 22, 2017

Nodge68 said:
225/65/16 should fit ok. You have to ask yourself the question. Why do you want larger tyres?

In his OP he says "the usual size look a bit dinky" and "to achieve a purely aesthetic goal" so I guess he just wants it to look meaner, or cooler.

Andy, try a Google image search for "Muddy Mods Freelander". I think you'll like how they look. I know I do.

Andy Moor · Aug 22, 2017

Nodge68 said:
225/65/16 should fit ok. You have to ask yourself the question. Why do you want larger tyres?

In my post, I mention that it's purely aesthetic however, I also need to be more aware of the issues it can cause, which so far everyone is helping me understand what can go wrong if I'm not careful.

DefenderPilot said:
In his OP he says "the usual size look a bit dinky" and "to achieve a purely aesthetic goal" so I guess he just wants it to look meaner, or cooler.

Andy, try a Google image search for "Muddy Mods Freelander". I think you'll like how they look. I know I do.

Just looked that up. Absolutely spectacular stuff, I don't know why they didn't appear on my last search results!

Also, I was wrong, my alloys are 17 inch. Would a set of 245/65/R17 be alright? (245/55 R17 are on the vehicle currently)

Nodge68 · Aug 22, 2017

Andy Moor said:
In my post, I mention that it's purely aesthetic however, I also need to be more aware of the issues it can cause, which so far everyone is helping me understand what can go wrong if I'm not careful.

Just looked that up. Absolutely spectacular stuff, I don't know why they didn't appear on my last search results!

Also, I was wrong, my alloys are 17 inch. Would a set of 245/65/R17 be alright? (245/55 R17 are on the vehicle currently)

245/65/17 won't fit without spacers added to the hubs.
My 225/60/17 Maxxis Bravo ATs only give about 6mm of clearance between the tyre wall and strut tube and about the same 6mm between the tread and spring cup. They also rub on the arch liner on full lock.
So a 245/65/17 will rub both the strut tube and spring cup. This is dependent on the actual tyres fitted as physical sizes vary between manufacturers and tyre types.

Andy Moor · Aug 22, 2017

Nodge68 said:
245/65/17 won't fit without spacers added to the hubs.
My 225/60/17 Maxxis Bravo ATs only give about 6mm of clearance between the tyre wall and strut tube and about the same 6mm between the tread and spring cup. They also rub on the arch liner on full lock.
So a 245/65/17 will rub both the strut tube and spring cup. This is dependent on the actual tyres fitted as physical sizes vary between manufacturers and tyre types.

Thank you very much. I saw spacers on Muddy Mods, which would be a welcome addition if they help. Worst case scenario is that I resell these tyres that I am picking up if I end up having issues. They're so cheap that I could easily make my money back with extra.

The good news is that I'm not tackling this alone. I've got 2 friends with vehicle tech experience and qualifications willing to guide me through all of this, and then I've got Landy experts on hand via these forums!

hd3 · Aug 22, 2017

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/tyre-size-pictures.267455/

http://www.willtheyfit.com

google search "tyre calculator" for other sites

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

julianf · Aug 22, 2017

Andy Moor said:
Thanks for the heads up. Can we counter that with using smaller alloys? I'm not sure which is heavier, tyre or alloy.

Im under the impression that it is not inertia presented by the mass of the wheel, but the change in gearing presented by the larger diameter.

I cant remember the physics, but obviously the energy along the chain is the same for given output, but the points in the chain that suffer the torque change if you change where (in the chain) the gearing is done.

That said, when people started fitting mog wheels to 101s years back, there was a lot of "it will turn your 101 into a ball of twisted metal", but plenty of people drove around africa on them, so there is thoery and there is practice.

Maybe (i dont have a freelander) find out what parts break, and what sort of money they are when they do break, and then see what you think of the risk / reward ratio?

Nodge68 · Aug 22, 2017

julianf said:
Im under the impression that it is not inertia presented by the mass of the wheel, but the change in gearing presented by the larger diameter.

I cant remember the physics, but obviously the energy along the chain is the same for given output, but the points in the chain that suffer the torque change if you change where (in the chain) the gearing is done.

That said, when people started fitting mog wheels to 101s years back, there was a lot of "it will turn your 101 into a ball of twisted metal", but plenty of people drove around africa on them, so there is thoery and there is practice.

Maybe (i dont have a freelander) find out what parts break, and what sort of money they are when they do break, and then see what you think of the risk / reward ratio?

Correct. It's the increased gearing that can cause issues. Particularly with a manual gearbox. Auto boxes cope better with high gear ratios.

Freelander 1 Bigger tyres! (?)

Andy Moor

New Member

Nodge68

Well-Known Member

freelance

Well-Known Member

Andy Moor

New Member

Nodge68

Well-Known Member

FlatbedPilot

Well-Known Member

Andy Moor

New Member

Nodge68

Well-Known Member

Andy Moor

New Member

hd3

Well-Known Member

julianf

Well-Known Member

Nodge68

Well-Known Member

Similar threads