New to this so be gentle.

I could do with some advice regarding some off road mods I'm carrying out on my RRS Supercharged.

I've fitted a set of adjustable Johnson rods which give me 50mm lift in preparation to fit a set of Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac 255/65/r19s on Disco 3 rims, I've done a little bit of homework and everything should fit with a little bit of clearance.

Has anyone fitted this wheel / tyre combination ?
What will the larger sidewall drive like on tarmac ?
I have the option of the same tyre at 255/55 but think the 255/65 with more rubber on the sidewall will perform better off road and look better, would I be right ?

Thanks in advance , Rob.

I have driven 255 55 19’s Duratracs on and off road with no problems or adjustments at all and was just fine..

I think 255/65/19 wont go on without rubbing and catching at full articulations.

Not seen anyone fit that size on a Disco 3 over on the other forums so cant really say 2003 BMW M5 - 5 Litres of V8 Optimax Slurping Goodness in Carbon Black

2013 SDV6 HSE Black Edition- Orkney Grey with Ebony & Ivory. LR Facelift RAI, Genuine G4 Expedition Rack, 4x Warn SBD-160 Spotlights, Warn 9.5XPS Winch, Mantec Underbody Protection and Sump Guard, Full Easy Lift Suspension Module, LR Light Guards, Light Force HTX230 Hybrid spotlights, 18” Compomotive PD1881 on 265/65/18 BF Goodrich KO2, ARB fridge, TuffTrek awning 😎

The cars a RRS it's only the 19in rims that are from a disco 3

I think the 255/55/19, are the standard winter tyre size and come in at 30in total diameter and the 255/65/19 are 2in bigger at 32in hence the 2in lift.
The 2in lift covers the height and measuring everything I can measure the slightly narrower tyre 255 to 275 and narrower rim width on the disco wheels should fit without rubbing , can't be sure at full articulation thats something I was hoping someone would have some first hand experience of.

255/55/19 was never a standard RRS size at all. Only the G4s had that size. Standard size is 255/50/19. 255/55/19 was the size on the Disco.

Having said that, I've been running 255/55/19 for years, on my old TDV8 and my current SDV6, and they're fine - no rubbing etc. Adding an extra inch to the side wall might take them close to the arches at certain positions, however.

Have you checked that the D3 wheel will fit over the brakes? Not all 19s will.

If you're going to run with a 2in lift all the time, get the alignment checked. The camber changes with ride height, as does the wheelbase slightly. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

I'm running 275/55R20s which are minimally smaller than the 255/65/19s.

From experience I have no issues with lock. However, even with a 15mm lift I do get rub on the front of the rear wheel arch under articulation. However, as you're going +50mm I'm not sure how you'll fair.

All in all for what I do (beach, wadis) I have no issues with the size.

Here's a link to the Johnson Rods tire size chart for LR3/4s, they even say 285/55R20s or 265/60R20s fit but I won't try that on a Sport.

http://johnsonrods.com/johnson_rods_2_004.htm

Hope that helps. 2006 RRS S/C CONSTANTLY under modification...
1994 RRC 4.2l not LSE sadly gone but not forgotten
LR Defender 300Tdi - affectionately know as "The Black Beast"

Glad to hear I'm on the right track, I didn't think I would have problem with the back I've been so fixated on the front, i'll get the tape out and double check . With the 50mm lift engaged everything seems to be ok with the 32in wheels but its great to hear from someone with first hand experience.

If I was wanting to build an RRS for predominantly off road use, I'd go with 18 inch rims and BF Goodrich KO2 in 265/60/18.

Click image to enlarge

Tried and failed to go down the 18in rim route.
I can fit refurbed 19in rims and Duratrac tyres for less than 1k, I can't find 18in rims to fit over the the Brembos for anywhere near that.

Another option would be to stick with 20s and use the 275/55R20s I have. They are a number of options available including the KO2.

You'd loose approx 12mm in sidewall, or 7.5% but it's still a decent depth at 150mm.

But I think you really need to approach it from another angle. What are you predominantly using the car for? Based on your location I'm guessing most of the off roading will be mud and ruts/ rocks or hard pack surfaces? Not so much soft loamy or sandy soils? Then assuming there's hard pack under the mud a taller narrower tyre could be beneficial.

However, also consider how much on road and snow driving you will do on these tyres. Deep snow again lends itself to tall and narrow.

I chose 275/55R20s as firstly they were known to fit And secondly because they allow for airing down on sand but still comfortably manage the rocks in wadis (dried out river beds) and everything between. No mud here.

I then selected the Mastercraft Courser AXT as I felt the BFG KO2 ultimately too aggressive for the roads, EG noisier. Also the AXT had a higher speed rating which combined with the same heat index (B) meant it was better suited to higher speed long distance driving where outside temperatures are often in the 40C and above.

That being said I am now considering Black Bear AT2s which are basically a clone of the KO2s now that my driving has reduced to just a short commute with more time spent off road.

Cheers

Guy 2006 RRS S/C CONSTANTLY under modification...
1994 RRC 4.2l not LSE sadly gone but not forgotten
LR Defender 300Tdi - affectionately know as "The Black Beast"

Thanks for that,

Most of my off road driving will be peat bog and mud with a few forest tracks.
I think i've decided on the 255/65/19 Duratracs mainly because of the sidewall depth to help on the soft terrain and they have 16/32in tread new and good reviews
If they dont work out i'll put the 255/55/19s on and someone will get a cheap set of tyres .

robtheranter wrote:

Tried and failed to go down the 18in rim route.
I can fit refurbed 19in rims and Duratrac tyres for less than 1k, I can't find 18in rims to fit over the the Brembos for anywhere near that.

Tried the car with the 50mm lift for a couple of weeks with the original 20" wheels and 275/40s just to see if it was ok and I can honestly say it feels awful.
I can't believe the difference, it wallows and rolls like the old Range Rovers, it feels unsafe at the speed limit, I don't want to find out how it drives with the taller side walls of the 255/65/19s
The Johnson rods are getting set back to RR factory settings and the 255/55/19s are going on.

Thanks folks for all your help and suggestions.

Good combination of 255/55/19. Have run the same set of Duratracs for the last 35K miles. All down to around 5mm now with regular rotations front to back and i have noticed they are starting to wear alot faster now so i will change them all before Winter arrives. In that time i have had one puncture.
They have been used in every terrain from deep mud to sharp rocks, i have heard reports of people ripping sidewalls on sharp rocks and flints but i have been extremely lucky i think as i have managed to avoid it.

If you still want to be able to dial in extra height on the suspension ditch the Johnson rods and have a look at a company called Land Rover Passion. I run one of their suspension modules that allows you to have the extra lift at the twist of a button.  2003 BMW M5 - 5 Litres of V8 Optimax Slurping Goodness in Carbon Black

2013 SDV6 HSE Black Edition- Orkney Grey with Ebony & Ivory. LR Facelift RAI, Genuine G4 Expedition Rack, 4x Warn SBD-160 Spotlights, Warn 9.5XPS Winch, Mantec Underbody Protection and Sump Guard, Full Easy Lift Suspension Module, LR Light Guards, Light Force HTX230 Hybrid spotlights, 18” Compomotive PD1881 on 265/65/18 BF Goodrich KO2, ARB fridge, TuffTrek awning 😎