Land Rover Discovery 4 2012/13 models

Thank you, that's very helpful in assisting me with deciding whether to go for a 200 series LC or the Disco 4. Will be towing a camper trailer.

I don't know about Landrovers but I do know that I took my old front wheel drive Toyota Corolla up and down the Mereenie Loop road 5 or 6 times with one blown out tyre the only drama.

Cheers
Alan

Hi Folks I have a 2012 3.0lt Disco 4 HSE. Here are my recommendations from my experience

* Buy yourself ZU rims from the UK. Europrestige in Mulgrave NSW 2756 (02) 4577 9584 can get them for you for @$500 a pop. They are Dakar spec and rated to 1450kg and far exceed the specs of the GreenOval specs of @900kg. You can rely on then to get you all bolt ons I've mentioned here. Don't ever go out exploring on the 19" as you'll shred the rims from gravel on long corrugations like the Oodnatta Tk

* Slap on Maxxis BigHorn 275/65/R18

* Make sure the software code for the air suspension unit is up to date (as at 4 May 2013) or the safety built into the system will activate prematurely to drop your height when the compressor pump heats up.

* PSI engine management piggy back will give you 700+Nm of torque

* Economy @11.5-12L/100 depending on which tyres you're running on the day

* 120Lt Long Ranger fuel tank

* Front Runner spare wheel carrier and roof rack

* I have over 40K on the clock with no issues other than the air suspension mentioned earlier but no issues since then

Now you have a bulletproof truck

Enjoy

It's a huge issue all right. :-( Tata love the big rims and seem to be putting them on all Land Rovers. All the concept cars have them too. I don't think anyone goes off road at Land Rover anymore.

You can purchase 18" after market rims for the Disco 4. These rims are designed to rally standard and allow fitment of LT tyres for those who are doing more serious off road adventures.

I have a mate who bought a new D4 last year and it has 18" rims. It's a bit poor that you have to go after market to get them now. They wouldn't be cheap, that's for sure.

Of course if you are looking at a new D4 the standard wheel size is 19" but if you are after an older D4 with a 2.7 you will get better size options.

Hey Garry, you probably know I like Land Rovers...but I do worry about the direction they are moving in.

Gary I don't think the 2.7 is available now and hence no sub 19" options any more.

According to my friend who has a 3.0 ( and this has 'mate of mate' type accuracy, so is worth checking LOL) there are, or at least were, some after market 18" rims available from the UK but they had very tight clearance of about 1 mm to the callipers, and have been withdrawn from sale. I am just going by his comments after he researched 18" rims.

Bob E if you know where to get the after market 18" ones for the 3.0 he would be very interested. Can you please post a make, model and where to get them.

Mikehzz,

Yes and no - I have a 07 RRS and a much older vehicle and have had other Discos over the years. The RRS is certainly the most reliable vehicle I have owned but I do wonder the logic of some things - looks like they let the techno nerds loose in the design shed and somethings seem odd - like have the mid - ho spec radios integrated into the Canbus so the radio cannot be changed to an aftermarket model without loosing some functionality. However in other areas the design concepts like the suspension is magnificent.

BooBook - as I mentioned if looking at older D4s they will take 18" and maybe 17" but not sure.

18" rims for 3.0 D4s are available from a Landrover accessory specialist in Aust - while not the cheapest wheel they are still reasonable in price.

See this link for the rims GOE 18" Rims

Thanks for that Garry, I'll let my firend know, I am sure he will be pleased...until he sees the price LOL, at least he has an option now though.

Hi Boobook,

Check out the website www.greenoval experience to see availability of 18" rims.

Cheers
Bob

Bob, the only thing I can find on that site is a bunch of internet Ad referrals.

I think the site that Bob was trying to point you to is the same one as I gave you.

the home page is www.greenovalexperience.com

Green Oval Experience

Yes, thanks Gary. You are right.

The correct site is www.greenovalexperience.com
I had a space that was not required.

Thanks
Bob

Garrycol, I like that suspension option. It turns a negative into a positive. Cheap suspension upgrade too. Thanks

I went out on some tough tracks with a D4 with 19" rims today. He had General Grabber 255/55/19 AT's on and they were superb. He made a couple of lifted and locked Land Cruisers look 2nd rate...and that was their words not mine as he effortlessly crawled up a steep track that pulled them both up. All drivers very experienced. Those tyres around $270 each, pretty good for 19's and quite an aggresive pattern for an AT.

Mike, are you sure they are 19 inch? I was pretty sure General don't make a 19" AT. There is a 255/55R18 which isn't LT though.

I may be wrong but it would surprise me.

A passenger construction 55 profile tyre wouldn't "grab" me compared to a 70 profile muddy in rocky / muddy work I gotta say.

However can you point me to a website with it so I can refer it to my mate.

Thanks

Been available for nearly two years.

I can't find it on the Australian or US sites.

Here you go on fleabay

19" General Tire

I'm absolutely positive they were 19's. He bought them in Australia but told me he got the tyre place to ring Grabber head office in Melbourne. We had quite a long discussion about it as this thread was fresh in my mind.

About the low profile, I'm not a fan. But after seeing the big tyred Land Cruisers bouncing and spinning, kicking up dust, then conking out and then watching this D4 barely spin a wheel...we were all standing there scratching our heads in wonderment (if that's a word).
I would still be worried about pinching a sidewall in the outback with it though.

General Grabber and Coopers both have 19" tyres for the Disco 4 3.0ltr so it is not a great concern anymore. It no longer matters between Land Rover and Land Cruiser whichever one breaks down in the bush it will be a flat top tow either way, they are no longer user friendly.

Cheers
Merv

We are in Hawker tonight on our way home to Melbourne after completing the following in my 07 Disco Diesel -
1) Birdsville Track Inc Inside track to Birsdville
2) Simpson Desert -QAA - French Line - MT Dare
3) MT Dare to Alice on Binns Track (old Andado rd)
4) Alice to Ularu via Finke Gorge and Boggy Hole
5) Ularu to Alice via Loop rd
6) Alice to MT Dare via Old Ghan Track
7) MT Dare to Coober Pedy via.Oodnadatta
8) Coober Pedy to William Crk
9) William Crk to Hawker via Oodnadatta Track

We averaged 11.4lt per 100kms and used 75 lts across Simpson fully loaded and no issues carwise at all. The only issue we had was a flat on Loop rd, I am running 18s but would not again if possible as the largest I could run was a 265/60/!18 and got a few nicks on the alloys, next time I will get a set of 17 steel rims and run 275/70 ish.

I looked into updating to a D4 and yes the come out with 19s however you can put 18s on but only if you don't get the more powerful motor as they then upgrade the brakes and smllest you can run is 19s!

David

David, 18" Goe rims fit the high output diesel...just tested them on a friends high output SDV6 on MY13. Same as my MY12. Brakes are the same size as the low output...only the 2.7 had the smaller brake setup.

I run 285/60-18's.

After having a 100 series and a patrol, this is without any doubt the best 4WD I have owned. Simply no comparison.

Brett.....

Hi Folks I have a 2012 3.0lt Disco 4 HSE. Here are my recommendations from a experience

* Buy yourself ZU rims from the UK. Europrestige in Mulgrave NSW 2756 (02) 4577 9584 can get them for you for @$500 a pop. They are Dakar spec and rated to 1450kg and far exceed the specs of the GreenOval specs of @900kg

* Slap on Maxxis BigHorn 275/65/R18

* Make sure the software code for the air suspension unit is up to date (as at 4 May 2013) or the safety built into the system will activate prematurely to drop your height when the compressor pump heats up.

* PSI engine management piggy back will give you 700+Nm of torque
* Economy @11.5-12L/100 depending on which tyres you're running on the day

Now you have a bulletproof truck

Enjoy

G'day batwings,

With the ZU rims, I tried that size at the wa distributor in Malaga in May 2012....they did not fit, but they said that they did. I gather that they must have now changed them as they fit your 3 litre ?

I went with GOE rims. Load rating exceeds LR spec, so the higher spec made of the ZU did not help as the car can't take that rear wait anyway. GOE rims are 980 I think....I am pretty sure that's what is stamped on mine. They are also made by Dakar rally teams.....the wildcats use this brand but in different size of course. Pretty good calliper clearance too unlike what someone else stated.

Do you have much rubbing with the Maxxis.....other than just the front chassis rail ? I am very happy with my 285/60-18's. So far have given them a hiding and they keep bouncing back. The Maxxis would be outstanding.

Just had a service....might have to check the suspension issue (nothing on Topix about it), but other things can cause it to drop to bump stops, so emergency airup is handy. I have the new compressor AKM on my MY 12 (was lucky as they appear to have changed back again) and so far its never had an overheat issue, unlike what I have heard from the hitachi. Was not aware that if compressor got hot, that it dropped.

Had looked at the piggyback computers.....but she has enough torque for our heavy weight towing.

Brett...

Heh Batwings,

I just checked.....my GOE rims are rated at 950....30 kgs more than the factory rims,

I also had a look at the ZU rims.....just wondering if they have fixed the issue with adding a spacer to the wheel ? If so, looking at the previous offset would make them illegal...If thats what has occured. Can't confirm this through checking their site, but I would be checking if I was to purchase some extras spare for my camper trailer.......just to be sure, then you can satisfy my curiosity.

Brett....

Batwings....me again...sorry mate.

Offset is 36mm for these rims....just spoke to them.

They are not legal as maximum is 25mm....I believe.

Did they tell you about this ?

Regards,

Brett.....

Hi Brett thanks for the post.

The offset laws are based on the min/max track of manufacturer's spec and not each rim so a rim with offset of 36mm is still within these guidelines. Hope this helps.

25mm is the maximum offset on each side of my MY2012. That's the research I found when I looked into them May last year.....I don't accept what suppliers tell me.

I will find my correspondence with LR re maximum wheel track and post.

My GOE rims are 22mm offset each side. These ones are 36 mm each side according to the reseller you quoted.

I am in the insurance game so very paranoid about issues like this.

Brett....

Hi Brett I probably didn't explain myself all that well, was in a hurry

* Lets say factory spec for each rim is 25mm offset
* You then go out and buy a 36mm offset rim, that is a variance of 11mm.
* Law states the maximum offset allowed across the whole track of the vehicle is 25mm (not each rim) so you have offset by 2 x 11mm = 22mm which falls within the max allowed of the 25mm

Hope this helps