Patrol engine speed

Mate I think you have already answered your own question, but bigger tyres are going to be your cheapest option but your speedo will read slow.
Cheers Pete

Hi Stefan

Long advocated use of 255/85/16 (33.3in) tyres for Patrol as largest tyre without a wide tread, so don't suffer from problems associated with wides.

My 4800 GU is geared about the same as yours, you will notice less torque off the line and should have car tuned with those tyres already on.

Robin Miller

What you might need to remember is that the 2.8 is based on the skyline RB series of straight six petrol engines. They love revs and the 2.8 is humming very nicely at 3200 though it gets a bit strained at 140+ (3600rpm+) for highway running.
If they do run with less revs they do run alot rougher as they are not designed for it, hence no bottom end torque. If you do fit bigger tires this will affect the already strained clutch as there will be more revs off the line to get the big bus moving. I have 285/75/R16s on my 2.8 at the moment and with it fully loaded and towing my 16 foot boat it still will move of the line with no slipping of the clutch but do it slowly.

The 3.0l run a 4.3 diff ratio, the 4.2 n/a diesel had 4.11 and the 4.2 turbo 3.9's. All should fit as the diff assembly is the same. I have been thinking of doing a power-up for a while (2.75" Beaudesert S/S exhaust and Motsons Enhancer) to make them sandhills easier but $$$$$ and SWMBO .......... I do believe that Marks Adaptors have a kit to bring 5th gear to a 4.2lTD final drive ratio for those who have converted from the screamer to the truck motor. I do not see any problems with doing this to a 2.8 as there is bugger all difference between fifth and fourth anyway. This way you have the low gearing for off the line (the bottom end will improve very noticably with a few rectifications) and the long range sprint gear. From memory the 4.2TD sits on about 2500rpm for 110km/hr so a chipped/zorsted 2.8 would be sitting halfway between max torque and power points for some decent economy and pulling power.

I have noticed though that if I sit on 90-95 km it burns around 10-11l/100km but if I bump it above 110km/hr it can easily burn 16/l+.

Ben