tyres&rims

Yes I would agree with you. How does it become a decent tyre size via 1/2 an inch.? The 4% rolling diameter is ok, otherwise you start playing with the dynamics of the vehicle. I would be trying to maintain the original vehicle however fit the best possible tyres etc

Straight over my head. Whats your motive through all this..?

If you have a look on the plate on your firewall, it will tell you what kind of Landcruiser it is. If you post that back, it will help everyone to answer your question as different models have different rims, offsets etc.

Peter,
As Amy suggests, feel free to lift the bonnet and have a look - its a VDJ76, or "76series".
"GXL" Landcruisers came out in 1989 and existed on every series of Landcruiser and Prado since then. If you tell us its a VDJ76, then everyone knows what you're talking about.

As for your original question. Yep, you have 16x7 rims and while many have fitted 285/75 tyres to these rims, its technically illegal. Many tyre joints refuse to fit them, others don't care and are happy to take your money. Its your call.

If you like to be legal, then you'll need to buy a set of 16x8 steel or alloy rims off a 1998-2006 105 series (Rigid front axle) Landcruiser.

Second option if you want to upsize the diameter of your tyres is to fit 255/85R16 tyres - can get Maxxis, Cooper and BFG Muddies in that size. They fit your 7" rims perfectly.

Third option is to fit 265/75R16 LT tyres to your rims - thats what most people do.

Now the rest of your stuff: "Why stuff around with the stud patterns".
Toyota increased the clamp pressure considerably when they went from 6 x 12mm studs to 6 x 14mm studs. It means that the problem of broken studs has virtually disappeared. Many Nissan owners who have been overtaken by a runaway rear wheel may have wished that Nissan had done the same.

Cheers
Phil

Whoops.... "6 x14mm" should read "5 x 14mm"

I know some of you think that I don't know what I'm on about . I have had 2/ 76 series troopies. Both of them had on the compliance plate 1 HZ 76 series L/C
I ran 32x11.5x15 6 std x8 inch BFG a/t I think they are the best all round tyre going.My trailer and my camper had all the same. Now I have bought a Toyota which has on the compliance plate JTEEV.... No L/C no series no nothing.Apart from the motor, it is now where as good as the old troopies in the road holding dept.The diff. is the tyre size and the track. Try driving it up a well worn track , its all over the place. The only way that I see to fix it is to fit spacers on the back and put a similiar tyre size to the 32,s I had on the old girls., and the closest is the 285,s on an 8 inch rim .Hope this helps all you people that were good enough to reply, and helps me also . thanking you .

Peter,

The closest to your old 32" tyres (but for a 16" rim) is a 265/75R16 tyre. These can be mounted on the factory alloy 7" wide rims.

The 285/75R16's you mention are actually closest to a 33" dia tyre. As mentioned elsewhere by Phil, they can't legally be mounted on the factory 7" wide rims - although many people have a friendly tyre dealer who'll mount them anyway.

If you want 16x8" alloy rims, and can't find any of the factory rims from a 105 series (rigid axles) cruiser, there are a few aftermarket options. I think it is CSA who make the "royalle" (spelling?) rims - the same as the 105 series alloys. Allied do a "savanna" rim that looks the same as your factory VDJ76 series rims, but are 16x8" in size.

I originally went down the 255/85R16 tyre route (33" dia tyre, but narrow enough to be legally fitted to the factory 7" rims). Supply became an issue though as only a few manufacturers sell that size in Aust, and getting a set often involves ordering them in - not good out bush. I ended up replacing the rims with the Allied savanna 16x8" rims and putting 285/75R16's on (to keep the 33" dia) in the end when I couldn't source a new set of tyres prior to a trip.

As for the different axle sizes (track width) between the front and the rear - yep, it gets to be annoying. Unfortunately as you mention the only reasonable solution is axle spacers on the rear - and they are illegal for on-road use. So far I've been living with the diff track width. It's bareable on dirt and regular tracks for me, but in the sand the different track width is a right royal pain in the %&#.

John