I'd always planned to switch to 18"s with AT's when I had gone through the rubber on my 20" Kumho's. After a drive through some rocky hills today, putting up with the harsh ride, having people ask me if my tires were flat all day because of how deformed the tyres were when sitting on rocks due to the soft side walls, scuffing all my rims and eventually destroying a tyre I'm going to have to move on it a bit sooner.
I'll get in contact with my local retailers on Tuesday but thought I might try and get some advice here first. I have read through most the big threads previously but I figured I would put my requirements out there with the hope of some sound advice.
Im definitely after an 18" wheel, not really interested in the Mopar ones, would prefer something with some if not all black. Been looking at these:
Just wondering if anyone has any better suggestions?
Next question though is tyres, I want an AT, preferably an LT with decent sidewalls to avoid todays issues but then I worry about speed rating. Bigger would be nice but what will fit under the QL in aero mode and not scrub and also what do you do with the spare.
Hoping someone has gone down this path already and can provide some advice? Thanks in advance
Firstly, apologies... I felt better about the outlay we made in making up a second set of wheels and tyres when I read your post. Not that I gained any enjoyment out of the damage incurred, it's just sometimes you wonder if you really needed to spend the money. I kinda figured it was essential when I saw one of my Kumho 20"s badly mis-shapen against a fairly rounded tree root on our verge. Those things are soft!
Anyway, I started a post about 18"s, but admit that I haven't closed the loop with what I ended up doing. I'll take some photos and do it today for you. The thread is here:
Oh, they're nice looking wheels. The slight change in offset would eliminate one problem I've experienced, but could result in others. To be clear, things are very tight with the oversized LTs I fitted, especially when aired down!
I'll elaborate sometime today with images.
Check Advanti wheels also... they have similar, but I think a closer to OEM offset. Not that I dislike pushing the wheels out a bit where possible.
I can view it on Android within the stock browser. Just don't open it with YouTube... let it play and then maximise it with the lower right "expand" button.
I think everyone who wants Bob Seger and Meatloaf has a copy already. :wtf:
I just want to know what the pearls of wisdom were from Disco Tom at 13:45 . II've just got a hunch he's extolling the virtues of the Land Rover Discovery 4
I'll second a goodonya for getting into that on your 20" Kumhos. Having rails is a bit of a comfort I guess, but there's a lot exposed up front to keep you on your toes.
I've got to say though, driving through the vegetation... go Straya
I just want to know what the pearls of wisdom were from Disco Tom at 13:45 . II've just got a hunch he's extolling the virtues of the Land Rover Discovery 4
Just wondering if anyone has any better suggestions?
Next question though is tyres, I want an AT, preferably an LT with decent sidewalls to avoid todays issues but then I worry about speed rating. Bigger would be nice but what will fit under the QL in aero mode and not scrub and also what do you do with the spare.
Hoping someone has gone down this path already and can provide some advice? Thanks in advance
Mkmydnr, what mode did you have your SELEC-TERRAIN dial in, was it AUTO, MUD or ROCK and was it LOW RANGE when you went up that rut about 7:30 in the video?
That was early in the trip and I was playing around a bit, I think I had it in Rock (which requires Low Range), most the rest of the trek was done in Auto Low Range. With that sort of terrain High Range was a little jumpy (ie feathering the throttle to get over a rock and all of a sudden you clear it and launch forward) + the locked diffs meant it just walked along.
Someone has already put them on the previous model: P6300660_zpsba199fc9.jpg Photo by Nate2112 | Photobucket
Next decision though is which tyres, I think I am going to stick to the 265/60R18 so I can keep my spare, shortlisted are:
Goodyear Wrangler AT Adventure
Pirelli Scorpion ATR (Highest Speed Rating)
Falken Wildpeak AT
Cooper AT3
Hercules Terra Trac ATII
Just waiting on pricing on some of the more obscure ones.
Told my local tyre dealer to go ahead with the ATX Ledge and 265/60R18 Goodyear Wrangler AT Adventure on Monday only find out the 1 week lead was blown out to 8 weeks.
I really wanted to buy local but after exhausting other options my dealer suggested I import my own. Checked US prices but factoring in shipping and potential taxes there wasnt much cost benefit and I really dont want to wait as I have no spare atm.
Ended up purchasing the KMC Rockstar XDII from Ozzytyres. They didnt have the tyres I wanted available but for an extra $295 over the wheel only price I got them packaged with Pirelli Scorpion ATRs 265/60R18. They review fairly well, have an awesome speed rating and at $73.75 a tyre (compared to $380 for the GYW ATA) I dont mind not having my first preference.
Just have to pay my local shop to fit and balance them.
Nice price on the Pirellis... you gotta be happy with that. I'm not sure why Ozzy Tyres don't fit and balance them before freight? Hopefully your tyre fitter doesn't effectively charge an "internet buyer's fee" like all the ones I called here in Perth!
$2,295 delivered. Im hoping that the local guy will be fairly understanding as he knows how keen I was to go through him and was just unable to supply anything.
Got myself a little worried though, there isnt much info available on the offset of these wheels. I had seen that they were made from -44 to +38 so previously wasnt worried but just saw a site that stated the 18" were only available in 0. If this is the case it would extend the outer by almost 70mm which is crazy. Anyways, I've emailed Ozzy, hopefully that source was wrong because I really dont want to have to do any more searching.
Ah, don't stress if they are not. Advanti have wheels with similar though less wild styling which will fit. About $360 a corner here in Perth, so probably cheaper for you ;-)
So I was right, the wheels would sit out. Hadn't had a response from my email for 24hrs so I called, was put through to a bloke who told me they wouldn't fit and that the Monsters were the only one that would. I agreed to the change but pointed out that the monster package was $100 cheaper so he said he would throw in free insurance, told him I wasnt interested in insurance (always too painful to chase up and my credit card provides it anyways) and he tried to spin me some line that the postage to NT was worth an extra $100. I argued that ALL over their web page it states "Free Shipping Australia Wide" with no astrix or disclaimers and that it was load of BS. He claimed that it was in their shipping T&C (which it is I found out after) so I told him to cancel the order.....
He went on the back foot then and agreed to refund the $100 (should have been $110 because I used a 10% discount code aswell). Have received no confimation from them though so not sure exactly whats going on.
No really happy with the Monsters but sick of not being able to go 4wding due to the lack of a spare.
Try Paul from Claremont Wheel Power in NSW. He freighted a set of factory 18"s to me in WA quite cheap, and I'm sure he'd be happy to ship you some aftermarket rims instead if that's your poison. He shipped to Rhys in NT also...
Also try my tyre supplier in Perth, Claremont Tyre Power (coincidence plus on the company names). Ryan there has access to Advanti rims for $360 if I recall. They look pretty damn similar to the Monsters, and I reckon he'd be happy to fit a set of tyres to them as well.
I'd be chasing a set of fitted and balanced wheels and tyres from a tyre network, not some internet crew with shit service.
Half your luck, I have to work tomorrow so just a quite one at home, but I'll keep a look out in the future, if you see a silver GC with Uneek4x4 bar tailing you it's just me, I have been known to deliberately park next too other GC's just to check them out lol