Bronco 4x4 Defender Alloys

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Wheels and Tyres
Bronco 4x4 Defender Alloys
By Simon Ward-Hastelow
Published: 13th Jun 2007
Original article: http://www.difflock.com/magazine/Wheels_and_Tyres/Bronco_4x4_Defender_Alloys.shtml

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It is generally accepted that the 7.50/16 tyre, or it's nearest metric equivalent the 235/85/R16, is a perfect fit for a Defender especially when venturing into far off lands where choice of replacement tyres could be limited. Ask almost anyone and they will also tell you that the Discovery steel wheels or later military spec. 'Wolf' rims are just about the strongest you can get for an expedition.

None of this is going to be disputed by us but we also recognise that a wider tyre and a rim with wider offset can give a very noticable improvement in ride comfort and handling on road. Particularly with a wider and longer truck like our 130.

A little bit of bling can't hurt!

The guy who designed our camper conversion routinely fits 265/75/R16 all terrains to his vehicles as they give very civilised handling on road and can adequately cope with a little off-piste driving. The larger footprint of this size is very handy for soft conditions like sand. They also have a larger weight carrying limit: 1,550kg per tyre as opposed to 1,440 per tyre for the 235/85s. He also recommended fitting spacers to widen the track to better suit the wider rear body if using standard rims.

The only problem with a tyre that is 10" wide is that it really needs an 8" rim. They can't be fitted to standard 6.5" rims and are not very comfortable with 7" utility rims either. So the Disco steels were crossed off the list for this one. Then we looked at the Defender Alloys sold exclusively by Bronco 4x4: 8" wide, a larger offset negating the need for spacers and they look good too.

So the order was placed with Bronco for a set of 6 (we carry two spares on this vehicle) and we had them shod with Goodyear Wrangler 265/75/R16 ATs.

The Wrangler 265/75/R16 is a wide tyre and the AT pattern is very civilised on road but still competent off it.

First impression of the wheel and tyre package when they arrived was how massive they are! But the Alloys really do look very neat. They have a more shiny surface than standard LR alloys (which have a slightly dull finish) but with the accompanying centre hub cap they manage to look very purposeful.

Fitted to the Defender the wider offset is immediately apparent. They manage to fill the rear wheel arch very easily despite the much wider body overhang and on the front they protrude quite a bit from the wheel arch eyebrows. (wider arches are now added to the to-do list!)

When in the driving seat the Wranglers instantly feel more comfortable. The utility Michelins we originally had are reputed as having the strongest side wall of any tyre available but this does nothing for on-road performance picking out, as they do, every blemish in the road surface.

Off-Road

OK, so we admit that if you're heading off on a world tour you possibly wouldn't go for alloy rims but until that day comes I cannot see any problem with these at all. The large cut-outs in the rim make it easier to pressure wash the brake discs and the sloping profile of the design seems to make the claggy stuff just drop off. And with a weight loading limit of 3,800kg they are certainly fit for purpose.

With tyres wider than the wheel arch the mud gets thrown all up the side of the vehicle!

We took our Defender for it's first foray offroad at the Muddy Bottom 4x4 site in the New Forest where they have a variety of terrains to try out from gravel tracks to deep (and we mean DEEP!) mud. The AT pattern slipped a couple of times in the shallow mud but that was only to be expected. We did not pick up any trapped stones in the tread and they seemed to be pretty good at self cleaning.

The only problem with having tyres wider than the wheel arches is that it throws the mud up the side of the vehicle more which is good for photos and proving that you DO use it off-road but not so good for the paint work when its laced with gravel and it makes the post driving clean-up job that little bit harder. (note to self, move the wider wheel arches higher up the to-do list)

After driving them for a few weeks we've experimented with pressures. In the rear we're now up to 40-psi but I think we may still try a bit higher when loaded for a trip. At the front we've stuck at 32psi which it seems very comfortable with. In all we are more than happy with this wheel and tyre combination. With such a unique and striking vehicle it is good to treat it to a bit of bling.