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HZJ75 Overland Build

I would personally always go for tall and skinny. Skinny tyres bite better, and when driving in sand you don't end up climbing as much of a wall as you would with wider ones. IMO 12.50's are too wide.

If you wanted to go for Cooper STTs, Tyres R Us in Bridgend is the cheapest place to buy. Got my 265/75/16's for £100 a corner. I can attest that they are fantastic tyres and perform incredibly in all conditions. I can't compare them with the BFG's as I've never owned a set but from what I hear they're pretty similar for performance levels and the BFG's wear slightly better. I suppose this is reflected in the price.
 
Well, I'm still undecided. I've now decided to switch to 16 x 8 rims, which gives a lot more options for the tyre size. I want to stick as close as possible to the existing tyre diameter so as not to alter the overall lift, so have been looking at the Cooper Discoverer STT's, which get excellent reviews. And I also found this link on here, which suggests the size may not be a bad choice either...
http://www.landcruiserclub.net/forums/showthread.php/41420-Tyre-size-availability-in-Africa
And as I'm currently on the 33 12.50s I know the Coopers would fit ok (they're about 1.2in narrower than the 12.50s). So maybe that's a decision! But not sure!
I did speak to Tyres R Us, but he can't get the 285s. They have them at 4x4 Tyres for £137 tho
 
Hi, just catching up with your thread, and the KM2s were what I would recommend. I have them on my hilux, and a friend has them on his landies, and they are probably the best 'standard' mud available. Very tough, excellent in the dirt, and quieter than some ATs on the road.
Post some pics when you can.
Cheers,
 
I like the look of the KM2.

I have a set of Master craft Courser Mud's, on complete rims, which have barely done any thing.
I think I have used them once.
The BFG AT have been on for years, and to be honest, I just can't be bothered changing them, as the laning that I have done, didn't give the BFG AT any hassle.
I did get stuck with the Master craft Courser Mud's,, but it was thick gloopy stuff.

Gra.
 
Thanks Tony/Graham. Apologies again for the lack of photos, but the Ute is down in Devon for a few weeks having the rear body built. They are photographing the build though so I'll catch up on the photos when I get it back. As for the wheels, I spoke to Toyota about some 16x8 rims, and they were a bit vague about whether their rims have any offset or not (they think not). I found some non Toyota replicas which are also zero offset. So do you have any idea whether the 285/75/16s would fit on the car without any offset? The guys doing the body fabrication don't seem to sure, so I may just have to order one wheel and tyre and see if it fits when I get it back. Or if the tyre did scrape, could I rectify it with spacers rather than trying to find wheels with the right offset? It has the meaty 33 12.50s on there now, but the 15" rims on it do have some offset. Thanks
 
I will email a friend of mine who runs his own 4x4 business in oz, and see what he recommends.

cheers,
 
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Hi John,

Here is the answer from down under.

The 75 series came out standard with a 15" rim, 6x139.7 PCD and a Negative
13mm offset.
I'd suggest still running 15" rims of course, and the PCD remains the same,
so the only change can be in offset.
The further he goes in offset the more wear and tear on front end components
like wheel bearings, king pin bearings and tie-rods, etc. It also add
'weight' to the steering as you have experienced with Betsy. However doing
nothing may mean the tyres will rub at full lock, so I'd suggest looking at
perhaps going to a maximum of 20mm negative offset. This is probably the
best compromise.
If the tyres do still rub slightly, the steering lock adjustment could be
wound out to stop that.


Of course the other thing to consider is what are the most available tyre
sizes in Africa, standard 31's or 33's. If he does go through a few tyres
then having a size common with what is readily available will be a better
proposition in the long run. I am sure he has thought of that though.

Hope this helps,

Cheers,
 
Thanks Tony. Adding offset into the equation has just thrown my decision making up in the air again! The guys who are doing the fabrication got back to me this morning and said that the rims that are on there at the moment (the 15 x 7's) currently have a 3/4 inch negative offset, which works out at about 20mm. So they sound in line with what your friend recommends.
Just out of interest, do you know why he suggests sticking with 15 inch rims? Is it just because that was the original spec? I'm now thinking, to keep things simple, of just changing the tyres to 33/10.50 BFG KM2s. They will keep the same overall diameter, but give a much less bloated look. They will also be easier on the bearings etc, and save me shelling out for new rims. I had thought that the rims that are on there at the moment are the original ones, but it sounds from the above like they have a bigger offset than standard.
 
I would go to the 33-10.5-15, in the KM2. A good strong tyre, no need to go wider IMO, I prefer narrower over wider.

Also saves you getting new rims, just give the ones you have a good check over.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
 
Cheers Tony. I think decision made. Tyremen.co.uk seem to have the best deal on the 33/10.50 KM2 (£130). I'm planning to get them fitted in 2 weeks, just in time for a play around at the North Yorkshire Off Road Centre in Whitby. Anyone been there? Long way from my neck of the woods but it'll be my birthday weekend and the wife and I are off to the N Yorks moors for a long weekend. So would be silly not do a bit of offroading at the same time!
 
Having finally made a decision, I've just discovered that 33/10.50s are not available in the UK! I've been phoning around everywhere, and there only seem to be 4 available, with no one expecting to get any more in. So maybe not the best long term choice. I've started another thread with a specific offset question, as I think 16 inch rims may be the most viable choice for overseas. Cheers for the advice tho - all noted. John
 
Right, finally a few less questions and a few more updates - and photos! I picked up the truck on friday from the fabricators in Plymouth, and am very pleased with the results. Here are pics of the build from start to finish...

Looking a bit naked with the tray removed....

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An aluminium frame is built to hold the GRP panels that will make up the walls and doors...

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And then it's onto the truck!...

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A rear storage cupboard will hold a 12V socket and 2 x 22 litre tanks for the shower, and some luggage. This area at the back of the truck will be inside the rear "room" of the Howling Moon Stargazer roof tent that is going on the top...

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Lots of storage space including shelving made to fit the Really Useful Boxes...

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The box in the middle holds the 80 litre water tank and water purification system and pump...

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The all important ladder on the back - this will be very handy for putting the tent up and down...

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A handy sliding grill partition will keep the space for the spare wheel separate from the other gear...

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And the finished result with the pop up doors. The only thing that needs to be changed are the aluminium jerry can holders that fit in front of the rear wheels. These come down way to far, so I'm instead going to mount them horizontally behind the rear wheels. The mud guards also need shortening.

2012-12-06 07.16.56.jpg

So after collecting it, it was off to Warwick to visit Silverline Wheels. I went for black 16 x 8 rims with a negative 32mm offset, and 255/85 16 BFG KM2s. These fit and look perfect. Then off to Yorkshire for a play at the North Yorkshire Off Road Centre. First impressions of the new tyres - AMAZING!! I now understand why all the fuss about the KM2s. I was almost persuaded to go with Toyos by Anthony at Silverline Wheels, but I'm happy with my decision. To be fair, the Toyos looked pretty awesome too, but the KM2s seem to get more thumbs up.
I'll post some more pics soon....
 

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A few more pics as promised. Mostly posing on the Yorkshire Moors, but at least they show the KM2s nicely. Before I saw them in the flesh, I was worried they were going to look too thin. But as soon as I saw them at the tyre shop I knew they'd be up to the job. Obviously not as fat as the Cooper STT 285/75s I was also considering, but a pretty chunky tyre nonetheless. And like I said, just fantastic off road. These shots were before it got all dirty! You can see the ARB awning mounted on the nearside (which as you can see is very low profile). The last pic shows the very nice folks at Trek Overland who fitted the Howling Moon tent.
For some reason I couldn't load them as jpegs, but hopefully this link to them on Flickr will work...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/84289856@N07/8264721270/in/set-72157632224368596/
 
Looks great! :clap:

Loving the wheels and tyres. :icon-biggrin:

So do you have anymore plans for it?

I notice you havnt fitted a snorkel. :think:
 
Thanks. Yes, I got a snorkel with it when I bought it - it came over from Oz with it so is the metal dome type. I just need to get it fitted in the new year. I'll think I'll have to look away when they cut the hole in the wing! Then once the aluminium storage boxes underneath are sorted, it will be finished on the outside, apart from a large solar panel that's going on the roof. Then it's back to Overland Cruisers to change the shocks and wire up all the goodies on the inside.
 
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