Introducing myself and my 2015 LR4 with ARB Bull Bar - Need Advice

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Ryan Zimmer

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Hey LR World,

I’m Ryan from Kansas City and here is my new obsession, this 2015 LR4 HSE complete with an ARB Bull Bar. I also own a 2011 LR2. It was pure luck we found this Disco with the amazing aftermarket ARB bar, which I think is very rare in the US, at least around here. If interested in my question, please read on, if not then it’s nice to e-meet you all.

Sorry to ask the age old question and I promise I’ve dug deeply through the threads prior to asking but I am planning to replace the stock 19” wheels with something else. I see a lot of people making the case to switch to 18” wheels like the Compomotives, along with some others like TuffAnt. I definitely do not want to entertain spacers or other mods needed so those would be good options. However my wife is not entirely sold on the 18” smaller wheel look, so I’m trying to figure out other options in the 19” size. I should mention that while I can’t wait to get this vehicle off the paved road, I also am not likely to do anything too advanced, at least until I get some more experience under my timing belt.

Seems on here a lot of people say a big reason for getting into 18” wheels are for proper off-road tire choices. However, when I go to tirerack.com they have more tire options in the stock (255/55 R19) size than in the (255/60 R18) size. 1) Is there something I’m searching wrong here because in my research I’m finding less options in the 18” wheel size? 2) Other than having more sidewall, is there any other reason I would regret sticking with 19” wheels for occasional off-road use? 3) Anybody have a good wheel suggestion in 19” because I’m not loving the options on tirerack.com for wheels that fit the LR4.

Thanks to anyone who has some input and happy driving!

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PaulLR3

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Welcome Ryan! The main reason to go to 18" wheels is for a specific tire not available in 19", such as the BFG KO2's. With a few exceptions, (Compmotives) you will need spacers with an 18" wheel. Another reason to go to 18" is that you want more sidewall in extreme offroad terrain. But most likely, you will be fine with the 19" wheels.

Here is where to buy the Compmotives: (They have silver & black)
https://lucky8llc.com/products/compomotive-wheel?_pos=16&_sid=5fa94539b&_ss=r

What is wrong with the 19" wheels on your LR4? I really like that 7-spoke wheel and have a set myself. Keep in mind OE LR wheels are engineered for the weight of our vehicles. Many aftermarket wheels are not. And OE wheels form a really secure seal along the bead. (Great if airing down on sand) I've had tire places complain that LR wheels are the most difficult to remove and mount tires on.

There are plenty of 19" tire options out there. Right now I'm running the Falken AT Trail and am very happy with them. Can handle light offroad, quiet on the highway and great in rain.
Nokian WRG4 is a great year-round tire if you need winter traction and not using a dedicated winter tire.
 
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Troy A

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Welcome to the forum [mention]Ryan Zimmer [/mention]! It's a great place with a lot of people sharing excellent information.

If you didn't see this in your research, you can check this out: https://troyangrignon.com/wheels-and-tires-for-the-land-rover-discovery-lr4/

There have been enough people on this forum and others discussing some of the options that [mention]PaulLR3 [/mention] mentioned that I'm thinking I should update it to encompass the best of the best in the 19" range.

For serious off-roading, where you want to be able to air down frequently, the priority should be maximal sidewall + strongest sidewall - that means generally an 18" wheel (on the LR4) and generally a heavier LT rated truck tire, vs. an XL rated passenger car/SUV tire.

For part-time / occasional off-roading, there do seem to be many on the forum who do get away with things like the Falken AT, Nokian WRG4, etc. in the 19" - I stopped looking at 19s the second I bought my truck so I did not document many of them in that post above. If I recall correctly, I think the general assessment of the Goodyear duratracks has been a bit mixed - sidewall strength issues? Not sure and I'm sure others will weigh in. Use the search function and search "DuraCrap" which seems to be their nickname. I personally have never used them.

As you'll see in the post above, I went with Cooper Discoverer S/T MAXX LT tires - they're 10# heavier per tire and can bear a much heavier vehicle than this truck.

The reason you are not finding options is that tirerack.com 1) has a more limited selection than you'd think in terms of 18" off-road capable AT tires and 2) their built-in vehicle selection filter will not show you tires that their database doesn't think are "approved". You need to search by brand/size and NOT tell them your vehicle.

Your best bet is to skim the forum again, pull out the most-often mentioned best brands from the other members here (in 18" and 19") and then go to a few different tire sites and again, do NOT put in your vehicle type/year - just look the tires up by brand and size. Or go to the manufacturer site and find them there and then special order them.

Good luck - let us know what you did and welcome to the family (again!)

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Ryan Zimmer

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Thank you [mention]Troy Angrignon[/mention] and [mention]PaulLR3[/mention] for the welcome and for your responses. And Troy I did indeed read your article, and it’s a great write up, thanks for sharing. You especially got me interested if that 2020 Defender 18” wheel would fit!

You both confirmed more or less what I was thinking in whether or not to go down to 18”, but it’s really helpful to hear since I am new to owning this off-roader. Paul you bring up some good points regarding the comfort of knowing that stock LR wheels are designed for the weight and capabilities of the truck. And actually I was pretty interested in those Falken tires so it’s great to hear they are reasonable on the high-way while providing some light A/T abilities.

I definitely don’t dislike the look of these stock wheels, but I think we mainly would like to have black or matte grey wheels. Thinking I should take a second look at the black options that Land Rover offered in 19” that might be my best bet considering I only plan to do light off-roading for the time being and the Falken is available in that size.

Again, thank you for the welcome and taking the time to respond with some useful tips, I look forward to contributing to the community where I can. I’ll post an update when we update the rig!

Ryan
 

defender_verde

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Stick to the OEM wheels if you don't plan on taking it off-road often. I did a baseline run with my LR4 with stock wheels / tires. They're fine for the occasional adventure. If you go to the Land Rover Experience centers, they purposely run the trucks with street tires to show just how much the tech can compensate for the lack of rubber. My LR4 felt a lot more sharp handling-wise with the stock setup. I went with the Tuff Ants because they work without any modification and they look right. I could fit KO2s in the 265/65 R18 size with no issues, including the spare. Much better for my off-road use.

Nice looking LR4... Now I really want the ARB!
 

mbw

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So the ARB Bar you have is the older style deluxe bar. Great piece of kit.

FYI, ARB also sells a new design Summit bar. They say that it only works on the 2014+ models, but that is false. It works on 2010-2013 just as easily. I have the summit bar on my 2013. It has some improvements. Much larger bar diameter, LED turn signals, etc. I just ordered mine at an ARB dealer and they shipped it from Australia. I don't think ARB bars are super rare, but they aren't common either. They are expensive compared to all the options in the states that some dude with a welder just slapped together, engineering be damned.

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mbw

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Also, a few other things to check. First, make sure they installed the ARB bumper correctly. You do want spacing between the bumper and the body/headlights, but it looks like it might be adjusted too low. Lots of times people don't drill the "pin bolts" when they install ARB bumpers. The main bolts are in adjustable slots, and then the bumper has holes that go against the mount. You have to adjust the bumper first, tighten the adjustable slot bolts, then drill the pin bolts. That usually requires marking the hole location and then pulling the bumper back off to drill them... people are lazy.

Also.. if you intend to off road, look at sliders, those steps will not do well. Get something to protect the air compressor. Also keep in mind that you tend to pull off the rear bumper cover pretty easily and the rear exhaust is run under the rear suspension. Watch the weight, but skid appropriately.

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TrinidadLR4

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To second what @mbw said - the summit does fit the 2010-2013. I saw a clone truck of mine at Overland Fest last year in PA with one, it looked great. ARBs aren't that rare but not that common either, as they are quite expensive. As far as 18s - the size selection is vastly superior to the 255 55 19 factory size. However, you want the 265 65 18 size. That is the generally acceptable max you can run without mods and rubbing. Other people upsize to 20s. 275 55 20 is a good size to run with those(31.9in).
 

BeViking

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Welcome @ryan!

Welcome to the same conundrum that so many of us have faced!

My 2011 LR4 came with the 7 spoke with 19’s in matte silver — and I chose to powdercoat them in piano-key-gloss-black BEFORE realizing that the options were limited in the 19” wheel configuration.

After having spent the dollars on powdercoating, I decided to stay with the 19’s and went with the standard tire size of 255/55/r19 in the Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs and have never looked back or regretted the decision.

They’ve done everything I’ve ever asked them to, and they look great and beefy without being *******... and give just the perfect amount of road-noise, in my opinion!
c1c82c58f550f0b3becadf3ba7d9bbe4.jpg



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Troy A

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Welcome @ryan!

Welcome to the same conundrum that so many of us have faced!

My 2011 LR4 came with the 7 spoke with 19’s in matte silver — and I chose to powdercoat them in piano-key-gloss-black BEFORE realizing that the options were limited in the 19” wheel configuration.

After having spent the dollars on powdercoating, I decided to stay with the 19’s and went with the standard tire size of 255/55/r19 in the Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs and have never looked back or regretted the decision.

They’ve done everything I’ve ever asked them to, and they look great and beefy without being *******... and give just the perfect amount of road-noise, in my opinion!
c1c82c58f550f0b3becadf3ba7d9bbe4.jpg



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I was sad to give up my 7 spoke 19s the second after buying our truck and I have to say that yours look excellent with the powder-coating. Also, good to hear that the Duratracs have served you well.


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