Steel Wheels?

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ReadySalted

Active Member
Posts
444
Hi all,
My 96 disco currently has normal disco alloys, but I'd like some steel wheels on her, as I think they look much more simple, and I like the thin-ness of them. Few questions though.

As far as I'm aware, I've got 2 options: Disco steels, which don't look great (6 inch wide?), and normal Series steels, which I think look good (5 inch wide). Is that right?

If I source some of the old series wheels (the same as what was fitted to the camel trophy vehicles I believe?), then will it be almost impossible to buy decent a/t or m/t tires for them, and where will I be able to find them?

PS if anybodys got any pics of discos with steels on I'd like to see them. The only pics I've seen of this so far are the camel trophy ones.
 
One other thing; what are the side effects of this? Better/ worse off road? handling on road? Fuel economy etc.
 
I put a series wheel on the back of my Disco yesterday, I thought it looked utility I think is the best word.

The tyres on my series wheels are 750-16 so is likely to require simple bodymods, but I won't be cutting until my 2" lift is here.

The look didn't really bother me it was more the ability they should provide off road and the wheels and tyres owe me nothing.
 
I hate the look of discovery's with big chunky wheels and huge suspension.

I much prefer a nice set of simple, utilitarian steel wheels.

Unfortunately, as we all know, the disco, being the range rovers cheap cousin, never came with proper landy steels, most sported alloy wheels, which I think look outdated, and there is something timeless, simple, and utilitarian (the main qualities of land rover in general), about steel wheels.

My disco is used for nipping me around farms for work, taking out in crap weather as a bit of a toy, the odd greenlane, and for making me feel like I'm an explorer lol.

The nicest of all discos are undoubtedly the camel trophy discos, and one of their main features were the thin steel wheels they had. I want that look on my disco but not sure how practical it is?
 
I hate the look of discovery's with big chunky wheels and huge suspension.

I much prefer a nice set of simple, utilitarian steel wheels.

Unfortunately, as we all know, the disco, being the range rovers cheap cousin, never came with proper landy steels, most sported alloy wheels, which I think look outdated, and there is something timeless, simple, and utilitarian (the main qualities of land rover in general), about steel wheels.

My disco is used for nipping me around farms for work, taking out in crap weather as a bit of a toy, the odd greenlane, and for making me feel like I'm an explorer lol.

The nicest of all discos are undoubtedly the camel trophy discos, and one of their main features were the thin steel wheels they had. I want that look on my disco but not sure how practical it is?


A lot of early Discos came with steel wheels but IMO they were ugly.
Most owners never off road they so optedfor Alloys
 
Here was a picture I took.
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There was a small issue of room in the back quarter thou.
C05ECC34-8F4E-49A2-A65E-F799112074CC-5273-000007028ACA271E_zpsb2a38863.jpg


Am lifting mine 2" next week then going to look over it again before giving it the chop.
 
Wolfs are a good idea perhaps, but probably bloody expensive? How wide are wolf wheels?

I like the look of the steel wheel on the disco, think they look great in your pic.
I'll have to see how cheap/ accessible they are though. What tires have you got on that wheel loundandproud? I've seen some steels from a lightweight landy for sale that have 6.50 tires on, and I know the camel trophy ones were 7.50, so 6.50 would look too small on a disco I assume?
 
Loudandproud205, what size are those rims, and also the tyres please?

The reason I ask, is because I have driven around three local breakers yards today, one which had nothing for me, and two specialist land rover dismantlers. One of these was fairly helpful, and could offer me a set of 5.5 inch series rims in terrible condition (£50), but was dubious about whethere they would fit, and whether I would infact need the wider defender steels.

The other LR breaker was an old idiot with a large garden full of old landys who seemed more interested in questioning why I wanted skinny steels on my disco, and trying to flog me range rover alloys rather than finding me what I wanted. He too said that he didn't think the 5.5 inch steels would fit, as they 'foul on the calipers??', and said that discovery steels were the only steels that fit.

I'm pretty confused by it all.

All I'm after is a set of skinny steels, with 7.50/16's to go on my disco, just like the camel discos had.
 
They are LWB series steels with 750-16 tyres fitted.

Camel Disco's had 700-16s.

I was after some decent tyres on normal alloys, but as I have these and they owe me nothing its the only reason I am going to run them.

If I could find some nice tyres on a set of alloys I would rather use them TBH, but price of the tyres along put me right off.
 
lol so everyone thinks they're gay... great.

Well I think they make a disco look much more simple, and rugged. That's my favorite thing about a landy. The nicest looking landys for me, have to be the series 2s and 3s untouched and sporting old school roof racks, and capstan winches or towropes around the bumper.
A disco with skinny tyres, has atleast a sniff of that old landrover workhorse patina, which I like. Plus people say there are some benefits when offroading, but dunno about that.

If they were good enough for the camel trophy then they're good enough for me. Just gotta find some now I guess.
 
Keep an eye on fleabay, they come up often as folk change to alloys, modulars, whatever.
I've got a standard 'fender wheel somewhere, where are you? You'll only want 4 more then ;)
I'm thinking I might have a set of Disco steels widened to 8" as I like the look of them when they have had this done or the centers reversed.
 
I'm in Hereford, and have been watching ebay like a bloody hawk, but it looks like all the wheels and tyres that are coming up are a good 100 miles away. I've emailed a guy from Derbyshire who is breaking a 109 safari, and is offering 4 of what look like decent 7.50/16 tyres, on original steel rims, for well under 100 quid. If he had been within 50 miles, I would have gone and collected today, but unfortunately, to collect them it's a 250 mile round trip, and don't think I can do that, it's back to the drawing board, and watching ebay every day for me lol.
 
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