Help please. Triple Sport 17" 7J clearance crisis

I've got the chance of some of these nice Triple Sport alloys in mint condition however I'm a bit nervous.
I think I've heard mutterings about clearance problems on earlier Freelanders. Mine's a mark 1 first registered in March, 2,000.
I stuck one of these wheels on the rear and I must admit it looks as though, with a tyre on it, the clearance on the guard at the bottom of the shock might be a bit tight.
Can anybody shed any light on this please and if there is a problem does anyone know of an effective fix. I really do want to buy these wheels if I can.
Thanks.

i suppose the "fix" really would be wheel spacers.

As far as i'm aware:

Post 2000 freelander wheels can be used ok on pre 2000 freelanders, however pre 2000 freelander wheels require spacers to be used on post 2000 freelanders (as i found out the hard way when i bought some lovely pre-2000 16" wheels with winter tyres on).

Surely if the rolling diameter is the same then they should fit - unless they are massively wider. I have just retro fitted some Triplesport 16" wheels with no issues. Try one of the tyre calculators available on-line and that might confirm they are ok. The offset and spoke design are different for pre 2000 Hippos as I also found to my cost, but anything post 2000 will be designed for the larger brakes of the TD4 & V6

Here is a bit more info regarding wheels which might help

http://www.landroverclassicparts.com.au/ProductDetailLarge.aspx?largerProduct=106634

DefUnct said:

As far as i'm aware:

Post 2000 freelander wheels can be used ok on pre 2000 freelanders, however pre 2000 freelander wheels require spacers to be used on post 2000 freelanders (as i found out the hard way when i bought some lovely pre-2000 16" wheels with winter tyres on).

Click to expand...

Thanks for replying. I have been advised to leave 17 inchers alone because of the tyre costs and get a set of 16's. However, when I told my mate that I was going for 16's he up and gave me the 17's. (he's got plenty of money).

I've stuck one on the front and guess what? It doesn't fit. It rocks like hell. So I've obviously got a pre 2,000 set of wheels and a post 2,000 Freelander. Whatever!

As the wheels cost zero I might as well get some spacers and stick some cheap 17" tyres on next spring. I don't do a lot of miles. If I get the shudders when I go for a second set of 17" tyres I can always flog the wheels. They're in good condition.

What thickness of spacers did you use on your 16's? I can get 10mm & 20mm. Do I need extented wheel studs for the extra thickness and does the steering geometry need sorting after spacers are fitted?

Sorry about all the questions but the local dealer is baffled by all of this.

Thanks again

Thanks

Advice appreciated.

RazMan said:

Surely if the rolling diameter is the same then they should fit - unless they are massively wider. I have just retro fitted some Triplesport 16" wheels with no issues. Try one of the tyre calculators available on-line and that might confirm they are ok. The offset and spoke design are different for pre 2000 Hippos as I also found to my cost, but anything post 2000 will be designed for the larger brakes of the TD4 & V6

Here is a bit more info regarding wheels which might help

http://www.landroverclassicparts.com.au/ProductDetailLarge.aspx?largerProduct=106634

Click to expand...

Thanks. Advice much appreciated.

DefUnct said:

As far as i'm aware:

Post 2000 freelander wheels can be used ok on pre 2000 freelanders, however pre 2000 freelander wheels require spacers to be used on post 2000 freelanders (as i found out the hard way when i bought some lovely pre-2000 16" wheels with winter tyres on).

Click to expand...

RazMan said:

Surely if the rolling diameter is the same then they should fit - unless they are massively wider. I have just retro fitted some Triplesport 16" wheels with no issues. Try one of the tyre calculators available on-line and that might confirm they are ok. The offset and spoke design are different for pre 2000 Hippos as I also found to my cost, but anything post 2000 will be designed for the larger brakes of the TD4 & V6

Here is a bit more info regarding wheels which might help

http://www.landroverclassicparts.com.au/ProductDetailLarge.aspx?largerProduct=106634

Click to expand...

Dtwo1946 said:

Thanks for replying. I have been advised to leave 17 inchers alone because of the tyre costs and get a set of 16's. However, when I told my mate that I was going for 16's he up and gave me the 17's. (he's got plenty of money).

I've stuck one on the front and guess what? It doesn't fit. It rocks like hell. So I've obviously got a pre 2,000 set of wheels and a post 2,000 Freelander. Whatever!

As the wheels cost zero I might as well get some spacers and stick some cheap 17" tyres on next spring. I don't do a lot of miles. If I get the shudders when I go for a second set of 17" tyres I can always flog the wheels. They're in good condition.

What thickness of spacers did you use on your 16's? I can get 10mm & 20mm. Do I need extented wheel studs for the extra thickness and does the steering geometry need sorting after spacers are fitted?

Sorry about all the questions but the local dealer is baffled by all of this.

Thanks again

Click to expand...

Thanks everybody for your help. I seem to be having a lucky time. I've now done a swap with a local scrappie for a set of 17" triple sports that do fit my car. He bought a car with them on and the IRD suddenly expired. he'd already bought tyres so I gave him £250 for them.

I take the point about 17" tyres being expensive but I've got a set of steels with new tyres on that I'm going to use during the winters. The Triple Sports will go on in the spring. I should get two years minimum out of them and probably three.

Apologies to all for this thread revival - but this thread highlights my conundrum: there are some 17" triple sports that I am looking at - but the problem is that they are for an earlier car and mine (2001) is a later one with the vented front discs, so that the early wheels are not a straight bolt-on.

So, my specific question is - has anyone worked out what sized spacer is required to fit an early 17" triple spoke to a late car?

And before anyone says - yes, I should wait until the correct ones turn up... but I am tempted!

rob_bell said:

Apologies to all for this thread revival - but this thread highlights my conundrum: there are some 17" triple sports that I am looking at - but the problem is that they are for an earlier car and mine (2001) is a later one with the vented front discs, so that the early wheels are not a straight bolt-on.

So, my specific question is - has anyone worked out what sized spacer is required to fit an early 17" triple spoke to a late car?

And before anyone says - yes, I should wait until the correct ones turn up... but I am tempted!

Click to expand...

I'd wait Rob. I think a 5mm spacer will allow the brakes to clear. However that reduces the spigot depth by 5mm. Up to you, but I'd wait. They come up regularly

I shall sit on my hands and keep looking - you're right, unless I get (expensive?) hub-centric spacers.

I'll tell you why I am interested in the older wheels: I think they have a smaller offset (probably something like ET35). With a 5 mm spacer, the wheel would be around 15mm further out each side. That in itself could cause some problems with arch/tyre close encounters, but would resolve the "over bodied" look of my car's body kit. There are some cheap ones going, so it is tempting to try them, even if only for academic reasons!

Two part numbers for the triple sports:
RRC110450MNH - which I believe is for Freelanders up to 2000
RRC114790MNH - which is I believe for Freelanders after 2000

Trouble is, vendors are often a little confused as to what they have... Not their fault necessarily - it looks as though it is quite easy to get them mixed up if the part number can't be read off the wheel itself?

Oh: actually very easy to spot. Like other Freelander wheels, the later ones have dimples or drillings between the wheel studs!

Spot the difference:

RRC110450MNH:


RRC114790MNH:


Simples

Not so simples with the dimples. The latest rims didn't have dimples either. This just adds to the confusion. However if you buy dimpled rims, they'll fit.

rob_bell said:

Two part numbers for the triple sports:
RRC110450MNH - which I believe is for Freelanders up to 2000
RRC114790MNH - which is I believe for Freelanders after 2000

Trouble is, vendors are often a little confused as to what they have... Not their fault necessarily - it looks as though it is quite easy to get them mixed up if the part number can't be read off the wheel itself?

Click to expand...

That gets really tricky over here as probably 1/3rd of all pre MY01 cars on the road (ie the ones with the non-vented brakes) are registered as 2002 cars. There must have been a big batch of early cars that LR had sitting around somewhere and they got offloaded in NZ in 2002.

This leads to adverts for parts for 2002 cars that don't fit 2002 cars. There has been 1 running for a while where a bloke was selling the early 5 spoke alloys as suitable for all Freelander. I put a message on his auction that the wheels will only fit cars up to 2000, but he didn't believe me, he came back and said they were from a 2002 car!

Ouch, nightmare! Are they Japanese spec I wonder? Or surplus UK???

Nodge, I have a hunch that the triple sport didn't loose the simple-dimple: with the face lift, LR changed to the similar, but squared-off, Evolution?

GrumpyGel said:

That gets really tricky over here as probably 1/3rd of all pre MY01 cars on the road (ie the ones with the non-vented brakes) are registered as 2002 cars. There must have been a big batch of early cars that LR had sitting around somewhere and they got offloaded in NZ in 2002.

This leads to adverts for parts for 2002 cars that don't fit 2002 cars. There has been 1 running for a while where a bloke was selling the early 5 spoke alloys as suitable for all Freelander. I put a message on his auction that the wheels will only fit cars up to 2000, but he didn't believe me, he came back and said they were from a 2002 car!

Click to expand...

The only sure way to identify the year of the FL1 is with the VIN. ........Y9...... is pre 2000. And ........1A...... is post 2000.

rob_bell said:

Ouch, nightmare! Are they Japanese spec I wonder? Or surplus UK???

Nodge, I have a hunch that the triple sport didn't loose the simple-dimple: with the face lift, LR changed to the similar, but squared-off, Evolution?

Click to expand...

You might be correct there. The more common 5 spoke 16s definitely only have dimples between 2000 and 2004. Before or after those years, there are no dimples between the fixing points.

rob_bell said:

Ouch, nightmare! Are they Japanese spec I wonder? Or surplus UK???

Click to expand...

Unless they went back to the parts bins after production, they weren't UK spec cars as they have KMH speedos. As you say, probably Japanese.

Nodge68 said:

The only sure way to identify the year of the FL1 is with the VIN. ........Y9...... is pre 2000. And ........1A...... is post 2000.

Click to expand...

L Series engines generally give the game away as well

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/land-rover/auction-1203527437.htm