more P38 off-road questions!

I'm just trying to get my P38 sorted for some more serious off-roading
than I have been doing, but finding info (or parts) for it is not
particularly easy because I guess not that many of them are off-roaded
just yet.

At the moment I've got the standard Scorpion ST's, 255 tyres on it, and
I want to go to a more aggressive tread and probably 235 section.
I have the 16in 8J alloys on, first question being can I fit 235's
to these, or do I have to find a set of 7.5J wheels? Second question,
which tyres would anyone recommend? I will probably go for A/T's
rather than a set of M/T's just yet. Any idea if I could fit a set
of "standard" LR steel wheels to the P38, just for off-roading, or
are the stud patterns different?

Other thing, does anyone know if I can get a steering guard and
diff guards for the P38, and if so, where from? I haven't been
able to locate anything like this for the P38. Can anyone comment
on whether diff guards are worth fitting? Come to think of it,
does the P38 need a steering guard!?

Anything else I should consider doing to the P38 before abusing it
properly?

Cheers,

Matt.

"Matthew Maddock" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:[email protected]...
> I'm just trying to get my P38 sorted for some more serious off-roading
> than I have been doing, but finding info (or parts) for it is not
> particularly easy because I guess not that many of them are off-roaded
> just yet.
>
> At the moment I've got the standard Scorpion ST's, 255 tyres on it, and
> I want to go to a more aggressive tread and probably 235 section.
> I have the 16in 8J alloys on, first question being can I fit 235's
> to these, or do I have to find a set of 7.5J wheels? Second question,
> which tyres would anyone recommend? I will probably go for A/T's
> rather than a set of M/T's just yet. Any idea if I could fit a set
> of "standard" LR steel wheels to the P38, just for off-roading, or
> are the stud patterns different?
>
> Other thing, does anyone know if I can get a steering guard and
> diff guards for the P38, and if so, where from? I haven't been
> able to locate anything like this for the P38. Can anyone comment
> on whether diff guards are worth fitting? Come to think of it,
> does the P38 need a steering guard!?
>
> Anything else I should consider doing to the P38 before abusing it
> properly?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Matt.

I seem to remember a Land Rover magazine (LRO or LRE) having an article on
upgrading a P38 for off road.
From memory the owner built a lot of the underbody protection himself and
had custom Mach 5 wheels made due the different stud pattern.

Cannot quickly find the article but it would be in the last 6 months.

A

....and Matthew Maddock spake unto the tribes of Usenet, saying...


> I'm just trying to get my P38 sorted for some more serious off-roading
> than I have been doing, but finding info (or parts) for it is not
> particularly easy because I guess not that many of them are off-roaded
> just yet.

I know one that was...

> At the moment I've got the standard Scorpion ST's, 255 tyres on it,
> and I want to go to a more aggressive tread and probably 235 section.
> I have the 16in 8J alloys on, first question being can I fit 235's
> to these, or do I have to find a set of 7.5J wheels?

I fitted 245/70s to it on the standard rims with no problems. I couldn't
find decent offroad tyres in 255 section, although they would have fitted if
I had. 235s might look a bit narrow on those rims, but would probably be
OK.

> Second question,
> which tyres would anyone recommend? I will probably go for A/T's
> rather than a set of M/T's just yet.

BFG A/T every time. Never stuck in the rough, quiet and good grip on
tarmac, even wet tarmac. Reckon on at least 30K out of them.

> Any idea if I could fit a set
> of "standard" LR steel wheels to the P38, just for off-roading, or
> are the stud patterns different?

Stud patterns are the same, but the hub is different. Not do-able without
modifying either hub or wheel, AIUI. It involves skimming some metal off
the inside of the wheel/outside of the hub - it would need to be done very
professionally. Big safety items, wheels.

> Other thing, does anyone know if I can get a steering guard and
> diff guards for the P38, and if so, where from? I haven't been
> able to locate anything like this for the P38.

Never seen a steering guard. A diff guard to fit any LR would do - they're
pretty much the same.

> Can anyone comment
> on whether diff guards are worth fitting?

If you're venturing anywhere rocky (which would include water where you
can't see what's below the surface) and you want to drive it home again,
then yes. And one on the back, if you intend to reverse at all.

> Come to think of it,
> does the P38 need a steering guard!?

It wouldn't hurt, if you're doing anything serious, although if you jack the
air-sus up to its full height it's got pretty good clearance. You'd need to
measure up and then see if a guard for a 90 or whatever could be persuaded
on. Nothing's impossible!

> Anything else I should consider doing to the P38 before abusing it
> properly?

Read this month's (or was it last month's ) LRO, where a guy has modified a
P38 for serious off-roading. He intended to do challenge events in it but
found it had too much bodywork, so now he's desert racing as far as I could
tell.

Good luck.

--
Rich
==============================
Disco 300 Tdi auto
S2a 88" SW
Tiggrr (V8 trialler)

<A> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> "Matthew Maddock" <[email protected]> wrote in
> message news:[email protected]...
>> I'm just trying to get my P38 sorted for some more serious off-roading
>> than I have been doing, but finding info (or parts) for it is not
>> particularly easy because I guess not that many of them are off-roaded
>> just yet.
>>
>> At the moment I've got the standard Scorpion ST's, 255 tyres on it, and
>> I want to go to a more aggressive tread and probably 235 section.
>> I have the 16in 8J alloys on, first question being can I fit 235's
>> to these, or do I have to find a set of 7.5J wheels? Second question,
>> which tyres would anyone recommend? I will probably go for A/T's
>> rather than a set of M/T's just yet. Any idea if I could fit a set
>> of "standard" LR steel wheels to the P38, just for off-roading, or
>> are the stud patterns different?
>>
>> Other thing, does anyone know if I can get a steering guard and
>> diff guards for the P38, and if so, where from? I haven't been
>> able to locate anything like this for the P38. Can anyone comment
>> on whether diff guards are worth fitting? Come to think of it,
>> does the P38 need a steering guard!?
>>
>> Anything else I should consider doing to the P38 before abusing it
>> properly?
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Matt.
>
> I seem to remember a Land Rover magazine (LRO or LRE) having an article on
> upgrading a P38 for off road.
> From memory the owner built a lot of the underbody protection himself and
> had custom Mach 5 wheels made due the different stud pattern.
>
> Cannot quickly find the article but it would be in the last 6 months.
>
> A
>
I think its this months (feb edition)
Icky