Interesting timing here...I suppose some of you if not all have received the latest LRL magazine - for a while there I was beginning to wonder if they were going to publish again it had been so long since the last issue.

There is a smoking hot picture of a Red/Black Kahn RRS on the cover with some very special rims for those that enjoy the fancy metal shoes! I have to admit...they look good to me too.

On the inside, there is a relatively decent review of on/off road tires as well...although for some reason when they reviewed the Nitto Terra G"s they neglected to include the 285/18 size that we run, even though it's mentioned on an earlier page as a good option.

One item that caught my eye is the Advan street tire...that looks like an interesting alternative for the 19" option when we're not running around in the 18's. I'm curious if it's a better gripping tire than the Continentals and any sound quality...the look is quite attractive.

 

I can't find that orange/red Kahn picture any more... Here is a silver one, same mods:

A bit too "Look at me!!!!!" for my taste.

 

Great news. Someone please put these on their RRS and give us some feedback. i just bought the Pirelli scorpions or else I'd get these right away. If anyone is interested in some Pirellis with 1000 miles on them in the 20" size let me know and I will get these AT's. Or if someone wants some Conti's with 1000 miles on them, alternatively.

 

Actually, according to my calculations the Cooper Zeon LTZ 285/50R20 would also fit the Sport, offering some extra sidewall compared to the above "near stock" alternative and perhaps negligible rubbing only under full compression (which is what happens with the 285/60R18s I have, virtually identical height and diameter and only very slight rubbing not affecting anything other than a bit of worn plastic trim inside the rear wheel wells.) Your speedo would be off about 8%, but that would be a perfectly acceptable tradeoff to get real all terrain tires for some of us - ehm, you - stuck with Brembo brakes, I'm sure.

Cooper Zeon LTZ 285/50R20

 

Are these out yet? I need to replace my 285/60/18 Terra Grapplers in the next 10k miles for my street tires . But I have been considering upgrading to a "20 Stormer Wheels with 285/50/20 Copper LTZ Tires would be a combonation on my P38 I think. What I really want is the "19 RR Sport Rims with the 255/55/19 Goodyear MT/R but doesn't look like those are coming to America Anytime soon.

I current use a 285/60/18 Terra Grappler and Just bought "16 Rims and ordered 265/75/16 Maxxis Buckshots for off road. But I still want a decent AT tire for everyday driving especially living in Colorado

Is there anymore info on these Copper LTZ tires ? Nothing is on there web page about them

 

Not much out there yet, the tire is really brand new, although the fella at America's Tire told me he can order it right away - not sure if in all sizes though, I was talking to him about the 18s. There is a thread on a Durango forum saying they aren't even supposed to be out until Fall.

http://www.dakota-durango.com/forum/pri ... hp?t=31994

 

They make the Terra Grapler in the 285/50/20 size . I'm wondering which tire would be a better all around tire, I really want the tire just for on road driving , winter driving and the occasional dirt road . The 16" rims are my beaters

 

Thanks for finding - I had assumed the Nito were about it. I would like a bit more sidewall than what I have. A larger OD does not bother me as these have plenty of power on the low end - not enough for you street racers, but my perspective also includes my old P38 still in my garage!

 

Hey umb and others,

sorry, i must post a noob question..

i dont see how a 285/50/20 can fit on a 275/40/20?

As you guys told me before 275 is the width of the wheel. So won't a tire of 285 'not fit' a wheel of width 275? I think i'm missing some obvious logic here.. =( Any help would be greatly appreciated.

But anywho, if the 285/50/20 do work, im gonna have to pick up some and hit up that ohv park in asuza, ca that i missed the last time =)

PEACE!

 

frinsan, where have you been buddy? The wheel arches of the Sport do have some extra wiggle room to allow for larger tires than the factory ones without issues other than your speedo / odometer being off proporationately. As a rule of thumb, tires with a total diameter of about 31.5" or less should fit without rubbing on either wheel wells or shocks. Your stock 20" rims are wide enough to take 285/50 tires. If you can live with the speedo telling you are going 60 when you are really going 65, these tires would be a good choice for off roading with a S/C Sport, since 18s aren't an option and nobody seems to make 19s all terrains other than those Wrangler MTRs we cannot get in North America.

 

You all seem to talk only about S/C model (= SuperCharged, right?)
What about other RRS models? For example I have 3.6 Litre Diesel 2009 year model. Will same sized tires (up to 31.5") fit it as well or are there some differences between these models regarding max. tire size?

 

so i could put the Nittos 20/50/285 on my factory stormers?
are there any pictures of these?
would there be any rubbing?
how come nobody ever mentioned this before as an option for a S/C only after the Copper tire's came out?

what would you guys do? Copper's VS Nittos

if i can put the Nittos on then i think im going to get them
im assuming that they would be Summer tires?

thanks

 

so i could put the Nittos 20/50/285 on my factory stormers?

A 50 profile, while better than 40 or 45, still ain't much and chances of you scraping or dinging your expensive rims - especially over rocky terrains - are still pretty good IMHO. If you are going to go that far (and have the room in the garage for storing a spare set), you could maybe consider buying a used set of "cheap" banged up 20" rims off eBay and use those instead off road, keeping the fancy Stormers for civilian use or resale time... I run 285/60/18s on my Sport without any problems or rubbing worth mentioning, and when you do the math you find out the 285/50/20s are actually a tad smaller than my 18s. So, on paper they should fit, but I haven't personally tried them, so...

I think nobody has mentioned this size before because the percentage of people buying a Sport to take it offroad is small to begin with, and becomes much smaller among S/C owners. Chances of one of those souls stopping by our forum here to instruct us about all terrain tire choices are pretty slim. Weren't it for forum members like Jeffrey, most of us here would probably still be clueless about 18" A/Ts for our HSE. We would be bitching about Goodyear not releasing that 19" MTR in the US and miss out on all the fun out there.

The Nitto Terra Gs have quite a reputation among some forum members here, not only as an all terrain tire but as a perfectly suitable all-season rubber as long as you don't drag race. These new Coopers are so new I doubt you'll get any feedback anywhere.

 

NICE! Thanks for the info umbertob =D I've been a bit busy with work and etc, and after realizing that i was TOO obsessed with my car, i took a little break to think about things other than the RRS. But now im back!...i've found myself reading this forum almost everday now, lol.. just like before...

But i'm really really planning on getting 285/50/20s tires in the next couple of weeks, I will definitely post some picts up when i get them. Of course this means im going to have to test them tires, so i might post a little proposal of another light off roading session in So Cal

 

guys, I have been trying various sizes on my lr3 using your stock 20" rims which are 9.5" wide as opposed to the stock 18" which is 8" wide. (the lr3 steering tower/struts are identical) while the nitto TG 18"x285/60 may sound like the same size as a 20"x285/50 tire, the 20 is going to be wider because the rim allows it to be wider by not pulling it in as much as the 8" rim width.

make sense?

i have tested toyo proxes st 20" 285/50 last year which almost worked and the 07 lr3 it actually touches the cast iron arm that comes up against the back of the tire, top-inside of the front wheels. the only reason the nitto barely works is because it's on an 8" rim and is also about 1/10" narrower than the toyo.

that nitto 285/50x20 you mention, i bet will not fit without a custom spacer because it specs at 11.7" wide on a 9" rim. if you are using rrs 20"s, then the rim will be around 9.5" wide, thus allowing the tire to fully realize it's width, thus rubbing the steering support arms behind the inside top of the tire.

if you put on RRIII 20's, then you could use 275's or 265's because those 20's are only 8.5" or so and have same bolt pattern as rrs/lr3 now.

for my street/summer wheels i am using the rrs 20" 5V rims that are 9.5" wide with 275/45 toyo proxes st which will be just about exactly the same as the stock 255/55x19 height and slightly wider. the 285/50 looked great but couldn't work without grinding a bit off the cast iron support....

the next phase will be putting in the tallest tire i can while not rubbing on the arm. i had the nitto tg last year and liked them pretty much but for snow i don't mind a touch narrower anyway and might get a bit more height by using a 275/65x18, goign to try the bfg-AT-ko. i am also getting some hub centric spacers from rovers north next week that are 30mm +offset and center on the hub as needed but am concerned that the lug nuts will not be able to properly center the rim itself as that's what the protruding hub flange currently does. we'll see. maybe the bfg will work - it's a bit taller than the nitto but a bit narrower as well.
i will test the spacers and some bfg 32.5" tall x 11.5" wide 18" tires i have just for kicks.

 

I contacted a local dealer about the Nittos 285/50/20 and he said that it would fit the Sport. however as soon as the wheels start articulating there would be rubing. i may get a test fit this weekend but does this make sense? can these tires work in on road and off road driving?
did anybody try this yet?

thanks

 

well, my dealer would not even entertain that size. really, it may actually make contact between the top of the backside of the tire and the upper control tower/strut thingy - eaither against the cut metal flange that is rounded over or the cast iron vertical arm that comes up in a curved shape right behind the wheel.
the issue isn't total diameter, it's the offset width.

also, isn't a 20", low profile agressive offroad tire a little silly? having a Vesuvius model, does it have brembos or normal brakes up front? if normal, why not get some 18" for your offroad tires? i have your orriginal equipment 20" 5v pattern rims on my lr3 with 275/45x20's and they really corner well and the rim width looks much better than the stupid 19's.

separately, while i know everyone hopped on the nitto Terra Grapler tire-wagon the BFG AT-ko is a highly superior tire. i had the nittos last year and will use the bfg from here on out. mainly the sidewall is better and the construction. part of why the mounted price of a bfg is ~$275 for a 32".

 

jwest, nothing smaller than a 19" will fit a S/C Sport (including the Vesuvius, which was a limited edition run of the S/C last year), so you are really stuck with 20s since there is no 19" AT tire in a 19" size available here in the US.

 

dude, i know the specs on sc versions which is why i asked about that model. i wasn't sure if it only came in sc set up. still, the 9.5" wide rim is not the ideal rim to have an offroad tire on.

before i sold my RRSC, I was going to get 20" tires like redmann is talking about on but on those stock 20's which are only like 8-8.5" wide and then have an aftermarket set like 10" wide with summer tires.

also, i just looked at my bfg size sheet, nothing in 20" that will work for our cars without modifications. their smallest 20" is 32.5" tall and ~11.7" wide on a 9" rim. it might work on the rrsport sc if the rim were not so wide but doubtful on the 9.5" rims

so, the nitto 275/60-20 would be cool on the sport but would rub in articulation. however, will you "articulate" much? meaning, on several winter trips i have needed height but not wild articulation because i was in snow on double track/jeep roads. thus, a tall but narrow enough tire could be an option for you. the above 275/60 is just under 33" but right at 11" wide.
after looking at some other brands/sizing, the nitto might give you the least trouble though......

it is interesting how the new generation of rovers have become problematic in terms of modifying for off road use. they could be better by simply having better clearances designed into such things like the control arms/towers, wheel well volumes, etc. for example i had an 06 land cruiser with 285/65x18" (32.5"x11.7") bfg's and had NO rubbing, no clearance issues, no turning radius reductions.
my 2004 discovery has plenty of wheel well space too, and of course can be spring lifted for more.

i am eager for a better company to buy rover, ford is dumbing down some important design aspects.

 

"also, isn't a 20", low profile agressive offroad tire a little silly? "

I dont think its silly. Some people do not have the luxury (time and money) to have a extra set of 18" wheels.

For me, I bought an HSE with the stock 20" rims. I'd just rather just go to a local tire shop and switch out my continental tires for Nittos 285/50/20, instead of switching out all 4 wheels every single time i want to go off roading. Its just faster and cheaper to switch out tires only.

oh and also jwest, you obviously don't know the specs if you didn't know that the Vesuvius only comes s/c. hence the word.. "limited". NOOB!

 

is it "faster" to change tires every time you want to go offroading? :lol:

don't be a jerk saying i didn't know about the "limited" specs when i in fact said i didn't know about it to start with.

also, if you can't afford the luxury of a few rims, you probably can't afford the car you're in to begin with. it's like going out to dinner and tipping poorly.

 

if you can't afford the luxury of a few rims, you probably can't afford the car you're in to begin with. it's like going out to dinner and tipping poorly.

Yeah sure, that's the same thing. :roll:

Aren't you the same guy who doesn't understand why people who can afford the Sport don't just get the FFRR instead?

 

unbertob, am i not allowed to defend myself against stupid remarks? actually, in a better mood, yes i do in fact understand - i say choose the car that works for your own priorities. except for time, separate wheels is kind of nice to have in my opinion. i do it myself in less than an hour.

as for luxury or either, i prefer to use my discovery II for my toy and keep the newer model with seats and such in it for work and going out with friends.

but yes, i imagine if one can afford a sport they can probably also afford a ffrr and have instead made a functionality or design preference choice.

i wish we could blend them anyway we like in somme sort of online car ordering manner. i'd take the cool lines of the sport, the cargo of the lr3 and the interior materials and comfort of the full size along with large tire capacity, both tall for offroad and 12" wide for street tires

 

separate wheels is kind of nice to have in my opinion. i do it myself in less than an hour.

Yeah, that's more or less how long it takes me now to go from 21s to 18s and viceversa, after LOTS of practice. Of course, I am usually only about 1/2 way done at that point, since I also need to remove the friggin' side steps, and those take longer than the wheels.

 

man....you can pick up a decent D2 for around $20k now, more if you want it all loaded and low miles, less if you don't care and it's totally a toy. or, an 05 lr3 would be fun to just tear into with offroad mods.....

lucky for you sport lovers, the sport is most likely the first model that will have the TDV8 engine in a couple years.... so i have been told by a dealer.

 

also, if you can't afford the luxury of a few rims, you probably can't afford the car you're in to begin with. it's like going out to dinner and tipping poorly.

That's such a ridiculously asinine thing to say.

After trashing my 20" stormers/OE Contis on a very tame offroad venture, I've just kept them in the garage as my offroad setup. I swap them out with my street wheels before offroad trips.

I'm interested to hear some feedback about this new tire. If anyone gets them on a 20" wheel and hits the dirt, make sure to write a review!