Alloy rims - wish list

[Tawayama]

Guys,

I'm doing some market research for a client of mine who makes custom alloy rims.

He's trying to decide if there's enough of a demand to justify the manufacture of several sizes of alloy rims for the LR market.

Specifically for those models that share the same bolt pattern (series, Defender, RRC, Disco1).

He's thinking of launching with an initial offering of 3 different rim sizes, with at least one of them being beadlocked.

If you have some suggestions or ideas for sizes, widths and backspacing, let's hear them. Here's your chance to be in on the ground floor of design and decision making.

If we don't ask for it don't bitch when we don't get it.

Michael

[tbmcneill]

isn't Walker Evans already doing that???

[Hans]

How about something that looks like the American Racing Outlaw I? I love the look of those rims, the solid version. I'd be happy with just a 15x10" beadlock.

-Hans

[wicks]

FWIW, a bunch of us like standard type (not bigfoot/jeep/hummer fat type) steel wheels. Alloys break up and don't look cool. Plus they all come with alloys, but we replace them with steelies and stick the alloys in the garage. See the alloys in my pic there? Yep, in the garage.

He might be better served to address the Freelander, New RR, Disco II and III, and Range Stormer markets...

[Tawayama]

I'm not sure Walker is doing a full-blown Rover specific alloy rim. My client is already making alloys for several other makes of vehicle and is looking at the LR market.

Wicks, alloys don't have to break up if they're made correctly. You won't find many steel wheels on the SCORE desert racers and their rims are exposed to much harsher conditions than ours ever will be.

Yeah, I have steelies too, and really like them (Wolf wheels on the CrewCab), but if a heavy duty alloy was made that looked nice I'd run them instead. I like the idea of less unsprung weight.

Also, with the beadlocks the alloy rims really shine. I have a set of steelie beadlocks and although beefy, they are heavy.

If what you're wanting is the cool look of the steelies then the alloys aren't for you.

I am not trying to convince you that alloys are superior, that's not my job. If you don't see any advantage to running alloy wheels, that's fine. It's your choice.

All I am looking for are people who wish that they had a wider variety of alloy wheels to choose from and what sizes/specs they wish they had to choose from.

The later model LR's have a plethora of aftermarket rims to choose from, the earlier coil-sprung trucks do not.

[cbkearney]

I think it is weird that people are not supporting a little research that might provide some more options for our hobby in the wheel department. Why wouldn't you want options? Especially, lighter options?

I personally would love to see 15 x 8, 15 x 9, 16 x 8, 16 x 9, and a 17 thrown in for good measure to get us some more otpions for tires. I like 3.75-4" backspacing.

Why shoot this opportunity down? Mike isn't asking you to make a commitment to buying them.

Chris Kearney

[Mike Hippert]

I know this will get me in trouble with Mr. Walker :uhoh but.....

How about some thing in the 16" range that will hold a 14.5" wide tire and still allow you to have a decent turning radius (not sure on the backspacing is what I'm tring to say). I don't care about looks as it will be dirty most of the time anyway. Right now my black rims look white from all the salt:pissed

Thanks for askin:thumbs

[wicks]

Michael, I didn't connect that it was you posting the request. I guess I assumed it would be an outsider because there isn't a big enough market in our space to serve a wheel manufacturer. I think that if it were a second priority to the mainline customers (not Defender) that might be ok.

Chris - cuz more people going BK trying to make a living in the LR world doesn't help our image either - or does it?! Hmmm...

[chrisvonc]

Hmm.. the alloy bead-locks sound real interesting.

I am split. I like some of the LR alloy designs but I was killing my alloys wheeling. Chunks missing and even bent one somehow which is why I went to steels. While LR steels are heavier duty, I never liked the looks of them which is why I went with the GCR/Amer Racing ones. I really am not up on the sizes, tech, backspacing and what not, but I do know it would be nice to have options in the 2 most popular sizes in the 16x7 & 15x for us lesser modified people not running the monster tires.

Sorry I'm not more technical. Any design ideas on what he is looking to produce?

[Buckon37s]

How is it exactly that anyone interested in making more products for us to choose from is a bad thing? Come on! Mike, I could really use a 15x9 3in backspacing with dual beadlocks.



Chris - cuz more people going BK trying to make a living in the LR world doesn't help our image either - or does it?! Hmmm...

Deserved or not, our image is a bunch of Rich a**holes who will spend money on anything sparkley and then have the dealer bolt it on for us. I don't think that a wheel manufacteror offering alloy wheels is going to hurt that. :bling

[Tawayama]

Design is his gig. He already has a few nice looking designs in CAD that he's done for other vehicles. I would ASSume that he'd somehow translate what he's already done and knows works into the LR bolt pattern.

I could be wrong, but if it were me sticking my neck out I'd take it one baby step at a time.

There's a lot of liability in producing rims, I'm just glad that he's even entertaining the idea.

[cbkearney]

I am fairly ignorant of the online lingo, so what does does BK mean?

Chris - cuz more people going BK trying to make a living in the LR world doesn't help our image either - or does it?! Hmmm...

[ron]

Mike if i had a choice id want a 15 x9 , 15x10 so I could buy the more reasonably pricied 15" tires.
there seems to be more deals on 15" tires than 16"and a wider range of sizes

A rim that had the ability to have bead locks added and more of a deep dish effect so when im on the rocks the rims dont get as banged up .

I now need 3 stock alloys = : )

[snuffer]

Michael, how about something in the 16x7, 16x8, 15x7, and 15x8 with about 4 to 4 1/4" backspace, for those of us who are less concerned about the fasion statements centered in the Torrance area. Function choices sometimes have to be made over fasion.

[chrisvonc]

Well.. thats just a smart move doing it in little steps in new waters especially in the Rover market. Meaning its not like the Jeep market where you make a run of something, you have much better odds on selling the inventory because of the sheer number of owners.

[Glenn_Guinto]

Kidding aside,

I am a steelie guy myself, I would trade my Tornado alloys with 110 steel rims in a heartbeat. But maybe if he can improve upon the design of the LR steelies, meaning wider bead seat, beadlock steelies perhaps? He might have some going on with those and the purists won't get offended. Just my 02 cents...

[Red90]

If you want steel beadlocks, they can be had at:

High-Impact (http://www.high-impact.net/wheels/catalog_framespage_landroverapps.htm)

or

MRT - Rockcrawler (http://rockcrawler-mrt.com/)

[Tawayama]

.02 cents are appreciated.

I think he's sticking with alloys. The steelie market seems to be pretty well handled.

Mucho easier to get custom steel wheels made.

If the alloy beadlocks come to fruition, I'll have some 15 inch steel beadlocks for sale.

;)

M

[TDI Guy]

for you guys that have run bead locks, how are they when running on the street????? do they balance ok? I love the look and the strength when airing down but how about on the 2 hour ride home from the offroad spot or back and forth to work? Are they worth it? are they a headache? I am interested .


Randy

[krisp]

I run Trailready beadlocks and 37" boggers so they don't balance worth a crap but with my 35" MTR's they balanced perfect.

[tbmcneill]

by all means, if he's interested in producing them, i'd say go for it, too. You can never have too many options.

I haven't checked with Walker lately, but when I bought my beadlocks, they were on the verge of introducing that sweet new alloy beadlock of theirs in 5 on 6.5.

personally, i'd like a set of 17x9 or 17x10, 4" BS .... of course, the 90 is sold now. But, if i end up with a rover bolt pattern on the new build-up, i'd like a set of 17s ... beadlocked.
T

randy-
i could never get my 37" MTRs on 17x8 Allied beadlocks balanced ... but still drove to cruces and back on them last year ....

[dmarchand]

Any 17" or 15" would be nice as options for my 90.

If I went 17", it would push me to a larger tire. And that's not a bad thing...

[Hans]

BAh....this forum is KILLIN me sometimes. Had a nice long response typed out, and it didn't send in properly. Grrrr.

Anyways, short version is that if we went to something with wider rims with a deeper offset, it would also possibly give us more room to adjust a better turning radius. Plus, with something like a 32x11.5" tire on an 8.5"/9" rim it would also project the sidewalls of the tire and the tread out wider than the rim itself.

With these narrow tires on narrow rims that I see a lot of Defenders having, it makes the rims a lot more vulnerable to damage, which could be why some of you are having issues with the stock alloys getting damaged. We've all been running, what.. 5.5" wide rims, or something close.

Personally, after a bit more thought.... I'd like a 15x8.5 or 15x9" rim, and pushes the rim inner edge out a bit from the frame.

-Hans

[OCD90]

I want 22s! Give me bling!

[chrisvonc]

FYI - Making this thread a "sticky" for a bit to help maximize input.

[wicks]

Could he make some spinners?

[Hans]

Spinners? SPINNERS?

Bad, Evil, Naughty Wicks!

You should be flogged for that one, or forced to trade your Defender for an H2.

-Hans

[Tawayama]

CVC thanks for making it a sticky, but I think all of the valuable input has already been had.

"Can he make them in spinners?"

Man this is the kind of crap I didn't expect to see, but not too surprized honestly.

If anyone else has some honest feedback I'm still taking notes.

[rover4x4]

I think it was a joke.

[TDI Guy]

I'm looking forward to seeing some prototypes.. Did you seee Brendon Loveday's rims? Custom 17"x8 KMC Tank wheels. THey look great. Especially with the 37's wrapped around them.

[rover4x4]

why are the people that spend alot of time o nthe rocks going to larger rims? I have heard an explanation but I dont recall

[Tawayama]

I hope so.

:)

[Chris Cox]

Phillip, if I remember correctly, it was so there trucks would handle much better on the highway:grin . Just kidding. Having more rim and less sidewall reduces wheel hop.

[rover4x4]

ahh..

[TwisteD90]

I will also like to see some 17X10 w/4" back spacing but how much $$$ are we talking?

[TDI Guy]

Does anyone have a pic of a 35" tire on a 17" rim?? What does it look like? I know that the MTR's come in a 17" rim size. I think its a 305/70R17. What would that look like???? MMmMmmmm Anyone?

[TwisteD90]

Look at the H2!

[rover4x4]

I kinda liked the fly fisher 110 with the 18" RR wheels on BFG MT's. sorry this thread is getting high jacked.

[Tawayama]

Pricing? Hmmm...dunno. I suspect they would be in line with other manufacturers rims. I know his company sells rims for other 4x4's, so there is a market that is not afraid of his prices. I would suspect they won't be ultra-cheap, but probably won't be 24k plated either.

[edwinclifford]

yeah, there are many advantages of getting alloy rims, unlike 100% steel car wheels, alloy wheels are build from an amalgam of aluminum & more rigid metals. The result is a wheel which is lighter than those made from steel, improving car efficiency, and which can better distribute and dissipate any brake heat created in the wheel during vehicle operation.

[ArmyRover]

I cool with 16" rims there are plenty of tire sizes I like and the prices aren't that bad for them anymore. Now if he made a Mach 5 look alike I would definitely be interested :grin:

[MERLEANDSARAH]

Wow, talk about bringing up 'POSTS OF CHRISTMAS PAST.' 6 year time warp.

[ArmyRover]

lol I didn't even catch that when I was reading through this at work today.