Wolf Steel wheels

[Schattenjager]

OK - I am on a quest it would seem - I have an '00 Dico II and want to put 16X6.5 or 7's on it BUT I want to retain the factory offset. I am running 235/85/16's and do not need a wider rim - As a matter of fact, BFG says I should swap my factory 8" alloys ASAP as any loss of pressure might mean a tire coming off the bead.

Is there a source for the REAL NATO or Wolf rims? I have seen some knock offs - all with different specs than factory. Any help is appreciated!

[TerryS]

I bought a set from RDS a few years ago, but he is out of them at the moment. The only difference I have seen in some of the knockoffs is that they do not have the heavy section thickness of the original Dunlop rims. If you can find a knockoff with a 1/4" section thickness, you may as well buy it, because there won't be any other significant differences. Genuine Wolf rims were not intended to be run tubeless, and some knockoffs are made to be used tubeless, if that matters to you. Airing down with a tube is less likely to result in a popped bead, but tubes don't like to run soft.

[antichrist]

Genuine wolfs came in two varieties, tubeless and tube type. They were originally fitted with the Goodyear G90 tire, which is tubless. I have two sets of the tubeless kind, one with the G90's.
I wasn't aware they were ever made that would fit DII's since they are made for Defenders which have the D1 hub pattern.

[skippy3k]

Originally Posted by antichrist

I wasn't aware they were ever made that would fit DII's since they are made for Defenders which have the D1 hub pattern.

That is correct.

Trust me Schattenjager, I've been down this road before. Here are your only options for 16x7 steel wheels with stock specs;

1. Buy them from the UK.
2. Buy them from Rover's North for almost $200 a wheel (although I can't find them on their site anymore.)
3. Get some custom made.

That's it. If there was any other option, I would have found it. The ones I have are stock dimensions, look like NATO's with the backspacing only 1/4" different.

Do we no longer have a deal? If not, let me know so I can offer them to the next person.

Thanks,
Scott

[KevinNY]

I would just sell the 235/85s and get some 265/75-16s, problem solved. I've never seen that size on a D2 when the 265/75 works and fits so well at the same height on stock alloys.

[Schattenjager]

Scott - just looking for the "Genuine" Wolfs - I think Nessy hid them all...

As far as wider tires - never really been fan - too much rolling resistance, wear on axels etc. and I think they look kinda dumb. Disco's only came with big tires here in the US of bling.

Furthermore:

http://www.expeditionswest.com/resea...tion_rev1.html

[TerryS]

Originally Posted by antichrist

Genuine wolfs came in two varieties, tubeless and tube type.

Not so, I'm told. This subject was hashed out at Billing, and according to the guy from Dunsfold, There was NO rim made for the MOD which was accepted as tubeless. The original rim was marked Dunlop , then they dropped the mfg'r name but kept a special mark. They are also marked '2160025, 2160026, 6 1/2"Jx16x20.6. plus, an inspectors mark. Thousands were made, not delivered to the MOD, and sold off. RDS was one of only a few to get some, from Paddock I think. Most of the other 'tubed' versions were made in Brazil, and never accepted by the MOD. Those don't have contract numbers or inspectors marks.

If this has not yet made it into the "Way More Than I Needed To Know..." catagory, here's more.
The MOD spec'd wheels are made from a higher tensile material, probably something on the order of 1030, or 4130 (the 30 indicates .30% Carbon) and the material is heat treated to enhance it's impact strength. Impact strength is mesured by a 'Charpy' test, we use "V" notch in the US, but the MOD still uses Keyhole. A specimen is machined from test bars from each heat of material, and heat treated with the material, then sectioned for tensile and charpy tests. The tensile specimens are broken (pulled till failure) and UTS, Yield strength, Elongation, and reduction of area are measure. The Charpy spec called for a value (I can't remember, but something like 20 ftpds) at minus 40C (US spec says minus 40 F and that is the same as -40C) To get qualified to make this stuff, we even had to send test plates to Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where they shot 25mm cannon shells at it. (ever seen a rim that hit a land mine?)

Just because it's 'Genuine', it isn't always better, but it sure has more pedigree.

[KevinNY]

Originally Posted by Schattenjager

Scott - just looking for the "Genuine" Wolfs - I think Nessy hid them all...

As far as wider tires - never really been fan - too much rolling resistance, wear on axels etc. and I think they look kinda dumb. Disco's only came with big tires here in the US of bling.

Furthermore:

http://www.expeditionswest.com/resea...tion_rev1.html

Rolling resistance? Axle wear? It is 2.7 TON truck it does not matter. A 265 is not a wide tire. So now you can't even air down properly, does not seem like much of a solution.

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by Schattenjager

Scott - just looking for the "Genuine" Wolfs - I think Nessy hid them all...

As far as wider tires - never really been fan - too much rolling resistance, wear on axels etc. and I think they look kinda dumb. Disco's only came with big tires here in the US of bling.

Furthermore:

http://www.expeditionswest.com/resea...tion_rev1.html

The difference in rolling resistance between a 235/85 and a 265/75 will be minimal, so that's a moot point. As far as axle wear, only a wheel with a different offset, or backspacing, will make a difference there. The center of your wheel is also the center of your tire. Therefore, the load carried on your axle bearings is exactly where the factory designed it to be.

Where you will find a difference is in the stance of your vehicle. the 265/75 will give you a little better lateral stability. They also will bulge out from the side of your rim and protect it enough to keep dirt and rocks from getting between the tire and rim, causing a loss of air.

I run 285/75/16 on my RR classic on stock rims. I don't lose air. I don't roll tires off the rim. My son runs 32x11.50 - 15 BFG MT's on his XJ on 8" rims with 8 lbs pressure for off road. He never rolls them off.

Your solution is not a narrower rim, but a wider tire. It'll keep your Disco from looking like a fat guy with skinny legs.

Oh, and BTW....What size tires were fitted to the "Wolf" wheels on the "Wolf" Defenders?? Anybody?

[Schattenjager]

Never mind...

[TerryS]

Originally Posted by Bwana

Oh, and BTW....What size tires were fitted to the "Wolf" wheels on the "Wolf" Defenders?? Anybody?

I won't swear to it, but I seem to remember 7.50x16. For all practical purposes, thats the same as a 235x85R16

[MPi-KMS-72]

Originally Posted by Bwana

Oh, and BTW....What size tires were fitted to the "Wolf" wheels on the "Wolf" Defenders?? Anybody?

I've seen ex MOD wolf wheels and tires on ebay.uk IIRC they were 7.50 16s.

[antichrist]

Many (if not all) of the Wolf Defenders, which had the Wolf wheels, came with tubeless Goodyear G90 7.50x16. Those are what I have which were MoD "takeoffs". If given the choice, many removed them as the G90 is great off-road, but sucks on the tarmac as they wear really fast.

My wheels are marked as follows --
On the flat around the hub:
0301
HL2 (with the H in two sorta half circles)
2160025
2160026
6 1/2 Jx16x20.6

On the rim near the bead:
2231M
Tubeless

I can only assume the MoD ran them tubeless as that's how they came, and while you can run tubes in tubeless tires, it causes additional heat buildup, enough to bond the tube to the tire unless you use liberal quantities of tire talc (speaking from personal experience).

I'm pretty sure my other set is the same since I have 7.70x16 tubeless tires mounted on them, but they weren't as easy to get to tonight so I didn't look.

[antichrist]

Originally Posted by Schattenjager

http://www.expeditionswest.com/resea...tion_rev1.html

Interesting article. I've always run narrow tires, and felt my set up was quite capable, but never had any emprical data to base it on, just my gut and experience.

[Schattenjager]

Yeah - as I have said in other forums - you don't see tractors or military vehicles with wide tires (proportionate to size of vehicle, mind you) Bill Burke and other off roaders do not run the wide tires I see on a lot of Discoveries. I guess people think they look cool, or manly, but I am cool and manly enough not to need an un-necessarily wide tire. LOL Hell, I sold my '04 Chevy 3/4 ton because I made it look bad!

Look at the old WWII photos of jeeps and British Ferrets and you'll notice the super skinny tires for mud and rock. Also the classic Land Rover pics when Series I & II's went all over the world. You just don't see many Land Rovers "floating" on much of anything, so I choose the tried and true traditional route.

Since I am here - as far as axle stress - that comes from spinning momentum and the stress a spinning wheel/tire can put on your poor axle. Narrow tires are lighter tires and therefore I think better for the longevity of the rig.

PEACE!