Lucky8’s Project Discovery 3 Update : 17’s on my feet.

Lucky8’s Project Discovery 3 Update : 17’s on my feet. 

Why 17s you may ask? When you flip through a tire catalog you can not help but notice the unbelievable selection of 17 inch mud tires. Now consider the additional half-inch cushion provided by the sidewall. Those two factors alone made it a no-brainer to pursue a 17in rim option for the Disco. Putting 17in rims on a V8 is not as easy as bolting the wheels up and driving away. First off there is the rim selection or I should say lack there of it. I could not find any 17in  aftermarket rims for the Disco 3. The next logical step was to try and make some. 

First we had to find the right combination of parts to allow the rim to clear the break caliber.

The next hurdle was contending with the off set. We definitely wanted additional offset to help compensate for the narrow stance on a lifted truck. The stock offset is 6 3/8

 The minimum offset we could make the rim without compromising the strength and clear the caliber was 4 3/8.

 The end result was this bit of magic.

Picking the tire size was the next issue. 

With the added offset the truck gained a more powerful stance. Unfortunately there was a downside to the extra offset. The tires wanted to rub the molding in front of the doors when the wheel was turned. Our first try was a 33/12.50/17 Mud Grappler. We could not turn the wheel with out it jamming into the side molding in front of the doors.  Just for reference the front bumper had no chance of survival with these wide boys on. Next up was a more reasonable choice, 285/70/17 Trail Grappler.  This size rubbed a little in hi mode on the molding in front of the doors and again the bumper had no chance of survival. When it is acceptable to take a sawsall to the fenders this is the tire size I will probably go with. Finally we were able to sneak by with a 255/75/17 Trail Grappler. They clear the molding in front of the doors and just touch the bumper.  Knowing that the front bumper is on the way out the 255’s became our new tire. I was hoping for a true 33 but had to settle on the 32s. 

This is the only rubbing we are getting and could easily be avoided with a little smaller tire.

This is how the truck sits in high mode 

 A stock D2 for reference.

The extra offset is about spot on for a 2 1/2 inch lifted truck in my opinion. Here are some side-by-side pictures of the truck in high mode . As you can see the stock tire is tucked way inside the fender well.

Here is a picture with the Lucky8 wheel tire combination and it sitting almost flush with the fender flare.

Let me know what you think about this set up. 

And finally the poser pic, Boriana on ice. 

Lucky8’s Project Discovery 3

Lucky8’s Project Discovery 3 

Well, it's time for me to eat some crow. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_crow

I’m sure if I looked back at some of my posts from 2005 I would find a slew of things saying why the Disco 3 is not going to be a good off road choice. Unfortunately for me but fortunately for the Land Rover community I may need to retract some of those old post. Watching what people like Nathan Woods, Adam Spiker and Gerald King have accomplished with their trucks has not only proven me wrong but made me want one of my own. Please except this as my apology and lets get started with the project!

Without further ado here is the L8 Disco 3 in all its stock form glory 

Some of you keen eyed observers may recognize the finger in the uper corner. That finger belongs to none other than Bart from RMR or as most people know them Red Mountain Rovers. 

http://rmr4x4.com

Tim and Bart knew I was batting around the Idea of getting into a Disco 3 and when they saw this on the clock they knew were its new home should be. 

I only had one question for them. Does it have 

The answer was A resounding yes and the Disco was immediately shipped off to Lucky8 

Like most Lucky8 Project truck’s the goal is to build a truck that can be a daily driver and still stand up to the abuse of the Easter Expedition. In order to do this with a Disco 3 we will need to push hard on our vendors for new products and work in house on innovative ways to tap the hidden potential Land Rover left for us to find.

 A side from the standard bolt on goodies here is a quick list of things I would like to accomplish. 

1 expanding the selection of rims available.

2 A different suspension set up that does not overstress the air bags when lifted.

3 A dual battery system that has a built-in solar power charger. These trucks are so dependent on electricity we need every possible backup system to make sure they're ready for the challenge ahead.

4 This may be a pipe dream but  aluminum bumpers, rock sliders and air Compressor guard. 

5 Finding out the things this truck needs that I don’t even know about. 

Start at the start.

Tires are the foundation of any build, and that is were we will begin. 

When I’m asked for recommendations about building a truck the first thing I ask back is "What size tires do you want to run"? The answer to that for this project was "stuff a 33 under it". Unfortunately it's not that easy on a Disco 3. Our Disco like most HSE’s came with 19in wheels. To say the 19in tire selection is dismal is an overstatement and now we find ourselves at issue number one on my list. Rim selection. What most people do is go out and find a used set of 18 inch rims. That's not a bad option but I think Lucky8 can do better. Remember when I said we needed to be innovative?  Well I don't want to let you down so have a look at this video.