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.