For those with short wives - Defender wheels and tyres question

· 8 · 1295

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

*

EuanM

  • *****
  • Posts: 72
For those with short wives - Defender wheels and tyres question
« on: January 03, 2018, 09:38:54 PM »
This may be a common problem. My wife is 5'2" on a good day. She struggles to get in and out the 90 which is fitted with boost alloys and 235/80 tyres. To save my hearing from the 'constructive criticism' whenever we go anywhere, I need to come up with a solution more practical than divorce.

I've looked at sidesteps. The standard fold down ones are too vulnerable off road. The tree slider type ones don't seem to me to offer any obvious advantages - their not much lower than the floor. She can get in and out my lightweight okay which is fitted with 205/80 tyres. So the solution would appear to be to swap the tyres for 205/80 (which the 90 had originally).

Would boost alloys look a bit strange with 205/80 tyres? I've searched for a picture to see what the combo would look like but cannot find one. The tyres on the lightweight will need replaced in about 18 months time so I could store the 235s and swap back if it looked odd.

I could sell the 235s and Boosts as a package and buy alternative wheels and 205 tyres but that seems quite extreme.

Any thoughts?

Cheers

Euan


*

banzia

  • *****
  • Posts: 269
  • Name: james
Re: For those with short wives - Defender wheels and tyres question
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2018, 07:33:40 PM »
Hi Euan

I think this is why most landrover owners are single or divorced...lol

You could buy her a nice wee car for herself...

regards

james

I Need To Stop Eating Biscuits

*

cenemc

  • *****
  • Posts: 221
Re: For those with short wives - Defender wheels and tyres question
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2018, 04:36:30 PM »
Time for a late Xmas pressy for her  ;)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Folding-Foldable-Step-Stool-Easy-Store-Stepping-Up-Sitting-Down-Handy-Helper/300933695493?hash=item46110bc805:g:5zEAAOxy0x1TVj2B

( tie a length of string to it at one end and onto the dash at the other end, then she can pull it in after herself! )

( Can also come in useful for when you are working under the bonnet if you are less than 6'2" tall ... )

*

KIERON

  • *****
  • Posts: 216
  • Name: Kieron freyne
Re: For those with short wives - Defender wheels and tyres question
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2018, 11:26:43 AM »
Changing the tyres will lower it by 1" and look crap
I have a set you can change over and try .
but advise you simply make her run along behind you for a few miles and she won't be moaning so much about it when you let her back in.
I also have a set of 235 70 16 on boosts lying waiting on paddy picking up.you can put them on and try too but you can't drive on them as paddy owns them.
88 bowler
80 tomcat

*

EuanM

  • *****
  • Posts: 72
Re: For those with short wives - Defender wheels and tyres question
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2018, 07:00:10 PM »
Thanks for the all advice (useful or otherwise)  :D

I'll dig the lightweight's original wheels and MT tyres out the coal bunker and put the steelies and 205s off it onto the defender to see what it looks like before spending any money. If it looks crap I'll stick with the boosts and tyres as is.

*

Sandy M

  • ****
  • Posts: 216
Re: For those with short wives - Defender wheels and tyres question
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2018, 09:56:12 PM »
As Kieron says changing from 235 /80 x 16 tyres to 205 / 80 x 16 will lower the car by about 1 x inch (24 mm).

If you think that 205s' would look too skinny you could try some 235 / 70 x 16 which have the same diameter as the 205 / 80 x 16 but are that little  bit (30 mm) wider.   

*

genem

  • *****
  • Posts: 2140
  • I'm not completely daft. Some pieces are missing.
  • Name: Gene Maxwell
Re: For those with short wives - Defender wheels and tyres question
« Reply #6 on: January 08, 2018, 02:40:46 PM »
Tell her to get down to a Zumba class and get some more flexibility into the legs ?
If its not broken you are not trying hard enough....

*

EuanM

  • *****
  • Posts: 72
Re: For those with short wives - Defender wheels and tyres question
« Reply #7 on: January 09, 2018, 07:39:12 PM »
Down the athletics track for the high jump would be more useful. Or weight lifting for lumping gearboxes and the like about.