widest tyres to fit 3500

[unstable load]

What about a trailer or caravan, then?

 

[unstable load]

So, how then, would one go about beefing up/bracing to be able to do a D post mod that
would allow wider wheels without the arrse dropping off the car when it has a tow on the back?

 

[billoddie]

And...what did the "factory" do?
Is there any pics/docs of what they did in order to flare the guards/doors like they did?

 

[sowen]

So, how then, would one go about beefing up/bracing to be able to do a D post mod that
would allow wider wheels without the arrse dropping off the car when it has a tow on the back?

Even with UK levels of corrosion, they don't appear to be prone to snapping in half around the rear axle, so the test appears to have been such an extreme event. Looking at pics of shunted bangers cold give an indication of how they would fail in a rear impact

And...what did the "factory" do?
Is there any pics/docs of what they did in order to flare the guards/doors like they did?

Most likely a trade secret, even the Salisbury/Jaguar diff on the Rover de Dion suspension seems to have been lost in history until recently.

The yellow P6 has no rear doors , so is pretty obvious what's been done underneath

This is an inside shot of the Team Willpower P6 looking back at the internal bulkhead

And frustratingly the money shot appears to have been missed

 

[billoddie]

This post has certainly had some varied and interesting input...perhaps showing a degree of interest in the matter from an extrapolated wider p6 fraternity.
Clearly, wider tyres and wheels has been something people have looked at over the years, but have quietly dropped it when the dawning of the problem became evident.
Knowledge of and access to the factory solution seems to be somewhat of a Holy Grail.
You'd think there would be at least a few blokes still out there who knew what was done at the time.
Obviously it was a fairly major cutting/shutting job, but whether or not it is feasible to replicate such a thing perhaps is the question?
In a 1976 "Sports Car World" interview with Harry Firth, he explained the basic butchery used to flare the rear guards on the L34 Torana.
Being a racecar, it wasn't pretty, and one wonders if the Rover efforts were just as ugly.

 

[torinouk]

Here's a picture of the widest tyres I've seen on a P6. Can't remember what the size of the tyres were as it was taken over 20 years ago at The Chelsea Cruise in London. I think it might've been a Jaguar rear end. I can remember it looked very tidy at the time.

 

[rockdemon]

interesting stuff going on under there at the back?

 

[SydneyRoverP6B]

Strike a light :shock: That white one with the massive rear tyres almost looks a bit like a funny car ( designed specifically for the 1/4 mile dash ).

Ron.

 

[sowen]

This post has certainly had some varied and interesting input...perhaps showing a degree of interest in the matter from an extrapolated wider p6 fraternity.
Clearly, wider tyres and wheels has been something people have looked at over the years, but have quietly dropped it when the dawning of the problem became evident.
Knowledge of and access to the factory solution seems to be somewhat of a Holy Grail.
You'd think there would be at least a few blokes still out there who knew what was done at the time.
Obviously it was a fairly major cutting/shutting job, but whether or not it is feasible to replicate such a thing perhaps is the question?
In a 1976 "Sports Car World" interview with Harry Firth, he explained the basic butchery used to flare the rear guards on the L34 Torana.
Being a racecar, it wasn't pretty, and one wonders if the Rover efforts were just as ugly.

Most people want a bolt together solution that can be done in a weekend, not a dedicated project that consumes vast amounts of time and/or money, and the Rover just doesn't attract the kind of owner who is willing to hack up a perfectly good working car to make something potentially temperamental, impractical, expensive and ultimately worthless to the masses.

I reckon it's quite an easy job for someone with confidence and determination to do it, and the vision to see it through. Hardest part would be sourcing suitable wheels to fill the arches, something that seems to be overlooked :roll:

I've spent a good few hours researching this subject this evening, mainly out of curiosity, and ended up finding one of the guy's who did the work on JXC808D signed up on this forum and posted here http://www.classicroverforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=9846

That white one with the Jag back end looks cool! I would not be suprised if those tyres fit in there with no serious structural mods done to the D-post and inner chassis rails. I hope it featured a worthy engine and open exhaust at the time 8)

 

[chrisyork]

Good lord! That white one looks to have got that lot under it without having stretched the wings at all! On that basis I reckon the boot well has shrunk by a sizeable amount! But he won't have had to mod the D post.... A very interesting mod, but I suspect the unchanged exterior bellies a whole lot of grief on the base unit!

Chris

 

[cfcrotweiller]

Well definitely an interesting topic i've opened!..
I think I'd be dedicated to fulfill the job and hopefully do a good job of it. My drawbacks are whether here in Portugal they will start questioning stuff at the inspection - in which case im screwed as most of the work seems irreversible!
Also, the point about the weakening of the D post stood out for me. The last thing I want to do is weaken/affect the cars structure.
I think its a case of getting a spare side panel, batter it around a bit for some tests, get a few wheel sizes off someone to bolt on to check things and go from there. There may be a way to widen the wheel arches only slightly to give a similar look (although those bulging wide arches just look so awsome to me)....
I'm planning on a good 9 month restoration project which will probably go over a year. So I have time to look into it more aswell.
I'm a graphic designer so Im going to take a picture of the side of the car, and photoshop wider arches. This should give me a good indication of what 'looks' OK and if only slighter wider arches will suffice. Then I can get some wider wheels, stick them on while jacked up, take more pics, photoshop again..

 

[billoddie]

but I suspect the unchanged exterior bellies a whole lot of grief on the base unit!

I reckon that be right Chris...a lotta grief.

 

[cfcrotweiller]

Just had a quick look at the car (rear door etc). I understand now the issue, in fact the D post is an issue even with 205's in my view, possibly on the tight fit side!
Trying to think out of the box (im sure this has all been said and done), but are there ways around fitting wider tyres?
At stock level, the tyres (if widened) dont clear the D post, and even if they did, every time you hit a slight bump the tyre tread would go into the D post.
So, how about raising the rear end? And having harder springs? Or would you have to raise it a ridiculous amount to get the proper clearance? Can you limit the distance the springs compress, so that they will never compress more than the length before the tyre touches the D post?
Someone mentioned the possible weakeness of the rear end if you remove the D post, does this depend on how much of it?
Another whacky suggestion, which is probably impossible, but can you move the whole rear axle back an inch or so? This would probably give nearly enough clearance?