Tested: Performance 17inch wheels

When introduced in Australia back in 2005 – doesn’t time fly? – the Land-Rover Discovery 3 came with 17 inch diameter alloy wheels as standard on its base D3 ‘S’ 4.0 litre petrol and 2.7-litre V6 turbo diesel models.

When the range was later rationalised, the S models were dropped and standard wear became 18-inch wheels, shod with 255/65 size tyres.

But while these were fine for road use and light off-road duties, the limited range of tough 18-inch off-road tyres soon had both new and used D3 owners searching for 17 inch wheels for bush work and inland travel.

The advantage of the 17 inch tyres is their much greater availability in remote places, plus the greater ‘squish’ that their sidewalls offer, which translates into a smoother ride over corrugations and much better traction when deflated, such as for sand work.

And as more D3s came on the second-hand market and fell into the hands of more adventurous owners, the demand increased to the point where factory 17 inch alloy wheels are now scarce (and relatively expensive), not only in Australia, but also in the UK where many people went shopping on eBay.

There are two solutions locally – imported Chinese-made steel wheels (at a cost of around $130 per wheel) or buy those made in Adelaide by Australia’s only surviving alloy wheel casting manufacturer, Performance Wheels.

This 37-year-old family-owned company, which supplies HDT Special Vehicles, Coromal and Jayco Caravans (and numerous racing teams), makes a 17x8 inch, seven-spoke aluminium wheel called the BB6 that now has a load capacity of more than 1500kg, making them actually stronger than the original L-R 18-inch wheels, which are rated at 950kg.

They cost a very reasonable $268 per wheel, are a legal fit with only a marginally larger offset that still allows them to sit comfortably under the Disco’s mudguards and you can have them in platinum silver, gloss black or white, either fully painted, with a machined lip, or a machined full front face.

The standard L-R wheel nuts won’t fit, but Performance Wheels come with chrome, stepped nuts that will accept either a 19mm or 21mm socket, so this is not a problem.

However the wheels will only fit D3 and D4 Land-Rovers fitted with the 4.0 litre petrol or 2.7 litre V6 diesel engines. The V8 models and the new twin turbo 3.0 litre V6 available for the Discovery 4 come with larger brakes that the 17-inch wheels will not cover. In these cases, you will need to shop for 18-inch rubber.

For further information and details of stockists visit the Performance Wheels website.