First Built 2020 Defender on 35s

Proud Rhino Build 2020 Land Rover Defender

While purists complain about the modern looks, creature comforts, and electronic nannies of the new 2020 Land Rover Defender, there is a shop in Buffalo, New York, working hard to unlock the off-road potential of this new machine.

Lucky8 Off Road has not only managed to squeeze 35-inch mud-terrains on 18-inch wheels under the big-motored new Defender, the first in the world to do so, but also upgraded the truck’s look and capabilities to help it meet the expectation of its nameplate.

Lucky8 set out to build a new 2020 Defender that not only works better off-road than stock, but also looks better, while retaining all the modern comforts that you expect out of a Land Rover.

While not everyone will go the route of putting 35-inch tires under this machine, many will appreciate and bolt on the other accessories. Both because these quality-select products are super functional also because they will look amazing while dropping the kids off at soccer practice and when hitting the trails in Moab.

This is the story of the Lucky8 Proud Rhino Defender 2 build—a vehicle Lucky8 founder Justin Monnin has been dreaming up for years, especially after building super-capable off-road–oriented Land Rover Discovery 5s.

Choosing the Right Defender for the Build

You first want to start with the right Defender. For the team at Lucky8, that truck  is the 2020 Land Rover Defender 110 SE with the 3.0L straight-six, rear lockers, and Terrain Response 2.

This “big” Defender motor is a mild hybrid system that gets you the power you want for the trail and to turn big tires.

The 3.0L inline-six puts out 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. The big motor option also gets you bigger brakes and 19- or 20-inch wheels.

The big brakes are great for an off-road truck, but the big wheels aren’t. Lucky8 found a solution for that though, which we’ll get to later.

Along with the big motor you’ll want to tick off the rear-locker and latest Terrain Response 2 system options on your Defender order form.

The Terrain Response 2 system is smarter than ever and is more user configurable than ever. It lets you actually fully set the throttle and locker response within the on-screen menus yourself.

This gives you ultimate control over an already-smart vehicle.

How Lucky8 Made 35s Fit on the 2020 Defender

There is a bit of magic in getting one of these modern, fully independent suspension, airbagged trucks to play nice with big tires and a lift. Especially on a Land Rover, there are a lot of sensors and computers that don’t like to operate outside the OEM parameters.

Lucky8 has lots of experience with this, as they’ve done a lift and bigger tire combo on just about everything in the Land Rover lineup over the years.

There is a bit of magic in getting one of these modern, fully independent suspension, airbagged trucks to play nice with big tires and a lift.

Fitting 35-inch mud-terrain tires under the new Defender was no easy task, and took a lot of knowledge and a bit of trial and error.

What Lucky8 landed on was a combination of Proud Rhino lift rods, specific 18-inch Tuff Ant wheels, new rear brake calipers, moving the front intercoolers, custom fender brackets, and a bit of lower bumper trimming.

The key to this program is that none of the frame or body was cut or modified in any way, meaning you could revert back to stock without an issue.

While it’s the full suite of mods that allow for the 35s on 18s, it’s the ingenious brake caliper conversion and intercooler move that really make it happen.

The big-motor Defender comes with bigger rear brakes, which doesn’t allow for fitment of 18-inch wheels. Lucky8 found a way to just swap out the calipers for a slimmer version, while retaining all other brake components and stopping performance.

After the truck is lifted and wheels and tires mounted, the next hurdle was moving the intercoolers in front of the wheelwells, as they are in the way of full articulation of the new, big, front tires.

Some custom fabwork gets the coolers up out of the way while custom brackets hold the fender liners out of the way. A little bit of a trim to the lower front bumper and the new Defender is rolling on 35s.

Off-Road Capability After the Upgrade & Good Looks

Besides the tire, wheel, and lift package Lucky8 also sorted out this new Defender with a host of off-road upgrades. Not only does it have the catalog of Land Rover OEM upgrades on it, but a full quiver of select and custom Proud Rhino parts from Lucky8.

From Land Rover, Lucky8 ordered the fender flare kit, snorkel, and roof rack. The 1/4-inch-wider fender flares help contain the big tires, but mostly just help with the brawny good looks. The snorkel and roof rack are perfectly proportioned and fitted to this vehicle.

With those upgrades are a foundation, Lucky8 went to work making the truck truly off-road ready. For armor, Lucky8 built custom rock sliders.

For recovery, a hidden winch tray was installed containing a Warn Zeon 10-S and finished off with a Factor55 UtraHook and fairlead.

On the roof rack, custom mounts were made for a set of TRED Pros, a Krazy Beaver shovel, a Hi-Lift, and two jerricans.

A new rear ladder from Proud Rhino allows quick-and-easy roof rack access, and is much more out of the way for off-road adventures than Land Rover’s side-mounted ladder.

A custom Proud Rhino light bar, holding four Baja Design LP9 off-road driving lights, finish off Lucky8’s Proud Rhino off-road upgrade package.

One of the big gripes about the new Defender are the silly optional rear window side glass storage boxes and the floating plastic square in its place if not optioned with the boxes. Lucky8  has worked out a solution for this “problem” as well.

The Lucky8 Defender Square Delete Kit replaces the floating plastic square with three tiny pieces of shiny black plastic, which fill in the alignment holes in the glass and match the color of dark-tinted glass, and a Land Rover oval logo then covers up the fourth hole.

This gives the first built 2020 Defender a much more sleek look.

Read More: Lucky 8 Off-Road Range Rover Sport

Retaining All-Terrain Comfort

This new Defender, even on 35s and a roof loaded with gear, can cruise at 80 mph with just one finger on the wheel. A classic Land Rover Defender could never do that. Even more impressive is that all the electronics and traction control systems work as if the truck was stock.

Monnin reports that this lifted Defender does ride a bit stiffer than stock, but not nearly as stiff as a lifted Discovery 5. He also says the stiffness helps counteract the extra weight on the roof, making the truck feel super stable. No lifted vehicle wobble here.

This new Defender, even on 35s and a roof loaded with gear, can cruise at 80 mph with just one finger on the wheel. A classic Land Rover Defender could never do that!

Off-road is of course where this build shines. With the really smart computers on board and an experienced off-road driver like Monnin behind the wheel, there are very few places this new Defender can’t go.

Read More: 2020 Land Rover Defender 110 Test Drive

Get Your Own Proud Rhino Defender

While you can order all these upgrade parts for your own Defender from Lucky8 Off Road, the 35-inch tire conversion program is done in-house in Buffalo.

The shop has already had trucks shipped in from places like North Carolina and Colorado for the conversion.

One customer even bought a new Defender in Buffalo just so Lucky8 could convert it quickly before shipping it on to him across the country. Find out more about this Lucky8 Proud Rhino build at www.lucky8llc.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does installing 35×12.50 tires affect the 2020 Defender?

Fitting 35-inch mud-terrain tires under the new Defender was no easy task, and took a lot of knowledge and a bit of trial and error. What Lucky8 landed on was a combination of Proud Rhino lift rods, specific 18-inch Tuff Ant wheels, new rear brake calipers, moving the front intercoolers, custom fender brackets, and a bit of lower bumper trimming. The key to this program is that none of the frame or body was cut or modified in any way, meaning you could revert back to stock without an issue.

For those curious about the nitty-gritty, the process started with selecting the right tire size—35×12.50R18—paired with 18-inch wheels that could clear the upgraded brakes. As the new Defender comes standard with larger rear brakes on the 3.0L models, Lucky8 had to engineer a clever workaround. They swapped out the rear calipers for a slimmer version, allowing the fitment of 18-inch wheels while keeping all other braking components intact and maintaining stopping performance.

While the new Defender is a great machine on road, off-road is its natural habitat. This is especially true after getting Lucky8’s Proud Rhino treatment.

Once the lift rods were installed and the wheels and tires mounted, the next hurdle was ensuring full articulation. The front intercoolers, originally positioned in a way that interfered with the bigger tires, had to be relocated in front of the wheel wells. This required some custom fabrication, including new brackets to hold the fender liners out of the way. To finish the setup, a bit of trimming on the lower front bumper provided just enough clearance for the 35s to cycle through their range of motion unhindered.

While it’s the full suite of mods that allow for the 35s on 18s, it’s the ingenious brake caliper conversion and intercooler move that really make it happen. The big-motor Defender comes with bigger rear brakes, which doesn’t allow for fitment of 18-inch wheels. Lucky8 found a way to just swap out the calipers for a slimmer version, while retaining all other brake components and stopping performance.

After the truck is lifted and wheels and tires mounted, the next hurdle was moving the intercoolers in front of the wheelwells, as they are in the way of full articulation of the new, big, front tires. Some custom fabwork gets the coolers up out of the way while custom brackets hold the fender liners out of the way. A little bit of a trim to the lower front bumper and the new Defender is rolling on 35s.

What modifications are needed to install larger tires on a 2020 Defender with a 2-inch lift?

Fitting 35-inch mud-terrain tires under the new Defender was no easy task, and took a lot of knowledge and a bit of trial and error. What Lucky8 landed on was a combination of Proud Rhino lift rods, specific 18-inch Tuff Ant wheels, new rear brake calipers, moving the front intercoolers, custom fender brackets, and a bit of lower bumper trimming. The key to this program is that none of the frame or body was cut or modified in any way, meaning you could revert back to stock without an issue.

Why 35s and a Lift?

The 2020 Defender 110 SE, with its 3.0L straight-six and rear lockers, is a formidable platform to start with—but shoehorning 35×12.50 tires under its arches isn’t as simple as bolting them on. Modern independent suspension and airbag systems are notoriously picky about changes, and the Defender’s big-motor option adds even more complexity with larger brakes and wheels. The goal? Fit proper off-road rubber (35-inch tires) with enough lift to clear obstacles, all without hacking up the truck.

While the new Defender is a great machine on road, off-road is its natural habitat. This is especially true after getting Lucky8’s Proud Rhino treatment.

The Details: Getting 35s to Play Nice

While it’s the full suite of mods that allow for the 35s on 18s, it’s the ingenious brake caliper conversion and intercooler move that really make it happen. The big-motor Defender comes with bigger rear brakes, which doesn’t allow for fitment of 18-inch wheels. Lucky8 found a way to just swap out the calipers for a slimmer version, while retaining all other brake components and stopping performance.

After the truck is lifted and wheels and tires mounted, the next hurdle was moving the intercoolers in front of the wheelwells, as they are in the way of full articulation of the new, big, front tires. Some custom fabwork gets the coolers up out of the way while custom brackets hold the fender liners out of the way. A little bit of a trim to the lower front bumper and the new Defender is rolling on 35s.

No Cutting Corners—Or Metal

What’s especially impressive is that all these modifications were done without any irreversible changes to the Defender’s body or frame. No cutting, no welding—just smart engineering and a careful selection of aftermarket parts. If you ever want to go back to stock, you can.

With the lift, wheel, and tire solution dialed in, the Defender is now equipped to handle just about anything the trail can throw at it, while maintaining the ability to return to its showroom look if needed.

What size tires can be fitted to a 2020 Defender with a 2-inch lift?

Fitting 35-inch mud-terrain tires under the new Defender was no easy task, and took a lot of knowledge and a bit of trial and error. What Lucky8 landed on was a combination of Proud Rhino lift rods, specific 18-inch Tuff Ant wheels, new rear brake calipers, moving the front intercoolers, custom fender brackets, and a bit of lower bumper trimming. The key to this program is that none of the frame or body was cut or modified in any way, meaning you could revert back to stock without an issue.

Getting those beefy 35×12.50s under the arches meant a delicate dance with the Defender’s modern electronics, air suspension, and fairly tight wheel wells. The 2-inch lift via Proud Rhino rods brings the body up just enough to clear the extra height of the tires, while the choice of 18-inch wheels (a rarity for the big-brake Defender) allows for more tire sidewall—critical off-road. Swapping the rear brake calipers for a slimmer design is what enables the 18-inch wheels to fit, and relocating the intercoolers up front keeps everything cool and out of harm’s way. A few custom fender brackets and some strategic lower bumper trimming finish things off, all without cutting into the frame or doing anything irreversible.

It’s a carefully balanced formula that lets you enjoy the full capability of 35-inch tires—both on the road and when the pavement ends—while preserving the Defender’s ability to return to stock if ever needed.

Can you fit 35-inch tires on a 2020 Land Rover Defender?

Yes. Lucky8 Off Road successfully fitted 35-inch mud-terrain tires on the 2020 Defender using a combination of lift rods, Tuff Ant 18-inch wheels, brake caliper conversion, fender bracket modifications, and intercooler relocation.

Does lifting a Defender affect on-road comfort?

The lifted Defender rides slightly stiffer than stock but still tracks straight and maintains stable, comfortable highway performance—much better than classic Defenders.