Tire options for Old Time Look

Hey, I was at my mechanics today getting the wifes XJ inspected and I noticed two older Kelly Safari tires on his rack. They caught my eye because they look like the off-road tires I remember from the 60's and early '70's when everybody bought cheap truck tires at Sears and various other department stores. You know the type, big deep zig-zag treads with real sharp edges and such like every Jeep or Scout or truck that ever roamed the fields or woods wore back then. Nylon bias ply stuff that was the norm in the day.
Well, does anybody know of a company still selling that kind of tire? The new Safari's have been modernized a bit I can see on the website. I can find the NDT's, but I think a period civilian woods jeep would look better with the K-mart mud tire look over the GI tire. Got to be sized for a standard skinny old 15 or 16" wheel too, no 10" Flex rims here.

Geoff

 

I went through this about a year and half ago. Cooper and Goodyear were the only ones that I found listing for the old style bias ply mud grips. I ended up finding some in a warehouse that had been there and I just lucked up on them. If a tire store can get them they cost as much as radials do.

 

car collector buffs use/like: www.coker.com

 

Buckshot Mudders have the aggressive pattern you are looking for and they sell bias ply and radials.

 

Coker has the stuff. Now if I can get some 16" wheels reasonably I'll be all set.

GB

 

You might do a search on ebay. I found some here on Oahu for 69 bucks a piece, the guy says he can get as many as I want, and since I can pick up local no shipping charge. I looked for some awhile back and not a single dealer had them (on island).

 

I agonized about this subject a little while ago. I wanted to retain my stock rims but get a good tire. Not wanting to stress the drivetrain, steering and related bearings with monster truck tires, and have a tire that would wear well on the street (which none of the big lug tires do ) I chose bfg ats. when you check the stats, they dont really look that cool compared to monster mudders in the magazines, but are close in look to the originals.
In fact they do better in snow and on hard surface roads than the aggresive monster mud tires that seem to look so cool.
A simple matter of form over function. they have a re-inforced bead for airing down, and after about 10 months, have shown relatively little wear.
I am pleased with how they do in the mud, and have no complaints about the performace in snow, and a side benefit is they dont sound like a 747 on take off when cruising down the road, and stick out very little from the rims.
They dont rub much on the tub, and that is a good thing. Unless you want to buy lift springs, change your steering to saginaw, replace your d27, upgrade your brakes, put in a larger engine, change your tranny, add an overdrive, change differential gearings, put in a bigger radiator, ad infinitum.

 

I'm going with a set of 32x9.50 Super Swampers on the M170.

If I wanted comfort, I wouldn't have bought a Jeep!