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15" vs. 16" steel wheels

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by ethansen, Aug 9, 2005.

  1. Aug 9, 2005
    ethansen

    ethansen Thor

    Littleton, Colorado
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    i just came accross a set of 5 KH steel wheels (the same style as on ANIMAL), except they are 15". Is there a reason to go with 16" over the 15"? I'm going to run the 34 x 9.5/15 swampers on them. Will the 11" brakes work on the 15"? The price is right on the wheels, trade for the wagon wheels that are on the '66 now!
     
  2. Aug 9, 2005
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    Are they the KH 15x8?

    11" drums won't work. The 10" drums fill up the wheel pretty well.

    There's also no 34x9.50 in a 15 wheel size IIRC.
     
  3. Aug 9, 2005
    ethansen

    ethansen Thor

    Littleton, Colorado
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    No, they look much narrower than 8". Maybe around 5" or so. They have tires on them so I cant get a good measurement right now. Interco's web site lists both 16" and 15" 34's.
    The OD on both is 33.8, and the tread width on both is 8.0.
     
  4. Aug 9, 2005
    BlueFlu

    BlueFlu past owner of some ecj5's

    Hermitage, TN
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  5. Aug 9, 2005
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    As I said, IIRC. ;)

    Guess I didn't.

    I didn't think the KH wheels were that narrow?
     
  6. Aug 9, 2005
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    If I had my choice between the same tire except on 15" or 16" wheels, I'd choose the smaller wheel. I'd expect a taller sidewall to be more flexible. Plus the 15x6" wheels are fairly common - Bill has a set for sale right now.
     
  7. Aug 9, 2005
    BlueFlu

    BlueFlu past owner of some ecj5's

    Hermitage, TN
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    They are more for Dually set ups but they would work.

    Be to tall and skinny for me, but hey.
     
  8. Aug 9, 2005
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    I'd go with the 15" tires as well for the reason's Tim stated.

    Worked extremely well on Animal the way it's set up.
     
  9. Aug 9, 2005
    LWB

    LWB ..they call me "Cooter"

    Chicago
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    Someone say skinny tires???

    I love 34x9.50s
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Actaully the 34x9.50 is used mostly for dirt drags around here, it's a great way to fit a larger tire, and I like the traction better than the 33x12.50 TSL (I'm big on contact pressure)
     
  10. Aug 9, 2005
    LWB

    LWB ..they call me "Cooter"

    Chicago
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    BTW- I have found that when you get around 36" and bigger with a Swamper, you start to have bounce problems when climbing waterfalls and ledges with 15" wheels- my TJ will wrinckle the tire like a drag slick at 8 lbs, and then the tread will deform, unloading the tire. At those sizes, a larger wheel may be a better idea. (I still will run 15" wheels on the 38.5" Bogggers on Untamed, because I am cheap, and I was able to get 15" weld on beadlocks for $20 ea shipped- I may have to raise the air pressure some to compensate for the larger sidewall)
     
  11. Aug 9, 2005
    ethansen

    ethansen Thor

    Littleton, Colorado
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    Maybe I'm incorrect in the assumption that the wheels are KH. They have the smooth inners that have no provision for hub caps.
     
  12. Aug 9, 2005
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    Did KH make all the steel wheels for Jeep? It's a thought.

    Never thought about it, who made 'em. Just heard of the KH wheels on CJ-5s as being the 15x8 wheels.
     
  13. Aug 9, 2005
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    Found a reference to 16x4 stock KH wheels on a 3A...
     
  14. Aug 9, 2005
    ethansen

    ethansen Thor

    Littleton, Colorado
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    These are the original wheels off a '55 3B.
     
  15. Aug 17, 2005
    Brad Rabideau

    Brad Rabideau more Jeeps than sense...

    Shawano, WI
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    Not to highjack the thread, but how wide of a tire can you put on the stock rims. Can you/do you want to go any wider than 9.5?
     
  16. Aug 17, 2005
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    AFAIK, all Jeep wheels are KH. Just in different sizes.
     
  17. Aug 17, 2005
    Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    Apopka, Fl
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    We tossed this around before. KH was the major manufacturer of all wheels before all the aftermarket wheels came into play. Basically nowadays KH gets tossed around as a reference to stock wheel design.
     
  18. Aug 17, 2005
    jpflat2a

    jpflat2a what's that noise?

    Hermosa, SD
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    I prefer to have as much rubber as I can between the rim and the ground
    therefore, I like 15"
    1/2" difference isn't much between the two sizes, I just prefer 15"
     
  19. Aug 17, 2005
    beeser

    beeser Member

    Arizona
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    Read somewhere that KH made more than 90% of the wheels for the auto industry at one time.
     
  20. Aug 17, 2005
    LWB

    LWB ..they call me "Cooter"

    Chicago
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    Depends on how willing you are to defy conventional wisdom- I have a friend who runs Q78x15 (35.5x10.8, but then run over 36" on his app) Swampers on a 5.5" rim on a fullsize Blazer.
     
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