15 vs 16 in steelies for my 73

235-85R-16, 7.50x16's are heavy duty truck tires typically load range E so they'll be stiff.

 

Is there a set of 15 inch steel wheels that will fit on a YJ Jeep Wrangler? Is the bolt pattern the same as the older Jeeps? Anyone know where I can buy a set? Does anyone make them in 15x8 these days??

Hope the post isn't OT but it is pertaining to the steel wheels!

 

Stock wheels on a YJ are 15"x6" or 15x7" steel, they came in several different varieties. Most were painted silver but they also had white spokes and the Sahara had khaki body-colored wheels.

The bolt pattern is NOT the same as the CJ, it is 5x4.5" instead of the 5x5.5" pattern of the CJ. These Jeeps also had negative offset, which wouldn't work very well on a CJ. (Meaning the axles were wide and the wheels "tuck in" whereas CJ axles were narrow and the wheels stuck out). All smaller Jeeps from about 87 to roughly 2004 used this same bolt pattern (TJ's, XJ's, MJ's, ZJ's, WJ's). The new JK Wrangler and the Liberty and Grand use 5x5" patterns now.

 

i agree I like the 32x9 super swampers that only come in 16's

 

Coming back around to close the loop on this thread. I initially posted back in February when I first got the CJ and only just recently finished with my wheels. I had them sandblasted and painted and also installed a spare tire carrier for the 5th wheel. It turned out exactly as I wanted; I completed the stock look with the rims and tires and they ride great. The rims came out pristine and the 30x9.50R15 tires are close enough to stock size that they look appropriate on the CJ. You can see the result here:

http://www.ikoz.com/images/cj5/profile%20-%20passenger.jpg

Thanks for the help,
Jason

 

Looks great. That's the route I wanted to go but I swapped the front to disk brakes and the stock steelies won't clear the calipers. So I'm using stock white spokes from a 78 CJ-5 instead.