Newbe With Tire Question

Just bought a 65 CJ5 yesterday. The plan is to use it for plowing and getting chicken and goat supplies for my wife. It is quite solid but does need some work. Brakes are non existent so that will be one of the first things on the list but the tires are ancient. Last inspection was in 78 and then it led the life of a winter driveway plow after that it appears. Having done a bit of research on forums I see 215 75 15s are a common size if you go to radials and since my wife will be driving it I do think radials are a wise choice. Questions are how much top speed is lost going to the smaller diameter tire? Do they still have a happy spot around 45 and I would prefer to keep the original rim? Are these rims if in solid shape able to hold air without a tube or would I need to tube 'em? Finally, do the original rims hold up to the slight difference in the beads from bias to radials. Thanks! I am sure I will have plenty more once I get her home and start to get her roadworthy.

 

Does it still have a 4cyl motor?
It should have 4.27:1 axles.

 

I had a set of tires on rims much older than yours that were mounted as tubeless, so if your rims are in good shape they should work okay tubeless.

 

Yeah still has the 4 cyl which I don't really wanna go away from.

 

Welcome

 

I would use 235/75R15

 

The CJ5 in my avatar picture is a 67 and it too has the F-134 which, for my purposes, has plenty of power.

 

There is no need to run tubes

 

that fits okay on the 5.5 or 6” wide stock rims without being harder to turn?

 

You gotta roll with it. You don't turn without rolling that's the biggest rule with manual steering.

 

Yes

Or power steering, it stresses all the steering components.

 

LOL, yeah I have no issues (have a TVR with a 12" steering wheel that is a nightmare to turn at slow speeds) but my wife will be driving on occasion and explaining the physics of why you want to be moving isn't worth the marriage. Thanks again guys, appreciate it and will get some tires on order. Like the idea of the 235 as it is close to the original diameter.

 

Yep, 5.5" stock rims will work fine with tubeless tires unless they are rusted up and 235/75R15 tires work well as Doug notes.

But that is pretty much what one does rock crawling. And why stock Jeep JK PS pumps don't last too long except on the mall crawlers.