Tires, Wheels, Lift...Making her look nice.

I have a 73 Cj5 with the 304 V8. I will be doing vey little if any offroad type driving. I am just wanting new tires &wheels for looks. I am thinking I need a lift to get bigger than 31" tires? I also would like all terrain tires since it will mostly be on streets. How big and wide (I really like to see the wide tires) can I go on tires with a 2.5" lift? I am open for suggestions since I am just getting started with this project. I also read on this board about exhaust problems, etc. What kind of problem am I looking at creating with a lift? I am going to get a muffler shop to run the pipes out back after the lift because I don't like the exhaust right by the doors. Thanks for any help and suggestions.

 

A good quality 2 1/2" lift should net you room for 33x12.50x15 tires no problem for street driving. If you put them on 10" wide wheels that will make the tires look wider also. Any bigger and you may run into issues with the tires hitting the frame at full turn etc. If you put the tires on 8" wheels you most likely will hit the frame at full turn. My avatar shows my '59 CJ-5 with this combination of tire and wheel and 2 1/2" sagged out, 20 year old Rancho lift kit. Yours should sit higher by about an inch to 1 1/2" as my frame is bent up in the front. Nickmil

 

This is my '75 with a 2 1/2" lift and 31 x 10.5" A/T's on eagle alloys. It drives on the pavement beautifully for a jeep. I feel a little top heavy around town on 33's and in 4-low there's no place I need to go that I can't get to with this setup. The lift is accomodating enough for slightly larger or more aggressive tread if you find yourself on dirt more frequently.

 

I stuffed 31x10.5x15 rim's and tires on my 65' with TOTALY shot factory springs and shocks, Looked great but rubbed bad.
After the 2 1/2" Rough Country lift kit it looks GREAT and rides real nice.

If you don't plan on off roading much if at all and plan for DD use I'd say go with stock height and 31x10.5's the fill in the wheel well's nice

Here's a few pic's with the tires before lift and after.

 

ArleyC I will post pics tomorrow (too dark now) of my 74 CJ6 with a Pro Comp 2 1/2" lift and 1/2" lift shackles with the 33x9.50 BFG All Terrains on it. IMHO this is the perfect set up for a driver with occasional trail time.
With the 33x9.5 you get to keep most of your turning radius!

 

Coby, did your Pro Comp kit have military wrap spring eyes? Also, did the kit have 1/2" u-bolts all around (factory had 7/16" except for the bigger 1/2 one over the diff housing)? Any problems fitting the spring packs between the u-bolts?

 

Here's a pic (sorry the ground was little uneven) of my 79 CJ5 with 2 1/2 4wd hardware lift (military wrap leaves), 1" shackles (couldn't find stock height shackles that work with military wrap leaves) and 1" body lift. I have 33" x 10.5 tires on 8" rims. Rides awesome on the road. I tried out a set of 12.5" tires but I found the 10.5" ers handled better and turned much easier with manual steering. Neither of these tire sizes hit anything during full wheel travel.

 

Did you guys run into any problems after the 2.5" lift? I read on some of the threads where they had trouble with exhaust, etc.

 

sac13,
I like the camo, I'm assuming its not paint.
What is it?
Thanks

 

Looks like something from Camoclad.com.

 

Another vote for 2.5" with 33x12.50x15's.

I've been running this setup since 1986. Rear tires will rub some at full articulation, but not enough to dent or deform the wheel well (sidewall hits vertical part of rear wheel well).

Last fall I put on BFG M/T in 33x1250's. They are about an inch narrower in the tread than the g/y wrangler radials with an A/T pattern that I did have on there.

BTW, running 10" rims.

 

Got the pics of my CJ6 posted up, check em out.

 

Thanks!!!

Yep. It's camo clad. I couldn't see spending money on a paint job and then destroy it driving through the woods.

 

Mine's close, but it doesn't hit. I even dropped the t/c 1" and it still clears.

FYI - I run a stock y-pipe.

 

I can't find your pics. I am anxious to see them, as I am making suspension decisions on my '66 6.