Newbie Help - '67 CJ-5 Basics to make road worthy - Issue #1 – Wheels & Tires

OK This is issue #2. I cannot edit the Subject line

I’m sure much of this has been addressed in the past, so please excuse a newbie for not having the patience to sort through all the threads with the search function. If someone could kindly refer me to a link of a relevant thread from the past, many thanks.

This is one of three threads to address the three issues I have with getting my “new” jeep road worthy; I thought it prudent to keep them in separate threads as they may go different directions.

Background: Last week, I inherited a 1967 CJ-5 with the 225 CID V6. It has been in my family since brand new. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been very well maintained. The engine is strong (only 19K original miles) and the drivetrain feels good and nothing leaks. However, lots of peripheral areas need serious attention. While I’m pretty savvy from a vehicle and engineering standpoint, I am completely Jeep-stupid and while I’ve already learned a lot from this and other forums, I have a long way to go.

Issue #2: Wheels and Tires

For the last 25 years, the jeep has only been used to pull boats up and down a steep hill into and out of Lake Cumberland, KY. As a result, my uncle put bias snow tires on it and they are now old and dry-rotted and the tread is not suited for road driving of any significance. The wheels still look OK, but are rusted up pretty good. I imagine that just breaking the lugs will be a task.

A non-Jeep mechanic said that the lug pattern is the same as a Ford F-150 wheel and that a newer set of wheels would also set out from the axle more and create a wider wheel base (sorely needed in my opinion).

I know the options are many, but I don’t plan on doing a lot of heavy trail riding (at least not for awhile and until I make many more improvements) so I need a suitable road tire and a comment about proper wheel choice?

 

Thanks for setting me straight. At least you knew what I meant!

I appreciate your insight.

 

Agree with Sparky. If you have/want to get new wheels, you can get them with backspacing that will keep the tires inside the fenders. I have 15x7 wagon wheels that keep 10.5" wide AT's in the fenders.

 

The bolt pattern is the same as Ford truck wheels: 5 lugs on a 5.5" circle. However, most Ford truck wheels do not have a big enough center hole for the Jeep hubs. It's possible to cut the center hole, but I would not recommend it since that weakens the wheel. There are Ford 4x4 wheels that will fit (I presume) but steel aftermarket wheels aren't that expensive and come in a variety of styles - I suggest those instead of searching for used wheels that will fit.

 

I don't know what your budget looks like, but you could go with steel or aluminum wheels. Stick with powder coated steel as the chrome ones always seem to start looking like crap, or get aluminum ones, as they are polished and also have the benefit of lower weight than steel wheels. With that said, basically just pick a style that you like, i.e. are okay with looking at every time you walk to your Jeep Secondly on wheels, if you are not lifting it, go with 15x7 for size, as that is all the wider you will need for the size of tires that will fit with no lift.

For tires, go with an all-terrain, as you said you will be driving it primarily on the street for a while, but will eventually 4-wheel it. All-terrain tires are quiet on the street yet perform suprisingly well off-road. Definitely do not get a highway tire, as they will be horrible off-road or in snow in general. BF Goodrich are very popular tires, and their All-Terrain pattern is a proven performer in various conditions. There are also decent offerings from Cooper, Toyo, Wild Country, Mickey Thompson, etc. And if you are going to drive it on the road mostly (or even anything more than 40% of the time), go with a radial tire, they will ride better on road. For size, go with 30x9.50R15, as that is about the biggest tire you can get on your Jeep without lifting it.

Hope this helps.

 

Buy 15" wheels and put 31X10.50X15 on it. There are more choices because this is a more common size. Check out Cooper. Same quality a BFG and Goodyear and half the price.