Just wanting to say thanks from a new guy

I traded one of my Studebakers for my '59 CJ 5. I love this Jeep. So far this web site has hit everything I was having problems with. The Carter YF? Someone mentioned the needle and seat and that was what it turned out to be. I'm about to convert to a 10SI alternator and that information is here. I found my VIN plate (5754896XXX), now I know what I have. No data plate present for the paint code etc... Oh Well. The guy I got it from added 11 " brakes (I thought it stopped well), an OD, and cleaned up the chassis and rebuilt the tranny. The little "F" head runs out of breath pretty quickly, but it now runs well. Some info on me I'm a 54 year old car nut (Firefighter by trade) that owned a 73 CJ 5 and a '99 YF years ago. This one is more fun. I live in Tucson and we are surrounded by great trails. Can't wait to fix the charging system and go. I need to re-wire the beast, add another gas tank for capacity, get a BestTop, and other small things. The current tires are 7.00 x 15 snows, bias ply "C" range. Not the best riding tire. Are they good for mild trailing? Any and all suggestions are appreciated. The little engine gets 50 lbs oil pressure cold, 25 hot at idle and down to 15 lugging which immediately goes up with gas. The engine noise I heard went away with an oil change (Lots of gas in the oil from the faulty carb). Any suggestions on mounting a spare? Anyway thanks for a great site. No flaming or grumps, I like that. And I really like this Jeep, what a little trooper. Thanks, Kelly

 

Welcome from San Angelo, Texas!
I'd say run the tires you have if they're in decent shape (but I'm cheap ). The oil pressure sounds about right to me. The spare tire carrier issue is one of personal preference. There are a lot of good ideas here and if you want to do a bumper replacement with swing out tire carrier look in the tech section at Quaggy's writeup or check out http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=101332 (excellent but loooong thread).
Enjoy your stay here - the best site for your addiction R).

 

I have a set of 7.00 * 15 6 ply rated bias tires that I run, For general dirt road crusing with two passengers and a reasonable load try running 18 - 22 psi in the rear and 22 - 26 psi in the front, Play with it a little and you will find a sweet spot. Also if your front spring shackels are on the front of the spring pay attention to how it rides at different speeds on the dirt roads, forward shackles ride a little different than rear shakles on front springs, You will notice a change in "felt ride" at some point. It mostly comes down to a matter of preference but the point is between tire construction, tire pressure, good quality basic hydraulic shocks and a little patience to note what speed your rig "likes" you will be able to find a speed then adjust your driving habits to it......Happy trails (-: