WTB 5 X 6.00-16 Original Steel Wheels

From Fireball's post above-



A 13x5 split rim???
Gotta be a misprint, right?

 

Some DJs had 13" wheels.

Here's a DJ with 13" four lug wheels http://www.ewillys.com/2022/12/26/1965-dj-5-woodland-ca-10000/:

 

But those aren't split rims. Those may have been for some special application like and airport tug or something.

 

After some more searching, the 13" split rims were for a high flotation 9.00x13 sand tire option. There is some discussion in this thread: http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/71678/

Picture of said tires from a 1956 article http://www.ewillys.com/2016/08/17/1956-article-on-jeeps-searchlight/:

 

Wow just when you think you've seen it all....

 

Yeah, now I kinda want a set of those.

 

I've been using STA Super Taxion's on my 77 for the past few years and they have performed just fine (even at highway speeds) but the price of them now has skyrocketed over the last few years. I will take a look at the Power Kings, as far as I can tell they are really the only thing out there ynless you want to go NDT or some other Coker repro.

 

Quoting Fireball, “I never saw that generation of Jeeps new on the lot…”
I remember going to the Jeep dealer several times with my dad back in ‘65 prior to him bringing home our Tux. I remember the “accessory” corner in the dealership showing all the stuff that could be added to your Jeep, including hubcaps, winches, and rims and tires. No, I don’t remember specifics, but there was a range of options the dealer offered. Our Tux received (from the invoice) Warn Automatic hubs, heater & defroster, set full hubcaps, and (4) 760x15 whitewall mud & snow tires.
I grew up with this Jeep from kindergarten until now. I was a car nut then, as I am now. Every Jeep I saw through the ‘60s and ‘70s was compared to ours. Rims were a particular feature I always compared, because our Tux was used 4-5 months/year on the beach, needing larger/wider rims for floatation.
There were no wide aftermarket rims in those early days, so the factory wheels were “split” combining (welding) the inner half of another 15” rim to the inner half and center of the original rim, making a wider rim from two rims. Later ‘60s split rims consisted of spitting the rim and adding a rolled flat-stock spacer in the drop-center, widening by 2”- 4”. Then around ‘69/‘70, KH 8” rims came to the dealer, and “split rims” faded away. By the mid-70s, the aftermarket flooded in with spoked Wagon Wheels and alloy rims.
All those years, I was always comparing Jeep wheels with about every Jeep I saw. From my observations, nearly all ‘60s-up Jeeps in this era with stock rims were 15”. It was very unusual (maybe 1 in 20 CJs?) to see 16”s, and they were almost always very narrow. It was very rare to see the “wider” (6”) 16”s that now I know came from Jeep hd pickups. If, in fact, all (with few exceptions like a Tux) F134 CJs came with 16”s in the 1960’s, there would be a lot more of these 16” rims out there on unmolested CJs and the used market. The ones we see are from the 50’s era 4-1/2” and 5” creased/no hubcap nub versions, and older.
-Donny

 

Great story there Donny.
I have known about the optional 13”Jeep split rims intended for flotation tires but have NEVER seen a set. Perhaps salt spray ruined them all ???
Yes the Kelsey Hayes 8”x15” was one of the very first truly wide wheels.
I believe they came out in 1968 and certainly by 1969 as those wheels were also standard with the “462” Jeep. Possibly also used on the 1969 Jeep “ Camper Special”.
The HD Kelsey Hayes 6x16” was only used on 1964- 1965 pickups with the latest 230 Tornado engines
Those wheels were specific intended for 7.50 x 16” tires which became the pick up standard in 1964.
Previously “all pickups” were standard with 7.00 x 16” tires.
And yes the earliest pickups were using the KH HD 5x16” wheels prior to them being used on the m38’s and m38a1’s. Those same wheels became a cj option early on.

 

I too have never seen any of the 13” wide rims, and only know of their existence from the parts books. I wasn’t aware of such limited use of the hd 6 x 16” rims. Luckily, I have a set of these, purchased from one of our forum members 5-6 years back.
My ‘60 Wagon/Delivery has some original 5 x 16” rims, but these are relatively common. These are what I assume was also used on CJ’s?
-Donny

 

The SW’s were only ever sold with 15” rims never with 16”.
The HD 5x16” rims began in 1947 as they were installed on pickup models with the 7.00 tires.
The military was quick to adopt to them after the war. As you know wheels are of 2 basic parts; the rim and the disk. All KH HD wheels use heavier gauge parts than regular duty. I have posted the specific data (rim/disk gauges and weights) somewhere previous.
Yes the 6x16” are a HD wheel. Besides 1963-1965 pickups. I believe they were possibly available on 1963-1965 FC -170’s. They can be identified via numbers stamped into the rim section. 873 and later ones were stamped 50823. No perceivable difference between the 873 and the 50823.

 

Go get these:
http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/156481/

 

I was just about to post something about those wheels, saw them reposted on OWF.
seems like a good deal!