Need opinions on my wheels

[dave123]

Ok, my CJ currently has what I think may be original Renegade wheels. They are 15 x 7. First question: Does anyone know how I can tell for sure if they are original, and if so, what are they worth?

Next question: My Jeep is mostly original and runs pretty good they way it is, and my wallet is not very deep. That said, do you think I should keep my wheels (in very good condition) and tires (plenty of tread), or get something bigger. My last Jeep had 35" wheels, and the wife and kids liked it better, they want me to go bigger on this one.

I know that the big wheels are hard on the vehicle, not as safe on the pavement, etc. This Jeep primarily stays on the road, and I often get it up to 65-70 on the freeway. It has drum brakes (that work good) and no power brakes or steering.

I'm thinking 15 x 10 rims with wider tires (31") might be a good middle ground?

The cost (unless I could work a trade for mine) would also be a problem.

So, should I go bigger? if so, how big (I have only a 1" shackle lift, and don't want to go higher).

I attached 2 pics of my current wheels.

 

[coldwater]

While they are original style aluminum slots, I'm not sure their original Jeep wheels. As I remember on some I have had in the past, the CJ rims were a pretty flat profile, and yours look to have a rimmed inset. Can't help with what their worth. I personally think your Jeep looks great the way it is, and don't really recommend going alot bigger on the tire mass with non power drum brakes. If you want to go to 31" tires, you should be fine with your current clearance, and a 31-10.50-15 should work on the stock rims you have. If it were mine, I'd leave it like it is. I like it.

 

[Old Dog]

With no power brakes I would leave it to way it is. IMO It looks great the way it is.

 

[mylittlecj5]

My only hangup would be the lack of power steering turning wider tires. That gets old real quick. For driving ease, I'd keep the tires narrow and tall.
I have 35" Swampers on my Cj with no power boost, and 11" drums on both axles. I can almost lock up the tires during a panic stop. So I'd say if your brakes are in good condition (I can't say that about mine) then whatever size tires you get would be able to stop decently (as in NOT sports car style stopping!

Oh yea, I'd keep the wheels...I kick myself for letting my last set like that go away (before I got the CJ) and am always trying to find another set for cheap!

 

[kicknjeep]

If they are original then my question is how did you get them so shiny? you can see mine has a very dull aluminum look. Thinking of trying to trade for a set of 10x15 steelies with much less back spacing.

best shot of the wheels but you can tell they are different and not so shiny
Oh and nice Jeep ya got there.

 

[BrockGrimes]

<----'79 CJ5 manual steering, 4" lift, 33x14.50x15 Super Swamper TSL's.
It's easy to drive, the perfect lift and tire size 33".
I'd like 12.50 instead of 14.50 but they are great.

 

[elwood blues]

IMO, I like the way she looks right now.

 

[LongHorn]

If they are original then my question is how did you get them so shiny? you can see mine has a very dull aluminum look. Thinking of trying to trade for a set of 10x15 steelies with much less back spacing.

best shot of the wheels but you can tell they are different and not so shiny
Oh and nice Jeep ya got there.

Try using flitz metal polish.

 

[Thorwon]

I don't think I would change them. They look great and those look like 31/10.50's on it.
If you want to up grade something get a good 2" lift then look for new tires. I'd keep the wheels they have got to be the cleanest set of slots I've seen in years.

 

[kicknjeep]

EWWW shiney wheels are not for me, Besides like I said I want black steelies
But if you like shiney wheels then more power to ya

 

[dave123]

Nice catch, Thorwon, I assumed that since my rims are 15 x 7, and that my tires looked narrow, that I had smaller tires. Turns out that they are 10.5. So I feel stupid.

Anyway, I'm happy with how high they are, but they just look too narrow! I would expect 10.5's to look too fat on these rims. So I guess I should now ask, what (if any) size tires could go on these rims to be fatter? These tires don't seem to clear the leaf springs by a whole lot when turning sharp, so I would need some kind of back spacing. Should I get new rims and fatter 31's?

P.S. Kicknjeep. Those look like mags on your jeep, that is why they are dull. Some mothers polish would brighten them up. Are you sure they are original? I would doubt that Jeeps would come with mags as they can break, steel (like mine) makes more sense. Mine shine up with just windex If yours are original, then mine are not for sure.

 

[Cweed]

I had the same problem with my son's 77 - CJ5 which like yours has the narrow track axles. We perchased some 1.5" spacers from E-bay for $98 for a set of four and that took care of any rubbing. Unless you want to go bead lock wheels, stick with a wheel that is narrower than the tire. That way when you air down the tiore isn't prone to bust a bead.

By the way the wheel spacers improved the handling as well.

 

[dave123]

Maybe I can revive this. One of my tires has developed a "wop". Something happened to the belts or something and it wobbles (the rim is fine). Close inspection shows that all the tires have dry rot.

So I want to get 4 "new" tires. If my rims have 10.5 on them, and don't go past the rim, then my rims must be bigger than I thought. I'm going to take one off and measure it in a day or so. Any one want to recommend some good tires, say 33 x 10.5 15" or so? I do mostly on road driving. Tire noise not important, but I would like something cheap.

thanx

 

[LongHorn]

Maybe I can revive this. One of my tires has developed a "wop". Something happened to the belts or something and it wobbles (the rim is fine). Close inspection shows that all the tires have dry rot.

So I want to get 4 "new" tires. If my rims have 10.5 on them, and don't go past the rim, then my rims must be bigger than I thought. I'm going to take one off and measure it in a day or so. Any one want to recommend some good tires, say 33 x 10.5 15" or so? I do mostly on road driving. Tire noise not important, but I would like something cheap.

thanx

Good & Cheap. Good luck with that.

What is your off road terrain, mud, sand, rocks?

BFG all terrains wear like iron, but they are virtually worthless in the mud.

 

[Petescj]

And for a mud terrain you may wanna try the TrXus MTs. I never ran them personally but a few guys in our club have been running them with a decent amount of sucsess. One of the cheaper ones out there at about $170 per tire but I think thats for 33 x12.5 x15. Thats the size I run on my 78 CJ5 .

 

[Petescj]

Not to Hijack but I think these would look great on the Scrambler. If you decide to swap them out let me know.

If they are original then my question is how did you get them so shiny? you can see mine has a very dull aluminum look. Thinking of trying to trade for a set of 10x15 steelies with much less back spacing.

best shot of the wheels but you can tell they are different and not so shiny
Oh and nice Jeep ya got there.

 

[dave123]

Good & Cheap. Good luck with that.

What is your off road terrain, mud, sand, rocks?

BFG all terrains wear like iron, but they are virtually worthless in the mud.

Ok, I'm gonna get flamed, but here goes.

I want the tires big and mean because it looks cool. My Jeep is a weekend toy that I put the kids into and drive around town and to the beaches. I do some light mud puddle jumping, that's about it.
Suspension flex not a big worry as long as it can handle the occasional speed bump.

There I said it.

I have been laughed at in other Jeep forums for admitting that my Jeep is used this way, so let me say I'm a true Jeep lover and have been for 30 years. There is nowhere here legal to ride off road and I am lucky enough to own a rust free, solid, everything works, fun, mostly original, V8 CJ. I'm chicken of busting it all up the way I did my last 2 CJ's. I want to keep this nice like it is the rest of my life and have neither the money or desire to replace axels, etc. from the carnage of heavy off road driving.

So I want some big tires because I like the way it looks.

 

[Cweed]

My son and I both run the Mickey Thompson MTR's 35/12.50/ 15's. My son runs them on a 10" wheel so they bulge out and look COOL. I run them on a 12" wheel with beadlocks. The tire cost $158 each which is cheaper than the Iroc's and the BFG/KM2's at $245 each.

If you are looking for really cheap, watch Criagslist and buy used.

 

[LongHorn]

Ok, I'm gonna get flamed, but here goes.

I want the tires big and mean because it looks cool. My Jeep is a weekend toy that I put the kids into and drive around town and to the beaches. I do some light mud puddle jumping, that's about it.
Suspension flex not a big worry as long as it can handle the occasional speed bump.

There I said it.

I have been laughed at in other Jeep forums for admitting that my Jeep is used this way, so let me say I'm a true Jeep lover and have been for 30 years. There is nowhere here legal to ride off road and I am lucky enough to own a rust free, solid, everything works, fun, mostly original, V8 CJ. I'm chicken of busting it all up the way I did my last 2 CJ's. I want to keep this nice like it is the rest of my life and have neither the money or desire to replace axels, etc. from the carnage of heavy off road driving.

So I want some big tires because I like the way it looks.

If you want big bad look's you have 2 choices Super Swamper Boggers or Pit Bull Rockers.

 

[elwood blues]

Ok, I'm gonna get flamed, but here goes.

I want the tires big and mean because it looks cool. My Jeep is a weekend toy that I put the kids into and drive around town and to the beaches. I do some light mud puddle jumping, that's about it.
Suspension flex not a big worry as long as it can handle the occasional speed bump.

There I said it.

I have been laughed at in other Jeep forums for admitting that my Jeep is used this way, so let me say I'm a true Jeep lover and have been for 30 years. There is nowhere here legal to ride off road and I am lucky enough to own a rust free, solid, everything works, fun, mostly original, V8 CJ. I'm chicken of busting it all up the way I did my last 2 CJ's. I want to keep this nice like it is the rest of my life and have neither the money or desire to replace axels, etc. from the carnage of heavy off road driving.

So I want some big tires because I like the way it looks.

No flaming here, some of us understand. Heck, it's basically illegal to wheel in CT. But, I did live in Virginia Beach a few years ago, and used to go to the OBX every chance I could. A lot of the beach guys swore by Mickey Thompson Baja Claws;




Or the Super Swamper TRXUS STS;