Some tire guidence please

[scoutingranch]

I've come to the brain trust to educate me on tire sizes. Subject is a stock cj3a 1950. I look at the conversion charts and my brain doesn't get it. I'm not sold 100% on the military tire as most of my driving will be on the street but I like an off road type looking tire. That is, unless the military tire isn't to rough for pavement. I don't drive it in bad weather.
Convert the following to fit a stock rim.
7.0x16" tire to metric size, or I think there is even a third measurement for tires.

I just want to cover all my bases. I have a tire budget and need 5 with tubes.

Any and all opinions welcome. Sorry for the rehash.

mike

[bmorgil]

Mike I have STA 7.00 x 16 NDT's on my 1950 CJ3A. I love them. They are just fine at the warp speed the '50 travels at. I don't drive it in the rain, snow, stones, dirt or dust but they are great on the dry pavement.

I think you are going to find that tires that fit and look anywhere near period correct are around $150 each give or take and not a lot of choices. I am not sure what you are trying to convert. Are you looking for a Metric sizing for a 7.00x16? If so that would be something like a 215/85R16 245/75R16 with widths around 7 7/8 to 8 1/4 Inches. You need to input the tire dimensions to calculate a true conversion. In my case it is a 31.8" tall by a 7" section width with a 16" rim. That calculates to a 178/113 R16. Try to find one of those! The narrow section width of the early Jeep tires, makes for some strange Metric sizes.

https://tiresize.com/converter/

This all assumes the factory 5.8" wide rim. If you increase the rim width and consequently the section width, things get easier.

Be careful as a larger section width combined with a large diameter tire will hit the frame on an attempted lock to lock turn. On my CJ anything bigger in section width or height would hit with factory rims.

The KW catalog is a little bad here. It does not show the correct rim width on some tires. There is a misprint on most of the tires. The tread width may or may not be correct also. Some of the tires show the rim width as tread width. You need the SECTION width to calc it out. You can usually get that from the manufactures specs.

[scoutingranch]

Thanks Mr. M. I'm not one of the wide wheel tire guys. I do like the round shoulder military, and, if you like it then that's good with me. Now, there two brands made in the U.S, STA and Firestone. I see the Firestone is between 155.00 and 165.00. STA?

[bmorgil]

On the tires, the STA's are $149 at KW. The STA's are a little cheaper.

On another note, somehow your last post got hit with a "SPAM Post". See the little yellow icon on the lower left of the post. Also it indicates the post is being "Moderated" which is probably causing you trouble posting. I cant seem to change it. We are going to need Amy's help.

[bmorgil]

And it is all fixed now! Must have been magic or Amy is super fast!

Update:

Amy is SUPER FAST!

[scoutingranch]

Thank you Bob and superfast Amy

[scoutingranch]

Welp, decided to travel a different road with the type of tire. With the brand Specialty Tire of America. NDT with tubes on original rims.

[gmwillys]

Looks great!

A little history lesson from a brain full of semi worthless knowledge. The NDT (non directional tread) was a military staple from WWII until the early '80s with the introduction of the humvee. The NDT tires were designed to confuse the enemy by not showing signs of the direction of travel. With that being said a competent tracker could tell what direction you were heading by the overlap of the rear tire tracks over the slightly wider front tire tracks.
The NDT tires have terrible hard road manners, especially in winter driving conditions on ice with the solid center rib. A lot of modern day users of these tires will have the center rib siped to improve road manners in rain and ice.

[scoutingranch]

I love semi worthless facts. That's how I learn.

[bmorgil]

to improve road manners in rain and ice.

GASP!! RAIN AND ICE!! Never... Not allowed out unless the forecast is clear the day before and the day after.

[5JeepsAz]

Alright now. I'm a tire guy. So how crotchity does a man have to be to not take NDTs into any kind of weather? Surely they do slide a bit under certain conditions. Kind of like synchros but for steering, see? You just clutch and gas until the thing straightens up, right? No problems. I may never have driven on NDTs, but I have slept in a Holiday Inn Express...

[bmorgil]

Perfect! You are what we call a "Driver". Defined at the track as a jockey who understands the tires are there to control drift.

[5JeepsAz]

I was driving in the rain, happens once in a blue moon in the desert,. Thinking about this thread. If anything, I guess the worry about taking your prize jeep on NDTs out in weather and on scrubby roads is not what you do to your jeep with those tires, it's what other drivers and bad roads could do to your jeep... To make that cleaner, I was thinking no way do I trust other drivers in bad weather, as I could control a skid but not what other people do. Having said that, I defer to whomever about what they do with their rig. I just like driving!

[LarrBeard]

I had no idea what "non-directional tread" meant. I just used it like I did,

Thanks again for semi-loads of information!

[bmorgil]

GM has the scoop!

[gmwillys]

The first is the tried and true Non directional military tire.

The second is the high traction "mud and snow" tire. They do better in snow then mud, but they will allow you to stop in the rain a whole lot better then the solid center of the NDT.

https://www.kaiserwillys.com/category/tires-rims/tires/firestone-ndt-tire-6-00-x-16-6-ply-square-shoulder-fits-41-71-jeep-willys

https://www.kaiserwillys.com/category/tires-rims/tires/sta-super-traxion-tread-tire-650-x-16-6-ply-fits-41-71-jeep-willys

[5JeepsAz]

Since the research says the original design was due to limited rubber supply, therefore not designed for performance, I was glad to learn the generation of tires on my 64 were designed for aggressive traction tread in an era of surplus rubber.

[pelago]

bought four tires original size had them shipped and shipping included $65.00 each, tubes were actully cheaper at the place that mounted them5750