Narrow tire choices

Need help deciding tires.

We want to retain the narrow look of our 600x16 tires, and would just buy radials from Coker, except they are $500 more than the Bias Ply or NDT options.   So is price difference worth it?

We drive our '46 CJ2A only on roads. Is used for quick runs around a small town, and hour long drives out on country roads. We just see it as a neat convertible that goes slow to enjoy the view.

NDT's seem to be very popular, and we like the looks.   But worry about the road noise from the lugs, and if would distract during the country side drives. We assume they whine at road speed. How noisy are they? Also the poor performance on wet is a concern.

Bias Ply options look good, but with lots excursions at 2 miles trips to soccer game or ice cream shop, if half of that time is spent waiting for tires to warm up and smooth out... Takes some of the fun out it. I drove a couple of cars in the 70s with bias plys, and I remember some rough riding at first.

Radials do seem overkill for their cost. Am guessing they handle better. But the jeep has so much play in steering now, am not sure how much handling performance we would see.   Although we are considering investing in improving steering in the future.

We really like the narrow tire look on the jeep, adds to its uniqueness. So don't want to change tire size, although probably could get cheaper.

We plan to have the jeep for a long time. Is a family heirloom.   So amount of driving, and time we will own would help spread the cost out for the radials.   But $500 is a lot to spread.

Sorry for yet another tire posting, but I wasn't find one that matched our needs.

Thanks

I've found  the NDCC M38 Tire is much softer in ride. Like balloon tires.  They do make a noise on some surfaces, but not terrible. The radials give a superior ride, and are about 30-50 dollars higher in price each. The problem with radials are you need to run tubes in them to not have a issue with air leakage and possible bead coming off rim if tubless.  For traction tires in the winter, The STA super traxions are better than NDT's or NDCC"s.  Some tire companies will not mount radials on Jeep rims because the minumum width required by the manufacturer is more than a Jeep rim. The bigger the tire, the more power is robbed from a stock CJ2A. 215-85 R16 is the radial size. Many companies and many treads and prices are out there. For plinking around in the summer, NDT's work fine. They accept tire chains well if you get in the tough stuff. They look cool too! Stay away from tires made in India. Pure bouncing out of round weather checking crap!!!!! There you have it. John

I've never been able to hear the tires over all the other noises mine makes.

I have Cooper Discoverer LT Radials - 215/85/16 on my '46 CJ2A and love them.  90% of my driving is on  the paved road and the remainder is on dirt roads in the outback.  I run about 30 psi on the road, and drop them to 20-25 psi off-road.  The tires work great and take me most anywhere I want to go.

I am not a "radical" off-roader though.  Give me the OHV routes in the National Forest and I'm just happy as pie.  

Ask the supplier where they are made. My Interco Crap tires actually say made in India on them. STA Specialty Tires Of America are made in Pennsylvania. I like them. Tire Mfg. specs should give the diameter for you.  John

 for 6:00-16 If they are 89 bucks each they are not American made. The Firestones and STA's are about $130 to $140 each and the Goodyears are $190 each.

I have 4 sets of Goodyears I will be taking to the MVPA convention to sell.

For as little as you say you will be driving it, the extra cost, IMHO, is not worth it. Stick with the NDT's for which it was originally designed. And for those rainy days, take another vehicle if you have to go out. Are the windshield wipers vacuum or electric? If you've never driven in the rain with non-supplemented vacuum wipers you are in for a surprise.

May I remind all that, indeed, a Willys Jeep is classified as a "1/4 Ton Truck"?

and I can't really speak to how the NDT and NDCC tires do. The last thing I drove with NDT tires was a deuce-and-a-half in the army back in the 90s. Thinking back, you really had to work to get one stuck out in that Georgia mud if you were a halfway decent driver. The hardest part was engaging the front axle while driving...