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Recommended Option: 15" Wheels
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Oldpappy View Drop Down
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    Posted: 21 June 2019 at 4:27pm
My 48 CJ2A has the 15" wheels instead of the 16". I have read that the 15" wheels were a recommended option on the CJs for agricultural purposes. 

I would like to know why this was so. The 15" wheel option came with taller tires and ended up very close to the same height as the Jeeps with 16" rims. 

I don't see an advantage to the smaller diameter wheels, so think I may be missing something.
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cpt logger View Drop Down
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My guess, the tires flexed more, & thus got better traction in the soft soil. Plus, if aired down they gripped better as well. 

Note: This is a SWAG!
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3-48s View Drop Down
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In 1948 the tire technology certainly was not what it is today. No wide ovals till late 1966. The 7.00-15" JEEP option actually had the "WIDE" profile and therefore better flotation for agricultural work. In the earlier war years the recon vehicles had duals as an option so they had better flotation.

My 48 had 7.00x15"originally and now it has a 6 pack of 7.00x15"s.






Today we can go as wide and as tall as we want, however, that was not the case in the 40s.   

Edited by 3-48s - 21 June 2019 at 8:34pm
1945 CJ2A #10536
1948 CJ2A #176528 "Elmer"
1948 CJ2A #155970 "Gray Mule"
1948 CJ2A #155365 "Old Yeller" (GONE)
BANTAM T3C # 6147 (GONE)
BANTAM T3C # 30856
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19Cargo42 View Drop Down
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I recently purchased CJ2A 11662 and was initially unhappy to discover it had 15-inch slotted rims on it and assumed someone put them on at some point after it left the factory. However, after reading posts like this and checking the other research on the board, I think they might be original. When I start disassembling it for restoration, I'll check to see if there are any date stamps on the inside of the rims. I'm still pretty sure that I'll convert to 16-inch rims, but if these were original to the jeep, I'll clean them up and keep them in reserve.
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Originally posted by cpt logger cpt logger wrote:

My guess, the tires flexed more, & thus got better traction in the soft soil. Plus, if aired down they gripped better as well. 

Note: This is a SWAG!

Based on the Nebraska Test reports for the Farm Jeep, I believe you are correct.  They ran 20lb pressure for most tests, but aired down the rear tires to 16b for one test.

Reminds me that I need to add the Nebraska tests to farmjeep.com

Barry
https://www.farmjeep.com/
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Oldpappy View Drop Down
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Very interesting....

I was considering a swap to 16" rims, but may reconsider.
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19Cargo42 View Drop Down
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Points: 570 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 19Cargo42 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 June 2019 at 1:20am
Are 15" non-directional tires available?
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Evidently they are, as I just saw that Coker lists them. They appear to be about an inch less in diameter than the 16" version. I wonder if the difference is large enough that they had to calibrate the speedometer for the smaller tires or not?
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I don't know if they re-calibrated the speedometer or not, but I don't suppose there would be much difference. It might register a little high, but for what I want to use the Jeep for it wouldn't matter to me.

I saw 15 X 700 tires, not much else in NDT. I looked for 15 X 750 but no luck with that.

Traditional "Mud" tires come in more sizes for 15" wheels, and they would have better traction on wet roads, but just not the look I want for this MB clone I am building.

Haven't decided whether to pop for the $$ on a set of  reproduction 16" wheels, but they aren't cheap, so probably won't do that unless I find a real good deal, or someone who wants to trade.

I am still in tear down of the CJ2A, took the body off last week, so it will be a while before I am ready to buy new tires. 


Edited by Oldpappy - 25 June 2019 at 1:15pm
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