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Ok gang, so in my first post, I showed you my 3 NEKAF jeeps that I purchased. The old tires are pretty weather cracked. I have not been able to find 7.00 x 16 NATO tread tires anywhere in the US. Anybody ever seen any in the states ? I'm not sure I want to put NDT or NDCC tires on it, but am considering it. Another option is either a 6.50 x 16 or a 7.50 x 16 M&S type tire. If I go this route for now, will either fit on the factory M38A1 wheels without too much issue ?? Would this type tire be a better choice for paved road use versus say the NDCC ?
Thanks !

If you use the search funtion and review the many posts on tires found hear you will get the dozens of opinions already posted on this topic.

The bottom line is how much rubber meets the road.

The NDT (WWII design) and NDCC (post WWII design) were military compromise tires that were the best solution the tire industry could offer the military in the 40's and 50's. Nato got smart in the 60's and went to more black top capable tread designs. The US military finally abandoned the NDCC in the 70's.

Although you will get an occasional hard headed troop that has some misplaced sense of loyalty to the ancient tread designs most folks with any serious military driving experience will tell you the NDCC can be a real killer on hard surfaces when they are wet or icy.

Your choice of tire should be made based on your desired use of the jeep. Show only and accuracy to originality for a US based jeep then NDCC is the tire if you plan no driving on hard surface wet or icy roads. The Nato tire is a good all around choice for the NEKAF. A substitute all weather tire found on the shelf here in the US will be either bias ply nylon/polyester all weather or a radial ply all weather.

Although any 16" tire will fit the 16 x 4.5 inch rim that came with your jeep you will find that most radial ply 16 inch tires call for a minimum rim width of 5" or more. Many tire shops will refuse to mount a tire on a rim that is not within that tire's spec range.

Then there is the choice between tube type and tubeless. Tube type being original to the jeep and the original wheel was designed for a tube type tire. To make the rim useable with a tubeless tire you will need to make sure it is sealed well and the valve stem hole dimension is correct for the tubeless valve stem you use.

Called my local tire dealer and he said he had a 7.50 x 16 for me to look at. Unfortunately it was made in China, which suprises me, because he is all about buying USA if possible, as am I....that being said, I liked the tread design, so I ordered a set. Google search for "Bluestar 7.50" and click on the Pepboys link at the top, scroll down about halfway, and you'll see the tire. He said I could run them tubeless, but he recommended using tubes, due to the age and condition of the wheels (he said they may be hard to get to seal, based on how much rust / corrosion the wheel bead area has. I have read about minor tire clearance issues with the 7.50s, but here's the good part. I just ordered about $6500 dollars worth of truck leaf springs for work from my spring dealer. While he was delivering them, I showed him the first NEKAF and asked about rebuilding / re-arching the spring packs. He said no problem. They would disassemble them, clean them up, re-arch, replace any leaves that needed replacement, replace the eye bushings, and paint them in their standard black color for me...at no cost ! I asked about the possibility of arching them for a 3/4 to 1" lift over the stock dimensions, and he said it shouldn't be a problem, if needed, they would replace the leaf directly below the eye leaf with a thicker leaf to get the desired lift. I'm hoping that this would give just enough clearance to avoid tire to body issues. I'm aware that I may have to adjust the steering stops, but the turning radius shouldn't be an issue since the ground out here is flat as a table and treeless.....

I'm running 7.50s, from the 70s (Traction King) - they're still in decent shape, but kindof old, so I'm going to replace them - with something. I wanted NDCCs, but I also want good traction on all types of surfaces. My 7.50s rub something at full lock, but I havent adjusted the stops yet. I like the extra height though.

The M&S tires my son found to fit original, narrow rims are 650-16 STA Super Traxion. "STA" is Specialty Tire of America. Available from Walck's http://walcks4wd.com/6-50-x-16-super-traxion-tires.html or Universal Tire https://www.universaltire.com/truck-and ... axion.html Universal looks cheaper, but Walck's had free shipping when he ordered five - don't know if that is still true. They are very close in diameter to the original NDCCs. They're fairly similar to the tires I had on the Jeep before, so I have a good idea how they will perform on and off road, and with those big lugs they actually look fairly decent from the side even though they aren't NDCCs. I can email you a photo of them mounted and on the chassis.

Thanks for the offer Jimm. I set my profile to show my e-mail so you could send me the pics at your leasure !

Here's some pics with the Bluestar 7.50 x 16 tire mounted up on factory M38A1 NEKAF rims. My tire dealer ended up installing them tubeless. Once he removed the old NATO tread tires, he couldn't believe how clean the inside of the rims were. He though they would seal up fine without tubes. Anyway, here we go....

I like that tire. Nice look on your jeep.

Thanks Bill ! It looks even better when it's not chained down to the trailer. It sits about 1-2 inches higher.

That's a very good looking tire. What did they set you back per tire mounted and balanced?

The tread looks very close to my Goodyears that are no longer made here in the US. I'll have to find out if that tire is available in 900-16.

Wes, they weren't cheap. About $175 per tire mounted and balanced. However, my tire guy isn't know for his good deals, but I like to support local business whenever possible.

I Couldn't find any web listings for the Bluestar tire line. Is it available in 900x16 6 or 8 ply?

$175 isn't bad. My goodyears were over $300 each.

jimm wrote:The M&S tires my son found to fit original, narrow rims are 650-16 STA Super Traxion. "STA" is Specialty Tire of America. Available from Walck's http://walcks4wd.com/6-50-x-16-super-traxion-tires.html or Universal Tire https://www.universaltire.com/truck-and ... axion.html Universal looks cheaper, but Walck's had free shipping when he ordered five - don't know if that is still true. They are very close in diameter to the original NDCCs. They're fairly similar to the tires I had on the Jeep before, so I have a good idea how they will perform on and off road, and with those big lugs they actually look fairly decent from the side even though they aren't NDCCs. I can email you a photo of them mounted and on the chassis.

If you want the thread on that long, drawn out process, here it is:
http://willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules.php? ... pic&t=4817

I got the free shipping from Walck's because they were running a promotion of free shipping on orders more than $150, or something like that. I got them on their eBay store. They just happened to have what I was looking for at the time I was looking for them.

Photo of tires on chassis:

Wes, I never found much on the net either. I should note that the tires I bought are 10 ply.... I will ask my tire dealer if they are available in 9.00x16 on Monday.

Wes, I asked my dealer about 9.00 x 16 tires. The only thing he could get was the Power King Super Traction...I think he said around $270 per tire ??
I can't believe tires have gotten so darned expensive !!