modern tires for an M38

skjeep

Gear Grinder
Feb 24, 2026
7
Slovakia
First Name
Paul
Willys Model
  1. CJ
Willys Year:
  1. 1951
I know that this was discussed a dozen times :) but need some input anyway.

Looking for a new rubber for my M38 (aka Oliva) and do not want to go NDT or NDCC way. I know that this is not period or model correct, but i do not care.
Currently it has a set of vintage Uniroyal Fleetmasters in 6.5 R16 size which have almost 95% thread left (spare was never used) but these are market DOT 1979.
So are pretty hard and almost 50 years old. I like the pattern but these are not made anymore. And being in EU the choice is even more limited as brands like
Deestone or similar do not sell all sizes /patterns here due to stupid EU regulations. Plus i am pretty much stuck with the sizes of 6.5 or 7.00 R16 because these
are in the title. This is another BS here. You can not have tires that do not match what is written in the documents. If you do you will not pass the inspection
and when stopped by police you could get into trouble. And i get stopped quite often because Oliva is registered on regular plates, not vintage.
Maybe i could go to 7.5 and hack it somehow, or metric 175/80R16, maybe 185 or even 195....
Need somethin with a decent vintage look AT/MT traction thread pattern.

What do you suggest?
 
 
First establish the equivalent rolling diameter or radius or as close to as you can get & fit modern M&S radials.
No out of date problems not too expensive either.
I had 15" X 6" rim width wheels off an International Scout [$25 each @ pick & pull] on my MB with disc brakes all round.
Much better, safer ride.
They worked & stopped well in rain or shine in NV.
Here are 2 16" interchange tyres to look @ 215/85R16 or 235/80R16 if they'll work with the rim width
Intentionally mine were wider than standard width fitted inside the fenders BUT the rolling radius was exactly the same as originals within 0.5".
 
I have stock rims - IIRC these are 4,5" wide. And i need to keep a decent vintage look
Michelins are awesome, but with over €200 for one not so much. This car sports max 3000 miles a year and mostly in summer
so it is not worth it.
And in the 60-80 price range there are only passenger car patterns or retreads available here. So i am pretty limited witch choices.
Here are 3 of my possible candidates:

This one is a Rosava VLI5 in 175/80R16 (6.95/16) - this is basicaly a stock Lada Niva/Cossack tire, made for decades since the Soviet era without
any significant changes. It is a tube type and runs for €99 including tube.
1774790910290.png


This one is a turkish made GTK KM420 in 6.5/16.Also tube type. Price range about the same as before
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and the last one is SC ML814 in 7.5/16 Looks similar to Deestones but the price is around 130-140


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What would you suggest?
 
I know you're looking for a "stock" designation, but just wanted to perhaps give others another option.

I chose Falken Wildpeak AT3 in LT215/85 R16 115/112R (superceded now by the newer AT4s). Couple of reasons:

a) I didn't want to run tubes
b) wanted a DOT approved radial
c) modern tire compound, good on-road manners (e.g. good tracking, not a lot of noise) and exceptional off-road performance
d) tires had to fit without rubbing, and with a standard wheel offset (so as to not overstress the suspension components (e.g. steering knuckles, hub bearings, etc.)
e) Wanted an "offroad" look

The Wildpeaks in 215/85 16 met all my criteria, and have been a solid choice for me.

(Note Jeep is riding a bit high as the engine is currently out)

One important caveat - stock rims are VERY narrow (~4" if I recall correctly), and most tire manufacturers do not approve their tires to be mounted on rims that narrow. And while you can squeeze them on, this may put you in a precarious position with insurance companies (in my case it wasn't really an issue, as I needed new rims, so I purchased rims that had the correct offset for the Jeep, and also has the proper width for the 215/85 16s).

IMG_20260329_094844_862.jpg

IMG_20260329_094857_602.jpg
 
I am in the same position for the CJ-3B. 6.50 -16 and 7.00 - 16 in the papers.
Back in the 80s and 90s lots and lots of 7.00 -16 were available for trucks and post cars.
The disadvantage is, that they are rated for much load and therefore rather stiff for the light Willys.
The ones in the picture of my profile are Bridgestone V-Steel Snow 713 and I would stick with them if I could.

To be as close as possible to 7.00 - 16 I am looking for 215/85 R16 Winter or all-season tires. My best find were Continental VanContact Winter 215/85 R16. They have been at 85€ for a long time. But with the wider tires I have to change the rims I guess... Not easy to find matching rims around here and sorry - most of them look awful.

I have seen others run 195/75 r16 and also 205/80 r16 a lot but they would still be to wide.

Do you know any commonly available rims of common cars in Europe/Germany which fit the willys and look neutral?
 
JABJEEP said:
The center hole for the front hubs is the problem. Not many non-Jeep applications have a large enough center hole.
Click to expand...
The center hole on the Ford 4wd wheels will work great but they’re not that easy to find. These I have are 15’s,
 

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5x5,5" (5x139.7mm) lug nut pattern is common on many Nissan ford and Suzuki vehicles
Problem is the 4,25" center hole. There are only a few with such a big diameter

For us in the EU probably closest match is Suzuki Samurai rim either 5.5Jx15 ET5 or 6Jx16 ET0 with center at 108.1 mm. That sholud fit
without any issues. Stock Lada Niva 16" rim has a center bore of 98,5mm. It needs to be machined to 4,25"

And CJ wheels have a different offset than M38 by about (roughly) 1/2". They don't work well with an M38 spare tire mount.
M38 has also a safety bead, slightly different curve past the lugnuts and the angle for the valve stem seat is a bit longer.
 
Agree--wheels, sizes, tires, and offsets get really complicated...offset for me was probably the most important consideration when deciding on a wheel / tire combination. Fortunately, I had some stock rims around where I could carefully measure and compare "stock" to my planned tire/wheel combo...

My advice is to take your time, double and triple check your numbers, and go from there--

As for load, I do downgrade my pressure on the Wildpeaks...I watch the tread footprint and make sure the center of the tire isn't bulging...
 
@Largo98

For 15inch rubber a steel rim from Suzuki Jimny KFZ4865 5,5Jx15 5x139,7 ET5 with a 108mm center hole is a good fit and match
Russian van UAZ SOBOL has a 6Jx16 5x139,7 ET45 with a center hole also at 108mm
Also a Suzuki Grand Vitara has 16" rims the same bolt pattern and with center bore at 110 mm will fit the CJ Not sure about backspacing
 
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