If you’re looking for tires for vintage jeep or military vehicle here are a couple options.
Archives for posts with tag: tires
Photo: Jonathan Hanson
Jonathan Hanson has a great article on his Overland Tech & Travel blog about the physics of tires and lifts.
To sum it up, larger tires and wheels do provide more ground clearance but will decrease performance in other areas. The additional mass and height of larger tires reduce acceleration and braking effectiveness. They also reduce the effectiveness of low-range gearing since taller tires are basically the same as adding taller gearing to your truck. This “regearing” through taller tires can also increase wear on drivetrain and suspension components.
Jonathan advocates a mild (rather than wild) approach when it comes to suspension and tire mods, as a rule of thumb no more than 2″ to 4″ of lift and one or two sizes larger for tires. Of course, research suspension and tire specifics for your own vehicle to determine what’s best.
Have a look at his article. It’s an interesting read.
This is a “Spotted” post but in this case the seller of this beautifully restored FJ45 Troopy spotted me (or the site rather). It’s WCXC’s first seller submission. Here’s the story:
The seller states that this right-hand-drive, 1984 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ45 Troopy started its life in Australia where it racked up only 127,000 km (~79, 400 miles). In 2011, it was legally imported into the U.S. and given a ground-up, frame-off restoration during which the frame and body were stripped, chemical dipped, and epoxy sealed. The frame was then painted with POR-15, and the body got a fresh respray. Truck has clocked 600 km (~375 miles) since then.
The seller also reports that the engine, the venerable 4.2-liter 2F, was rebuilt, balanced, and blueprinted. A new H55F, 5-speed manual transmission was fitted and mated to custom drive shafts. The suspension is an Old Man Emu system, fitted with heavy springs, and greasable shackles and spring pins. The addition of custom sway bars are said to virtually eliminate body roll while cornering. The seller further reports that the axles, differentials and transfer case have all been refreshed with new Toyota parts. Six new 33″ BFGs round out the picture — no pun intended.
Up front, the ARB bull bar is ready for your choice of winch. Out back, a dual swing-away bumper, carries two spares and a Hi-Lift jack (not pictured but said to be included). The roof and doors are removable.
Perhaps the biggest change from stock is the conversion to a dual-fuel system, meaning the truck can run on propane or gasoline. The big advantage of propane is significantly reduced vehicle emissions. Cleaner burning fuel also means a cleaner, longer lasting engine. On the downside, propane packs about 25% less power per gallon than gasoline does. It also sells for about 25% less than gasoline, based on national averages. According to Petersen’s 4Wheel & Offroad propane’s relative lack of punch should only result in a 10% drop in mileage. But a 10% mileage loss at a 25% savings means you’ll still come out ahead. With 12 gallons of gasoline, and 15 gallons of propane on board, the range should be an improvement over the stock 22 gallon tank.
The seller goes on to say that throughout the $72,000 restoration, every nut, bolt, seal, and bearing on the truck was replaced — nothing was left untouched. The result is an almost 30-year-old truck that looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor.
The cost of this beige beauty with comfortable seating for eleven? Significantly less than cost of the restoration at $55,000. Given what restored FJ40s have been selling for at auction lately, this Troopy seems like quite a deal.
Click here to email the seller directly. The truck is located in northern Colorado.
Link resources: Photobucket Gallery
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Last month I went to the Overland Rally in Hollister, CA, a weekend of classes, camping, and overland community, where travel, vehicle prep, driving, and navigation were all on topic. For example…
On international travel: if you’re traveling through a town and you don’t see any women or children, something is wrong. That said, the world is a pretty safe place and trouble is usually highly localized and easily avoided.
On vehicle prep: the most important change you can make on a vehicle is tires. Select ones that are suited to the environment in which you’ll be driving. For example, mud terrain tires work in mud but not on asphalt and snow.
On navigation: if you end up lost, stop. Figure out where you are (by plotting your GPS coordinates on a map or using a compass to triangulate your position from known points); make a plan; and proceed by dead reckoning (traveling a certain distance, on a known heading, from a known position) or by plotting GPS coordinates every few miles. Precision is the key. An error of a few millimeters on the map can translate into a few thousand feet on the trail. When following your compass, don’t forget to account for magnetic deviation (the difference between magnetic north and true north). Read the rest of this entry »