Santeh wrote:will e wrote:... So there really is nothing that the narrow-track cannot do that a wide-track Chief can? How about hills in places like Colorado and Arizona? ...
Allow me to speechify a bit here ...
Modern tires have improved a lot since the day, and the trend is to go much, much larger today than you really could then. I equipped my '73 CJ-5 in 1973 with 10.00-15 tires, which was the same size that came with the WT/Chief vehicles. This was considered a large tire then, even for a CJ.
Modern thinking is that, not considering other factors, bigger tires are more capable on the trail than smaller. I don't think we can seriously dispute this - better traction, more floatation, better conformation to uneven surfaces, lower rolling resistance - aside from improvements like improved tire design, tread pattern or materials. You have to lift a NT a lot (or cut, or both) to fit the same size tires as will fit on a WT with little or no height change. Some seek out the lifted look ... however, it does make your COG considerably higher, makes entering and exiting the Jeep difficult or impossible for many, and can introduce tracking, stability and durability issues that weren't present before lifting. Thus yes, there are differences in terms of capability, specifically related to choice of tire size.
Also, IMO you are much more likely to run into a situation where you run out of traction because of tire size, way more often than you encounter a place where a NT will fit through and a WT won't. Depends on the trails you choose.
However, IMO this is a matter of degree, and only valid when comparing under identical circumstances. Maybe it's obvious (and not too preachy), but you cannot get to a configuration that will be optimal under all circumstances for all owners under all conditions.