Beadlocked Wheels

If you are running wheels with beadlocks please post them up and your experiences offroading.

Looking forward to getting some non-TRD wheels and want to increase my understanding on whats out there.

Also helpful would be any nuances to keep in mind when looking for wheels. Thanks in advance!!

 

Lots of simulated bead locks on the market. Competition seems to be the right place for real bead locks, you know they are a pain in the ass to change a tire right? Ever try to change a side by side tire with real bead locks? Some side by sides and 4 wheelers have bead locks due to the very low tire pressure they run and the tires cans easily bust a bead loose.

 

Real beadlocks are not street legal. I don't know of any that are DOT approved.

99.9% of the beadlocks that you see on 4Runners are fake beadlocks.

Since there are so many fake beadlocks out there, I'm sure you could get away with running real ones if you really wanted to. You may have a hard time finding a tire shop that will put them on, unless you go to a dedicated offroad shop.

 

It appears the responses your getting fail to answer your question. So I will share what I found during my research on this topic.

There are 5 routes you can go in this…

• True beadlock wheels
• Hybrid beadlock wheels (what I got)
• DOT approved beadlock grip (which I believe Method wheels patented)
• Inner beadlock wheel with a secondary inner tube
• No beadlock and be like every other person

I am going to reference the 3 middle options. Obviously true beadlock and no beadlock need no introduction.

Hybrid beadlock option:
For reference here is what I got (Relation Race Wheels H7):
Here it is with and without the plate on it. This wheel is able to be a beadlock wheel (if I choose to buy the beadlock wheel plates), or be a regular wheel with a changeable aluminum or steel plate:
Without the plate:


With the plate:



Beadlock grip technology

Inner air beadlock

I hope this helps.

 

A true quality beadlock in a 17" size will be well over $300 a piece. In the unlikely possibility there is a DOT approved model, it will probably be priced well over $500 a piece. Gov certifications don't come cheap. The liability of an improperly installed bead lock ring flying off at 70 mph, effectively becoming a missle on the highway, makes it problem for most manufacturers.

Method has what they call bead grip rims, which have ridges running laterally on the lip, which helps keep the bead on the rim in a low pressure high stress situation.

If the simulated bead lock is what your looking for, like @nimby pointed out there are dozens.

IMO, they would be a PIA to keep clean.

 

I don't think there is a true bead lock thats DOT approved.

 

Fantastic,

The dialogue above is what I wanted to see. And it is correct that Beadlocked wheels are not DOT approved, hence in the unlikely event you are in a fatality accident, legal teams would feast on your tires, defective or otherwise.

So far the Method 700 series are the only ones I have researched that are DOT approved, and offer a technology that helps you run lower pressures. They are the price of beadlocked wheels at $317+ a wheel.

All things considered, for 95% of us on here, seems like standard lightweight rims are sufficient.

 

Total noob question, but why aren't beadlock wheels DOT approved?

 

If a BL ring flies off at hwy speeds it would be a missile. Too much of a liability.

 

I am certain that is a good Google question. However,

I did that for you.

https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/what-are-beadlock-wheels/amp/

 

This is just speculation on my end:

The threads for the screws that lock down the bead plate are more susceptible to coming loose. Keep in mind many people generally will NOT tighten screws to spec and go the "Good & Tight" route, which is not the safest.

So as mentioned earlier, the screws can become loose projectiles. And once one screw goes, the rest of the screws on the plate are more apt to loosen and create a higher possibility of wheel failure.

 

Have you ever just had a conversation though?

 

I also heard its good to use the stuff below for the beadlocks since the metal of the screws is different from the metal of the rims (For those not in the know, mixing metals expedites corrosion)



Ultra Tef-Gel as anti-seize for beadlock wheels.

Side question: Anyone here running the Method 700 series? What tires are you using and what are the lowest pressures you have run on trail?

 

What is conversing? I married a beautiful woman, got a job, bought a house, moved, went to college, had 4 kids… But never conversed with anyone.

Maybe you should ask yourself before posting… what are my resources for the questions I am seeking? If you can’t find them then ask away. I know your specific question is better left to facts vs. some opinions on a forum since it is regarding laws.

I also like to implore people to actually do their own research vs. having someone do it for them. I believe that helps people grow vs. just giving everyone the answers they are seeking. While Google helps give you answers you are seeking it is a resource just like a dictionary. Instead of me being rude I was trying to help you.

you are welcome!!!

 

This is good info. Thank you for sharing this information. No guidance was given on that from RRW. I purchased anti-seize stuff from autozone to do this. But this might be better.

 

If someone mentions something that piques my interest, I might have a follow-up question and I'll ask it. That's how conversations work. If I were contemplating the purchase of beadlock wheels, or otherwise really needed to know the legal implications, of course I'll look it up.

Since you've never found basic people skills, I decided to hand them to you. Not trying to be rude, just trying to help. You're welcome!

 

Lol! Great conversation here.

I'd say beadlocks aren't worth the legal risk, in most cases. Non- beadlocks can be run pretty low without popping a bead. I've heard of folks running as low as 7-8 psi. I've never run less than 15. But, I might try 10-12 on a rocky section of trail this year, just to see how it is.

 

You kill me @Thatbassguy

Yeah I stay about 15-20psi as well. Don’t want to work to change out the tire. However if I hit super soft sand like in Utah I would venture down to 10-12. But that is because I am running a 285 on a 8.5 inch wheels and I believe that they will be a little harder to pop off the bead. But I guess you never know your limits until you try. I just never have been gutsy enough to do it nor have I felt the need (yet).

 

Same, ive gone down as low as 17psi because I am a chicken, but I would like to explore the limits more lol.

I had already done some research on beadlocked wheels but I wanted to pick everyone's brains here and also memorialize a topic so the next time it comes up it's easier for someone to reference this

 

The lowest I've run so far was 15. 295's on 8.5" wheels. We were in an area with a lot of standing water and I really didn't want to get stuck.

I think I could get away with 8-10 if I don't push it.

 

The other aspect of this... ugh ...conversation, is a D or an E sidewall. I think with a good sidewall and that Bead Grip rim that Method has developed, you could run below 15 or even 10 psi w little concern.

In the rocks a good spotter would help keep an eye on a potential problem.

Down here in Florida, people love to blast thru mud holes and puddles, but you aint ever gonna see that stump that rips your tire off the rim.

So IMO, driver experience and constraint plays a big role in all of this. Sometimes "full send" costs too much, when steady and deliberate would have worked.

 

We try to keep it around 20-22 psi offroad, I don't think it's that easy to "de-bead" a tire with that much air in it.

 

If you can't get the job done at 15 psi, back off! Stay away from beadlocks unless you have a street illegal rig that you tow everywhere. In that case run it at zero psi lol.

 

That's funny.

I just looked back at this thread, and I was going to mention that I've run 12 on several occasions now. I usually start at 15-20, though.

Depending on the tire, and weight of the vehicle, 15 PSI is not very low at all. If I had 35's, I'd probably run as low as 8.

I wouldn't run beadlocks on a daily driver, though.

 

You are taking your chances when you go under 15

 

I've heard of people going down to 7 without beadlocks. I judge it by the look of the tire. Every tire/size/load range reacts differently to being aired down.

 

I am 34 inch load E, and I don't want to learn lol. I believe when I see somebody

 

I've done 8psi through deep sandy areas when I owned a 2wd Ranger. Tires were 33's on a 15" wheel. No issues.

Once I was out of the sand, I would bump it back up a little.

 

@Yotaholic
@Thatbassguy
Man I just read this entire thread haha
That was funny. And knowledgeable.
Can I ask you smart folks one question, how low psi you reckon LT285/70's load E can go without going too too crazy?
Yotaholic you were saying 15 psi on ur load E's

 

15 psi works perfectly fine, I've done 30 mph with them for miles lol