DO I NEED BEADLOCK RIMS???

mitchmp2005

New Member
Joined
May 16, 2008
Location
greenville
Hey guys, I've looked up beadlock rims and don't really understand why I might need them. I really don't get the gist of how they work. Can anyone break me in on the idea and maybe recommend some brands, types, etc....
1994 F-150 4x4 38x13.50x18
1991 F-250 4x4 33x8x16 Going to 44's soon!!:driver:

Sorry for the dumb question / I'm new and learning Thanks!!
 
Pretty simple. IF you go on the trail, and want to air down, then yeah, beadlocks are your friend. If you air down without them, you run the risk of popping a bead, which means you separate your tire from the wheel, loosing all you air. Most often, you pop the outside bead. The inside bead has more lip(on a 15"wheel) on the bead, so it doesn't pop very easy. The 15" and 16.5 are not designed like that IIRC, Maybe it's just one or the other of them. Anyway how do they work?
On a regular wheel set up, the bead of the tire goes to the inside of the wheel. The air pushes out against the lip of the wheel.
On a beadlock wheel, there is a inner ring with bolt holes in it. The tire lays up Against that, and an outer ring clamps the tire so it can't move. This allows you to run very low air pressure, which gives you a bigger footprint, which gives you more traction.
Hope this helps
 
What are you going to do with your truck. for rock Crawling and very low air pressure they are a good Ideal. mall cruisers have no need. light trail use I would say it is a option. I run my 35's at about 15lbs and have never popped a bead with out bead locks.
 
Just a note. Most beadlocks are not street legal. Just something to keep in mind. Most cops don't know how to tell a simulated beadlock from a real one so you may get away with it but ultimately the choice is up to you. I run 33" boggers on a 15x10 rim and at 10-12 psi I've only blown a bead a few times in severe situations. Now when I run them at 7psi I blow the outer bead fairly often but I have OBA so it isn't a real problem other than a slight holdup on the trail. I have yet to blow an inner bead.
 
The confusion was started when a bunch of states outlawed the use of 3 piece wheels on over the road trucks.
 
rob92xj said:
The confusion was started when a bunch of states outlawed the use of 3 piece wheels on over the road trucks.
Click to expand...

And marketing bullshit from certain $$$ beadlock mfrs.

As to the original question, if you never air your tires down or smash rocks with your wheels...don't worry about them.
 
Roughshod said:
Popular internet myth. I've read every single word of the NC motor vehicle code, and the words, "bead lock" are not mentioned anywhere in it.
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It does not state it in the motor vehicle code but most beadlocks are not DOT stamped which makes them not street legal. As I stated earlier most cops do not know this and the DOT stamp is on the inside of the rim so checking them while on the vehicle is out of the question. It all falls into the same catagory as using off road lights for headlights. Most are not DOT approved which makes them illegal for use as a headlight but can still be used for auxillary lighting. Any issue with a DOT approval has to do with the NHTSA not with individual states motor vehicle codes.
 
marvilusone said:
It does not state it in the motor vehicle code but most beadlocks are not DOT stamped which makes them not street legal. As I stated earlier most cops do not know this and the DOT stamp is on the inside of the rim so checking them while on the vehicle is out of the question. It all falls into the same catagory as using off road lights for headlights. Most are not DOT approved which makes them illegal for use as a headlight but can still be used for auxillary lighting. Any issue with a DOT approval has to do with the NHTSA not with individual states motor vehicle codes.
Click to expand...

This is a big fallacy as well. Nothing is "DOT approved", nor does it have to be stamped/marked "DOT" to be up to their standards. The manufacturer themself decides if it's up to NHTSA rules and stamps dot on their junk if they feel like it. Having read every fmvss, there is nothing even remotely touching on legality or illegality of beadlocks...nor are there really many standards for wheels for that matter.
If you were to build a set of wheels out of steel pipe and plate and it conformed to nhtsa specs, you could pull out your harbor freight letter punches and stamp "DOT" on the wheel and it would be totally legal. If you wanted to stamp "DOT" on your beadlock rings, again...totally legal. Safe? Not necessarily. Possibly get sued if your tire falls off the rim due to your improperly torqued lock ring? Sure, but it would have nothing to do with wheel legality. Get a ticket from a dick trooper in VA because they like to hand them out? Fine, it won't hold up in court for a minute.

FWIW, here is literally all the dot says about passenger car wheel regs.

S4.4 Rims.
S4.4.1 Requirements. Each rim shall:
(a) Be constructed to the dimensions of a rim that is listed
pursuant to the definition of test rim in paragraph S3. of Sec. 571.109
(Standard No. 109) for use with the tire size designation with which the
vehicle is equipped.
(b) In the event of rapid loss of inflation pressure with the
vehicle traveling in a straight line at a speed of 97 kilometers per
hour, retain the deflated tire until the vehicle can be stopped with a
controlled braking application.

And that the wheel fit the tire size stated on it as per 571.109 s4.4
 
Great forum!! Thanks guys, I got the jist of beadlocks now. I am a police officer in NC and don't know of any state of federal laws regarding beadlocks myself. However, I will check into it and post some answers for sure. Thanks again and I really appreciate it.
 
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