Suggestions for beadlock wheels

burrellsjeep

burrellsjeep

Breaking Stuff...
Joined
Nov 19, 2008
Location
Morganton NC
I️ am weighing my options for bead lock wheels and I️ would like to ask for some suggestions.

I️ am looking for a 15” wheel with a 5x4.5 pattern that’s 8” wide. I️ have seen some cheap stuff out there, but I️ don’t want to waste money on something that is not worth purchasing. In the same mind set I️ don’t want to waste money on an expensive set if it’s not needed.

My rig sees mostly trail riding with nothing to hard core, it is a trailer jeep, so it sees little road time, but it is still street legal. The wheels I️ have were just steel soft 8s and they are beat to hell and back. So I️ want something a little stronger and something I️ don’t have to be as concerned with losing a bead. I️ seem to be changing a loss bead tire about every trip now a days due to the condition of the wheels.

I️ figure if I️ am getting new wheels, I️ should consider beadlocks, not really interested in building a DYI set, so looking for suggestions of what and where I️ should consider looking and Purchasing.

Thanks in advance for the help

Mike


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If you’re not going DIY or used, the budget goes way up. I’d say probably $1200 minimum. My recommendation would be to get single outer beadlocks with the bolt heads recessed. I’ll admit to spending some time on Trail Ready’s website last night. I’d start there.
 
Just my opinioun mike, Diy beadlocks work great but are about useless more than 45 mph and leak.

Steal manufactured beadlocks allways seem to leak alot and still bend like any other steel wheel, but run " better" on the highway

I am partial to aluminum beadlocks, they balamce great and are supriseingly tough as hell and rarely leak. If you want to drive highway any at all go Raceline, Trail Ready,method etc. I have the trail gears and i have abused them alot, not one problem.

So i vote steel manufactured beadlocks, or alluminum Baller Status!

And if your tires are close to worn out, do yourself a favor and go to a 17 inch wheel
 
F144719660.jpg
I have been super happy with these

mine are 42lbs a piece:eek:
 
I've got steel DIY headlock. They do NOT leak, but they're well built and I used tire sealer.

Having said that I'm going raceline

Mainly because I want to be able to drive hiway speeds. I want to DRIVE my jeep to events when I can and these wheels don't really allow that. Not because balance, but because the tire isn't EXACTLY centered because there's not a centering lip like on the expensive aluminum. And because if that at 44mph I get a pretty bad vibration. I can drive out of it and it's smooth. Even up to 80, but it never fails, when we hit the roads to head to a trail damned if we don't go 44 friggin mph
 
Everyone is pretty much hitting the nail on the head. To me there's only two ways to go with beadlocks, Diy steel for cheap or aluminum. There's not much middle ground.

That being said, if I get aluminum beadlocks they will be eagle alloys. They are made in south carolina by the same company that makes trail readys cast wheels. Hell, they even have the TR on them. Best thing is Brandon at rides can get them significantly cheaper than any aluminum beadlock I've ever seen....

Beadlock Wheels
 
What about adding rock rings to his current rims, and going with IAL's?

Products
 
NCJeeplover said:
Everyone is pretty much hitting the nail on the head. To me there's only two ways to go with beadlocks, Diy steel for cheap or aluminum. There's not much middle ground.

That being said, if I get aluminum beadlocks they will be eagle alloys. They are made in south carolina by the same company that makes trail readys cast wheels. Hell, they even have the TR on them. Best thing is Brandon at rides can get them significantly cheaper than any aluminum beadlock I've ever seen....

Beadlock Wheels
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I've looked into these but they were pricey just like all the other aluminum bead locks. Did not realize there was that big of a difference between the steal and aluminum ones until reading here.

drkelly said:
What about adding rock rings to his current rims, and going with IAL's?

Products
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From what I have read on here these are a good option. Are the rock rings to prevent bending on rocks or to stop the inter air locks from bending the lip out?
 
ghost said:
From what I have read on here these are a good option. Are the rock rings to prevent bending on rocks or to stop the inter air locks from bending the lip out?
Click to expand...

I added rock rings to my standard cheap 15x8 rims because I kept bending the outer rim lips on rocks. I intended to add IAL's later, but never did.
 
Also check out btr wheels, the ring is flush with wheel face so it doesn’t hold water and mud.

Tim diekmann of Liquid Iron Industries sells them and runs them on his molten Motorsports race rig. I️ was actually going to buy these but I️ found a set of like new, used steel allieds
 
Chris_Keziah said:
Inner Air Lock for the win, way cheaper route if you already have wheels and it keeps both beads mounted not just the outer.

$130/wheel
Inner Air Lock Internal Beadlocks - $129.95 w/ Free Shipping!
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I have considered that option. Since I don't have wheels, IAL's get expensive when you figure in the need to buy wheels plus rim stiffeners.

I've actually got a set of 12 bolt H1's with pressed centers, and rock rings that need to be welded together, but I don't think they will be very road friendly, so am thinking I need to go with a good quality aluminum beadlock.
 
drkelly said:
I have considered that option. Since I don't have wheels, IAL's get expensive when you figure in the need to buy wheels plus rim stiffeners.

I've actually got a set of 12 bolt H1's with pressed centers, and rock rings that need to be welded together, but I don't think they will be very road friendly, so am thinking I need to go with a good quality aluminum beadlock.
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Rim stiffeners aren't exactly a must though unless you constantly drive on the rocks with your wheels. Plus IAL open your wheel option up to different style's that aren't offered in most beadlocks.
 
I was in your boat about a year ago on whether or not to buy DIY steel rings, or pony up for nice aluminum beadlocks. I was able to get 5, 15" Racelines with almost new 35" tires for $1200. There are deals out there all the time, you just have to be on the look out. I drive my 4runner on the road probably more than wheel it, and the unbalanced racelines road the same as my steel wheels and MT/R's (even though my 4runner maxes out at 60 mph).
 
Chris_Keziah said:
Rim stiffeners aren't exactly a must though unless you constantly drive on the rocks with your wheels. Plus IAL open your wheel option up to different style's that aren't offered in most beadlocks.
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I had to add stiffeners to the wheels on my Samurai. I kept bending the outer lips on rocks. Sometimes to the point of losing air. Maybe it was those wheels, the air pressure I ran, or my driving style.
 
drkelly said:
Bumping this back up. Any new opinions on beadlocks? I will be buying some this fall. I am looking seriously at these that @NCJeeplover posted. For $300, they seem like a great deal.

TR Hardrock - Series 025 - TRUE BEAD-LOCK (Single Wheel)
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I was told by @91oneton that eagle alloy was not selling wheels by there own brand anymore and those beadlocks are no longer available. I do believe he mentioned KMC beadlocks for cheap though.....

Chris_Keziah said:
Inner Air Lock for the win, way cheaper route if you already have wheels and it keeps both beads mounted not just the outer.

$130/wheel
Inner Air Lock Internal Beadlocks - $129.95 w/ Free Shipping!
Click to expand...

These will be what I end up running on my toyota. But only because I have 17" rims with 2" backspacing so conventional weld on beadlocks will no work for me. I thought that running 10psi of tire pressure with stickys would keep them on the rim but dirt still gets between the rim and tire making them leak.
 
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NCJeeplover said:
I was told by @91oneton that eagle alloy was not selling wheels by there own brand anymore and those beadlocks are no longer available. I do believe he mentioned the KMC beadlocks being around 1000 bucks a set though.....



These will be what I end up running on my toyota. But only because I have 17" rims with 2" backspacing so conventional weld on beadlocks will no work for me. I thought that running 10psi of tire pressure with stickys would keep them on the rim but dirt still gets between the rim and tire making them leak.
Click to expand...

Well, that is disappointing.

I had the same problem with dirt getting jammed down between the rim and tire on my Samurai and causing leaks.
 
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