Hello again JK-Forum, as I mentioned in an earlier post its time to get some beadlocks for my JK. Woe is me, so many decisions...


Assumption being the mother of all mess-ups lets talk about what a beadlock is first.


What are Beadlocks


A beadlock or bead lock is a mechanical device that secures the bead of a tire to the wheel of a vehicle. Tires and wheels are designed so that, when the tire is inflated, the tire pressure pushes the bead of the tire against the inside of the wheel rim so that the tire stays on the wheel and the two rotate together. In situations where tire pressure is insufficient to hold the bead of the tire in place, a beadlock is needed.


There are several styles of beadlocks. For 4-wheel drive vehicles, a ring with a number of bolts around the circumference is used to clamp the tire to the wheel. For motorcycles, a rim lock or bead stopper is a curved plate tightened by a single bolt. For both 4-wheel drive vehicles and motorcycles, a different style of beadlock can be used that is similar to an inner tube which is inflated to press the tire against the wheel. source Wikipedia






Why should I get some...
why would someone intentionally lower the air pressure in their tires to the point where it could dangerously separate from the wheel? Off-road, tire deflation is often done in order to create a wider footprint for the tire itself. Releasing air causes more sidewall sag, which in turn widens the contact patch on the tire tread. This can be useful when crossing sandy areas, muddy passages or when attempting to better spread out the weight of a vehicle over soggy or uncertain ground.


Down to the nitty gritty.


There are so many brands, types, colors, and styles of deadlocks out there it makes it very difficult to decide. So I'll toss it out here, hopefully some of you who have intimate experience with them on your own vehicles can share something about them.


What I don't care about: I don't care if they are DOT legal.


What I do care about:
1) Weight, lighter is better
2) Size, must be 17 inch


Weight, and strenght are the real keys to a good beadlock. Weight being the very most important piece of the equasion, the lighter the wheel and tire combo you have the easier it will be on components therefore reducing the risk of breakage. Weight is also attributed to another important factor, power. The heavier your wheels and tires are, the less power you put to the ground. For you us veterans, we can use the old military formual of SWaP-C which stands for Size, Weight, Power, and Cost. In short we all want the most bang for our buck.


What I've found so far are the following options:


Hutchinson Beadlocks - these are DOT approved so one could use them on a DD, the problem I see is the weight. Generally the 5 I weighed all came in at around 55lbs.


B.A.D. Wheels - another DOT approved beadlock wheel, still pretty heavy at around 52lbs


TrailReady wheels - great looking, highly reviewed, beadlock wheel. These are not DOT approved


Walker Evans Wheels - another good looking well respected wheel. Not DOT approved, unknown weight at this time. Waiting to hear back from the manufacturer on some real specs...


Raceline Beadlocks - very expensive, unknown DOT approval, unknown weight


Method Race Wheels - great looking, very lightweight at 27lbs, not DOT approved


AEV Pintler Beadlock - not sure what the status is on these, I do have a call into AEV regarding them. Previously available but seems they may no longer be making them, and DOT apprioval "was pending"...


So thats what I've found, seen, heard, and know. Let me know what you think, and what your experience has been with beadlocks.


In the meantime I plan to gather some scientific data on the above mentioned wheels regarding alloy types, manufacturing methods, weight, and such. Stay tuned!

David
Warrior Jeep Team

 

Dont forget the ATX slabs, they are not DOT approved but that isnt stopping people.

If DOT approval isnt a huge deal, you can always pay $400 for a set of steelies and $300 for weld on beadlock rings!

 

I went with the Staun/Coyote Enterprises internal pneumatic beadlocks... Locks both beads, install is pretty straight forward, and works as a run-flat just in case.

 

Had these on my rock crawler CJ and loved them.

 

Have you considered the ATX Chamber Pro II? They're 34lbs and come in either machined or coated (black).

If you shop around they can be found for around $340 ea. I've never run them, but they seem pretty sweet.

 

Oh, and I forgot to mention that they're not DOT approved.

 

I have Spyderlock wheels they are 45 pounds each and not DOT certified. They are buy 4 get one free this month.

Currently, Hutchinson/Rock Monster (also sold through AEV and High Impact, among others) and Center Line are the two highest-profile companies to DOT-certify beadlocks.

From: Truck Wheel Tech Information - 4-Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

 

I know this is a popular rim, but I was under the impression these won't bolt on to a stock JK. I just checked their site and I didn't see them available for the jk bolt pattern. I am hopefully wrong lol.

 

what makes you think you need beadlocks?
have you ever had a tire unseat itself while off roading?
beadlocks don't balance very well. I've had many... I did manage to still roll the inner bead off with them.
I think there is a lot of "you have to run beadlocks" and maybe 17" wheels don't have that great of a safety bead. Good wheel selection should get you around that.
Now I just run wheels and reseat the tire if the bead pops. it's a lot less hassle than the beadlocks were, and with my current wheels I run 9 PSI and have never popped a bead.
now, if this is a trailered rig.. I'd go beadlocks.

 

Luckily you are Slabs definitely come in the JK pattern

Edit: so do steelies if you were referring to them