15" Beadlocks Suggestions?

SwagginWagon

SwagginWagon

New Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2018
Messages
4
Location
Burlington, KY
I need to get a set of bead locks for my wheelin rig. I really don't know much about bead locks, where should I get them, what brand should I get? I am not looking to spend $500 per wheel but I need something reliable that will not break in the trails.
 
First is this a dedicated trail rig. Or street legal. Not all beadlocks are street-legal DOT-compliant beadlocks.

That will limit your search a bit.
 
SwagginWagon said:
I also need true bead locks. I have an issue with the seal breaking on my current rims. They are busted to hell and back.
Click to expand...
Fair enough.
I have no knowledge on true beadlocks for a jeep. Just the "mock" beadlocks.
I have used them on Humvees. Not hummers. But nothing with the small 5 x4.5 bolt pattern.
Maybe @Jerry Bransford might know a thing or two.
 
Allied Steel makes a steel beadlock, though its $250/wheel or so.

Have you researched coyote beadlocks? Its an internal beadlock that uses air so you can use your stock wheels.
 
Boinked said:
Not all beadlocks are street-legal DOT-compliant beadlocks.
Click to expand...
Despite some claims in bead lock wheel advertisements, there is no such thing as a DOT-compliant beadlock wheel. The DOT does not have any process for certifying beadlocks aka 2-piece wheels. The DOT has nothing against beadlock wheels, and they don't even have a process for certifying beadlocks as DOT compliant.

In fact, there are currently only two states that actually have a law on the books making them illegal, Utah and New Jersey. The DOT doesn't care one way or the other. Unless a state has an actual law on the books against bead lock wheels, law enforcement doesn't care since they can't issue a citation without having a specific vehicle code to cite against.

This is a copy of the text from a letter by the DOT on the subject...

"Dear Mr. Cxxxxxxxxx,

I received this message from NHTSA this morning:

There are no performance or design requirements for rims covered under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 120. However, there are rim marking requirements in S5.2 and rim selection requirements in S5.3.2. Note that in S5.2, a reference is made to rims of multi-piece construction, and this implies that these multi-piece rims are allowed. The bead lock rim appears to be a multi-piece rim and there is nothing that I’m aware of that would prohibit them from being used for on-road vehicles. I have attached a copy of the standard. It may be that some State DOTs are regulating them.

Hope this helps some

Sincerely,
Reference Services
National Transportation Library
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Research and Innovative Technology Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation"
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jaime313 and Boinked
Are the steel bead locks overly heavy though? The jeep itself is already pretty heavy, not that a little bit of weight would make that huge of a difference but it does still make some.
 
Boinked said:
Fair enough.
I have no knowledge on true beadlocks for a jeep. Just the "mock" beadlocks.
I have used them on Humvees. Not hummers. But nothing with the small 5 x4.5 bolt pattern.
Maybe @Jerry Bransford might know a thing or two.
Click to expand...
There are plenty of beadlock wheels available for the standard 5x4.5" bolt pattern, like this one from Walker Evans. https://walkerevansracing.com/collections/beadlock/products/17x8-5-beadlock-racing-wheels

That's the same wheel I'm happily running though mine is a 15" and its bolt pattern is 5x5.5".
 
SwagginWagon said:
Are the steel bead locks overly heavy though? The jeep itself is already pretty heavy, not that a little bit of weight would make that huge of a difference but it does still make some.
Click to expand...
They're not much heavier than most aluminum wheels which are cast or forged thicker than steel wheels are. But I'm no steel wheel fan, steel bends and dents a lot more easily on rough or rocky trails than aluminum wheels do. I ran steel wheels for a year or so and couldn't keep them straight or the dents pounded out so I went back to aluminum.
 
I’ve had a couple sets of Raceline beadlocks that have performed really well. Lots of friends have had good success with Trailready beads. Heard bad things about Walker Evans from a local shop, but don’t recall what their gripe was with them and I’ve no personal experience with them.
 
Top Bottom
Back