Beadlocks are a PITA

[mrblaine]

This !! Plus many bead locks are illegal for road use. One of those laws rarely enforced and very inconsistent from state to state to province.

But definitely not for a street setup. Sort of like running nitro in a street racer.

What law is violated where they are supposedly illegal? Reason I ask is I have known of a few folks who have offered a bounty payable to anyone who can show the particular statute or law that makes them illegal for highway use and it's never been claimed.

Don't even try that they don't comply with DOT standards because if that were the case, 99% of the rigs on here are illegal to drive on the highway.

As to the rest, what makes them not for use on the street or as bad as running nitro in a street racer? Specifically?

And, have you ever owned and run a set on a TJ?

 

[billiebob]

In Canada the wording is like wheels must be one piece, modular wheels are not allowed.

I'm going to try find the regulation but I hate googling this shit.

 

[Starrs]

Wouldn’t want to change out those 37s or pay to have it done either. Yikes haha

 

[mrblaine]

In Canada the wording is like wheels must be one piece, modular wheels are not allowed.

I'm going to try find the regulation but I hate googling this shit.

You didn't answer as to why they suck on the highway yet or if you have ever run them on a TJ????

If the wording is indeed a 1 piece wheel, they have limited you northern folks to only running forged or cast aluminum wheels since all steel wheels are two piece.

 

[billiebob]

all steel wheels are two piece

Not once they are welded.

 

[mrblaine]

Not once they are welded.

A semantical distinction that will need to be clarified by the wording in the statute that makes bead locks illegal, eh?

Speaking of clarification, you have still not answered why bead locks are terrible for highway use or whether or not you have ever owned any on a TJ?? It is starting to appear as if you are parroting answers with no actual knowledge of the subject.

 

[toximus]

There is a method for removing tires from the rim by breaking the tire with a floor jack. Basically you tie the tire down to the floor jack using a ratchet strap and then push up near the bead of the tire using the floor jack.

I've got to take one off later today and will try to remember to take a picture to show how.

 

[alittleoff]

I've used the High-Lift and soapy water with good results. In fact I'm gonna call Tri-County Gear to get another set of Allied Bead Locks. Also, before I retired from being a heavy eq. operator, we worked with some of the local CHP and County Sheriffs. When I asked about bead locks, they said that there is no DOT laws against them that they worry about. The manufactures put "Off-Road Only" to cover their ass. But the LEO's all agree, don't be a dick and you won't be on our radar. Good enough for me.

Steve

 

[sgtjdgelinas]

I couldn't find anything on Brad locks being illegal for road use. I did find a SAE standard for testing aftermarket rims, I couldn't read it but apparently they don't outline anyway to test Bead lock rims, except H1 style, because of the separate pieces. So that may keep them from being DOT approved. Not the same as illegal.
And in my experience they are a PITA and don't ride well at highway speeds. Disclaimer; all my experience with bead locks was in the military, in Iraq.

 

[toximus]

For the record, the floor jack method and the hilift method did not work for me. The bead kept reseating. Maybe if I had a few hours per tire I could rotate my way around them.

The hilift jack is officially useless in my book after having not used it since I got a winch. It will be going on Craigslist to help fund a Tyre-Plier.

 

[billiebob]

why bead locks are terrible for highway use

Beadlocks were not the target but they get lumped in with other modular wheels which used to be common like Daytons, which unless regularly maintained, inspected have a habit of falling apart. They take a special knowledge, sort of like beadlocks.

Reading thru the OP it is obvious the skill level is pretty low amongst first time beadlock owners too.

A beadlock on the street does nothing to increase performance. Beadlocks are only needed to keep the bead seated when running extremely low pressures... On the street all they do is increase unsprung weight... I know you understand that concept.

It is starting to appear as if you are parroting answers with no actual knowledge of the subject.

call the kettle black... looks like you just enjoy arguing.

 

[mrblaine]

Beadlocks were not the target but they get lumped in with other modular wheels which used to be common like Daytons, which unless regularly maintained, inspected have a habit of falling apart. They take a special knowledge, sort of like beadlocks.

View attachment 40770

Reading thru the OP it is obvious the skill level is pretty low amongst first time beadlock owners too.

So, just a Canada thing and not a US thing then? And only applicable to bead locks by the most broad of definitions even though anyone with a smidgen of common send understands that one retain the tire and rim assemble and the other only retains the tire.

A beadlock on the street does nothing to increase performance.

Mostly true but along with that, they do nothing to detract from or hamper performance.

Beadlocks are only needed to keep the bead seated when running extremely low pressures...

To the contrary, I only ever went to bead locks to keep the tire from spinning on the rims so I had to drive home on unbalanced tires after wheeling all day.

On the street all they do is increase unsprung weight... I know you understand that concept.

I understand it very well but again, you are speaking from a particular disadvantage since you have no experience with them. If you compare a 15" Weld Forged Bead Lock to a normal cast aluminum rim, it gets pretty easy to see that they can reduce unsprung weight.

call the kettle black... looks like you just enjoy arguing.

I'm arguing because you are full of shit on this subject, that is what constitutes an argument with you?

 

[mrblaine]

I couldn't find anything on Brad locks being illegal for road use. I did find a SAE standard for testing aftermarket rims, I couldn't read it but apparently they don't outline anyway to test Bead lock rims, except H1 style, because of the separate pieces. So that may keep them from being DOT approved. Not the same as illegal.
And in my experience they are a PITA and don't ride well at highway speeds. Disclaimer; all my experience with bead locks was in the military, in Iraq.

The military versions are particularly more painful to put together and take apart due to the sealing o-ring and the center ring which as you know, has to be put in between the two beads for the rim to have something to clamp them against. Civilian versions with the exception of Hutchinson do work the same way and are a lot easier to mess with. Some have been painful but that is typically due to the MFG having their head up their ass.

 

[mrblaine]

For the record, the floor jack method and the hilift method did not work for me. The bead kept reseating. Maybe if I had a few hours per tire I could rotate my way around them.

The hilift jack is officially useless in my book after having not used it since I got a winch. It will be going on Craigslist to help fund a Tyre-Plier.

I have a set of the Tyre Plier. They work well. Takes a bit of getting the hang of it, but they do work. Get a set of their tire spoons as well, you'll be glad you did.

 

[mrblaine]

I've used the High-Lift and soapy water with good results. In fact I'm gonna call Tri-County Gear to get another set of Allied Bead Locks. Also, before I retired from being a heavy eq. operator, we worked with some of the local CHP and County Sheriffs. When I asked about bead locks, they said that there is no DOT laws against them that worry about. The manufactures put "Off-Road Only" to cover their ass. But the LEO's all agree, don't be a dick and you won't be on our radar. Good enough for me.

Steve

Along with that, all of the fake locks out there just confuse the issue further so even if they were inclined to start citing folks, it gets much harder when it looks like something it ain't.

 

[toximus]

I have a set of the Tyre Plier. They work well. Takes a bit of getting the hang of it, but they do work. Get a set of their tire spoons as well, you'll be glad you did.

It seems that the BeadBuster https://beadbuster.com/ is more available and on the surface maybe easier to use. Any experience with that?

 

[mrblaine]

It seems that the BeadBuster https://beadbuster.com/ is more available and on the surface maybe easier to use. Any experience with that?

That doesn't look bad and is certainly easier to use than the pliers. One note of caution, be very careful about setting that perpendicular like they state. If you try to get it clamped too tight, the presser foot will scar the bead area on the rim and that can cause a leak.

 

[balfred]

That doesn't look bad and is certainly easier to use than the pliers. One note of caution, be very careful about setting that perpendicular like they state. If you try to get it clamped too tight, the presser foot will scar the bead area on the rim and that can cause a leak.

Seemed also like depending on the lip of your wheel that it could possibly bend the lip if you got trigger happy with your drill or impact wrench. Do you think that would be a concern?

 

[mrblaine]

Seemed also like depending on the lip of your wheel that it could possibly bend the lip if you got trigger happy with your drill or impact wrench. Do you think that would be a concern?

It wouldn't concern me but I'm fairly mechanically minded and inherently understand how to do a lot of things. I would normally cover that with a blanket, "won't be a problem" but I've seen some stuff done by folks that leave me scratching my head over how or why they thought it was a good idea to do something with little regard for the consequences.

 

[toximus]

That doesn't look bad and is certainly easier to use than the pliers. One note of caution, be very careful about setting that perpendicular like they state. If you try to get it clamped too tight, the presser foot will scar the bead area on the rim and that can cause a leak.

I'll give it a try and grab a few spoons from Tyre-Pliers. Since on a beadlock once the ring is off, the tire kinda flops down, it seems that it'll be much less likely to scratch or scar the rim or tire since there's plenty of room for the foot.