cbvet
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Someone please show and/or explain "beadlock" wheels.
Thanks,
Eric
CBVET
Thanks,
Eric
CBVET
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Beadlocks?
- Thread starter cbvet
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Beadlocks are designed for offroad use. When die-hard offroaders want more traction, over loose dirt or sand, they air down the tires. Spreads the tread out more, and the tires "grab" more of the surface. Problem is, the more you air down the tires, the more the tires don't wanna stay seated on the rim. Hence, someone came up with the idea of beadlocks. The bead is "locked" by bolting the tire bead between two pieces of metal, so it can't slip, instead of the air pressure just holding against the sidewall by friction as in a normal tire/wheel combo. So, you can air down the tire all the way down to a couple psi and you have no problem with the tire staying on the wheel.
rmgill
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Beadlocks can also be a kind of insert that's added inside the tire that goes inside of the beads and when you use a divided disk type rim, the beads are clamped.
Some also work as run flat inserts.
Some also work as run flat inserts.
cbvet
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Beadlocks
Okay, so would the wheels on my M813A1 have beadlocks?
How low could I safely run the 1400R20 Michelins for maximum traction on snow/ice?
Eric
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Okay, so would the wheels on my M813A1 have beadlocks?
How low could I safely run the 1400R20 Michelins for maximum traction on snow/ice?
Eric
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sermis
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Here is a combat rim and beadlock. The black part goes between the tire beads to told them to the rim whin aired down to keep the bead sealed to the wheel.
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sermis
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I think the rim you posted up is the same as in my pic. Some tires have them and some don't. Only way to know is to disassemble. Unless you are airing down you really dont need a bead lock insert.
M1075
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Re: Beadlocks
I run 0 psi on my jeep for maximum traction off road. See my "wheel chock" in front of the jeep? That is what is left of a tire after running it at 0 psi on a deuce to get home. There is no tire left, but the beadlock is still in place!
Beadlocks are awesome.
Yes, you should have beadlocks in those rims. The -10 for the M939 series indicates 25 psi for mud, sand and snow; and 12 psi for emergency.cbvet said:
I run 0 psi on my jeep for maximum traction off road. See my "wheel chock" in front of the jeep? That is what is left of a tire after running it at 0 psi on a deuce to get home. There is no tire left, but the beadlock is still in place!
Beadlocks are awesome.
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RE: Re: Beadlocks
Beadlocks are especially fun to wrestle out of a tire on a 40 degree day.
Beadlocks are especially fun to wrestle out of a tire on a 40 degree day.
M1075
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RE: Re: Beadlocks
Yes, or wrestle in. Beadlock inserts + cold weather = no fun and little progress
Yes, or wrestle in. Beadlock inserts + cold weather = no fun and little progress
tsmall07
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Most after market bead locks that people get for 4 wheeling only lock the bead on the outside of the rim. This is where the greatest risk is to roll the tire off the bead. The insert ones listed above lock both beads of the tire.
tsmall07
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It depends on where you live. Its a cloudy subject around here. Some friends have gotten tickets for them, but all have been thrown out. If you have internal bead locks there is no way for anyone to know.
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Any 2-piece rim I have owned has had a DOT: Military Use stamp on it anyways, which means they are technically not DOT certified for civilian use. The whole truck was sold to a civilian though and it doesn't have 5 MPH bumpers or a padded dash or air-bags or whatever, so it's all a little gray.
cbvet
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Thanks very much guys. The picture from Sermis was what I needed to understand what they are.
I'm kinda hoping for a couple feet of snow so I can let some air out & play.
Eric
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I'm kinda hoping for a couple feet of snow so I can let some air out & play.
Eric
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dma251
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Better verify they are actually in there before you let too much air out! When I put my 5-ton combat wheels together I gave up the struggle to get those inflexible beasts inside the tires and just left them out. Besides - they work GREAT for setting a wheel on when mounting up the tires!
My experience with actually off-roading these trucks is that they have such poor lateral axle articulation that they end up poping the torque-rod bushing out long before you will get the tire angled enough to pop the bead and any reasonable air pressure. They flex great up and down, but not so well at all with side-to-side.
I would bet that the majority of trucks out there on combat wheels don't have the beadlock inserts in them.
My experience with actually off-roading these trucks is that they have such poor lateral axle articulation that they end up poping the torque-rod bushing out long before you will get the tire angled enough to pop the bead and any reasonable air pressure. They flex great up and down, but not so well at all with side-to-side.
I would bet that the majority of trucks out there on combat wheels don't have the beadlock inserts in them.
cbvet
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So just in case I don't have the beadlocks, how low can I safely go?
I'm not talking about rock climbing, just running through fields & down country roads.
Eric
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I'm not talking about rock climbing, just running through fields & down country roads.
Eric
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dma251
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It really depends on the speed you are travelling at. I've seen enough pics of these tires with the sidewalls disintegrated to not run these too low too fast. I'd say you should be running them with at least 50 lbs. UNLESS you need to go lower. Thatway when you do get on the highway you're not stuck with 6 tires that have 25 lbs. in them, and then they come apart.
The problem is heat. The sidewalls have to flex so fast at lower airpressures that friction causes them to get hot and weaken until they come apart.
Juwst run them at 50-60 until you NEED to go lower, then drop them down and take it slow.
That's my advice.
The problem is heat. The sidewalls have to flex so fast at lower airpressures that friction causes them to get hot and weaken until they come apart.
Juwst run them at 50-60 until you NEED to go lower, then drop them down and take it slow.
That's my advice.
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Also, keep in mind the age of your tires. There haven't been any new 14R20 XL's in a good while. I think my tires on the 923A2 ranged in age from 8-10 years old. There are some tires even older than that coming out on surplus trucks. What looks like a little weather checking on an fully inflated tire can turn into a sidewall disintegrating in a low pressure flexing tire.