Bead Lock Rims Vs. Standard rims

D

Dwg

New member
Sorry to be stupid about this. I have several related questions I bet you guys can educate me on with answers.

Bead locks...
I like the wide stance look. I also like the "deep wheel" look. Lots of lip.
1. I like the wheels on Rubicat. What wheels are these?
2. That said what are the best bead lock wheels for this in your opinion?
3. Is there a better cost wheel out there that is like what I describe?
4. Are bead locks that beneficial, should I even be thinking this direction?
5. What about the "bead lock" rings I hear you can add to a wheel? Do they work?
6. Is there a better size wheel for wheeling? Better for tire cost?

Told you these were stupid questions. Thanks in advance for your help!!
 
Dwg said:
Sorry to be stupid about this. I have several related questions I bet you guys can educate me on with answers.

Bead locks...
I like the wide stance look. I also like the "deep wheel" look. Lots of lip.
1. I like the wheels on Rubicat. What wheels are these?
2. That said what are the best bead lock wheels for this in your opinion?
3. Is there a better cost wheel out there that is like what I describe?
4. Are bead locks that beneficial, should I even be thinking this direction?
5. What about the "bead lock" rings I hear you can add to a wheel? Do they work?
6. Is there a better size wheel for wheeling? Better for tire cost?

Told you these were stupid questions. Thanks in advance for your help!!
Click to expand...

Bead lock wheels are expensive and I wouldn't bother wasting your money on a set if you're just looking for the "look" of one and don't intend to use them for what they're made for. Bead locks are designed for hard use and will let you run your tires at a very low psi and without rolling a bead as they "clamp" your tire to the wheel. This should NOT be confused with "rock rings" or other decorative ring. If needed, you can run standard 8" wide wheels and still run them at about 10 psi and do just fine and for a lot less money.

That being said, we have ATX Chamber Pro II's on Rubicat. From my experience, they, the Slabs and Spyderloc wheels are what I would recommend and based on how they're designed for strength.
 
wayoflife said:
Bead lock wheels are expensive and I wouldn't bother wasting your money on a set if you're just looking for the "look" of one and don't intend to use them for what they're made for. Bead locks are designed for hard use and will let you run your tires at a very low psi and without rolling a bead as they "clamp" your tire to the wheel. This should NOT be confused with "rock rings" or other decorative ring. If needed, you can run standard 8" wide wheels and still run them at about 10 psi and do just fine and for a lot less money.

That being said, we have ATX Chamber Pro II's on Rubicat. From my experience, they, the Slabs and Spyderloc wheels are what I would recommend and based on how they're designed for strength.
Click to expand...

I didn't know you could go down to 10PSI on non-bead lock rims, how low do you go with bead locks? I would think 10PSI would be low enough to get good traction on a lot of trails?
 
Hot94Z28 said:
I didn't know you could go down to 10PSI on non-bead lock rims, how low do you go with bead locks? I would think 10PSI would be low enough to get good traction on a lot of trails?
Click to expand...

Depends on the terrain you're wheeling. On sand or snow, I wouldn't hesitate to drop down to 10 psi on standard wheels SO LONG AS they are narrow enough to hold the bead. This is why I specifically stated an 8" wide wheel. I would NOT do this with a wider wheel. If you're playing on big rocks where there's a lot of maneuvering is required, going that low might prove to be a problem - it just depends.
 
If you like the look of a beadlock and don't have a need for one there's some companies who offer simulated beadlocks.
Walker Evans makes a "street lock" wheel that's the same looking as the beadlock but ~$250-$300 cheaper.
 
wayoflife said:
Depends on the terrain you're wheeling. On sand or snow, I wouldn't hesitate to drop down to 10 psi on standard wheels SO LONG AS they are narrow enough to hold the bead. This is why I specifically stated an 8" wide wheel. I would NOT do this with a wider wheel. If you're playing on big rocks where there's a lot of maneuvering is required, going that low might prove to be a problem - it just depends.
Click to expand...

Good to know thank you.
 
Is anyone here running the mopar bead locks? either as a true beadlock or with the optional trim rings?
 
wayoflife said:
Bead lock wheels are expensive and I wouldn't bother wasting your money on a set if you're just looking for the "look" of one and don't intend to use them for what they're made for. Bead locks are designed for hard use and will let you run your tires at a very low psi and without rolling a bead as they "clamp" your tire to the wheel. This should NOT be confused with "rock rings" or other decorative ring. If needed, you can run standard 8" wide wheels and still run them at about 10 psi and do just fine and for a lot less money.

That being said, we have ATX Chamber Pro II's on Rubicat. From my experience, they, the Slabs and Spyderloc wheels are what I would recommend and based on how they're designed for strength.
Click to expand...

I think I want real beadlocks. My CJ was out of balance a lot after wheeling. The tires must have spun on the rims. Do you agree? I live in Colorado now so the problem seems worse as it it more rocky here.

I care less about the wheels look then the stance. Is there anything done to Rubicat to get that wide stance? If I put on ATX wheels like yours and spacers will I get that wide stance?
 
Dwg said:
I think I want real beadlocks. My CJ was out of balance a lot after wheeling. The tires must have spun on the rims. Do you agree? I live in Colorado now so the problem seems worse as it it more rocky here.

I care less about the wheels look then the stance. Is there anything done to Rubicat to get that wide stance? If I put on ATX wheels like yours and spacers will I get that wide stance?
Click to expand...

If you want a wide stance, you will want wheels that have less back spacing. ATX Slabs come with 3.5" of back spacing and that's about as good as it gets. The Chamber Pro II's like what Rubicat was running has about 4" of back spacing and if anything, they will be pulled in under the fenders more. The reason why Rubicat looks so wide now is because we're running a ProRock 60 rear axle and it is a full width axle. We are also running ATX Slabs again with wheel adapters up front to allow us to run a matching set of wheels that have a 5x5.5 bolt pattern and to help even up the width to match the rear. ALSO, at the moment, we are running 40x15.50 Mud Grapplers.
 
wayoflife said:
Yes, there are a few people who are and they look great.
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Thanks Eddie. I'm looking at a set for my JK but am having trouble finding anyone's experience with them on the forum. I was starting to think there might be something wrong with them!
 
2nd.gunman said:
Is anyone here running the mopar bead locks? either as a true beadlock or with the optional trim rings?
Click to expand...

Those wheels are absolutely beautiful. I've heard that they are very hard to get though, and when I inquired at my local dealer, thry confirmed they are backordered.
 
wayoflife said:
If you want a wide stance, you will want wheels that have less back spacing. ATX Slabs come with 3.5" of back spacing and that's about as good as it gets. The Chamber Pro II's like what Rubicat was running has about 4" of back spacing and if anything, they will be pulled in under the fenders more. The reason why Rubicat looks so wide now is because we're running a ProRock 60 rear axle and it is a full width axle. We are also running ATX Slabs again with wheel adapters up front to allow us to run a matching set of wheels that have a 5x5.5 bolt pattern and to help even up the width to match the rear. ALSO, at the moment, we are running 40x15.50 Mud Grapplers.
Click to expand...

She does look sexy with that setup!
 
So no problems with running the spacers? I see most are 1.5". Might be a cheap way to help get that wide stance I like.
 
Another consideration if you want your rig to be street legal is check with your state reg's concerning beadlocks...most beadlocks are not DOT compliant, and some states do not allow any beadlocks on regular roadways.

I personally prefer beadlocks...not for looks, but to get your tires at the correct pressure for the terrain. This is dependent on rig weight and sidewall flex...for me, 6-8 psi works for my rig in the sand, and 12 psi works for general trails. When you start airing down into single digits, losing a bead is more common on non beadlock wheels...which is not the end of the world, just jack it up and put air back in...
 
Here's what my cj looked like when i had the simulated bead locks on it. I have since went with a set of weld on bead locks simply because they are cost effective and my rig sees 99% trail to 1% road use so balancing isnt a concern for me.





I have swapped out the factory axles for dana 44's from a scout to gain some strength and track width
 
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