What are Beadlock Wheels?
Anatomy and pros and cons of Beadlock wheels.
Beadlock wheels are something were betting you've heard of before or at least seen, but what exactly do they do? We know beadlock wheels look cool, and all the cool kids have them, but still, questions loom: Do you need beadlocked wheels? Are they safe? What are their pros and cons?
Well luckily, you have us, and we know, and were here to share. The fact is beadlock wheels do exactly what their name says: They lock the tire's bead (the part that's designed to be on the rim of the wheel) to the wheel. This allows the end user to drop air pressure to a very low level, which increases the size of your tires contact patch, which in turn increases traction, flotation, and more. With factory wheels you can drop down to about 12-16 psi (depending on the weight of your rig) without worrying about the bead of the tire popping off the wheel. Anything below that and you're asking for trouble unless you have beadlocks.
We've played with a number of different kinds of beadlocks in lots of different environments, mounting tires on them, using them, abusing them, dismounting them, and so on. Follow along as we go over the parts that make beadlocks beadlocks, what makes them wheels, and how to install tires on them, along with some tips and tricks on how to save time and prevent damage to your new fancy wheels and your rig.
