husky410ohio Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 I have an extra set of wheels I want to make into beadlocks by welding a ring to the lip of the wheels. I saw a picture of this in a magazine but I was wondering if anybody here had done this. I can order the rings but We have 1/4" scrap plate in the shop and can burn them out and drill the holes and weld the ring on the wheels. I have a drawing and dimensions on my website of what I think it should be. You can make the image bigger by right clicking it and pick view image. I am not sure if the bolt circle diameter is correct. They are the original Jeep 15 inch wheels. http://hometown.aol.com/husky410ohio/my ... /auto.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 To be honets with you welding on your own beadlocks looks fairly simple, but it really isnt. You have to set the runout on them, which is basically makeing sure it is true to the whell center itself. It is alot harder, then it looks. It is amost cheaper to buy a set of bead locks then it is to make your own, unlesss you have all the proper equipment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimore11 Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 If you want to diy beadlocks check these out. http://www.inchwormgear.com/store/produ ... ucts_id=56 They are talked about on pirate4x4.com http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthre ... +beadlocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 The thing with DIY beadlocks... is IMHO you are not saving any money, when you can buy ones that are all ready made up for about 130 a rim. Lets do some math Figure black steelies are 45 bucks a pieceso thats 180.. DIY BL kit is another 200. So now you are in the rims for 380. By the time you buy a couple of flap discs lets say you are good with your welding skills and only have to grind paint and only use 2 discs at 5 bucks a piece so now you are at 390. Figure you need to replace you wire for your welder.. anothe 14 bucks, and fill your CO2 tank... 12 bucks so now you are at 416. Lets factor in your time at what you make an hour for me thats 21.19 an hour. It is going to take at least 30 minutes a rim if you are good, and since we aren't we will figure 45 minutes a rim. for a total of 3 hrs. Now you are at you might as well say 500 bucks. when you could have bought a set for 520... Hmm it doesnt seem logical to put forth that kinda effort when alL I have to do is pick up the phone :nuts: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jage Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 Don't forget you have to take the lip of the old rim off. IMHO I'm with pingpong, buy 'em or don't bother. If you're driviing at speed you could be risking your life on some info you got off a board. Certainly don't risk your life over anything I say... (can you say disclaimer?) I don't think the screws will work either. The first thing you have to ask yourself is "Do I really need beadlocks?" Keep in mind that they're aren't any DOT approved beadlocks. The second question is why do you need beadlocks? Beadlocks are mostly used for racing applications where you're twisting the rim inside the wheel because of high horsepower applied to pavement. I doubt your truck is that powerful... I don't see a blower or anything :D The sideways screws could work for this, btw. Otherwise you want them for low pressure. For snow or something running almost zero pressure I think the screws would work, if you put them in radially outward along the rim. Simply to keep the bead on. The sideways (parallel to the axle) screws would just get ripped out of the bead with a lot of sidewall force. For me, I was running a setup that was pulling the sidewall away from the rim under 19psi and stick shards and mud were getting caught in the bead. A pita to clean and the tires slowly leaked around the stuff. In this case the screws aren't going to help in either application, because neither protects the bead from opening. An even cheaper option for me would have been to buy 7" rims instead of 8" beadlocks, would have had the same effect. Or buying larger tires... really depends on your motivation. The only other reason that comes to mind is looks, and that's what they make all the look-a-like fake beadlock rims for. If that's what you're going for... well at least you're street legal that way. But other than that- crap rims and scrap metal, a shop and time to kill - go ahead. I'd make one and see how it turns out. I'd be really leery about driviing it at speed though. Again, you could wreck or die from a blowout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 There are DOT approved beadlocks out there, but they are the "internal" variety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stumpy Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 Staun makes street legal ones i thought? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 The screw lock system actually works... I'm not for it, because it kidna f's the tires. But it does work. Oh, you don't have to take the old lip off the rim. There's a shop here that does weld on ones without. They work. And you can still mount the tire the normal way. I dunno where Pat can find cheap beadlocks... I can't. Well, once you figure in shipping. I can get a set welded onto my wheels for $600 though. If I was to do it, I'd cut out some plate into 1/4 of each ring (to save plate), then weld them together on a flat surface. Then I'd centre the ring on the rim hillbilly style, and weld away. But then I'd be running two sets of tires though, because I know they'ed be scary as hell. Oh, and blowouts aren't that bad. It's when they happen when thigns are already bad that they kill you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 Staun's internal locks are probably street legal. So are hummer locks, sorta.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jage Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 Oh, and blowouts aren't that bad. It's when they happen when thigns are already bad that they kill you. Using "it's not the fall that kills you it's the sudden stop" logic to justify jumping off a building doesn't make it smart! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 Cheaper than beadlocks: I bought a used co2 tank and a non-adjustible 100psi regulator. Has no troubles seating a bead. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feerocknok Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 My only concern would be the warping of the metals under high heat, but taking one's time would cure any fear of this. For me, it's worth taking the time to do it, and I don't factor time into the price of anything automotive related unless it's needed to get on the road. I, personally, like working on things, and would rather not spend the money because I'm frugal. Do what you'd like, and if it doesn't work, do something else. You're probably not gonna die unless you're real careless with things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 There are several aftermarket beadlocks that are strret legal. They are all over 200 bucks a piece. Staun makes the inner tube style, and they work great. H1 bead locks are as cheap as ppl think. I have a set in the garage, that I still need to buy centers for. Thats another 200 bucks for centers. Then 100 bucks to the guy that does them in the club. But I will then have a set of double beadlocks for 500 :D BTW you guys can all hate me.. I bought a 6 15x10 5x5.5 bead locks for 300 :brows: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooter Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 Stauns are legal, and about $160/set. I tested a set before they were sold here. Clicky for thread I have been running weldons since '02 on my DD with absolutely no issues at all. The main reason I run them is because I found my tires slipping on the beads when I would climb sheer rock faces. If the Jeep pitched a tire off the rim in this situation, I would have ended up with an end over end rollover. (Not something I look forward to) As for price, I have done several sets for myself and others, and the cost is $250 or less total. You already have the wheels, so there is no extra cost there, and cheap steelies can be found for $50 or less for a set if you are running aluminum wheels. I say do it- the people telling you not to don't appear to have actually run DIY beadlocks. As for a CO2 tank, tell that to the guys who have run The Cliffs without beadlocks (Including the Ultimate Adventure)- there is no way to reseat a bead when you have 10lbs of mud in it. There were 4 lost beads on trail #12 alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 I carry a refillable water fire extinguisher for times like that. All I need is a source of water and a source of air and I have a high pressure water cannon. :D Also works wonders on the lights and windows if I have to drive on the streets between the mud and my campsite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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