Beadlocks

[Scratch]

I went out to the shop to get the DXF for these beadlocks, and couldn't find them. I only have the TAP files for them, which is really all I need for my PCNC table anyways, but I told you I'd let you have them so I redrew them in Corel (V11) and saved them in a DXF format. These are for 15" wheels, if you want to do other sizes, grab a tape measure cuz I aint gonna re draw all my sizes.

15_beadlock_inner_outer.dxf

I take a 1/2" strip of 3/16" steel, about 45" long I think, and roll it into a ring, where it gets welded to the inner ring. This is an "anti-coning ring" and is not needed, but I put them on all my beadlocks. I roll them with a homemade ring roller. Pretty quick and easy peezy.








I also cut the 24 holes smaller than needed, then drill them out to 3/8" on my drill press. We all know how plasma CNC makes perfect holes right....

The inner ring is the one that is just a titch smaller (titch is a word, right...) that one gets welded to the steel wheel. No steel needs to be removed from the wheel, just the paint, chrome or powder coat where the welding will take place.

Set it in place and center it with your fingers.

Weld it in.



The larger one needs to have some grinding done to it. Grind the outer edge with a nice radius where it will contact the tire. You don't want this thing to cut the bead off... just pinch it.

Get some tire lube at your local fleet farm and wrestle the tire over the wheel... Eat your Wheaties before hand and have fun... this part sucks.

Oh yeah, the next part aint fun either. Bolting 96 bolts together with locknuts in a criss cross pattern... grab a bucket... you're gonna be here a while. (I used 3 extra long bolts to pinch the bead down to where I could use the shorter ones.

Here's a shot of them on my Jeep... They "are" painted gold to match the Jeep, but are covered in some gooey black stuff in this pic...

[parrotlady]

Thanks Scratch, you are super duper swell... Hopefully you didnt freeze your ahem.. going out to the shop

Is that you in the jeep?

[Scratch]

yep, that's me. It's from this summer.

[parrotlady]

Yeah, I could see that.. Funny how sometimes you envision people to look totally different. I think everyone makes a subconscience visual impression of people they have never met but talked to online or on the phone. I think everyone should post a picture of themself just once so we can "see" who we are talking to. Me, I look just like Cindy Crawford

Back to the beadlocks; when you cut them out for people, they usually do the "installation" themselves dont they? Do you paint or powdercoat them or let the customer do that usually?

Thanks

April

[Scratch]

Yes Mrs. Crawford, the kit I sell is a "DIY" kit. They are considered a "Weld On Beadlock Kit" that they install. Hopefully they know how to weld, otherwise, there's always bubble gum...

[Dustan]

thanks a bunch scratch I cant wait to wrestle my wrangler MTR's over that ring its gonna be sooooooooo worth it they look awesome on your jeep

[azfabshop]

Heres a couple other styes.They are for 15" rims too.

[Dustan]

awesome thanks alot azfabshop

[Loyd]

Scratch,
Beautiful welds. Looks like you are driving around on my property. Was that you I heard?
Loyd

[Scratch]

Sorry Loyd, yeah that was me... I thought I was being quiet.... I'll come get next time I come out.

Thanks for the other styles AZfabshop... those are great!

[azfabshop]

Thanks! This ones for a 16.5 wheel but I haven't cut it yet so double check before commiting to it!

[elkriverfab]

Scratch,

I have a question for you regarding beadlocks.

I have noticed wheels with dual (inner rim and outer rim locks).

Would it make sense to have two sets per wheel. Wouldn't the bead come off on the inside if the outside was locked.

Just wondering, I don't have a lot of experience with beadlocks as you can see.

I was just looking at your post with the bead lock file and it just got me wondering.

What advantage if any would you gain from dual locks?

Thanks.

[Scratch]

Yes... dual beadlocks are the ultimate, but not usually neccesary. Alot of times the wieght is on the outside of the wheel anyways so it's the outer bead that pops off, not the inner. I've popped off my share of outer beads in my wheeling days, but never an inside bead. In fact, I've never even seen an inside bead popped off.

Not to say it can't happen, it certainly can, it's just not that common.

Putting a bead clamping style lock on both sides would make it extremely hard to actually get the tire mounted on the rim. So much so that the benefits are just not worth it.

They do make an inner and outer style beadlock that is like a big tough inflateable donut that goes on the wheel before the tire gets mounted on, then when you mount the tire, you inflate that inner donut, and it pushes the bead outwards against the steel or aluminum wheel, pinching the tire to the wheel from the inside on both sides. They are made by Staun and are pretty awesome but are pretty spendy too.

[elkriverfab]

Scratch,

I have a few questions for you.

What thickness of steel do you cut your beadlocks from?

The other question I have is...... When the ring is welded into the rim how does the lock ring clear the welds when bolting on?

It looks as if the lock ring would touch the welds on the welded in piece, making it ride the welds and be off center or unsquare once bolted on.

Again, I am no expert and want to cut a set for my Toyota.

I am sure this is not the case but I was just wanting to ask you so I can get educated on this

By looking at your pictures of the two pieces it just looks like the bolt on piece would touch the welds on the ring you rolled and welded in.

Also, after searching the web a little I noticed most weld on kits don't have the rolled ring like yours do.

Is this to stiffen the wheel or to keep the kit centered and tight?

Thanks Scratch, I just want to make sure I do this correctly and not assume anything on the project.

Thanks again......

[greenweanie]

Here is a few I did a while back for a friend>

BEADLOCKstar.dxf

[greenweanie]

BEADLOCK1.dxf

[greenweanie]

BEADLOCK2.dxf

[greenweanie]

BEADLOCK3.dxf

[Scratch]

OK.... I'm a little confused by some of the questions but I'll try to help. Maybe if we put some names to the parts....

My beadlocks for one wheel is made up of 5 parts:
1. the inner ring (1)
2. the outer ring (1)
3. the Anti-Coning ring (1)
4 . 3/8"X1-1/2" bolt (24)
5. 3/8" nut (24)

The "inner ring"- which is 1/4" steel, and is welded to the outer edge of the stock steel wheel. If you look at a steel wheel, there is a lip that this "inner ring" will fit in. The inner ring is about 1/2" less in diameter than the steel wheel. The steel wheel gets the paint or PC ground off in just this area so you can get a good weld. The inner ring gets set into this lip, centered by fingers, then welded into place.

The "outer ring" is the exact same inner diameter as the inner ring. In fact it is exactly like the inner ring (bolt holes and all) except it is about 1/2" larger in diameter or so. This has no welding done to it at any time. This gets bolted to the inner ring, after the tire gets put onto the newly welded wheel/inner ring combo.
Since this outer ring contacts the tire bead and pinches it down so much, it's a good idea to grind a nice soft radius on the outer edge, of this outer ring, where it touches the rubber of the tire. That way it won't act like a knife into the rubber.

The "anti coning ring" is not needed and yes, most places don't have them on their beadlocks. I do. Think about how the two rings get bolted together if you didn?t have this anti coning ring.... you weld on the inner ring to the wheel, then put the tire on the wheel. Then put the outer ring on and sandwich the two rings together with the 24 bolts. What happens if some of the bolts don't get tightened down all the way, The tire would be squeezed tight on that side, and pretty loose on the other. Since it?s just rubber we?re squeezing, you could be chasing down loose bolts all day! But if you had some sort of spacer in there, like say ?? or so? you could tighten the bolts until you hit the spacer then stop. That way you know there?s enough pressure on the tire bead to hold air and keep it from coming off the wheel when running suck low air pressures. That?s what the anti-coning ring is for, so you don?t tighten them down so much that the outer ring would ?cone in ? on itself like a funnel shape from all the stress.
It does another good thing too? it keeps all the mud out from in between the two rings where the bolts are. Another good thing.

It is made from 3/16" thick steel, 1/2" wide and about 40" long, I roll these on a slip roller to about 12" in diameter, then weld them as I position them to the inner ring.
I just do a nice tack weld, in between the bolt holes. I skip two spaces, then do a weld, skip two spaces then do a weld?. Etc? using a vice grip to hold it tight to the inner ring as I go, then I cut the anti coning ring to size, and weld and grind the seam.

Keep in mind, I weld the anti coning ring to the inner ring, before I weld it to the wheel.

Hope this helps, any other questions let me know.

[elkriverfab]

Scratch,

You answered my questions........

I was confused about the anti coning ring.

Most I see are made from rubber or belts fitted in between the locks.

You design is so much cleaner and if I am not mistaken, yours will tighten to this point (Anti coning ring) and stop.

Yours does not have you guessing about various tire bead sizes (different manufacturers) and trying to fit a belt or some sort of gasket in between the plates.

Yours seems to be a straight forward install.

Sorry if I left you confused with my question, at first I thought your outer ring fit over the inner ring (flush) and was wondering how with the weld bead (my mistake).

I now see it is the anti cone ring and acts like a spacer for the outer ring.

Thank you for clarifying that for me.

[Scratch]

You got it buddy.