Are bead locks overkill on a loaded 80?

[Uncle Grumpy]

I mountain biked the White Rim Trail and I remember descending Hogback thinking about how gnarly that would be in a truck. I can see bead locks coming in handy on low pressure descents. Are bead locks overkill on a loaded 80?

 

[Wile E Coyote]

If you wheel with tire pressures low enough to risk losing a bead, then no overkill. If your tires never get below even 20psi, then it's overkill. On sharp turns, that downhill side tire sure deflects a lot even at 16-18 psi. If you've never peeled a bead, then there's another way to answer your question.
Furthermore, since you asked this in the expo section, I'll add that the additional complexity of maintaining and/or repairing BL wheels should be factored in.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Yes...