Beadlock info / debate

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pillguy said:
I guess I would focus on trails like TC and my favorite modest mud holes to have some fun. A bit of rock crawling is OK, but I think I would leave it to some of the buggy trucks and HC trail trucks.
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I bet I speak for most of us that are really serious crawlers (wouldn't quite call us hardcore guys, but maybe close) when I say that we all started out doing basic trail rides and some muddin when we were newer and just progressed and evolved into rock gurus. As with that progression comes many equipment upgrades as you realize the necessity and desire for more control and more capability.

pillguy said:
For me to leap to that level would be too much of an investment in my truck.
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I would agree, definitely not something you need on your rig at its stage. Also, like Ted stated, your truck probably wouldn't benefit much from the softer ride anyway. If you ever get to the point that you start cutting off stuff that's gotten dented up or is hindering your capabilities on the trail and begin seriously trying to protect what's left, THEN you might be getting close to the point you'll start considering beadlocks. I've been wheeling for almost 20 years now and I've only owned beadlocks for the last year.

pillguy said:
For now, I will need to determine the ideal tire pressure for my truck. I have been running about 16 psi, but wonder if I should go a bit lower.
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I'd say 16psi is WAY higher than you need - in almost any combination of terrain and weather. I'm sure you could easily get away with 12 with no issues. I ran 12 on my 15x10's with 35" BFG AT's at Tellico and numerous other places and never lost a bead. Worst I ever got was some tree bark and dirt in between the rim and tire that had to eventually get cleaned out. Ted said he ran 6-8 in his non-beadlocked rims; it's not til you get that low that you really need to worry about anything. Even then though, reseating a bead on the trail isn't a very difficult thing to do other than cleaning out any debris that got picked up during the unseating.
 
I don't go lower than 14 in a GX, 80, 100, etc. due to the weight. What you do in your light weight lil trucks is up to you :)
 
air pressure

Probably to low.
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Wellll Usually I am videotaping you getting stuck or unstuck:D
DanKunz said:
What you do in your light weight lil trucks is up to you :)
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You could go a lot of other ways on that comment:censor:
 
CID 96 said:
Might be able to mudship to the Roundup. I brought a set of split rims back last year from Georg to Daniel Watters.
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hmmmm... 4" backspacing , much prefer 2.5". good idea though. It was kinda tongue and cheek but what the hay, I responded to his ad.
 
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tkinze said:
I mainly hear of antifreeze being used, been done in tractors for years.
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That makes more sense. The water that got inside my steelies when I had LTB's rusted the wheels. I was always losing the bead on those things.
 
BMThiker said:
That makes more sense. The water that got inside my steelies when I had LTB's rusted the wheels.
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Water may rust steelies whereas antifreeze may corrode aluminums. Just a thought.

But I definitely agree with at least mixing some antifreeze...you think plain beadlocks are unbalanced? Try driving with a 2 gallon block of ice in there! Haha
 
You would need a sizable tire to hold enough liquid to offset COG issues on a truck like ours.

For balancing, etc the bead route was perfect for my 37s on the Avocado.
 
DanKunz said:
For balancing, etc the bead route was perfect for my 37s on the Avocado.
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Andy (radioridge) told me he runs the airsoft pellets in his Iroks and loves them. I'm going to need to try that out I think.
 
DanKunz said:
For balancing, etc the bead route was perfect for my 37s on the Avocado.
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I've been wondering about this option. Dare i ask how many Airsoft beads in a typical tire to balance it?
 
To figure how many airsoft to use take the wheel size and add that to the square root of your pant size. Ha ha ha.
 
I wonder if the water in the tires would act somewhat like the pellets/bb's? Or would it be too much weight to work the same?

I just realized another advantage of running water in the tires: less time to air up. The water will take up air space so that could be a significant time savings if you air up often.
 
Ted, I've got a lot of thoughts for you, but that could take some serious time!

If you'd like to run your AL rims but balk at the price of Stauns, consider InnerAirlocks. They're made in the USA and use off-the-shelf motorcycle inner tubes instead of custom tubes - InnerAirLock, LLC - BeadLocks Keep in mind that lower air pressure afforded by beadlocks almost makes it more likely for you to mess up your rims, as the wheel is closer to the rocks and more likely to get sidewall shift. Oftentimes a rim stiffener / bead protector is paired with an internal beadlock, but that's obviously more difficult and costly with an aluminum rim.

In my opinion, a better investment for you at this point would be some upgraded Birfs - Longs would be and are my choice. Beadlocks are only going to add more traction (hopefully) and weight to your rig. If your front axle isn't prepared to handle this, it will likely be your fuse.

AMy thoughts are free - take it for what it's worth :)
 
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