Cheap DIY Bead lock rims

[Alexh85]

I wanted a set of bead locks for my bush truck but didn't want to spend too much money.

I bought 4 second hand 15x8 steel rims.
Instead of buying a weld on bead lock kit i went to an engineering shop and got 8 rings water jet cut out of 6mm mild steel sheet

I drilled the holes myself to keep the cutting price down, to do this i tacked all 8 rings together and drilled through them all at once while they where tacked together i marked one edge with a grinder so i can bolt them up in the orientation they where drilled (don't rotate) in case my marking out isn't perfect and as i broke each finished ring off the pile i numbered them with the tig welder in case the drill press bed was on the piss.

Then i tig welded a ring to the outside of each rim

to check the welds don't leek i held a dust gun on the inside of the weld and squirted soapy water on the outside and watched for bubbles. After slowly going around all of them i found 1 pin hole in my welding.

I ground a big radius on the outside edge of the top ring on the side against the tyre.

I used M10x50 bolts with nylocks, 25 per tyre after putting them all in finger tight i used a rattle gun to tighten them working my way back and ford across the wheel. I keeped tightening until the there was an even ~8mm gap between the 2 plates all the way around

I should have used angle valve stems but the strait ones work alright you just have to hold them on a angle when your using them. They work mint and make a huge difference, they do slowly loose pressure over a couple of weeks but thats probably because the tyres are knackered.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Nice work. You'll want to put anti-coning rings in.

Weld-on beadlock kits are pretty cheap, with most of the cost taken up by hardware. How much did this cost you?

 

[Alexh85]

Nice work. You'll want to put anti-coning rings in.

Weld-on beadlock kits are pretty cheap, with most of the cost taken up by hardware. How much did this cost you?

Im good mates with the guy who runs the water jet, and i supplied the material because i had half a sheet of 6mm lying around so that only cost me $100. The rims cost me $200 I cant remember exactly how much the bolts cost but they weren't cheap. To you that probably sounds like i spent too much but every thing in NZ costs an arm and a leg compared to the USA. They defineatly cost me less that a weld on beadlock kit would have. Ill have to look into making some anti-coning rings. Cheers

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Nice. I wish I had a friend with a water jet, lol.

Did you use nuts or just tap the welded ring for the bolts?

 

[Alexh85]

Nice. I wish I had a friend with a water jet, lol.

Did you use nuts or just tap the welded ring for the bolts?

I used lock nuts, I wasnt sure if a thread in mild steel that thin would be strong enugh. It wasnt too much of a hassle holding a ring spanner in behind as you tighten them up.

 

[cody c]

It would be nice to burn the nuts onto the back of the rings, but then the nylon would probably melt. Quicker taking the bolts off with your "rattle gun" but a lot of tacking nuts on them.

I traded an old compound bow for a set of 15" bead lock rings about 4 years ago. Still sitting at the same spot in the garage waiting for me to do something with them. Need to find some wheels or trade them off.

 

[Alexh85]

It would be nice to burn the nuts onto the back of the rings, but then the nylon would probably melt. Quicker taking the bolts off with your "rattle gun" but a lot of tacking nuts on them.

I did think about tacking nuts on to the back of the rings but if i accidentally wind a bolt in crooked while im lining up the top ring and knacker the thread, it will be a pain in the arse to try and cut it off and replace it. cheers

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

Nice. I wish I had a friend with a water jet, lol.

Did you use nuts or just tap the welded ring for the bolts?

$100 isn't a friend, it's a house payment. Dang that sounds snarky but I just got off the phone with a 'friend' who seemed to have built his own machine with the expectation that I'd buy parts from him.... he must have missed the memo where I mentioned I am 1/2 done with my own.... this 'friend' is available, you want that I send him your way?

 

[cody c]

$100 isn't a friend, it's a house payment. Dang that sounds snarky but I just got off the phone with a 'friend' who seemed to have built his own machine with the expectation that I'd buy parts from him.... he must have missed the memo where I mentioned I am 1/2 done with my own.... this 'friend' is available, you want that I send him your way?

As we get older we seem to find the whole arena of helping friends out without taking anything for our time, and accepting favors on the same terms to be a bit of a grey area.

My generation (I'm 39) seems to be the transition point, where people will still help the old lady down the street with her yard or house, and not accept even a glass of water, or charge their good friends or community full rate for time or surplus material at the other end of the spectrum.

Many or perhaps most of us try and build projects on the cheap, have limited funds and time but huge goals or builds that are beyond our means without cutting some corners or accepting some favors. I have had some people I knew refuse to let me leave without taking some money for helping them, I wish I could say I've been as persistent as a few of them in my own generosity. But they certainly have earned my respect in doing so.

A sidetrack from the thread, but all we can do is try and teach the next generation, hopefully some of that will rub off. Maybe your "friend" can still learn something from you.

 

[Alexh85]

So far their still holding up, i never got around to making anti-coning rings . The only problem is they fill up with mud .

Cheers