Beedlocks for Overlanding?

[Jeff Graham]

I want to get the opinion of the OB community on Beedlock wheels. The Rock Crawlers use them, but I think they are just as useful in the Overlanding community. A lost beed can be a real pain, and in a heavy Overlanding rig, very hard to reset. I see them used by NGO's in Africa on vehicles. And the military uses them on most vehicles.

I run the Hutchinson two piece wheels, that provides an inner and outer beedlock. I also use runflats: after bandits put boards with nails, across a road in Mexico. I had two flat steer tires, and had to pull over. With my current setup, I would have kept driving.

 

[OffroadTreks]

Honestly, I feel it depends on how you run your rig and what you run it on. Overlanding or not doesn't have anything to do with it.

 

[KTM GRIZZLY]

If you're going to get into hardcore rock crawling I would have them but if you're not planning on doing any hardcore rock crawling then I don't see the point in having them.

 

[Jeff Graham]

I agree the value depends greatly on where you intend to travel to, and over what terrain. Beedlocks are helpful in many different terrains. I have been able to airdown very low to get unstuck in sand and mud. Any place you need to air down, you can air down more with beedlocks. This has been very helpful to me in the past. The two piece rims also allow me to easily change a tire in the fields. I carry spare tires, in addition to my spare wheel/tire, when I'm crossing very harsh terrain. I have been on long treks, where multiple flats where not uncommon. Overlanders in Australia often carry multiple Spare's for the same reason.


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[OffroadTreks]

You airing down to around 10psi or less? The Power Wagon's Alcoa forged aluminum wheels feature a modified wheel bead seat to increase tire bead surface area and bead retention under low tire inflation pressures.

I haven't personally found a reason to drop down below 18psi yet and I like to consider I wheel pretty hard. If I had 40's I might move up to a bead lock.

 

[Jeff Graham]

You airing down to around 10psi or less? The Power Wagon's Alcoa forged aluminum wheels feature a modified wheel bead seat to increase tire bead surface area and bead retention under low tire inflation pressures.

I haven't personally found a reason to drop down below 18psi yet and I like to consider I wheel pretty hard. If I had 40's I might move up to a bead lock.

Yes, often 8psi, to get though muddy jungle trails in Central America.


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[OffroadTreks]

Yea that makes a lot of sense for that.

 

[Broncsqwatch]

I agree, if you're going that low of a psi I think the beedlocks would be a needed addition.

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[Superduty]

Is the opinion that beadlocks aren't needed bc the added expense? Or is there some other drawback?

If you get into soft sand airing down below 18 psi is very helpful. I go to about 8 psi, it makes a huge difference.

I run them on my jeep. I love them.

1. Ability to air down lower with confidence.

2. Changing a tire out is easier than non beadlock.

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[Jeff Graham]

Is the opinion that beadlocks aren't needed bc the added expense? Or is there some other drawback?

If you get into soft sand airing down below 18 psi is very helpful. I go to about 8 psi, it makes a huge difference.

I run them on my jeep. I love them.

1. Ability to air down lower with confidence.

2. Changing a tire out is easier than non beadlock.

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This has also been my experience. I have two piece rims, that make it very easy to change out tires. This is one of the reasons many military vehicles, and NGO use them in extreme terrain. I carry a tool to help separate the two piece wheels.

This allow me carry a spare tire, in addition to my spare tire/wheel. I have been in situations, that I has multiple flats, that could not be fixed with a tire repair kit (Long sidewall slashes). The second spare tire allowed me to keep on my journey.

 

[NYCO]

interesting point you brought up about running the run flat in addition to the beadlock to help prevent the situation you ran into in mexico. that will be a nice comforting feeling on all future adventures for sure!

if I can fit it into the budget, beadlocks on my rig is high on my list. it's not every trip that I wish I had beadlock to run super low psi, but on snow runs or crossing sandy sections the low psi would definitely be nice. I always run with at least 4 maxtrax, so getting stuck in those conditions is not a huge concern since the traction pads can help there. i'll often run 13 psi which has been a comfortable level and give me a large footprint.

where i'd like to have the beadlock is more along the lines of why you're running run flats. it would be more for a comforting feeling knowing that if i'm in a washout, off camber, loaded up and concerned about rolling a bead, having the beadlock would make me feel more comfortable knowing that I can get through that obstacle without having my tire go down.

for most situations, beadlocks are overkill. however, if you can work it into your build, the benefits are definitely there when you really need them. the Hutchinson's seem to be the way to go with their design and being DOT approved.

 

[BigSwole]

Just my opinion here, but if I was going to air down to single digits I would want to be running beadlocks. Everyone wheels differently on different types of terrain with different vehicle makeups, but to me, aired down to single digit equals beadlocks. If you don't air down so low you probably don't need them. I have beadlocks (ATX Slabs) but they aren't always needed.

 

[TreXTerra]

I see it as an unnecessary expense.

I've been wheeling for over 20 years, Moab is my playground and my overland rig doubles as my weekend crawler. I might not be running 37" tires, but I get it some places where the Jeep guys are surprised to see it.

I have never lost a bead or spun a tire in all my time off road. To do that you are looking at really low PSI - like single-digit PSI and a whole lot of skinny pedal. Neither of these are common for overlanding. Also, before you buy beadlocks, give your local tire shop a call and ask what their rate is to mount on those rims, they almost always charge significantly more or will decline to work on them at all.

 

[Jeff Graham]

I see it as an unnecessary expense.

I've been wheeling for over 20 years, Moab is my playground and my overland rig doubles as my weekend crawler. I might not be running 37" tires, but I get it some places where the Jeep guys are surprised to see it.

I have never lost a bead or spun a tire in all my time off road. To do that you are looking at really low PSI - like single-digit PSI and a whole lot of skinny pedal. Neither of these are common for overlanding. Also, before you buy beadlocks, give your local tire shop a call and ask what their rate is to mount on those rims, they almost always charge significantly more or will decline to work on them at all.

I agree with everything you say. We all do different kinds of "Overlanding". I have also spent time in Moab. Airing down, only a little is fine (until your sidewalls bulge). In other terrain, like South America jungles, airing down to single digits is more common. I do like my Beedlocks for Jungle washout roads (Mud!), Sand, etc... It depends greatly on what type of Overlanding a person is doing.

 

[NYCO]

sliding around in muddy ruts seems like a situation where beadlocks could save some headaches...you may not be wheeling hard, but a sideways slide into a rut wall could be enough to pop that bead loose

 

[professorkx]

It's unlikely you need bead lockers. Two weeks ago, on another rock crawling adventure, we got into some pretty gnarly rocks, and I tore the sidewall down to the chord on TWO 35 inch BF Goodrich KM2 tires, and my son tore the sidewall on one 35 inch tire of a different brand. No beads broken.

Last year, I tore the sidewall of one tire on my CJ5, no bead broken. We run air pressure down to 5 psi, and have never lost a bead. We also spend a week in Moab every year and run a lot of difficult trails, and again, no lost beads.

If you are going to pin the throttle through a rocky mud field with low air pressure, than you might need bead lockers. If you are going to be gentle on the throttle (my philosophy: the slower you go the less you break) through the crappiest part of the trail, you will be fine.

You can also squeeze wider tires on a stock rim, a poor man bead locker, and you make it even more difficult to pop a bead. We have 14 jeeps in our family, ranging from 1947 to 2014, and we wheel a lot and wheel hard. Spend your money on a winch or something else that will provide a more useful purpose.

 

[000]

I can see how they’d be nice in really hardcore stuff like extreme rock rigs etc. and with an unlimited budget they’re not going to hurt anything , but with a full camping load I don’t go low enough to need them so the expense doesn’t make sense for my use. Giant tires at single digits on the dusy or rubicon would make sense, but plenty of guys do fine without. A second spare might make more sense and be cheaper?


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