How to Mount Beadlock Wheels - Pro

How
to
Mount
Beadlock Wheels
Six easy steps to go glueless
By Kevin Hetmanski
Bead lock wheels look great and do a
good job of holding onto the tire. However,
if you don’t mount them properly you may
have a flat tire.
B
eadlock wheels are very
popular and they have
taken over in the world of
rock crawling and scale
trucks. They are used because
they look like the wheels used on
full-size truck, and since they don’t
use glue to attach the tire to the rim,
you can add or remove weight and
change tires for different conditions.
Mounting tires on beadlock wheels
requires a few more steps than
the usual glue routine, but if you
follow the steps outlined here you
will have a set of beadlock wheels
that will never let go of their tires.
We’re wrapping a set of Pro-Line
Super Swamper tires around Denali
1.9” Bead-Loc wheels, but the tips
here apply to many other beadlock
designs as well.
Step 1: Scuff the Mounting Surfaces
Most beadlock wheels and lock rings have smooth surfaces. You can leave them as-is and
probably have no issues with tire slip, but I like to rough up the bead on the wheel with 220 grit
sandpaper to give the mounting areas some “teeth.” Fold up the sandpaper and simply make a
few passes with it in the bead. For the rings I get more aggressive and scribe as many lines as I
can in the tire side using the back side of a hobby knife.
Use the back side of a hobby knife to scribe lines into the
tire-side of the lock ring to increase its grip on the tire
Roughen the rim’s bead with sandpaper for a tighter hold
on the tire.
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How to | How to Mount Beadlock Wheels
Step 2:
Clean the wheels
Mold-release agents on the
wheel can reduce the beadlock
system’s grip on the tires. The
same goes for ant dust created
when you sanded the wheels.
So, the next step is to thoroughly
clean the tire mounting areas
of the rim and lock rings. Wipe
the tire side of the rings down
with alchohol or motor spray. If
you don’t have these, check the
kitchen for window cleaner with
ammonia. I like to use cotton
swabs to clean the bead in the
wheel because they do a great
job of getting the cleaner into the
tight space.
Clean mounting surfaces
grip better. A cotton swab
is a great way to clean the
bead of your rim.
Tighten the screws in
a criss-cross pattern
to ensure even tension
across the face of
the rim.
Rough up both sides of the bead on the tire
with a rotary tool and sanding drum to assure
maximum grip.
Step 4: Mount the Tire
If the tire doesn’t seat
fully in the rim bead,
push it in place with
a tool. A small hex
wrench will do.
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Once you have two screws in
place and tight you can install
the rest of the screws.
You can start with the front ring or back ring, it doesn’t
matter. Place the lock ring on the rim and align the holes
before installing the screws that keep them in place. Install
two screws 180 degrees from each other and fully tighten
them to lock the tire in place. If you have a tire that is much
wider than the wheel, install the two screws in the same
position but only screw them down about half way to avoid
too much pressure on the screws and a possible stripped
hole. As the other screws are installed it will relieve pressure
on the two screws that have been already installed. Now
install the rest of the screws, following a criss-cross pattern
as shown below. I like to tighten all the screws about half way
then start the pattern again and bottom them out. This will
help apply even pressure all around and ensure that the tire
is properly seated. There are sixteen screws in all, and you
may be tempted to use a power screwdriver to tighten them.
No matter how careful you are with a power screwdriver you
still run the risk of stripping out the holes in the wheels, so
tightening the screws by hand is the
preferred method. If you do choose to
use a power screwdriver, stop before
the screws are fully seated and use a
hand driver for final tightening. The
To help enhance the grip
screws only need to be tightened
of the wheel on the tire in
until the lock ring fully seats against
extreme conditions, place a
the rim. Tightening any further only
drop of tire glue at the 12, 3,
increases the risk of stripping the
6 and 9 o’clock positions on
screw holes.
the wheel. Now the beadlock
ring will have increased grip
and you can still remove the
tire later if need be.
A Little Glue for
More Grip
Step 3:
Prep the Tires
Due to the molding process there
may be a little bump of rubber
on the tire bead. It may be small
but if you don’t remove it from
the bead it will keep the tire
from sitting properly in the rim.
You can cut this extra piece of
rubber away with scissors but
you run the risk of removing too
much material. I like to take care
of this with a rotary tool and a
sanding drum. Sand away at the
bump until the area is blended in
to the rest of the bead. Just like
the rims, the tires come with a
bead that is pretty smooth and
will benefit from a rough surface.
Sand both sides of the tire bead
with a rotary tool and sanding
drum. Make light passes, the
object is to roughen the surface,
not remove material.
Step 5: Install the First Lock Ring
Stretch the tire over the wheel and press
the mounting beads into the face of the
wheel. It’s very important to make sure
that the tire bead is fully seated in the
wheel. If you have a spot that is raised
slightly it will keep the ring from applying
pressure to the entire bead. This reduces
the surface area between the parts and
therefore the overall grip. If needed, use
the tip of a hex wrench to push the tire
bead into the rim to fully seat it. Don’t
worry about getting the tire to fully seat in
both sides of the wheel at the same time;
seat one side, install the lock ring (that’s
the next step), then go back and do the
other side.
Step 6: Install the Remaining Lock Ring
Repeat step six to install the opposite lock ring, then check to make
sure all the screws are snug. Your wheel and tire are ready for action.
Locked In
Beadlock rims will cost you more than glue-rims and tire mounting
takes longer, but the benefits are worth it: there’s no chance of
ruining a tire or wheel with a sloppy glue job, you can mix and
match tires and wheels whenever you like (as long as you’re up for
spinning all those screws), and you’ll never need to toss the rims just
because your tires are worn out.
Source
Pro-Line prolineracing.com
Done. That’s a good looking combo, and when you’re ready for new tires, you can re-use
the rim since there’s no glue to hassle with.
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