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Help Support Hardline Crawlers :
DD with beadlocks????
- Thread starter TOPWOP
- Start date
There is a big arguement back and forth whether beadlocks can meet DOT spec or not.
It has to do with the safety bead and rolled lip at the edge of the wheel.
iirc the only manufacturer of beadlocks that meet what most people's interpretation of DOT wheel spec is Hutchinson beadlocks. They have that safety bead and make the claim that they meet DOT specifications.
Staun internal locks would'nt cause any issues either as they are used in conjunction with your current wheels.
Please keep in mind that there is no such thing as DOT approval per se. The DOT has specifications and when you build a part that is to be used on a public road, it needs to meet those specifications AND if you stamp it DOT, then it better meet those specs or serious fines can be levied.
Stolen from a website:
DOT Standards
The DOT rating simply indicates that a manufacturer believes that its parts meets the basic DOT standards, without any actual testing on the parts themselves. In that sense, DOT ratings are fairly easy to come by, and virtually anybody can make and sell a part with a DOT sticker or stamp.
It has to do with the safety bead and rolled lip at the edge of the wheel.
iirc the only manufacturer of beadlocks that meet what most people's interpretation of DOT wheel spec is Hutchinson beadlocks. They have that safety bead and make the claim that they meet DOT specifications.
Staun internal locks would'nt cause any issues either as they are used in conjunction with your current wheels.
Please keep in mind that there is no such thing as DOT approval per se. The DOT has specifications and when you build a part that is to be used on a public road, it needs to meet those specifications AND if you stamp it DOT, then it better meet those specs or serious fines can be levied.
Stolen from a website:
DOT Standards
The DOT rating simply indicates that a manufacturer believes that its parts meets the basic DOT standards, without any actual testing on the parts themselves. In that sense, DOT ratings are fairly easy to come by, and virtually anybody can make and sell a part with a DOT sticker or stamp.
Last edited:
SUPAFLY
Well-Known Member
I run Allied beadlocks on the street. Never had a problem with the law. There are so many aftermarket "fake" beadlocks that its hard to tell them apart anymore.
SCOOTER1
Well-Known Member
KarlVP
Love that TOYOTA
As per the RCW. It depends on the beadlocks you have.
This being stated, if you have some fancy blinging Hutchinson beadlocks, then as per the law, you can run them on the road.
If you have DIY locks, then they are not legal as you have "altered/repaired" the wheel by welding.
I run Ruff Stuff Specialties DIY locks and have never been harrased. I daily drive my shitbox, and the cops just don't give me crap.
RCW said:
This being stated, if you have some fancy blinging Hutchinson beadlocks, then as per the law, you can run them on the road.
If you have DIY locks, then they are not legal as you have "altered/repaired" the wheel by welding.
I run Ruff Stuff Specialties DIY locks and have never been harrased. I daily drive my shitbox, and the cops just don't give me crap.
i run trail ready and havent had any trouble from the law. and saftey concerns... they are safer then a normal wheel am i right? you wont blow off a bead thats for sure.
KarlVP
Love that TOYOTA
100% BS. I have personally been there to see beadlocks fail at road speeds. Normally a "blowout" does not happen with a properly maintained tire at street pressures up to the manufacturers reccomended speed rating. When a beadlock ring lets go, the tire massively deflates.
Yes a tire can fail when underinflated. But a beadlock can fail at any psi.
Not saying it happens all the time, but it does happen. A beadlock failing is the equivalent to a blowout.
A beadlocked wheel is not safer than a regular old wheel.
IMHO, a DIY beadlock is not safer. A military style, is not safer. But the military uses them exclusively and we don't hear about the massive faliure of military style beadlocks.
You want as many bolts holding that ring on as you possibly can get.
Think of a tire like a balloon, squeeze one side of the balloon and the other side swells out. Pretty much the same thing with a tire, as you hit a pot hole in the road, the air is displaced and the tire flexes. Add a heavier vehicle and higher speeds and you have a lot more force.
Make sure to buy beadlocks that have 32 bolts minimum. The more bolts you have holding that ring on, the better clamping force you have. When you hear of people complaining about bolts loosening up or breaking they typically have 16 or 18 bolt ringss. You'll also hear of problems with 24 bolt rings and rarely with 32, as you get more bolts you hear of less people having problems.
A stiffer beadlock ring will also help, the stiffer it is, the less chance there is for it to move and affect the bolts.
Install them to the included instructions. Torque them properly and check the torque after the first 100 miles and then after your first run. Then check them every 6 mos. or so. If you start having bolts loosen up, pull the ring, check the threaded inserts and then install new bolts.
Think of a tire like a balloon, squeeze one side of the balloon and the other side swells out. Pretty much the same thing with a tire, as you hit a pot hole in the road, the air is displaced and the tire flexes. Add a heavier vehicle and higher speeds and you have a lot more force.
Make sure to buy beadlocks that have 32 bolts minimum. The more bolts you have holding that ring on, the better clamping force you have. When you hear of people complaining about bolts loosening up or breaking they typically have 16 or 18 bolt ringss. You'll also hear of problems with 24 bolt rings and rarely with 32, as you get more bolts you hear of less people having problems.
A stiffer beadlock ring will also help, the stiffer it is, the less chance there is for it to move and affect the bolts.
Install them to the included instructions. Torque them properly and check the torque after the first 100 miles and then after your first run. Then check them every 6 mos. or so. If you start having bolts loosen up, pull the ring, check the threaded inserts and then install new bolts.
iceman1
Well-Known Member
I just put on the Inchworm welfare beadlocks,,,,,$60 worth of screws,lol,,,,,,,,,inside and out ,gunna go test um,,,,,what do you think of that?:haha:
They are cheap, easy and work good, the sand guys have been running them for years AND according to Karls RCW they wouldn't be street legal in WA.
The only time I see broken beadlocks bolts with a substantial ring is when the rings aren't torqued properly or if the bolt has sheared by a rock, tree, etc.
Some of the cheaper beadlocks use a thinner ring that flexes more and can cause bolts to loosen.
Never tighten beadlocks bolts with air in the tire. 2 good friends of mine have been injured while tightening bolts. In both cases it was caused by issues with the wheel but they probably wouldn't have been hurt had they just had blowouts.
Some of the cheaper beadlocks use a thinner ring that flexes more and can cause bolts to loosen.
Never tighten beadlocks bolts with air in the tire. 2 good friends of mine have been injured while tightening bolts. In both cases it was caused by issues with the wheel but they probably wouldn't have been hurt had they just had blowouts.
