Beadlock vs regular wheels - weight diff noticeable?

[spellchek]

Just curious if anyone has driven both to see if the ~10 lb lighter regular wheels feel noticeable in terms of acceleration, braking, etc?

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[Caneman88]

I have some Method 709's ordered so I will know by the end of the week running the bead capable OEM's now with stock rubber

 

[Caneman88]

Found this with help from AI

Based on available specifications, the Method 709-HD Bead Grip wheels for the 2025 Ranger Raptor offer a slightly lighter alternative to the factory beadlock-capable wheels, while providing significantly higher load ratings.

• OEM 2025 Ranger Raptor Beadlock-Capable Wheels: Approx. 36-37 lbs per wheel.
• Method 709-HD (17x8.5, 6x5.5): Approx. 32.5 - 34.2 lbs per wheel.
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Key Differences:

• Weight Saving: You can expect to save roughly 2 to 4.5 lbs per wheel (8 to 18 lbs total reduction in unsprung weight) by switching to Method 709 wheels, depending on the specific finish.
• Strength: Method 709-HD wheels feature a 3,310 lbs load rating, designed to be 25% stronger than standard Method wheels.
• Beadlock Functionality: The Method 709-HD uses patented "Bead Grip" technology, which locks the tire bead in place to allow for lower tire pressures, offering similar benefits to the factory beadlock-capable wheels without the heavy weight of a traditional beadlock ring.
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[donkey]

Going from the oem beadlock to a 27lb wheel firsthand, it is night and day. Not just acceleration but also braking.

That being said I know what it feels like. Someone oblivious to cars will not tell.

 

[RaptorME]

Method's site says 34.2 lbs., so only about 2 lb.+ less, doubt you'll notice that much.

 

[spellchek]

Going from the oem beadlock to a 27lb wheel firsthand, it is night and day. Not just acceleration but also braking.

That being said I know what it feels like. Someone oblivious to cars will not tell.

That’s what I figured, just interesting that I haven’t seen a reviewer drive them back to back to comment on it.

I was actually eyeing the 709s, but think I’ll go with something lighter now.

 

[superj]

dang those factory wheels are heavy. a guy has some for sale near me for a decent price and i was thinking of getting them for my truck but it sounds like the weight will bother me since i will see it in the gas mileage

 

[Blue Ridge Raptor]

I’m considering replacing the OEM beadlocks with something lighter when I get new tires This summer. Does anyone have pics of aftermarket wheels with a cactus gray RR?
I'm sticking with OEM size tires & prefer wheels different than bronze.
thx

 

[PA RR]

I just changed from the OEM Beadlocks to Arena wheels. I haven’t noticed much of a difference TBH.

 

[crabby]

I switched my tires from the factory beadlocks to method 705's (17x8.5, +35, 25.24lbs according to mfgr) and the difference was immediately noticeable. Steering is more responsive, and the truck feels a bit lighter when accelerating or braking. It's not a massive change, but it won't go unnoticed.

 

[Caneman88]

asked Gemini AI to change my wheels to Method 709 and it did a good job

 

[Aonarch]

The further the weight is from the hub, the more of an impact applied. The beauty ring and hardware is over 5 lbs just on its own, so going down to a 27 lbs wheel will be a significant change, since a lot of the weight of the factory wheels is at the edge of the rim. Better balancing too, since the barrel of the factory wheel doesn't compensate for the heavy face.

The same logic goes with tires, a taller, heavier tire makes a larger difference than different wheel weights, since the weight is further from the hub.

So a lot of people will say I went with a E load tire that is 10 lbs heavier per, but I switched to 10 lbs lighter wheels, so its a wash. Not true.

I have the beadlock wheels and I really like how they look. A part of me wants to keep my RR stock, so I've been fighting changing them out. My last F-150 I had Method 703s, my last Ranger I had Bronco beadlocks, and my last Bronco had RTRs.

 

[JackpotRR]

Just curious if anyone has driven both to see if the ~10 lb lighter regular wheels feel noticeable in terms of acceleration, braking, etc?

I'll find out in about a week.......I'm not super keen on the looks of the beadlock capable OEM wheels so I found a set of 4 OEM regular Ranger Raptor wheels in "pristine" condition (we'll see! they are supposedly take offs with only 100 miles on them) on Ebay for $800.....(almost $900 with tax and shipping). Santa Ana wheel here in Orange County, CA has used ones for $250ish each but some have minor curb rash and light scratches which I don't want......and the local stellership wants $3,900 for a set of 4 new.........

trying to save a little weight while "improving" the looks of my truck......I'll keep the OEM beadlocks for now.......

and I have Falken Wildpeaks A/T 4W as I burned through the KO3's at 8,000 miles......my truck is tuned so the back tires where toast!...LOL

the Falken Wildpeaks A/T 4W weigh 53 lbs according to Tire Rack (285 / 70 R17 116T SL BSW)

and the KO3s weigh 56 lbs according to Tire Rack (LT285/70R17 116/113S load range C)

I'm hoping I notice a little difference......both in acceleration/braking and mpg!...I'm getting 10-11 mpg right now......but I drive it like I stole it!...LOL

I plan on taking a scale with me when I swap out the rims and weigh the existing set-up versus the new set-up.....I'll see how much weight saving I'm getting

 

[Lion77]

I went from OEM Bead locks ~36-37lbs range to Method 705's that weight 25.2lbs and it's quite noticeable in acceleration, braking and even a bit more turn-in response in slaloms (aka roads that curve back and forth through hilly or mountainous areas).

Also, the slight increase in track (ET+35 vs. stock ET+55) width really made a noticeable difference in on-road handling without any noticeable effect off-road (i.e., the increase in scrub radius is so small you really can't tell the difference), at least on stock tire sizes. Body roll is a bit more linearly progressive, it still rolls plenty when pushed in corners, but a little bit better balance than stock. Body roll helps create a more predictable break away at the limits of traction (i.e., street cars with too much bar have a very sudden un-predictable breakaway between grip and no grip), so for off-road, a decent amount of roll isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I think in stock form, it had just a smidge too much roll for my taste, the slight increase in track fixed that for a better balance.

Other advantage is balancing. The Methods are machined from a very well manufactured billet, so the size of the tire weights needed to balance them is less than half of the weight needed for the OEM forged units. They just feel smoother than the OE bead locks on the highway. They look MUCH better when dirty than the bead locks and clean up MUCH easier too. For performance, the 705's deliver!

Plus, obviously you get the bead grip technology which gives you 95% of what a true bead lock can do, but without all the downsides. I would say most off roaders would be better served by bead grip than bead lock except extreme crawlers, which the RR certainly is not.

I wouldn't go wider than +35 personally since I want full compression and articulation without tearing up fenders, also too much additional off set can damage bearings and increase scrub radius to the point where you're wrestling with the steering wheel while off-roading = not good.

OE Bead-locks (literally taken from the dealer lot the day I bought it):

Method 705's in 17x8.5 ET+35mm:

I went with Titanium Grey instead of black since I wanted to highlight the wheel pattern more (black seems to hide it on this particular wheel, unlike the 703's which I do like in black). The Titanium Grey seems to have a similar "chameleon" effect and changes their color appearance quite a bit in different lighting like the Shelter green metallic paint, so the color change really works with and mirrors my SG body color. In low light, they look a lot darker but tend to "glow" in the sun.

I do recommend getting XL sized mudflaps if you go with wider off-set wheels though, or you will be kicking road debris, dirt and mud all over the pain on the rockers, lower doors and rear fenders.

Side-steps / or covered sliders + XL mud-flaps = good paint. Sorry for the long post....er not! I like details, some appreciate it, some get annoyed. Don't care. It's a public form and I can post if I want too!!!

 

[Lion77]

asked Gemini AI to change my wheels to Method 709 and it did a good job

Yah, I really like the look of the 709's too, I think they are a really good trail wheel from Method. I just wasn't crazy about the higher off-set and weight.

Trail Truck - 709's (replicable guard ring is indispensable)

Baja / Rally / Dunes / Prepped Tracks / Highway-On-Road - 703's or 705's as they are lighter and have a milder off-set that plays well with stock suspension under full articulation and compression for jumping.

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