Looking for clarification around the two OEM wheel choices - beadlock "capable"?

[jprime84]

I put in an order today, and as you all know the wheel choice is the one main choice you make outside of color. Other than taking up the price $1500 can anyone walk me through the updgraded wheel option? I understand the wheel is capable of a beadlock interface with the tire with some additional hardware.

• Do we know what hardware?
• Would this work on the OEM tire?
• Is there any scenario where the effort is realistically beneficial in a Ranger Raptor to run a bead lock setup?

I do like the look of the upgraded wheel a bit, and wondered if the design could help minimize the look of trail scuffs or scratches. Anyone put that to the test?

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[NASSTY]

The beadlock capable wheels come with beauty rings. Real beadlock rings will runya about $800 and most beadlocks are not street legal.

 

[Ranger Raptor]

I ordered the Beadlock wheel just because I like the look and also if one gets damaged I might just only need the trim part not the entire wheel. Most likely will never need a Beadlock so not going to purchase the outer rings from Ford motorsports. I would imagine it will be like the Bronco Parts https://performanceparts.ford.com/part/M-1021K-BLG

 

[cc1999]

Yep bead locks are not DOT / street legal. Yes you can bead lock the stock tires with added hardware kit from Ford. For most it’s just a looks preference.
I am not crazy about +55 offset look of either wheel, so I am sort of wishing mine didn’t have the upgrade $1500 rims, since I am changing mine to the +30 offset similar looking bronco rims. Would rather have saved 1500 bucks.

 

[cc1999]

Sorry I saw that I needed to fix /edit my post from earlier. I don’t know what happened that was supposed to read they are not dot or street legal.

 

[RacerX]

I’ve yet to find any state vehicle code to backup the assertion beadlock wheels are illegal to use on public roads.
They require you to be diligent on maintenance making sure all the bolts around the ring are torqued properly.
Tire shops will probably be reluctant to work on them.

I prefer the passive BeadGrip system from Method. It uses ridges on both sides of the wheel where the tire sits to resist the bead from popping out of the groove.

 

[cc1999]

I’ve yet to find any state vehicle code to backup the assertion beadlock wheels are illegal to use on public roads.
They require you to be diligent on maintenance making sure all the bolts around the ring are torqued properly.
Tire shops will probably be reluctant to work on them.

I prefer the passive BeadGrip system from Method. It uses ridges on both sides of the wheel where the tire sits to resist the bead from popping out of the groove.

I believe it’s is a DOT regulation which covers all states in that DOT is federal.
probably nothing that would ever get enforced, but could get used against someone in the event of an accident where lawsuits tend to fly and finger pointing etc.etc.

 

[cc1999]

Here is some info I found on the subject.

https://www.liftlaws.com/are_beadlocks_street_legal.htm

Are Beadlock Wheels Street Legal?


The subject of whether or not beadlocks are street legal has been posted multiple times on almost every internet off-road forum without a definitive answer. We decided to do the research and here are the facts:

1)

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State and federal laws and agencies do not approve equipment, they can only prohibit the use or the modification of equipment.

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2)

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The US Department of Transportation (USDOT), through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sets the safety standards for automobile equipment.

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3)

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Currently, there are no government mandated performance requirements for wheels. There are, however, requirements for dimensions and markings.

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4)

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The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) created the SAE J2530 Aftermarket Wheel Performance Requirements and Test Procedures which have been adopted by the industry.

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5)

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Traditional style beadlocks, where a bolt-on ring clamps the tire's outside bead to the rim are not compliant with SAE J2530.


(Hummer H1 beadlocks, as well as Center Line's I.C.E. beadlocks are compliant because the locking mechanism is located inside the wheel and its failure would not cause the tire to be dislodged from the wheel.)

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6)

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For liability reasons, wheel manufacturers do not sell wheels intended for use on public roads and highways that are not SAE J2530 compliant (even if they may be DOT compliant).

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7)

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Beadlock manufacturers sell their non-compliant wheels as "For Off-Road Use Only" or "Not Legal for Highway Use" and in some cases they even mark their product as such.

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If a product is sold as "For Off-Road Use Only" or "Not Legal For Highway Use" is it illegal for the customer to install them on a street driven vehicle?

1)

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When a manufacturer states that a product is "Not Legal For Highway Use" it means that the product does not meet DOT or SAE standards. It is also their legal way of saying that they are not liable for the misuse of their product. Their statements do not mean that beadlocks are illegal to drive on the street as that can only be determined by state and federal laws.

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2)

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In creating LiftLaws.com we went through the street legal laws of each state and not a single one references beadlocks. In fact, most state's laws don't mention wheels at all and those that do only require that the wheels be safe.

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3)

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Many states have a "catch-all" clause that requires vehicles driven on public streets and highways to be in safe operating condition. Several states even reference DOT, NHTSA, and SAE standards as safety guidelines.

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4)

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Beadlocks fall in a catergory of being not-illegal. Generally, equipment like this only becomes illegal after it is found to be the cause of accidents.


*It is important to note that just because something is not-illegal that does not necesarily make it legal.

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Now that beadlocks appear to be not-illegal, we need to look at the potential consequences of driving a vehicle equipped with beadlock wheels. Similar to other street-legal equipment laws, the risks are primarily fix-it tickets and lawsuits.

1)

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The chances of being issued a fix-it ticket for beadlocks is almost nonexistent.
A) Only a close look with a trained eye can spot a real beadlock over a lookalike.
B) Most police officers don't know what beadlocks are.
C) Most police officers don't know if beadlocks are illegal or not.
D) Police officers are hesitant to write tickets for things they are not sure are unlawful.

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2)

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A fix-it ticket is a minor inconvenience since it can either be argued in court or satisfied by removing the beadlocks from the vehicle and passing a tech inspection.

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3)

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The worst possible scenario is having a beadlock fail on the road resulting in a severe accident. Lawyers for an injured party will inspect the vehicle for aftermarket parts and equipment modifications to build their case against the driver. The best defense in the event of an accident is a solid insurance company and insurance policy. Anytime modifications are made to a vehicle they should be brought to the attention of the insurance company to make sure that insurance coverage remains in full effect.

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Beadlocks are great tools for off-road vehicles but they can be very dangerous when they are not installed, used, or maintained properly. LiftLaws.com strongly believes that beadlocks should not be installed on vehicles driven on the street as they are not as safe as their non-beadlock counterparts. If someone does decide to install beadlocks on a street driven vehicle they must make sure to check their tire pressure and beadlock bolt torque frequently and adjust their driving habits to account for possible beadlock failure. (This includes taking corners slowly and learning how to handle the vehicle in the event of a tire blowout.)

 

[RacerX]

Here is some info I found on the subject.

https://www.liftlaws.com/are_beadlocks_street_legal.htm

so, I cannot sell beadlock wheels and market them as on-road compliant.

it says nothing about me using them on the road. i see no regulation that states all road vehicles require wheels that are SAE J2530 compliant.

 

[Bomlodr]

Yep bead locks are not DOT / street legal.

Pure conjecture. Find one statement from an official DOT or NHTSA publication that explicitly states that beadlock or multi-piece wheels are illegal for on road use. Please share if you are successful as there are MANY of us that have looked over the years and have come up empty.

For the OP...Internet forum, but good references here...take with a grain of salt as assumptions were made....https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/beadlock-wheels-legal-or-illegal-and-the-dot.26724/#post-922878

Realistically, if you do it right, beadlocks are a pain in the ass for daily use. For example, in the Ford conversion kit, each wheel has 24 bolts and requires a three step torque sequence. So...using my public school education...24 * 4 * 3 = 288. 288 torque events when installing them. Then...it's accepted practice that you check and retorque the bolts at each fill up because they do loosen up. For a vehicle that sees more on road time than that which requires a beadlock wheel, their use is ridiculous to me. I'm not sure your insurance company would cover you in the event of an accident related to beadlock failure either, but it's worth checking into. Personal injury lawyers might just love you, though!
Bottom line, be honest with yourself about the actual need for beadlocks and do your research with your state and insurance company.

 

[cc1999]

so, I cannot sell beadlock wheels and market them as on-road compliant.

it says nothing about me using them on the road. i see no regulation that states all road vehicles require wheels that are SAE J2530 compliant.

Ok, so that's why manufactures labels state that their bead lock rims for off road use only.

But you're saying once you have them, you can do what you want with them.

Makes no difference to me. If you want to run them, by all means run them.

I have had them on off road vehicles, UTVs and Quads over the years and they are a pain the rear at times. Just a lot of added maintenance with running them.

I know I for one would not want them on any of my trucks at all, regardless rather they are deemed legal or illegal depending on how you want to interoperate the DOT laws or regulations.

 

[GManGeno]

On top of everything else mentioned above, there are rims you can buy, like Method which has a proprietary 'bead grip' system, that can allow you to take the PSI down fairly low. While the guy in the linked video says he took them down to 2 psi, that may be extreme, but the point is you could definitely lower your tire pressure for your off-road adventure and then bump back up for the ride home. Along with the $1500.00 price plus the actual locking rings of around $800.00, you could get the Method rims and maybe save a few dollars, give or take. And the Method rims are nice looking too.

Beadlock Killer?!

 

[Dubfound]

I still don't understand why beadlock wheels are illegal in the street. Haha

 

[RacerX]

Ok, so that's why manufactures labels state that their bead lock rims for off road use only.

But you're saying once you have them, you can do what you want with them.

Makes no difference to me. If you want to run them, by all means run them.

I have had them on off road vehicles, UTVs and Quads over the years and they are a pain the rear at times. Just a lot of added maintenance with running them.

I know I for one would not want them on any of my trucks at all, regardless rather they are deemed legal or illegal depending on how you want to interoperate the DOT laws or regulations.

I don't want to run beadlocks I was only countering the internet fallacy that they are illegal for road use.
In fact, in my first post on this thread I mention the extra maintenance requirement and my preference for Method beadgrip tech.
I have the beadlock capable wheels on my bronco and i'll probably never use the capability. It's why I didn't waste the money on RRaptor optional wheels. I'd much rather put that money towards Method beadgrip. Even then I won't bother because I like the stock wheels and I don't plan on taking the RRaptor off road.

 

[RacerX]

I still don't understand why beadlock wheels are illegal in the street. Haha

because they are not.
you cannot pass any liability to the manufacturer if they are deemed the cause of an accident on-road, even if they are defective. you foot the bill for damages caused by wheel/tire issues.

I am not an attorney, this is not legal advise. It is how I would argue my own case.

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