- Location
- Port Orchard, WA
Yes, I know I've ragged on steel wheels
Yes, I hate home made bead locks...
These aren't home made, and they were the right price...
So, I came across some steel MRW bead locks for the right price, but was concerned for the strength of the inner bead, as when I used to run steel wheels (non bead locks) I'd bent the inner and outer beads often.
The bead lock ought to strengthen the outer ring enough that it should no longer be an issue.
I called 66CJDean on Pirate4x4 (Performance Cryogenics - http://www.performancecryogenics.com/) knowing that he made some steel re-enforcements for the 16.5" Dia hummer bead locks that everyone runs, and asked about rings for 15" rims...
He said that in the past he had made them, but no one bought them, but that the same rings for the 16.5's ought to work on the 15's.
I bought 5 rings and decided to weld em on...
One Steel, 15x8.5 MRW bead lock. 18 bolts per bead lock, steel wheel converted by a factory, no grinding, no leaking, no siliconing.
Note the outer ring is a stamped piece and not a flat piece. I think this adds to strength BIG time compared to the DIY flat outer rings.
the back side with the normal, steel wheel inner bead -
the ring (16.00 each)
1/2" round stock rolled into a ring, overlapping for approx 6" in one piece.
pretty close to a 15" rim as delivered -
Used a wire wheel for the angle grinder to take the factory powdercoat off - worked AWESOME -
grabbed 3 pairs of vice grips, and clamped it on -
started welding, moving the vice grips, and only welding behind the vice grips.
the first one I did, I fully welded the outer ring, and did 4 welds on the inside of the wheel to prevent the inner bead from 'rolling'.
I ground this smooth, and painted it -
the other 4, I decided to weld ~2" every 4" on the outside, (2" gaps in between welds) and then weld on the inside in-between those sections. I didnt grind at all, and just called it good.
I hope that these will prevent me from fawking up some perfectly good wheels, and their extra weight over my alumiums will be like running water in my tires!
These are nice because they don't take up precious room for calipers that the traditional wheel re-enforcements do, and they ought to do about the same job...
I'll be sure to let people know how they work out...
Yes, I hate home made bead locks...
These aren't home made, and they were the right price...
So, I came across some steel MRW bead locks for the right price, but was concerned for the strength of the inner bead, as when I used to run steel wheels (non bead locks) I'd bent the inner and outer beads often.
The bead lock ought to strengthen the outer ring enough that it should no longer be an issue.
I called 66CJDean on Pirate4x4 (Performance Cryogenics - http://www.performancecryogenics.com/) knowing that he made some steel re-enforcements for the 16.5" Dia hummer bead locks that everyone runs, and asked about rings for 15" rims...
He said that in the past he had made them, but no one bought them, but that the same rings for the 16.5's ought to work on the 15's.
I bought 5 rings and decided to weld em on...
One Steel, 15x8.5 MRW bead lock. 18 bolts per bead lock, steel wheel converted by a factory, no grinding, no leaking, no siliconing.
Note the outer ring is a stamped piece and not a flat piece. I think this adds to strength BIG time compared to the DIY flat outer rings.
the back side with the normal, steel wheel inner bead -
the ring (16.00 each)
1/2" round stock rolled into a ring, overlapping for approx 6" in one piece.
pretty close to a 15" rim as delivered -
Used a wire wheel for the angle grinder to take the factory powdercoat off - worked AWESOME -
grabbed 3 pairs of vice grips, and clamped it on -
started welding, moving the vice grips, and only welding behind the vice grips.
the first one I did, I fully welded the outer ring, and did 4 welds on the inside of the wheel to prevent the inner bead from 'rolling'.
I ground this smooth, and painted it -
the other 4, I decided to weld ~2" every 4" on the outside, (2" gaps in between welds) and then weld on the inside in-between those sections. I didnt grind at all, and just called it good.
I hope that these will prevent me from fawking up some perfectly good wheels, and their extra weight over my alumiums will be like running water in my tires!
These are nice because they don't take up precious room for calipers that the traditional wheel re-enforcements do, and they ought to do about the same job...
I'll be sure to let people know how they work out...
