Increasing traction out on the trail is as easy as airing down your tires. This increases the tire's footprint and allows the tire to more easily conform to any uneven obstacles passing underneath. The problem with airing down tires is that they're left susceptible to rolling off the bead of the wheel. Unseating a bead when your vehicle is off camber or in a tight situation can be unnerving and tough to repair. Bead-lock wheels won't allow the tire to come off the bead and keep the tire securely clamped to the wheel under low-pressure usage. Keep in mind that bead-lock wheels are not DOT (Department of Transportation) approved.
Listed below are the manufactures of the latest high-performance bead-lock wheels. They can help you with any size or application you're looking for.
Allied Wheel
Wheel: Monster and Sport ModFeatures: Aluminum bead-lock wheel; outer ring is steel for durability against rocks; heavy-duty 32-bolt construction; competition-grade rockcrawling wheel engineered to survive extreme abuse; uses sophisticated formed lock ring design.Sizes: 15x8, 15x10, 17x8, 17x10, and 17x12 inchesAllied Wheel Components, (800) 529-4335, www.alliedwheel.com., www.high-impact.net
Basset Wheels
Wheel: D-Hole-Style Bead LockFeatures: High-quality steel bead-lock wheel built with 40 years of wheel experience and technology; offers excellent tire-holding abilities under extreme conditions.Sizes: 7-, 8-, 9-, 10-, 11-, 12-, 13-, 14-, and 15-inch sizesBassett Racing Wheel, (888) 888-7199, www.bassettwheel.com
Champion Wheel
Wheel: Baja 24-BoltFeatures: Bead-lock design; 24-bolt rings are knurled for better tire-holding capabilities; outer rings available in red, blue, black, and polished; engineered for extreme competitive conditions and enthusiast applications.Sizes: 15x7, 15x8, 15x10, 16x7, and 16x8 inchesChampion Wheel, (559) 275-5183, www.championwheel.com
Eaton Wheel
Wheel: Extra Heavy-Duty Bead LockFeatures: Two-piece welded steel construction with steel bead-lock rings retained with 16 Grade-8 bolts; rugged design built for durability; available with painted or chromed finish.Sizes: 15x8, 15x10, 15x12, 15x14, 16.5x9.75, 16.5x12, and 16.5x14 inchesEaton Wheel, (800) 847-3287, www.ntwonline.com
Marsh Racing Technology
Wheel: 20-inch Bead LockFeatures: 20-inch bead locks will fit the needs of people using large tires; powdercoated; 1/2-inch Grade-8 gold-plated flange head bolts; available in two versions, a Heavy Duty model with (24) 1/2-inch bolts, and Extreme Duty model with (48) 1/2-inch bolts. Marsh also offers the RockCrusher Bead Lock; the lock ring closes the wheel up so rocks stumps and off-road debris stays out of the wheel.Sizes: 20x10, 20x12, 20x14, 20x16, and 20x18 inches
Factory Tubular Motorsports
Wheel: Pro Series Bead LockFeatures: 3/8-inch steel inner ring and 3/8-inch 6061 T6 aluminum outer ring; 30 3/8-inch bolts; FTM's copyrighted "Keyed Register"; keyway ensures maximum support and zero distortion of the tire bead, making the wheel ideal for both high- and low-speed applications; tough and durable rockcrawling wheel.Sizes: 15x8, 15x10, 15x12, 16x8, 16x10, and 17x8 inchesFactory Tubular Motorsports, (888) 338-8327, www.factorytubular.com