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Do-It-Yourself Beadlock Wheels - Homebrew Beadlocks



Rockstompers Beadlock Kit Hardware
We ordered a set of four beadlock kits to complete the conversion. Rockstomper provided the necessary hardware, which included 32 3/8-inch bolts, washers, and Nylok nuts per wheel.		 Rockstompers Beadlock Kit Procomp Series 51 Rockcrawler Wheels
The 15x8 Pro Comp Series 51 Rockcrawler Xtreme steel wheels were a good choice for installing the beadlock kits. They offer a powdercoat finish and are decently priced, which kept our overall per-beadlock-wheel cost at an acceptable level.		 Rockstompers Beadlock Kit Welded Ring
After prepping the welding surface around the wheel rim with a sanding disc, we set the inner bead ring on the wheel. Determining proper placement is pretty simple since the new inner bead ring is exactly 15 inches and fits atop the wheel lip. Once we were happy with placement, we TIG-welded the inner ring in place. We started with crisscross stitch welds to avoid heat warpage and then filled in around the perimeter.
Rockstompers Beadlock Kit Sanding Welds
Once the welding area had cooled, we cleaned up the weld bead with a sanding disc, looking carefully for pinholes that may cause leaks. We found a few leaks in each wheel that we remedied with further sanding and welding until the surface was consistent throughout.111 30.938W		 Rockstompers Beadlock Kit Complete Wheels
It took a good part of the day to complete four wheels, and we still had to mount the tires and install the outer bead rings. Before that, however, we cleaned, primed, and painted the exposed steel.		 Rockstompers Beadlock Kit Mud Ring Style
We liked the look of the mud-ring-style beadlock and went for Rockstomper's optional wide-flange outer bead rings. We took some extra time to properly finish the steel so rust wouldn't be an issue.
Rockstompers Beadlock Kit Green Ring Rockstompers Beadlock Kit Mounting Tire
An old-school pneumatic tire machine was used to mount a 35x12.50R15 Pro Comp Xterrain on the modified wheel. Once the tire was on the wheel we moved to the shop floor to begin bolting the outer ring in place.		 Rockstompers Beadlock Kit Tire On Wheel
Rockstompers Beadlock Kit Bolting Rings
Getting all of the bolts with nuts in place and tightening them is not a quick task. We started with two longer bolts to get the outer bead ring centered over the tire bead and close enough to it so that the provided bolts would reach through the inner ring to the Nylok nuts on the backside. The available nut inserts might have sped up this process, but we preferred the security of the Nylok nuts.		 Rockstompers Beadlock Kit Complete
The completed beadlock wheel provides a menacing appearance in addition to the added security of the tire bead for low-pressure trail excursions.
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