FINALLY have my beadlocks ready to go

[jsawduste]

Don`t ask, it has been a painful 4 months to get this far.

Let`s just say watch whomever you are going to have them powder coated by.

Ground work

10" wide steelies with a BL kit from Great Lakes Offroad. Lucas Gottler did a super job welding them up.

Got the Creeply Crawlers over the outside bead so now the wheel is free floating in the tire.

Plan on using a 5 gallon bucket as my workbench.

Question time

1. How best to center the tire on the wheel ? Since the inner bead is not yet set.

2. Bolt up the outside ring and inflate ? With or without a valve core ? Thinking I will be needing a large amount of air to build up pressure quickly. So as to pop the inner bead in place. Perhaps a ratchet strap around the outside of the tire ?

3. Any adhesive on the inner bead before it gets popped on ?

Anything else you folks might suggest ?

It is going to be a PITA as it is with 32 bolts per tire so I am not looking forward to wrestling with this anymore then I have to.
:marv: :marv: :marv: :marv:

[Grandman]

When i set my outer lock on the tire it seemed to center the tire up pretty well . Mine are 39 bolt and yes it is a pain going around and around pulling the bolts evenly .

Air up , pull the core out . stand behind the wheel put your foot in the center of the wheel and pull the tire back with both hands . Unless you have 3 hands you will need some one to put the air to it :hehe:

It would do no harm to put gorrilla bead seal on the back bead .

[Jeeperz Creeperz]

1. How best to center the tire on the wheel ? Since the inner bead is not yet set.
Most of them will center themselves around the bolts. The more bolts, the more centered. You can eyeball it for the most part.

2. Bolt up the outside ring and inflate ? With or without a valve core ? Thinking I will be needing a large amount of air to build up pressure quickly. So as to pop the inner bead in place. Perhaps a ratchet strap around the outside of the tire ?You'll have to bolt up the outside to seal it then use air pressure to seat the inner bead (this is where a tire machine can be your friend). If you don't have access to a tire machine, take the valve core out and get the inner bead as close to the wheel as possible. A ratchet strap may help.

3. Any adhesive on the inner bead before it gets popped on ?Couldn't hurt.

[Haggar]

If you put them hanging on the bucket , gravity helps to let the tire sag down and make a decent seal and will seat the bead.


What I do, is take a 16" BMX bike innertube, and slip it over the inner bead. Inflate it, it makes a blow-up gasket/seal which helps get the tire seated. Good thing to leave in your Jeep, too, help on the trail as well.

[jsawduste]

Thanks guys !!

I`ll try and push the tire down on the inner bead as best a wimpy old man can. That ought to center it.

No valve core and a tank full of air. Have some 3/8 airline and fittings that I bored the ID out for blowing the sprinkler system out. They pass quite a bit more air. A ratchet strap around the tread and Jason`s great idea of a bmx tube. All while on the bucket.

Little uccum pucky around the inner bead lip and 3 hands.

On an 8 inch wheel it might not be so bad. But the 10`s I am using it looks like the inner bead will have a ways to travel before it seats and then seals.

Thanks again !!