Has anyone ever tried doing what the drag racers do to keep their tires from spinning on the wheels?

Specifically, they use special screws that go through holes in the wheel and into the tire beed. The finished product looks similiar to beed locks. I figure if they can hold up to the kind of pressure a top fuel dragster puts out (6000 HP?), and over 300mph at that, it should work well for holding our tires in place, and they could be used both inside and outside.

Anyone :question:

They may have all that horsepower but do they put the all the weight of the vehicle on the side wall of the tire? they have problems with the tire spinning on the rim. We have problems with the sidewall popping off. Not sure it the screws would hold the tire on very well. Good idea about the inner and outer bead though.

They are put on specifically to stop the tires from spinning within the wheel.

The ring for the beadlocks on 4x's also stop the stress of the outside ring of a wheel. We cant see it but many times what cause the tire to come off is actualy the wheel bead twisting under stress which cause the tire to fall off. Just bolting them would help in most cases though. However anyone doing hardcore rock crawling would go far with just some bolts.

BlueYJ:cool2:

Originally posted by BlueYJ
They are put on specifically to stop the tires from spinning within the wheel.

Or maybe the other way around... ;) :D

I have a friend who tried using screws. Tire still came off the bead and snapped the screws off in the tire. He nevercould get them all out and the tires never seated like they should again. I think he used 32 screws per side. If you decide to do it try like 50 per side, Just my thoughts:usa:

ya I mean the other way around.....LOL to much coffee this morning, brain thinking faster then I can type.

BlueYJ:cool2:

Originally posted by Weezer
I have a friend who tried using screws. Tire still came off the bead and snapped the screws off in the tire.

Any idea what he used for screws? I think the ones the drag racers use are special (high $$).

I was thinking that it would be more likely for the screws to pull out of a tire not specifically designed for them.

Im heavily inclined to believe that screws wont help one bit. Lateral load on a drag slick is minimal compared to that of my tires offroad. I've never spun the tire around the wheel, but till I got beadlocks I popped the outer beads off regularly. Most of the time when the sidewall was deformed enough to buckle in... screws wont help that.

Just wanted to say thanks for the replies. I guess if I decide to try this, I'll find an old used rim and tire to try it on first. Maybe run a short trail with the tire just about flat and see if the screws will hold the tire in place.

I'll let you know if I do and what the results were.

Anyone got an old useless rim and a 33" tire in the Phoenix, Az area they'd be willing to part with for little or no cash? :D

- Mike

http://performanceunlimited.com/customservices/rimscrewing.html

... just an FYI.

cm "yer' welcome" k

Yeah, they're called "self tapping sheet metal screws". 2" aughta be plenty. Bout 100 per side should be perfect.

And by the time you get done buying those spendy little bastards, it probalby would have been cheaper to buy beadlocks. :flipoff2:

Sounds like a cool test. Do let us know how it works out. :beer:

Boots