I did the search and read the posts but got a couple of questions for ya if you don't mind. I am running 39.5 TSL's on 10 inch steel wheel, chromed. I see that you make mention that I will need 1.75 inch long bolts in order to go through the two 1/4 inch plates as well as the bead and still have enough to thread into the nut certs. Was wondering how wide your locks were and where the bolt holes are drilled. The rings appear to be about 3 inches wide yes? Does the placement of the drilled out holes center the tire on the bead? You are running 32 bolts and say that that allows you to get them pretty much centered so I am guessing that the bolts when bolted down touch the bead of the tire? With me having to use the 1.75 inch long bolts, will I run into interference with the inner rib or hump on the wheel or can I just run the contersunk bolt down untill I reach 20 foot pounds? What if I used wider rings and had the holes drilled out farther to clear the hump with the longer bolts needed? Sounds like you can do custom rings as well so I would like to make it as easy as possible to mount and dismount out on the trail. Also do you bevel the edges of the rings to make it easier on the tire bead? I talked with the guy as Sam's Offroad and he told me there is not a real strength issue when it comes to 18 or 32 bolts both work fine for really large tires and he garanteed me 18 to be as strong as the 32 style, so could you make them with 18 bolts and still figure or garantee that your design will hold air in or the bead sealed? Seems like that too would make it easier for the on the trail repair.Thanks. Sorry it is so long.

One more question, sorry. How large of a countersunk bolt are you using? Can I get them with larger bolts?

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Originally posted by coiled
I did the search and read the posts but got a couple of questions for ya if you don't mind. I am running 39.5 TSL's on 10 inch steel wheel, chromed. I see that you make mention that I will need 1.75 inch long bolts in order to go through the two 1/4 inch plates as well as the bead and still have enough to thread into the nut certs. Was wondering how wide your locks were and where the bolt holes are drilled.

Sorry about the slow response; I don't get online daily, and it kinda impairs my ability to respond quickly.

Anyway, the rings are about 2.25" wide; the bolt holes are just under 14" on the bolt circle. The holes aren't drilled at all; they're punched (but they may as well be drilled, punching is just faster/cheaper)

You need 1.5" bolts to go through both and into the nutserts; 1.75" is longer than really necessary, but it won't hurt. We supply bolts with the lock kits.

Does the placement of the drilled out holes center the tire on the bead?

No. The outer edge of the outer lock ring, centers the tire on the shoulder of the bead. The bolts do not touch the tire.

You are running 32 bolts and say that that allows you to get them pretty much centered so I am guessing that the bolts when bolted down touch the bead of the tire?

The rings center the tire; the bolts just hold the rings together. The bolts do center the outer ring on the inner ring, which (during install) centers up on the wheel. If the bolts touched the tire, they'd potentially rip up the bead surface. Having 32 bolts (vs 16 or 18 or 24 or 36 or....) just increases the strength of the bolts collectively; it gives you more holding power on the tire, but doesn't affect centering at all.

With me having to use the 1.75 inch long bolts, will I run into interference with the inner rib or hump on the wheel or can I just run the contersunk bolt down untill I reach 20 foot pounds?

Since you mentioned steel wheels... they'll clear. There are some aluminum wheels that won't, but I have yet to see a steel wheel that won't clear the bolts with the locks installed.

What if I used wider rings and had the holes drilled out farther to clear the hump with the longer bolts needed?

Umm... I'm confused. Farther out as in bigger diameter of the bolt circle, or farther out as in smaller diameter (farther from the tire bead)? See my above notes... I think the bolt location was unclear from before.

Sounds like you can do custom rings as well so I would like to make it as easy as possible to mount and dismount out on the trail.

We can do custom rings. However, we can't get them economically in small runs (you probably noticed the 20" beadlock discussion--a set of 20" lock rings, is an entire sheet of steel plate) because they're CNC plasma/punched, and our plasma guy works in full-sheet quantities. These are already about as easy as we can reasonably make them to mount and dismount on the trail, though.

Also do you bevel the edges of the rings to make it easier on the tire bead?

That's why we spec'd plasma cutting (rather than laser)--it rounds the edge.

I talked with the guy as Sam's Offroad and he told me there is not a real strength issue when it comes to 18 or 32 bolts both work fine for really large tires and he garanteed me 18 to be as strong as the 32 style, so could you make them with 18 bolts and still figure or garantee that your design will hold air in or the bead sealed?

If Sam says it's OK to run less bolts, that's Sam's prerogative. I personally (since I own the company) don't want my name on something that I'm not sure of. So no, I won't guarantee or figure or whatever, anything, if you leave half the bolts out.

That said, I've run mine with half the bolts missing, and they do still hold air. I just don't like it; I'd rather have the overkill of knowing that I can chew off a half dozen bolts on the trail (FYI, I have yet to actually do that, but I've seen it happen on other beadlocks) and still get home no problem. I haven't (and won't) run them on the trail that way, only on the street.

Seems like that too would make it easier for the on the trail repair.Thanks. Sorry it is so long.

I guess I'm confused; I do all my own tire mounting (by hand) on these things, granted, it's at the shop, but out back, in the dead grass and weeds... it's not as easy as having a tire shop do it for me, but it's a lot easier than doing it on a normal wheel. If you're looking for something that's quick-release change-out to swap a different tire on... carry more mounted spares. Any beadlock is going to be a PITA to take out all the bolts (that's the most time consuming part of it, BTW), take off the tire, then put on another tire, put all the bolts back in....

On the "one more question"... they're 3/8" bolts, regardless of countersunk, button head, or hex. Anything larger on a countersunk bolt, and the countersink would be *through* the ring, and coming out the other side. Also, the nutserts would have to be larger, and the next step up that nutserts are available for, is 1/2". So yes, you can get larger bolts, if you want... but going to 1/2" countersunk bolts, would nearly double the price of the lock kits. 3/8" is already larger bolts than probably 75% of the beadlock manufacturers out there, use.

Oh my gawwwd !

Scott, every answer you give I like.

Hope the nutcerts come soon - my locks are one of the 2 sets Chad ordered a while back.

I am sooooo stoked !

I will be doing a full article, from opening the box to tearing it up in the rocks !!

weeeeeeee:smokin:

Originally posted by BillaVista
Scott, every answer you give I like.

Thanks! :)

Hope the nutcerts come soon - my locks are one of the 2 sets Chad ordered a while back.

I'm told that they'll be here tomorrow (Thursday), so they'll ship as soon as I get back from Denver tomorrow afternoon.

I will be doing a full article, from opening the box to tearing it up in the rocks !!

Glad to hear it... but there won't be a box. They're heavy enough that we don't usually box 'em up... we just bolt 'em together into a slab, and put plates on the ends of the stack of lock rings. All the hardware rides in the middle. Burly packaging even. :)

Shhhhuuuweeeeeeeeeet!

Of course, why would Rockstomper use a wimply li'l cardboard box!

(Beavis voice) heh heh heh...thish ish gonna be sooo cool heh heh