I have heard of the idea of putting lag bolts into the bead to hold tires on. Has anyone else ever heard of this or tried this?

Old dirt track racers trick, we used to use 5/16" x 3/4" sheet metal screws with a dab of silicone every 2" on the rim.

How well do you think this will work compared to beadlocks? I started drilling into my wheel and when I got to the tire (44" Bogger) I started getting a little worried that it wouldn't seal. I'm not going to mess up the tire at all am I? I would be doing this on a 16.5" wheel.

this may work on dirt track cars but it will be hard to ever get the holes lined up again if you dismount the tires, not to mention this is about as african as it comes. just buy some beadlocks and get rid of those 16.5's.

[QUOTE][i] not to mention this is about as african as it comes.
polliticaly correct LOL. I know some one who did and it did not work. so he put larger screws down through the rim just behind the bead. 39.5s really balled up and held! but he had aliminuim wheels?

A couple of guys in my club run these and they work fine. Hell - their rigs are trailered so it doesn't matter if their tires leak a little.

I've got 2 39.5's in my shed that are screwed to the rim and they still have air in them - and they've been sitting for almost a year now.

I'm going to get beadlocks - but if you can't afford them - I'd say go for it.

I know of a few shops that do this and swear by it.....however....the only person I have witnessed running this setup caught some of the rim screws on a rock and proceeded to tear them out, then proceeded to junk his tire as it progressively shredded....

IMO, get real beadlocks.

if you have some old stock steel rims and your tires are getting along in age, go for it. I've seen this and meet people who have done it, some said it worked and some said it was a waste...sprint cars used to do this and they get some heavy side forces, so it should work:p

I wouldn't do it personally. I took a tire off the rim last weekend and welded the bead. Haven't run it yet but I also only did one to test and see how it works. Should be better but not as good as beadlocks.

What do you mean by "weld the Bead?" I wish someone made a steel ring you could weld on a 16.5" rim to act as a saftey bead, like the 15" rims have. It would be cool to make it about 2.5" thick then it would be real hard to push a bead off unless you pushed the whole bead off all at once. Anyone have any ideas?

$30 each any size you want

give me an ID and an OD measurement, and a thickness desired and Ill cut them and send them to you.

NC plasma is nice.

Originally posted by Jeff_Super_S
What do you mean by "weld the Bead?" I wish someone made a steel ring you could weld on a 16.5" rim to act as a saftey bead, like the 15" rims have. It would be cool to make it about 2.5" thick then it would be real hard to push a bead off unless you pushed the whole bead off all at once. Anyone have any ideas?

I just pulled the tire off the bead, and built up the safety bead on the 15 inch rim that I am running. Made it hard as hell to put the tire back on but hopefully the opposite is true as well.

I did it to my Toyota Corolla racecar. Running chains at 7,000 rpm in foot deep mud and HAMMERING berms at full side didn't hurt them. They still hold air. But I don't know if I'd do it to a $300 Bogger.

Originally posted by Lance
I did it to my Toyota Corolla racecar. Running chains at 7,000 rpm in foot deep mud and HAMMERING berms at full side didn't hurt them. They still hold air. But I don't know if I'd do it to a $300 Bogger.

What no coffee can exhaust? ;)

Drag racers do this with slicks, 5/16"x3/4" lag bolts. They run natural rubber tubes coated with baby poweder so the tube and slick can move intependently from one another.But they are more concerned with the tire slipping on the bead in the other direction. I am supprised more people dont run tubes, Maybe I'll start a new thread.

Originally posted by Jeff_Super_S
What do you mean by "weld the Bead?" I wish someone made a steel ring you could weld on a 16.5" rim to act as a saftey bead, like the 15" rims have. It would be cool to make it about 2.5" thick then it would be real hard to push a bead off unless you pushed the whole bead off all at once. Anyone have any ideas?

Good in theory, but how exactly would you get that ring over the outer lip on the wheel?:confused: If you had a two peice that you could put together and weld to the backside maybe, but that opens up a whole nother can of worms.

Originally posted by Kyle89K5


Good in theory, but how exactly would you get that ring over the outer lip on the wheel?:confused

My guess is soapy water and LOTS of psi. :D

Originally posted by Lance


My guess is soapy water and LOTS of psi. :D

Jackass :flipoff2: :D

just cut the ring in one spot and it will flex enough to get over the wheel, then weld it on. It won't be holding air so the cut doesn't matter, and stitch welding would be enough to hold it and the tire on...

Well, I don't think I'm going to use the lag bolts. Now that I have seen pictures of Rockstomper's lock kits I am just going to make some. My freind works at a shop with a CNC plasma cutter. I can make all four for about $150. Sounds good to me. I'll try to send pics when I get them made.:)

Kyle.... I know what you mean. I was thinking the only way to do it would be to cut the wheel in half, but that would be a whole nother deal. Until I figure out the perfect 16.5" rim I think I'm going to run tubes for now. Its only a mud truck so I don't air down, but I've smacked the side wall hard a few times and knocked beads off. Good thing for eather, AKA Starter Fluid.