I have been looking for some 16.5" rims for my 8 lug D60 transplant for my TJ...

It would seem that NO 16.5" rims have a safety bead - is this correct? It is not an issue if you are beadlocking them, and I am putting internal beadlocks into 4 of them (tyrelocks).

But what about the 5th? I am getting mixed feedback - yes, you can run them tubeless... no you can't and you will need a tube.

Not sure what my chances are of finding a tube... running 38.5x14.5-R16.5 TSL SX's.

Anyone running 16.5" tubeless? DO they have a safety bead? Just wondering if I have to drop another AU$320 into a 5th beadlock for the spare.

16.5 rims do not have a safety bead, but depending on the tire, they can be run without a tube, just not at very low pressure without risking blowing a bead. It's not that hard to grind the Dana 60 calipers down to clear 16" or 15" rims but it sounds like you've already invested quite a bit of time and money into 16.5's

Yup - not real keen on grinding enough to fit a 15" rim, and the tire size options for 16" rims are very limited (big swampers etc. I mean)... hence the 16.5's.

As a spare I guess it would be ok tubeless, as long as I don't drop the pressure too much... how far is too much on these rims??

As long as you keep some good pressure in them they will work. They do not have the safety bead or at least not much of one unless you go with Hummer wheels. They are 16.5.
You can get the thornbirds in a 38.5X14.5X16 or just get 15" wheels that have 2.5" backspacing and then no grinding required!

my question is why??

Wjy why why do 16.5" rims not have a safet bead? What was the manu's reason for this??

never understood it

Grinding to clear 15" rims isn't really that bad, but here's an example of a 16.5 tire at 10psi, of course it's a 39.5x18 Mickey Junkson on a 16.5 x stupid 14" rim, and the guys drives like a tool, whoops, his brother hangs out on this board, aw hell, he knows his brother drives like a tool.

http://www.thunderbayoffroaders.rockcrawler.com/images/sor7.jpg http://www.thunderbayoffroaders.rockcrawler.com/images/sor8.jpg http://www.thunderbayoffroaders.rockcrawler.com/images/sor9.jpg
http://www.thunderbayoffroaders.rockcrawler.com/images/sor10.jpg http://www.thunderbayoffroaders.rockcrawler.com/images/sor11.jpg http://www.thunderbayoffroaders.rockcrawler.com/images/sor12.jpg

16.5's lack of a safety bead also means it's super easy to blow the bead completely over the rim, or have the fire suck the tire back off the rim really quickly. PITA to say the least. By the way, who would ever buy Thornturds?

check it out - http://www.tennessee4x4.com/toyota/16_5_rims_and_safety_beads.htm

By the way, who would ever buy Thornturds?

Around here the I5 four wheel drive crowd swears by Thornbirds.
I think they like the look after 10 k of pavment driving. The center of the tire wears smooth so it looks like a racing slick with nobbies.

get some hummer bead locks, they are 16.5 beadlocked and cheaper than any other beadlocked wheel.:skull:

Thornturds... ummmmm, no thanks.

Hummer wheels may work, but harder to get here and probably not road legal in Australia... not that a 38.5" SX is road legal either, but one less reason for the fuzz to pull me over. Crazy backspacing too, but not too hard to fix.

External (mechanical) beadlocks aren't legal either, which is why I am going for internals this time... not that I have had any hassles with my 15x8" external beadlocks yet - just figured that if I had the chance I would go for the internals. Axel swap is the perfect excuse :D

By the way, who would ever buy Thornturds?

This guy!

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/6/l_ff95cb11aa2bc98b04c93d44c98a40c9.jpg

He does it for the ladies. People who are totally noob to wheelin think that these and boggers are the coolest damn thing ever.

or a guy that would bring a thread back to life after almost 7 years....

my question is why??

Wjy why why do 16.5" rims not have a safet bead? What was the manu's reason for this??

never understood it

because the 16.5 were "truck" rims and at normal truck pressures (60+ psi)there is no issue with the bead coming off. Also when they were made pick ups (trucks) were not a the cool vehicle to have and went mostly to businesses and farmers, who were more likely to maintain there tires.

or a guy that would bring a thread back to life after almost 7 years....

Damn straight. That's how I roll. :mr-t:

I wouldn't say all 16.5 rims don't have a saftey bead. Out of the 4 rims I have, 2 of them do.

since we brought back the super old thread...anyone here ever weld 1/4 rod the whole way around the inner bead to help hold it on. a guy i know uses it with the inner bead and has the outer bead locked?

Check this out,
http://www.4x4spot.com/16_5_rims_and_safety_beads.htm

holly f... talik about an old thread being ressurected. BTW there is another 5 years old threda that has pictures of welding the rod across the wheel for a safety bead. As it was said even back then, search fawker :D

since we brought back the super old thread...anyone here ever weld 1/4 rod the whole way around the inner bead to help hold it on. a guy i know uses it with the inner bead and has the outer bead locked?

1/4inch would be a bitch to get the tire over. I used 3/16 round stock tack welded every 1/2 inch, and ramped the inside edge with body filler. Sand it smooth and the tire slides right over it. I just hope I dont have to take it off anytime soon.:laughing:

holly f... talik about an old thread being ressurected. BTW there is another 5 years old threda that has pictures of welding the rod across the wheel for a safety bead. As it was said even back then, search fawker :D

then link it up haha:flipoff2:

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=289706&highlight=safety+bead