16" or 16.5 wheels

[Nav]

Hi, need to know if there is and advantange of using one size over another, this is for my 4x4 van.

[Coors]

Well with the regular 16.5 they don't stay seated if you try to air down. That is the biggest down side i see to them

[jarvisjeep]

16.5 wheels are bad. avoid them like a chain smoking single mom, with 5 kids from 5 dads.

Anyone who tells you otherwise, ask them to explain why. Most likly it will be " i got a cheap.free set of tires so I like them, but I never air them down."

On a 16.5 inch rim, the area where the bead seats is angled down more then a normal style rim. It is angled 15 degrees down, vs 5 degrees down on a normal style. This tire can slip off the rim alot easyer. Also the saftey bead(at the bottom of the 15 degree bead area) is alot smaller then a normal style rim.

Basicly a 16.5 inch rim will throw the tires ALOT faster then a normal style rim when you air down. 16.5 rims are a thing of the past, and dont work well for what we do, so dont get them.

[GMCTruxrule]

True dat, all the above... x 100.
Only reason I have them is I bought the truck with them and haven't aired them down yet

[Nav]

Thanks!

[94stepsideford]

Originally Posted by jarvisjeep

16.5 wheels are bad. avoid them like a chain smoking single mom, with 5 kids from 5 dads.

Anyone who tells you otherwise, ask them to explain why. Most likly it will be " i got a cheap.free set of tires so I like them, but I never air them down."

On a 16.5 inch rim, the area where the bead seats is angled down more then a normal style rim. It is angled 15 degrees down, vs 5 degrees down on a normal style. This tire can slip off the rim alot easyer. Also the saftey bead(at the bottom of the 15 degree bead area) is alot smaller then a normal style rim.

Basicly a 16.5 inch rim will throw the tires ALOT faster then a normal style rim when you air down. 16.5 rims are a thing of the past, and dont work well for what we do, so dont get them.

I have some I bought and I air them down to 8PSI regularly. I just ran a nice bead of weld where the safty bead should be. No problems in the snow yet.

[supervert]

get the 16.5s , adds to the challenge.

[welderlm]

One weld bead in the right spot well fix that.

[joes93bronco]

So you all are sayin that ALL 16.5 rims, regardless of who makes em, are the same? All have this same bead seating problem?

[Coors]

Originally Posted by welderlm

One weld bead in the right spot well fix that.

I have to say that is true. I have seen a buddy do that and it worked pretty good.

But if you can avoid them, DO

[jarvisjeep]

Not all of them. I bet there are a few sets somwhere out there that are desgined diffrently. I have never seen them yet. Correct me if I am wrong, but the 16.5 inch rim was desgined for comemrcial trucks that swaped tires alot. So the decrease in bead seat angle and a lower safety bead allows the tires to be swapped faster... I guess. Do you have a set of 16.5's that are made diffrently?

Its like taking a fat girl to prom: You COULD do it to prove everyone wrong, but why would you if there are hundreds of better models available?

[94stepsideford]

Originally Posted by jarvisjeep

Its like taking a fat girl to prom: You COULD do it to prove everyone wrong, but why would you if there are hundreds of better models available?

it gets cold up here

[jarvisjeep]

Originally Posted by 94stepsideford

it gets cold up here

Ok ok HERE is the diffrence between your school of thought, and mine. Like night and day. Apples and oranges. Up and down.

If its cold, bring TWO!! or three. Duh











me=

[D53]

if you want to rock a 16.5 wheel and are worried about loosing the bead use the H1's they are pretty cheap and 66CJDEAN on here can recenter them for fairly cheap or USA6X6 does it too. They are super easy to swap tires on, are double beadlock, but are heavy as hell. Just my 2c

[joispoi]

there seem to be more choices in the 16" rims than the 16.5's. if you can run 15" rims, the tires may cost a little less.

[68Broncoholic]

I run 16.5" wheels but they're bead locked on the outside. I haven't wheeled alot on them yet but so far I've had no problems at 8 psi.
The outside bead is what usually pops off the wheel. By themselves they're almost a usless wheel so you should stay away from them. I got a deal I couldn't refuse...The wheels are also 9" and I run a 15.5" wide tire so its tough to debead the inside.
I didn't see any difference between the bead on a 16" or 17" wheel. Both had no inner bead, at least the ones I was looking at.
Seems the only safe bet is to run dual bead locks with 1 ton running gear. Or get the grinder out so you can run 15" wheels...

[Kenny714]

Originally Posted by welderlm

One weld bead in the right spot well fix that.

Anyboby have a picture of where you put the bead? I've got a good idea, but would like to see someones. Thanks, Appreciate it!

[F350Madness]

Couldn't you weld a small piece of rebar around the inner wheel where the bead should be? It will be tough to get the tire over it but a bit of work it should pay off.

[jarvisjeep]

Originally Posted by F350Madness

Couldn't you weld a small piece of rebar around the inner wheel where the bead should be? It will be tough to get the tire over it but a bit of work it should pay off.

Have you ever seen how tall the bead is? Its very small. Rebar is WAY to big. But why would you want to waste all this time welding, grinding, trying to get a tire on when there are HUNDREDS of real beadlock options? Or even other desgined rim styles? Your logic doesnt make sense to me. Care to explain?

[WTweeder]

Originally Posted by jarvisjeep

Have you ever seen how tall the bead is? Its very small. Rebar is WAY to big. But why would you want to waste all this time welding, grinding, trying to get a tire on when there are HUNDREDS of real beadlock options? Or even other desgined rim styles? Your logic doesnt make sense to me. Care to explain?

excess of spare time?

[F350Madness]

I'm not talking 3/8" rebar, infact you could use small gauge wire and weld on the back side only. A weld bead by itself is irregular but would be better than nothing. The wire will provide more grip and be harder to pop the tire over than a weld bead. This way you can do weld stiches instead of a continous weld all the way around and worry about warpage.

Another idea a while back for cheap bead locks was the stick on crap you applied to the bead area. It basically made the tire stick to the rim like crazy glue but its a bitch to replace a tire. Works great if you have the time...

[BroncoShawn]

Just get the 16" rims and be done with it.

[clayne]

If you was using H1 wheels it would be a different story. they are double beadlock.

[jarvisjeep]

Originally Posted by F350Madness

I'm not talking 3/8" rebar, infact you could use small gauge wire and weld on the back side only. A weld bead by itself is irregular but would be better than nothing. The wire will provide more grip and be harder to pop the tire over than a weld bead. This way you can do weld stiches instead of a continous weld all the way around and worry about warpage.

Another idea a while back for cheap bead locks was the stick on crap you applied to the bead area. It basically made the tire stick to the rim like crazy glue but its a bitch to replace a tire. Works great if you have the time...

Your almost to the point of just making beadlocks for it when you start fabbing that much. A weld on bead lock set isnt that much money compared to a set from Stazworks. If I was in Alaska or somthing, had nothing todo, and no way to make more money, then Id start welding to a 16.5 rim. Untill then im going to stick with my normal bead seats, and double beadlock rims.

[68Broncoholic]

Nice! Maybe I'll have Trail Ready bead lock my inners since they're not to far from me. So far with SSR's I don't need to air down more than 8 psi to get good traction so the inner bead doesn't pop. All the bias tires I've run need to be at a lower psi for good traction and will pop the bead very easily without being locked. I'm not trying to push Radials here but it might be a good route for those without bead locks and have 16.5" wheels. Better get the unconditional warranty cause the side walls are weak.

I like the wire wrap around the wheel for a bead lip. I'm wishin I had steel wheels now...