are bead locks really worth it?

[smoothie]

I know this mayb have been covered before but i searched and didn't come up with too much.

basicly what the topic says. are beadlocks really worth it?

I will be getting new tires soon here and i was just going to pick up a set of rims with them but was looking into beadlocks. they are definantly more expensive but do they really help that much? I've been riding on my stock rims for quite some time now and i've raced quite a bit on them and have never had any trouble with my tires popping off the rim fornt or rear. then again this is with 20's and 22's which i have always ran on my z400 anyway. I'm going with 18's and i figure that beadlocks would actually make a bigger difference there.

[csimp3]

way off topic, but where in portage do you ride? a friend of mine has a cabin up there and we were thinkin about bringin the quads, anywhere good to ride?

[400exrider707]

If you have to ask, you have obviously never had to pull off the track early cause you ripped a tire off of the rim. Yes they are worth it. Especially if you upgrade to a 450 anytime. Front beads eh maybe not so much for MX, XC maybe, but rear beads are definitely worth it. Also they will allow you to run a little less air pressure in some situations to hook up better and not worry about it coming off.

[4TraxRider]

They are definately worth it if your racing. You don't really have to worry about your tire coming off the rim and if you happen to get a flat during the race you can still finish. I highly recomend getting a set if your running 18's. I've got 2 years of MX on a set of hipers and have only reaplaced the outer ring once because it was really chewed up and nasty looking, but still held air fine.

[Linkin24]

the stock rims have a better bead than most aftermarket non beadlock rims, that why you have had no trouble with them. but if you are going to but a set of rims for mx i would go with beadlocks for sure. for the front they are not needed but like stated above they are worth it. both of my sets i have i got used for half the price of new ones.

[1fst400]

only reason I have beadlocks on the front of my quad is
1- way easier to change tires!!!
2-they look cool.

[Over-land 450r]

beadlocks are a must for racing. If your not seriouse they you dont have to but i suggest a reinforced rim atleast.
As for the front and rear beadlocks the fronts look nice but they make the quad heavier. 7 lbs is the same as adding or losing a Hp. If you can get 1 hp from less wait thats good. stick with the stock fronts.
talk to pappy on here hes got good stuff at a good price.

Good luck and just get them they are worth it.
Later
Rob

[smoothie]

hey thanks every body for the input, it was great hearing it all. I was more than likely considering beadlocks for the rear with 18's. as stated i figured the fronts wouldn't be so needed. thank you all again for the advice as it lead me to the conclusion of simply buying beadlocks for the rear only and be done with it.


When were you guys thinking off comming up here? where are you guys from? there are quite a few deec spots around here, a few of my friends have tracks at their places and we ride up at dyracuse park. they have 2 tracks and about 10 miles of trail which is basicly your personal enduro track :D it's in the small town of rome up by adams(inbred county lol jk, but they are a bunch of wierd people :D) here is a link

http://www.my411site.net/dyracuse/


Originally posted by csimp3
way off topic, but where in portage do you ride? a friend of mine has a cabin up there and we were thinkin about bringin the quads, anywhere good to ride?

I somtimes wished i had front bead locks. Some times i would come down from a jump so hard or land side ways on the front tire that all the air would be pushed out of the bead. The tire would stay on but it would be flat and bead locks would have helped alot.

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by goat breath
I somtimes wished i had front bead locks. Some times i would come down from a jump so hard or land side ways on the front tire that all the air would be pushed out of the bead. The tire would stay on but it would be flat and bead locks would have helped alot.


holy cow, are your rims bent maybe?

[smoothie]

sounds like bent rim is possible..... sounds even more like a harsh landing:eek2:

Originally posted by 400exrider707
holy cow, are your rims bent maybe?

Not that i know of.

[deathman53]

I like beadlocks as its far easier to change tires and mount them. Sometimes it can be a real nightmare to get the tire over both of the beads. That is why I have dual beadlock rears and single fronts(only one bead to break on those).

[hornetgod13]

I think they are worth it. I spent $730.00 ($182.50 avg per rim) on the rims and $200.00 on new tires. I got free shipping on both.
The HiPer beadlocks are the "top of the line" racing rim. A little more than a metal beadlock but, they don't bend. They are a modular design so if after the 1 year full warranty expires you damage the rim, all you have to order and replace is one of the 4 or 5 parts that make up the rim. It's cheaper than replacing a whole metal rim once it's bent. Made of Carbon Fiber for strength and flexibility they weigh 1 to 2 pounds lighter than a single aluminum beadlock rim of the same size.
Installing or swapping tires is a breeze. No bead breaking headaches or busted knuckles. You never push a tire off the rim on a bad landing or hard turn. You can run lower air pressures with out any fear.
You'll spend a bit more initially but it will save you tons of money down the road when you bend a rim or two and have to replace them. HiPer wheels will still be running strong.

[400exrider707]

I think I've seen you post that picture up about 50 times in the last couple days with your new hipers on it....... your lucky its nice to look at!:blah:

[hornetgod13]

I've posted pictures on about 4 threads since I put them on. I like showing them off. It took me a long time to save up the money to get them.

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by hornetgod13
I've posted pictures on about 4 threads since I put them on. I like showing them off. It took me a long time to save up the money to get them.

I know man believe me! Im just bustin your chops:macho

[Pappy]

MX-

For MX, rear beadlocks are almost mandatory. The forces placed on the tie when cornering ( I dont mean slow speed, I am talking WFO) will literally rip the tire off the rim. Beadlocks prevent this and add strength to keep the rim from buckiling on landings especially when you are forced to run a lower tire pressure.

Fronts are not as important as far as being beadlock, but a reinforced rim design is still preferable.


XC- Front and Rear if you want to not come back to the pits on a rim.


No matter what rim you buy, make sure it has a reinforcing ring on the non beadlock side of the rim. I have several sets here that riders ruined from the inner portion of the rim not being reinforced with a ring of some sort.

Shot of a Hiper non beadlock front and a ITP GNCC front tire. We had to run pretty high pressures to keep the tire on this rim with this combo, but since regulating those rims to MX duty we have had ZERO issues.

[Pappy]

Proper air pressure can also help save non beadlocks. In this picture, a warm up lap or two could have meant a bent or flat spotted rim due to inadequte air pressure

[Pappy]

Track conditions will dictate what is the "best" air pressure, and this is an often overlooked pre-ride item IMO. Beadlocks can save the day, especially once a loose loam corner turns into a hard pack one as the day wears on

[Pappy]

Once you have the right pressure, it should take alot of abuse before you run into problems

[400exrider707]

Good Pics papster....that 450r looks like the beadlock is running on the dirt!!:eek2:

[Pappy]

actually its just the picture, early on that berm was somewhat loose allowing the tire to dig in.

in this shot you can see the tire being forced to the inside as the sideload increases through the turn. I have seen many a tire come right off the rim in this corner.

[Pappy]

even with beadlocks and proper air pressure the tire will buckle, and its most noticable when coming in on a hard landing

[Pappy]

Landing a 60 foot jump will test parts, suspension is the key to saving alot of wear on your frame and other parts. Stock shocks or improperly set up aftermarket suspension will transfer the energy to every component and to YOU.

[Pappy]

XC racing and hard trail riding just beg for beadlocks front and rear. The taller tires with more sidewall love to roll off a non beadlock rim. Add the ruts and speed to the mix and the beadlock is in its element

[400exrider707]

The pics are awesome!

[Pappy]

Just ahead of the rear tire is a small stump that has been unearthed during the race, this will slide a tire off a standard rim quicker then Wally at sears and his fancy tire machine! It will also cut a sidewall in a heartbeat

[smoothie]

very nice pcitures! and thanks for the info. post more pics if you want, I'm not complaining:D

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by smoothie
post more pics if you want, I'm not complaining:D

Thats what Im talking about