my truck has bead locks, my 4runner does not. the truck is running 42"s tires, the 4runner, 37's. I can and do air the 37's down to 4 psi regularly, zero issues. they are radials, and the sidewall has lots of give.


the 42's are bias and the sidewalls do not have a lot of give. I could never get away with the low pressures I need/want without the beadlocks. I can say this with certainty, because I had tons of issues prior to the beadlocks.


Aluminum wheels will hold a bead MUCH better than a steel wheel. for higher speed stuff, you wont be able to go down as low without locks. but for general trail use, you could get away with single digits without them.


that said, I am a hug proponent/fan of bead locks. you just have to be aware of what you're getting into.
I have ran with far too many people, and dealt with way too many popped beads from people that SHOULD have bead locks. its very time consuming to deal with on the trail...




just like a winch/locker/etc its much better to have them available just in case.