Safety Wiring Beadlocks?

[BlackWorksInc]

I just had a thought today at work regarding the securing bolts on Beadlocks.

Has anyone tried to safety-wire the bolts? I know it'd be time consuming at initial installation, but theoretically it should hold the bolts tight until you have to change the tire again. Not that checking the torque every week is a big deal, but I was just thinking if this would be a nice way to not have to do that.

I know a lot of aircraft, racing, and construction organizations use safety-wire specifically for keeping bolts from backing out, so it was just a thought?
[MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION], aren't you an aircraft guy, or am I thinking of someone else?

 

[1engineer]

I just had a thought today at work regarding the securing bolts on Beadlocks.

Has anyone tried to safety-wire the bolts? I know it'd be time consuming at initial installation, but theoretically it should hold the bolts tight until you have to change the tire again. Not that checking the torque every week is a big deal, but I was just thinking if this would be a nice way to not have to do that.

I know a lot of aircraft, racing, and construction organizations use safety-wire specifically for keeping bolts from backing out, so it was just a thought?

[MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION], aren't you an aircraft guy, or am I thinking of someone else?

In my world, wiring bolts is more of a safety "against somebody messing with adjustments or torques." Not so much to keep them from backing out as we have locktite for that, like 50 different kinds lol.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

In my world, wiring bolts is more of a safety "against somebody messing with adjustments or torques." Not so much to keep them from backing out as we have locktite for that, like 50 different kinds lol.

Ah okay, my understanding was that Safety-Wire was used for the above reasons, but also to prevent the bolts from working loose.

I heard that Loctite on beadlock bolts tends to gall the rim threads, not sure if that's true or not.

 

[Jeremy556]

I would rather weld the bolts in place and get new wheels when its time to change tires, than drill and wire that many bolts.

 

[nevada]

Ah okay, my understanding was that Safety-Wire was used for the above reasons, but also to prevent the bolts from working loose.

I heard that Loctite on beadlock bolts tends to gall the rim threads, not sure if that's true or not.

I would think the correct type of Loctite would be fine.
yes, that's what safety wiring is for, to prevent fasteners from moving. its used heavily in racing.

I would rather weld the bolts in place and get new wheels when its time to change tires, than drill and wire that many bolts.

im pretty sure you can buy pre-drilled bolts specifically for use with safety wire. although, im not sure for how much. might be more than its worth.


for pre-fabbed bead lock wheels, I think that would work well. im running weld-on beadlocks, so I have access to the nut. I just used nylock nuts. no issues.
nylock nuts, and anti-coning rings work very well.

 

[92-SR5]

Are you running the beadlocks on the road or pure off road? If it is highway, I think a safety wire setup would be cool, never seen it done before. If it is just off road use, I wouldn't even bother.

 

[Jeremy556]

im pretty sure you can buy pre-drilled bolts specifically for use with safety wire. although, im not sure for how much. might be more than its worth.

Oh, I know, I buy them, even though I have a drill press. Not sure they'll be available in the correct size, grade and thread pitch for beadlocks, though. It's pain enough just wiring 6 bolts together on rotors, I can't even imagine wiring 30+

Are you running the beadlocks on the road or pure off road? If it is highway, I think a safety wire setup would be cool, never seen it done before. If it is just off road use, I wouldn't even bother.

That's what I don't get. I'd never bother with beadlocks on anything but a trailer'd trail rig. Not worth the hassle on a street legal vehicle.

 

[SV_Dude]

I would imagine that safety wire on those bolts for an off road rig, the safety wire would get mangled and torn off after getting rubbed on the first rock.

Not to mention the cost of the hardware. Most safety bolts are aircraft grade which are all very expensive due to the testing required to produce them. They are all tested for tensile/shear strength which makes them pricey. Plus, most of them are aluminum. I would imagine that aluminum bolts would get jacked up fast when wheeling if they get rubbed across a rock or a tree.

 

[nevada]

Are you running the beadlocks on the road or pure off road? If it is highway, I think a safety wire setup would be cool, never seen it done before. If it is just off road use, I wouldn't even bother.

im not sure if they have any special conditions for safety wire(doubtful) but around here, beadlocks are not street legal. unless they are internal DOT approved locks, they are NO NO for street use.

 

[JWaldz]

It would be such a PITA to safety wire each bolt. It's PITA enough just mounting ONE wheel. I daily drive my walker evans beadlocks (Arkansas don't care bout no dot lol). I just check the bolts every month or so and definitely before/after every offroad use. Even though it is my daily driver currently, it wont be for long. Obviously that didn't stop me from doing it. I can't imagine safetly wiring would last that long in offroad conditions. Sure, they'd be fine if you daily drove them only. But who shells out that much money for real beadlocks just to drive them on the pavement? #notsmart #toomuchmoney #sharethewealth #moneyoverbrains

Just sayin'

:llama:

 

[BlackWorksInc]

im not sure if they have any special conditions for safety wire(doubtful) but around here, beadlocks are not street legal. unless they are internal DOT approved locks, they are NO NO for street use.

I'm not sure about your area, but a lot of states don't actually have laws against them. They just try to pass the DOT label as a legal standard when it really isn't meant to be used like that. When I get home I'll try to find some articles I read that were interesting in that regard.

It would be such a PITA to safety wire each bolt. It's PITA enough just mounting ONE wheel. I daily drive my walker evans beadlocks (Arkansas don't care bout no dot lol). I just check the bolts every month or so and definitely before/after every offroad use. Even though it is my daily driver currently, it wont be for long. Obviously that didn't stop me from doing it. I can't imagine safetly wiring would last that long in offroad conditions. Sure, they'd be fine if you daily drove them only. But who shells out that much money for real beadlocks just to drive them on the pavement? #notsmart #toomuchmoney #sharethewealth #moneyoverbrains

Just sayin'

:llama:

Honestly, I would love to say that if I went the beadlock route I'd offroad more often... But life seems to have a way of messing that up.

As for the bolts, one or two beadlocks I saw had the bolts protected by either a rock ring looking deal or somewhat recessed section. In either case, I'm not concerned about the wires getting torn up offroad as a pair of dikes can fix that. The funny thing is that with the LT285/70R17 Nitto Terragrapplers I'm running now on my factory Sport Edition rims I have actually scarred the wheels up much offroad yet and I do like to climb obstacles.

I've thought about two part rims and/or internal beadlock/run flat inserts similar to what armored vehicles and military use. I'm just mainly looking at different options.

 

[downpour11]

I would rather weld the bolts in place and get new wheels when its time to change tires, than drill and wire that many bolts.

This right here ^^^

and you'd have to run nut inserts on the back end so the nut wouldn't spin, then you'd also run into the issue of the safety wire being chewed up on rocks.

 

[JWaldz]

I think what you are referring to are probably OMF rock domes. They call them "bolt skids", I call them useless. They're more for show than anything else. If you were to actually use them often in the rocks they would get mashed all around the bolt heads making them that much harder to remove.

They do make DOT beadlocks. As fast as the bolts go. I don't think you need to worry about safety wire. Anti-seize is your friend when installing the bolts and with the correct 'torque to spec' installation they should never remove themselves. Like I said, I check mine probably monthly or sooner unless I'm going offroad then I check them before and after. I've never really had any of them back out none the less back out far enough to come completely out. I daily drive this thing on the highway doing 70mph daily (for now). I will say that if you plan to daily drive beadlocks be aware that they will probably never be perfectly balanced.