Beadlocks are a style wheel that allows you to deflate your tire to single digit PSI for maximum traction without debeading. For the extreme offroader or dirt and gravel road adventurer, lowing your tire pressure smooths out the ride on harsh unpaved roads and maximizes traction on obstacles for the serious offroader.

In this article we will cover

• Styles of beadlocks
  • Standard Beadlock
  • Internal Beadlocks

Standard Beadlock

A beadlock wheel works just as the name indicates, by “locking” the bead of the tire to the wheel. This is most commonly achieved by placing the outside bead of the tire between a ring that is bolted to the wheel. By bolting the bead between the two surfaces, you effectively lock the bead in place.

Since the bead is now being secured in place by the clamping ring, you can deflate the tire into the single digit range without fear of the tire coming off of the wheel while turning or going over obstacles, . We've found between 8-10PSI works great for the conditions we most commonly find ourselves.

When tire pressures are in the single digits you increase the contact patch of the tire to the ground. This gives you more traction on slick or uneven surfaces. While offroading beadlocks are an amazing tool, unfortunately not all beadlock wheels are street legal (DOT Compliant) so if you plan to drive on the street make sure to do your research.

Find the correct Beadlock wheels for your vehicle in store or visit our website.

Inner Beadlock

Internal beadlocks work with any traditional wheel or ring-style beadlock. Internal beadlocks feature a heavy-duty internal case that houses an inner tube which, when inflated, presses against the inner and outer tire beads to prevent the tire from slipping or coming loose. Not only do Inner Air Locks allow you to run very low tire pressures they also help prevent the wheel lip from getting pinched or damaged by acting as a tire within a tire.

Being DOT compliant makes internal beadlocks a big contender for a few reasons. First, most of us, our adventure vehicle also acts as our daily commuter making travel on the roads a must. Second, the option of having two sets off wheels and tires, one on-road and one offroad, may not be an option due to either money or storage. Check out our lineup of available inner beadlocks.

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What do you run on your vehicle? Internal or standard beadlocks? Need help deciding? Contact our pros to help get you out on the trails.