Bead Lock Wheels
 

I see lots of cars now running with bead locks and I wonder if they really need them. Fuel cars, no doubt, but your everyday bracket car, well I have my doubts. My question is do I need to put bead locks on my car, a 3000lb car with somewhere around 1000hp?

I run 6.8 sec quarters at 198mph and use rim screws. Bead locks look cool, cost a hellova lot and are really only needed over 200 mph.

I can tell you why most put them on bracket cars ... they are more consistent, its been proven several times.

So would you use double or single bead locks?

I was wondering how bead locks are more consistent? I use rims screws and the tires do not move on the rims. If they did, I would see it in the bead being torn by the movement of the screws.
Is it the extra mass of the lock rings being so far from the center point of the axle?

Less sidewall movement not tire movement on the rim ....

But of course this is to a point if you dont have the power to lug the extra weight your just wasting your time, but by all means if you got the HP the beadlock is the ticket ..

I thought about the bead locks for my wheels, but decided since the locks add about 8 lbs per wheel there was no performance gain by using them. It's been said every 10 lb of rotational weight is equal to 100lbs of sprung weight. So thats like adding 160 lb. to your car. Locks do look cool though! :wink:

3 thousands difference back to back weld beadlock vs nonbeadlock same hoosier tire :)

Can't argue with that. May be a bigger difference a SB than a BB?? :?

I have no doubt if you dont have the HP/TQ to lug the added weight along they will be much slower. Them bad boys are heavy !

There is no reason to run a single bead lock. The guys you see running singles are rock crawler guys. Why they do it, not sure but for what we do, both sidewalls take just as much impact.

As for the locks.. they do add a little bit of weight and are a little harder to break loose on the track. They become consistent in the fact that you are not gaining the wheel spin as quickly as you would with a lighter wheel which reduces the chance of lost traction and a more consistent race car. This is seen more on a guy running a smaller tire. If you are a cheap SOB like me, you skip the locks and throw a set of big Hoosier 34.5's at your ride. :lol: