If you asked us to build the perfect off-road wheel, we'd start with a strong, lightweight wheel that looked good, wouldn't rust, and used a double bead-lock design to clamp both inner and outer tire beads for extremely low air pressure operation. But then we'd get greedy and require that it never leaked, broke bolts, or got us a ticket from the Highway Patrol. And it wouldn't damage the tire's bead bundle, and it should have a weight rating sufficient for 1-ton tow vehicles.
Some of you may be smiling to yourselves because you have bead locks that meet all these criteria. They were made by a company in New Jersey called Hutchinson and you got them off of an AM General Hummer. But now the rest of us can get wheels that do all of these things too, because Hutchinson has a new line of aftermarket wheels that incorporate all of its DOT-legal bead-lock technology. And there are even plans for a less expensive five-lug version by November 2003!
Rock Monster Applications*15x8, cast-aluminum wheel, 5-on-511/42 bolt pattern, with a 411/42-inch backspacing, PN WA0398, retail price $399 each. Available Jan. '04*15x8, cast-aluminum wheel, 5-on-411/42 bolt pattern, with a 351/48-inch backspacing, PN WA0401, retail price $399 each. Available Nov. '03*17x811/42 forged aluminum wheel, 8-on 611/42 bolt pattern, with a 591/416-inch backspacing, PN WA0386, retail price $770 each*17x811/42, cast-aluminum wheel, 8-on-611/42 bolt pattern, with a 591/416 back-spacing, retail price $499 each.
All prices include rubber bead lock.