Bead Locks Have Always been the answer for keeping tires on the rim while off-roading at low tire pressure. While conventional bead locks clamp the outer bead to the wheel with a bolt-on external ring, pneumatic versions seal both beads at the same time simply using air pressure from the inside. This saves weight for those racing and also makes it quite a bit easier to change a tire. These pneumatic bead locks can also be easily switched from wheel to wheel. Shawn Lichty of Inner Air Lock in Traverse City, Michigan, has come up with a new version of the pneumatic bead lock that is doing quite well on the trails in the Northeast.
Through testing different compounds, thread, and inner tubes, Inner Air Lock came up with the 40-ounce polycoated nylon casing that is triple-stitched with high-tensile strength nylon thread. The tall sidewall profile is sewn with super-strong nylon webbing to get an excellent grip on the tire bead. The best part about this system is that you can find replacement inner tubes at any motorcycle shop instead of having to order them through the manufacturer. Inner Air Lock offers sizes for most popular wheels and can custom-make its product for just about any wheel available.
We traveled into the upper reaches of Michigan for a trail ride and to see what they were all about and were pleasantly surprised when we couldn't blow the bead on any of the test vehicles.
The Inner Air Lock kit contains all the necessary components for the install, including four casings, four tubes, a new custom valve stem with hardware for each rim, talcum powder, directions, and of course stickers. | 
The system works by inflating an inner tube inside of a specially designed casing built to withstand the rigors of big tires and massive side loads. They are constructed of multiple layers of thick polycoated nylon held together by triple-stitched 100-percent nylon thread. When inflated, the inner tube takes the shape of the casing that is designed to put a 30-psi load on both beads, holding them on the rim at low tire pressures. | 
A hole must be drilled opposite the original valve stem hole for the inner-tube stem. A custom valve stem then replaces the original valve stem. The casing that holds the inner tube to the inside of the wheel is doused with talcum powder for lubrication and installed inside the tire with the air channel tab (arrow) in line with the new custom valve stem. |
The inner tube is also lubricated with talcum powder and installed on the inside of the casing. It's flattened out as much as possible and then lined up with the new hole drilled in the wheel. RTV silicone is put around the base of the inner-tube valve stem to prevent any possible leaks, and installed in the hole with the supplied hardware. | 
The casing's air-channel tab is tucked under and around the inner tube evenly to create a passage for air to flow freely in the tire. The inner tube is then filled to around 3 psi and inspected to make sure it is evenly filling out the casing. It is recommended that the inner tube be inflated and deflated a few times to make sure that both parts are conforming to the rim correctly. | 
After all is well with the inner tube and casing, the outside bead of the tire is put back onto the rim being careful not to puncture the casing, tube, or tire. The Inner Air Lock system is then aired up to around 15 psi, setting the bead without any further assistance. |
After all is well with the inner tube and casing, the outside bead of the tire is put back onto the rim being careful not to puncture the casing, tube, or tire. The Inner Air Lock system is then aired up to around 15 psi, setting the bead without any further assistance. | 
At 4 psi there were no surprises after putting the tires and the rig in some precarious positions. The tire bulged quite severely and held the bead over all types of different terrain. We then winched Lichty's heavy, 1-ton axle-equipped Scout sideways dragging the tire across a log. The rim separated from the tire about an inch, the bead was held the entire time. The tire eventually folded over itself, but the Inner Air Locks still held both beads. We were definitely convinced of these bead locks' performance after spending a day with the folks from Inner Air Lock. | |