Truck Wheel Tech Information

Wheel Spacers
Spacers used to be considered a Band-Aid fix for people who couldn't afford to buy the correct wheels for their vehicle or wanted an affordable dualie conversion. These days, however, quality billet spacers from companies such as Performance Wheel, Spider Trax, and Trail Sport provide 4x4 owners a reliable and cost-effective alternative to replacing their existing wheels. Spacers decrease effective backspacing, creating a wider track and increasing tire clearance between chassis components. Many aftermarket aluminum wheels have 4 1/4 to 5 or more inches of backspacing, which tucks in the tires under the wheelwells. Unfortunately, this often creates clearance issues when you're adding wider-than-stock tires and aftermarket axles, calipers, brake hoses, and lift kits.

Aftermarket spacers are available in most popular bolt patterns in thicknesses ranging from 1/2 to 4 inches. In some cases they require longer axle wheel studs for proper thread engagement. Additionally, most spacer manufacturers also offer adapters for changing bolt patterns. This can be a convenient solution when swapping in an axle that has a different pattern than the one it replaces.

Beadlocks
Most extreme wheelers run beadlocks to keep their tires and wheels attached when running little to no air pressure. Like standard wheels, beadlocks are available in steel and aluminum. "Steel is everything anyone needs for rockcrawling," says High Impact president Greg Miller (who also sells alloy wheels and beadlocks for customers who want form and function). "Aluminum is prettier, but the weight savings is often canceled by the big tires. Racers like the small percentage savings in unsprung weight, but if weight is that important they should go to independent suspension."

The biggest beadlock news is the number of companies that are now casting aluminum one-piece wheels with an integral internal lock ring. These "born beadlocks" eliminate manufacturing variances. Spyderlock's Slay says, "Wheels with a weld-on application partially have their design element dictated by the structure of the host wheel. Wheels 'born' as beadlocks are not hindered in design in the same way. Weld-together beadlock are more likely to fail. However, this is very uncommon and is usually due to poor welding technique when the beadlock is first produced or when the end user overtightens the beadlock."

Slay continues to say that casting a beadlock creates an opportunity for optimal off-road backspacing. "I have traditionally built my Rock Rods and custom Jeeps around shallow backspacing-primarily for suspension clearances, maximum turning radius, and stability. Spyderlocks are molded at a 3 1/2-inch backspace; before the Spyderlock this was only accomplishable in steel. This offset also accommodates Jeep TJs and the new JKs, which normally require wheel spacers to realize full steering and prevent suspension rubbing with large tires."

Beadlocks also require routine maintenance. AEV recommends retorqueing the bolts at least once a month and replacing all bolts annually or sooner. The company also advocates a 50- to 100-mile seating period, after which the wheels should be balanced and retorqued.

Using beadlocks on road is a story in itself. DOT compliance involves manufacturers submitting their wheels to independent labs for construction and fatigue testing. Many companies' beadlocks are built to pass these tests, but smaller manufacturers find the testing too expensive. "The disadvantage of having this badge is it may open wheel companies to a larger liability," Slay says.

Rob Gillanders, an off-roader and industry lawyer practicing with the Gaitn Group in Seattle, elaborates: "Section 110 of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (49 CFR 571, part 110) allows manufacturers to indicate wheels are DOT certified if they meet all requirements of the FMVSS. Those requirements are considered minimal safety standards and should not be treated as a safe harbor from either state law requirements or mean sheriffs restricting on-road use of beadlock rims. Best practice is to follow manufacturers' recommendations/warnings and consult state vehicle equipment regulations before taking your Moab-ready beadlocks out on the road. Also, choose a wheel manufacturer that follows SAE J2530 recommended guidelines for quality and durability." (These SAE guidelines are the wheel industry's current standard for policing itself.)

High Impact's Miller adds, "Most of the time when cops pull over someone with beadlocks it's to ask where they got them."

Basically, safety certification is becoming increasingly important. Slay says, "In the past most off-highway enthusiast were primarily focused on the performance of their vehicles in the dirt. However, with the new JK, FJ, and H3 crowd hitting the trails, stamp-of-compliance and questions surrounding it are much more common. If companies want to harness the demand from this new generation, it may be wise to seek DOT approval."

Currently, Hutchinson/Rock Monster (also sold through AEV and High Impact, among others) and Center Line are the two highest-profile companies to DOT-certify beadlocks. The inflatable Staun internal system is also DOT-compliant. (AEV has additional DOT beadlock-compliance information on its website.)

Wheel material, construction, style, and fitment are just a few of the factors in choosing the right rims for your rig. Hopefully this article helped narrow down the hundreds if not thousands of possibilities.