RCCrawler Forums

rckjeep · 03-26-2007, 11:35 AM

I was lucky enough to get a chance to try out some different beadlock wheels made for 2.2 tires. The first set of wheels I got my hands on were the Super Narrow RC4WD wheels. These wheels are very nicely machined but deburred by hand but other than that very nicely made. The rings are narrow and beautifully anodized black, the wheels have a clear coat over them which gives them an awesome shine. I received them individually bagged, which was nice, like so. Though other color options are available.

Now I had these wheels the longest so there are a few more pics of them than the others. Plus being the only silver wheels, easier to photograph.

I immediately installed a set of Proline Moabs on the wheels and went off to play on the rocks. The test mule for these wheels was my Truggy, shown above.
On the rocks the wheels had an issue. I almost immediately noticed that one tire would lose a bead. Though after talking to others who run these wheels I'm thinking it's just my tires.

So since I had used some previously glued tires I swapped out a never before glued tire I had as a spare on the Truggy. Unfortunately it did not fix the problem. Some of the wheels just would not hold a Moab which is strange because Moabs have a very large bead which should work very well for beadlock wheels. I got in touch with my RC4WD contact and he told me the problem is now fixed so any wheel you buy from them should be fine. My only other complaint about the RC4WD wheels is the large hole for the axle. They do this so the same wheel can be used on different axles which keeps costs down, which is understandable.

Next I tried the wheels on my Army Truck using HPI Geolanders.

They sure look awesome on this truck. The tires fit very well on these wheels and only a few times did I have any bead loss issues, but they were under pretty tough conditions. So, I can't fault the wheels.

Overall the wheels are strong and a perfect width. I think the RC4WD wheels are the best width out of the bunch and look pretty darn good.

The next set of wheels I received where the Erickson Bulletproof Beadlocks. These are the only wheels that were not made from aluminum. They are made from black Delrin which I'm a huge fan of. A wheel obivously machined by a craftsmen. Using a wide raw aluminum ring and the standard 8 retaining screws they held the tires firmly. The Truggy was put to use again and these wheels performed flawlessly. No bead loss of anykind. The width is a bit wider than the RC4WD wheels but still narrower than a standard 2.2. They don't work quite as well with a narrowed tire but a stock Moab fits perfect. As you can see

I drove the heck out of these wheel and so did a few others and even with the extremely heavy Truggy atop them they did nothing but hold the tire even under some heavy traction conditions. Also noted I finally made a climb in the Truggy I had been repeatedly denied before, thanks to these wheels

Though I tried to get a spare wheel to test the BulletProof theroy I was denied.

The last wheel was the RD Customs Beadlock which is also beautifully machined and anodized black with a sliver aluminum thin ring. Though other color options are available.

This set is a nice set of wheels let me tell you. The backspacing is pretty much none so your track width is out there. The hex on these wheels needs to be pressed in the tolerances where so tight that there is no way you'll spin a hex in these babies. They were designed that way for extreme use in competitions. I didn't get any action shots of these wheels because I sadly had to give them back to RD Customs just a few weeks after receiving them. But I did get a shot of them on my Scale Yota

The shootout was a ton of fun and thanks to RC4WD, Erickson and RD Customs for letting me beat the snot out of these things.

The RC4WD wheels look awesome and would be great for a comp rig or a scaler if a farely wide stance is preferred. The nice silver finish offers a lot of show and the fact that they are a super narrow beadlock gives you a bunch of go.

The Erickson Bulletproof wheels offer a stealthier blacked out look and being the heaviest wheels give the best aid in traction. Though the verdict is still out on if they truely are bulletproof my money is on the wheels.

The RD Customs wheels are a true competition wheel with the widest stance out of all the wheel and their insane hex holding ability they'll be a force to be reckoned with on the course. In fact Rich still owes me a set of hexes because I could not get them out. Infact neither could he when I dropped them back off.

Good job to all offered up a set of these superb wheels. The craftsmenship is outstanding and coming from a wannabe machinist that says something. So if you are insearch of a set of beadlocks check these wheels out. They all offer up some great benefits and are all around the same price at just over $100.

Thanks again,

RCKJEEP

Etype R · 03-26-2007, 02:18 PM

Just a side note on the RC4WD beadlocks, I machined down the inner lip on mine. The beadlocks now has a lot more clamping force on the bead of the tire, and I feel I would tear the tire before pulling a bead with my mashers mounted up now. Since I machined mine down, RC4WD has corrected theirs as well, though they did not remove as much material as I did. So I can not say how well they will hold a bead personally.

chivas72 · 03-26-2007, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Etype R

Just a side note on the RC4WD beadlocks, I machined down the inner lip on mine. The beadlocks now has a lot more clamping force on the bead of the tire, and I feel I would tear the tire before pulling a bead with my mashers mounted up now. Since I machined mine down, RC4WD has corrected theirs as well, though they did not remove as much material as I did. So I can not say how well they will hold a bead personally.

pics of this please

dezfan · 03-26-2007, 02:37 PM

Nice side by side comparison!

I too have a set of the narrowed RC4WD bead locks, they must be the updated ones as they hold my mashers just fine w/o a hint of a bead slipping.

As for the Erickson bead locks, THEY ROCK! (pun intended) nothing else needs to be said!

Etype R · 03-26-2007, 02:38 PM

This is the picture I emailed them after I machined them down.

Digger · 03-26-2007, 02:59 PM

Now we just need to add the Axial 2.2 beadlocks to the shootout!

LIKES2CRAWL · 03-27-2007, 04:01 AM

Is 1BeatJeep still making his beedlocks? That would be another set to throw into the test!

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51967

rckjeep · 03-27-2007, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LIKES2CRAWL

Is 1BeatJeep still making his beedlocks? That would be another set to throw into the test!

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51967

His are the RD Customs wheels. Very nice wheelset for sure.

Also I plan on doing the same thing to the RC4WD wheels to hold Masher 2K's they will be the tire & wheel combo going on my comp buggy.

Etype R · 03-27-2007, 09:28 AM

Last night I pulled my foams out of the mashers to finally trim them. The hold was so tight on the mashers, that the bead was stuck after removing the ring. It took some force to pop the bead out of the lip. I am also currently running them with no air holes, and they are a good seal. Sunday we drove through a good amount of water, and all 4 foams were completly dry.

Natedog · 03-27-2007, 01:15 PM

Good infor Rckjeep...how easily do each of these wheels bend when the truck takes a good tumble off of a rock ledge?

minijosh · 03-27-2007, 01:32 PM

Did you use alloy or plastic hexes on your truck to hold the wheels on? I have a set of the super narrow RC4WD for my TLT and not sure which to use.

DISTURBIN' tha PEACE · 03-27-2007, 01:50 PM

I too have a set of beadlocks from 1beatjeep. IMO, the best out there. No problems holding any bead, mashers included. The hex area, like rckjeep said is very tight. I had too use an x-acto to cut them out. Now I use AL hexes for a bulletproof setup.

minijosh · 03-28-2007, 09:13 AM

Ok thanks for the info. Which brand did u use?

rckjeep · 03-28-2007, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Natedog

Good infor Rckjeep...how easily do each of these wheels bend when the truck takes a good tumble off of a rock ledge?

The Truggy took a couple of good rolls while testing these wheels are all of handled the heavy rigs weight without issue.

I used both alloy and plastic hexs with no problems

DARKHORSE · 03-28-2007, 10:08 AM

Great writeup,, I too have the R/D beadlocks silver with the black rings.. I must say they are truely a real peice of work and you cant pull the tire from the bead.. They are so nice I am almost affraid to use them for a comp truck so I decided to use them on my hauler...

And I have 2 sets of rc4wd wheels BL01 standard size, And the BL35's Narrow LE's.. The BL35's clamp down on my moabs really well, but the BL01's cant seem to hold a bead on moabs to save there lives.. I too have thought of having the lips machined too..

I still have yet to try the ericksons.. Hmmm

1beatjeep · 05-14-2007, 03:40 PM

i would like thank rckjeep for this thread here.and if you wont to try other set out you are more then wellcome to do soo.

todd1803 · 05-14-2007, 07:00 PM

So why isn't RC4WD exchanging all the wheels they sold that were defective and can't hold a bead?

$100 is a lot to spend for wheels that are only good for looking pretty on the shelf.

rc4wd · 07-23-2007, 08:19 AM

If you have any issues with our wheels, please send us an email along with your order #...

Mongo · 07-23-2007, 09:31 AM

I run the narrow RC4WDs with Moabs and have never had a problem, bought them around March or April, looks like RC4WD is gonna take care of the problems you guys are having.

666 · 07-23-2007, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rc4wd

If you have any issues with our wheels, please send us an email along with your order #...

What about people that did not purchase them from you?

I personally will never use another set of beadlocks other than the RC4WD's, even if I have to grind them down to get them to hold beads better.

03-26-2007, 11:35 AM	#1
rckjeep I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: San Jose Posts: 5,207	2.2 Beadlock Shootout I was lucky enough to get a chance to try out some different beadlock wheels made for 2.2 tires. The first set of wheels I got my hands on were the Super Narrow RC4WD wheels. These wheels are very nicely machined but deburred by hand but other than that very nicely made. The rings are narrow and beautifully anodized black, the wheels have a clear coat over them which gives them an awesome shine. I received them individually bagged, which was nice, like so. Though other color options are available. Now I had these wheels the longest so there are a few more pics of them than the others. Plus being the only silver wheels, easier to photograph. I immediately installed a set of Proline Moabs on the wheels and went off to play on the rocks. The test mule for these wheels was my Truggy, shown above. On the rocks the wheels had an issue. I almost immediately noticed that one tire would lose a bead. Though after talking to others who run these wheels I'm thinking it's just my tires. So since I had used some previously glued tires I swapped out a never before glued tire I had as a spare on the Truggy. Unfortunately it did not fix the problem. Some of the wheels just would not hold a Moab which is strange because Moabs have a very large bead which should work very well for beadlock wheels. I got in touch with my RC4WD contact and he told me the problem is now fixed so any wheel you buy from them should be fine. My only other complaint about the RC4WD wheels is the large hole for the axle. They do this so the same wheel can be used on different axles which keeps costs down, which is understandable. Next I tried the wheels on my Army Truck using HPI Geolanders. They sure look awesome on this truck. The tires fit very well on these wheels and only a few times did I have any bead loss issues, but they were under pretty tough conditions. So, I can't fault the wheels. Overall the wheels are strong and a perfect width. I think the RC4WD wheels are the best width out of the bunch and look pretty darn good. The next set of wheels I received where the Erickson Bulletproof Beadlocks. These are the only wheels that were not made from aluminum. They are made from black Delrin which I'm a huge fan of. A wheel obivously machined by a craftsmen. Using a wide raw aluminum ring and the standard 8 retaining screws they held the tires firmly. The Truggy was put to use again and these wheels performed flawlessly. No bead loss of anykind. The width is a bit wider than the RC4WD wheels but still narrower than a standard 2.2. They don't work quite as well with a narrowed tire but a stock Moab fits perfect. As you can see I drove the heck out of these wheel and so did a few others and even with the extremely heavy Truggy atop them they did nothing but hold the tire even under some heavy traction conditions. Also noted I finally made a climb in the Truggy I had been repeatedly denied before, thanks to these wheels Though I tried to get a spare wheel to test the BulletProof theroy I was denied. The last wheel was the RD Customs Beadlock which is also beautifully machined and anodized black with a sliver aluminum thin ring. Though other color options are available. This set is a nice set of wheels let me tell you. The backspacing is pretty much none so your track width is out there. The hex on these wheels needs to be pressed in the tolerances where so tight that there is no way you'll spin a hex in these babies. They were designed that way for extreme use in competitions. I didn't get any action shots of these wheels because I sadly had to give them back to RD Customs just a few weeks after receiving them. But I did get a shot of them on my Scale Yota The shootout was a ton of fun and thanks to RC4WD, Erickson and RD Customs for letting me beat the snot out of these things. The RC4WD wheels look awesome and would be great for a comp rig or a scaler if a farely wide stance is preferred. The nice silver finish offers a lot of show and the fact that they are a super narrow beadlock gives you a bunch of go. The Erickson Bulletproof wheels offer a stealthier blacked out look and being the heaviest wheels give the best aid in traction. Though the verdict is still out on if they truely are bulletproof my money is on the wheels. The RD Customs wheels are a true competition wheel with the widest stance out of all the wheel and their insane hex holding ability they'll be a force to be reckoned with on the course. In fact Rich still owes me a set of hexes because I could not get them out. Infact neither could he when I dropped them back off. Good job to all offered up a set of these superb wheels. The craftsmenship is outstanding and coming from a wannabe machinist that says something. So if you are insearch of a set of beadlocks check these wheels out. They all offer up some great benefits and are all around the same price at just over $100. Thanks again, RCKJEEP

03-26-2007, 02:38 PM	#5
Etype R Web Wheeling Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Twin Cities Posts: 3,004	This is the picture I emailed them after I machined them down. Attached Images

03-27-2007, 04:01 AM	#7
LIKES2CRAWL I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: KENNEWICK, WA Posts: 2,513	Is 1BeatJeep still making his beedlocks? That would be another set to throw into the test! http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51967 Last edited by LIKES2CRAWL; 03-27-2007 at 04:04 AM.

07-23-2007, 09:31 AM	#19
Mongo RCC Addict Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Pocatello Posts: 1,032	I run the narrow RC4WDs with Moabs and have never had a problem, bought them around March or April, looks like RC4WD is gonna take care of the problems you guys are having. Attached Images

03-26-2007, 02:18 PM	#2
Etype R Web Wheeling Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Twin Cities Posts: 3,004	Just a side note on the RC4WD beadlocks, I machined down the inner lip on mine. The beadlocks now has a lot more clamping force on the bead of the tire, and I feel I would tear the tire before pulling a bead with my mashers mounted up now. Since I machined mine down, RC4WD has corrected theirs as well, though they did not remove as much material as I did. So I can not say how well they will hold a bead personally.

03-26-2007, 02:37 PM	#4
dezfan I wanna be Dave Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Happiness is a warm AK. Posts: 12,563	Nice side by side comparison! I too have a set of the narrowed RC4WD bead locks, they must be the updated ones as they hold my mashers just fine w/o a hint of a bead slipping. As for the Erickson bead locks, THEY ROCK! (pun intended) nothing else needs to be said!

03-26-2007, 02:59 PM	#6
Digger Quarry Creeper Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Southwestern PA Posts: 259	Now we just need to add the Axial 2.2 beadlocks to the shootout!

03-27-2007, 09:28 AM	#9
Etype R Web Wheeling Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Twin Cities Posts: 3,004	Last night I pulled my foams out of the mashers to finally trim them. The hold was so tight on the mashers, that the bead was stuck after removing the ring. It took some force to pop the bead out of the lip. I am also currently running them with no air holes, and they are a good seal. Sunday we drove through a good amount of water, and all 4 foams were completly dry.

03-27-2007, 01:15 PM	#10
Natedog I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Corruptifornia Posts: 12,107	Good infor Rckjeep...how easily do each of these wheels bend when the truck takes a good tumble off of a rock ledge?

03-27-2007, 01:32 PM	#11
minijosh Quarry Creeper Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: North Las Vegas Posts: 371	Did you use alloy or plastic hexes on your truck to hold the wheels on? I have a set of the super narrow RC4WD for my TLT and not sure which to use.

03-27-2007, 01:50 PM	#12
DISTURBIN' tha PEACE I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: On the G-Train!!!!! Posts: 6,081	I too have a set of beadlocks from 1beatjeep. IMO, the best out there. No problems holding any bead, mashers included. The hex area, like rckjeep said is very tight. I had too use an x-acto to cut them out. Now I use AL hexes for a bulletproof setup.

03-28-2007, 09:13 AM	#13
minijosh Quarry Creeper Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: North Las Vegas Posts: 371	Ok thanks for the info. Which brand did u use?

03-28-2007, 10:08 AM	#15
DARKHORSE RCC Addict Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 1,329	Great writeup,, I too have the R/D beadlocks silver with the black rings.. I must say they are truely a real peice of work and you cant pull the tire from the bead.. They are so nice I am almost affraid to use them for a comp truck so I decided to use them on my hauler... And I have 2 sets of rc4wd wheels BL01 standard size, And the BL35's Narrow LE's.. The BL35's clamp down on my moabs really well, but the BL01's cant seem to hold a bead on moabs to save there lives.. I too have thought of having the lips machined too.. I still have yet to try the ericksons.. Hmmm

05-14-2007, 03:40 PM	#16
1beatjeep I wanna be Dave Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: san jose Posts: 2,061	i would like thank rckjeep for this thread here.and if you wont to try other set out you are more then wellcome to do soo.

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05-14-2007, 07:00 PM	#17
todd1803 Rock Crawler Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Auburn, WA Posts: 983	So why isn't RC4WD exchanging all the wheels they sold that were defective and can't hold a bead? $100 is a lot to spend for wheels that are only good for looking pretty on the shelf.

07-23-2007, 08:19 AM	#18
rc4wd I wanna be Dave Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 3,595	If you have any issues with our wheels, please send us an email along with your order #...

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Thread: 2.2 Beadlock Shootout