Today’s Tech Thursday will focus on traditional style bead locks.
What are bead locks? Bead locks are a type of wheel that uses a clamping ring to hold the bead of the tire to the wheel instead of using air pressure to hold the tire to the wheel.
Why would you want to air down your tires? When you take your vehicle off road it is beneficial to air the tires down to increase the surface area or contact patch of the tire with the ground. This larger contact patch provides more traction which is helpful when driving offroad.
What are the consequences of airing down too low? On a standard wheel the air pressure inside the tire forces the bead of the tire against the rim. When you air down, the pressure is decreased thus providing less force to hold the bead of the tire against the wheel rim. Now you have a greater probability of the tire coming off of the bead when your tire is up against a rock, ledge, stump or other hard surface.
