Tire Mounting Instructions
TIRE MOUNTING ON BEADLOCK WHEEL
Please read all instructions before mounting
Only Tire Professionals with beadlock experience should mount & dismount tires. Inflation & seating inner tire bead should always be done in a safe manner after all steps are completed and checked. Never Over Inflate Tire to Seat Bead. NEVER PLACE YOUR FACE OR BODY NEAR WHEEL/TIRE WHILE INFLATING. use tire cage with remote fill hose & clip on air chuck for personal safety while seating bead.
ALWAYS FOLLOW ALL SAFETY GUIDELINES & USE PROPER PERSONAL SAFETY GEAR.
★ALWAYS CONFIRM WHEEL DIAMETER MATCHES TIRES SPECIFIED WHEEL DIAMETER★
THIS IS JUST ONE WAY TO MOUNT TIRE ON A BEADLOCK, THERE MAY BE OTHERS THAT WORK JUST AS WELL
- INSTALL VALVE STEMS FIRST
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CHECK IF TIRES ARE DIRECTIONAL
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Place beadlock wheel face up on floor (on rubber surface like welcome mat helps)
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INSTALLING TIRE ONTO BEADLOCK WHEEL. (Note position if tires are directional, install stems) Tire lube or liquid soap is needed here. Coat inner tire bead with lube, a helper may be necessary to help lift tire and push bead over the top rim lip of wheel. Work tire around to make it drop down over wheel. Depending on tire/bead stiffness, your strength, weight & technique, getting inner bead over top of wheel may be easy & just slide right over. (USE LOTS OF LUBE) Some tires, due to construction or bead stiffness may need more effort. Two tire irons may be helpful to gradually lever tire bead over top of wheel, use caution with tire irons they can pinch fingers or spring back & hit installer. Be careful not to damage tire bead or wheel. *take note of partial lower tire bead portion that is around wheel, depending on its placement on wheel contour will help ease upper bead to slip the rest of way over.
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Some circumstances it may be necessary to make a trip to your local tire service shop to have inner bead slid over wheel with a standard tire machine. Small tire shops or shops specializing in off road or larger tires are usually best. Some tires just are a pain to manually slip over rim, it's not worth damaging tire, wheel or yourself wrestling them on. TAKE THEM TO A SHOP, spend a few bucks! Small mom & pop shops best.
- At this point the outside tire bead should be sitting on the outside top of the beadlock surface ready to install outer lock ring. The inboard tire bead will be seated later
- Wheel slightly elevated helps in next steps by using weight of tire pressing down on beadlock mating surface... Place wheel on something like large wood block supporting inside wheel near mounting surface. A strong 5 gallon bucket upside down or plastic crate can work but a heavy setup could break it.
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Before Installing outer Clamping Ring, For trouble free beadlocks, a layer of silicone on inner lock ring at tire bead mating surface can help assure a leak free beadlock. The now inverted tire bead surface may have irregular rough surface that may not seal well against beadlock ring causing air leaks. varying tire mold textures or previous tire bead damage may cause air leaks. Not performing leak test during conversion is another reason for air leaks, even tiny pin holes in weld will cause slow leaks. Small bead of basic silicone or black RTV works well around weld area between tire bead and beadlock surface. Optional step but recommended.
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INSTALLING OUTER BEADLOCK RING. Wheel/Tire should be face up with tire elevated (gravity helps). Make sure tire bead is centered on the wheel, place outer beadlock ring over tire bead, line up bolt holes, insert bolts with washers and metal lock nuts in 4 holes evenly spaced around the wheel. Tighten bolts just enough to start clamping tire bead. *For thicker tire beads longer starter bolts may be needed.
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INSTALL REMAINING HARDWARE. Tighten remaining bolts, washers, and metal lock nuts, tighten each of the bolts gradually in a circle or star pattern, key is to & evenly compress tire bead. (power/impact drivers not recommended unless regulated to a controllable torque & speed) This will require several passes around the
wheel. On the 1st pass, each of the bolts should be
snug, second pass tighten to ~20
ft-lbs.... As you work your way around the circle the bolts will become loose again.
Continue to tighten each bolt again until all of them are
tightened to approximately 20 ft-lbs again. tighten each bolt evenly around wheel to sandwich tire bead between lock rings. *This takes many passes. Outer Ring should just end up against anti-coning. Do not
over tighten or go past anti-coning contact or ring distortion is possible. After hardware is torqued, tire bead may need to take a 'set', re check beadlock hardware often. Remember, there are 32 bolts spread around a small surface area. DO NOT OVER TORQUE, always use quality grade 8 hardware with lock nuts. (all metal pinch type lock nuts or Nylock are best for this).
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SETTING INNER TIRE BEAD. TIRE NEEDS TO BE INNER BEAD DOWN & NOT TOUCHING GROUND. (or in tire cage) LIBERALLY Lube inboard tire bead & wheel, use same block bucket or crate to elevate wheel & tire, *without anything touching tire, Inflate tire to seat bead, with tire elevated gravity helps the inner bead seal to seat bead. Keep your body/face away from tire DO NOT
OVER INFLATE. If inside bead fails to seat at max 30 psi (or max inflation listed on tire) release all air pressure, turn tire over to separate bead and relube bead area of wheel & tire, elevate tire and try again. (if working in cold temperature, letting tire sit in worm room or sun may help with getting tire on/over top of wheel and seating inside bead. Tire shop with tire safety cage may be necessary for seating inner bead)
- Tire Removal from Beadlock Wheel. Tire irons can be used but best to utilize a tire shop/tire machine to break inside tire bead & remove tire. *BEFORE REMOVING BEADLOCK HARDWARE always deflate tire completely, weight off tire.
- ALWAYS CHECK BEADLOCK HARDWARE TORQUE & CONDITION BEFORE AND AFTER EVERY TRIP
- REPLACE ANY DAMAGED HARDWARE
- ALWAYS USE QUALITY GRADE 8 HARDWARE WITH LOCKING NUTS
- DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN BEADLOCK HARDWARE
- NEVER LOOSEN OR REMOVE ANY BEADLOCK HARDWARE WHEN TIRE IS INFLATED
- NEW BEADLOCK HARDWARE OR AT LEAST NEW 'ALL METAL OR NYLOCK' LOCK NUTS SHOULD BE REPLACED AFTER BEADLOCK DISASSEMBLED MORE THAN ONCE
- IF A BEADLOCK WHEEL IS DAMAGED, HAVE IT INSPECTED THOROUGHLY BEFORE IT'S PUT BACK IN SERVICE
- MOUNTING ANY TIRE OR WHEEL CAN DANGEROUS. PROFESIONAL INSTALLATION IS RECOMMENDED