Can We Just Chat for a Minute about Beadlocks on Hotrods?

The right wheels on a hotrod will tell you everything you need to know with just one glance. Steelies with good rubber? You’ve got a baller on a budget. A nice set of mags? That owner is conscientious of getting the period-correct look and feel of an honest American road warrior. Big wheels show personality or signal performance-oriented builds. And stock pizza cutters let you know the owner is chasing factory flair. We know these styles—and we’ve grown comfortable with them. But scroll through Instagram, head to a show, or hit the local strip and you’re going to stumble upon something gaining in popularity: beadlocks.

What are Beadlocks?

Are beadlock wheels new to the world of performance cars? No, absolutely not. Billet Specialties, Weld Racing, and plenty of other suppliers of race wheels have been producing beadlocks since back in the 1980s. The beadlock design does exactly as the name implies: It locks the bead of the tire in place on the wheel. This means that sudden shocks and blows and other forces will have less of a chance to rip the bead of the tire away from the wheels.

Why are they worn on performance cars?

When it comes to the truck and off-road world, beadlocks are very common. After all, low tire pressure, high traction, and sudden shocks will work together to take the tire off the wheel.

Beadlocks have actually become such a popular mod for this segment, that many people who simply like the look have adopted the beadlock style for their wheels—whether they really need them or not.

But aside from personal style, why are beadlocks found on performance cars? Well, this comes down to serious power. High speeds can pull the bead away from the wheel and, needless to say, this is incredibly dangerous. The dangers of a tire separating from the wheel at high speeds are so considerable that the use of beadlocks is actually enforced by the NHRA. At speeds over 210 MPH, beadlocks are a requirement.

As far as power actually contributing to ripping the wheel from the tire, this isn’t something that’s much of a consideration until tremendous power levels in most cases. Though, this isn’t to say a tire slipping on a wheel isn’t a factor or that there aren’t traditional means of dealing with this issue.

Beadlock vs Rimscrews vs Knurling

Additional mounting security for tires to wheels isn’t something that’s solely expressed through beadlocks in the world of drag racing. Traditionally, rimscrews have been used by many racers, along with knurling on the inside of the wheel.

Using rimscrews is cheap and very easy to do. It simply involves drilling holes in the existing wheels and placing screws in said holes to increase the points of contact for the tire to the wheel. (Yeah, if you cringed at the idea of drilling holes in your wheels, you’ll cringe even more at the idea of drilling 32 screws into each wheel.)

Knurling is another way to further secure the wheel to the tire. Knurling is a simple pattern etched to the inside portion of the wheel where the bead of the tire actually sits. Despite being a simple design, this is something that isn’t exactly done easily and therefore is typically a preexisting feature of a wheel.

The problem with both knurling and rimscrews is that they don’t truly lock the bead of the tire to the wheel. (A beadlock physically clamps the bead in place.) However, both knurling and rimscrews work very well to prevent the tire from slipping on the wheel and are often the go-to solutions for racers in door-cars that generally don’t have power levels or speed capabilities that warrant the use of beadlocks in the quarter mile.

Still, when it comes to physically securing a wheel to a tire, you can’t top a beadlock. So long as the bead is properly locked in place, it’s virtually impossible for the tire to stretch away from the wheel or slip.

So, why street rods?

We’ve established what beadlocks are for—so why am I seeing them on street-driven cars?? My Instagram is polluted with them! Even in the parking lot at my work, there is a late-model Mustang wearing beadlocks.

I suppose, when you take into consideration the high levels of power becoming more regular on project cars, the level of security offered by beadlock wheels doesn’t seem so far outside the average person’s concerns—especially if said person has exposure to track settings.

More likely, though? Style points. I mean, have you seen beadlock wheels on a performance car? It’s sexy, it’s bold, and it is a surefire way to showcase that your car has power—or at least appears to. Sure, beadlocks offer more safety and security. (Especially if you’re looking at a narrow tire stretched over a wide rim.) But these aren’t exactly what you’d call a “budget-friendly” solution. Quality beadlock wheels do not come cheap.

Additionally, they sit in a gray area when it comes to being street legal. According to a rep at Weld Racing—a decades-long manufacturer of premium-grade wheels—true beadlocks are not DOT-approved because the nuts on the locking mechanism tend to loosen up with time. While the enforcement of their legality varies from state to state, most street vehicles with beadlocks are either running modified, DOT-compliant wheels or are simply living on the edge.

So, is this something those who are driving a street vehicle should be doing or is there a more appropriate solution? Are you on board with the trend? Or do you see it as similar to giant wings on underpowered vehicles? Give me your take in the comments!