which beadlocks?

[uphill]

I've had good luck with Walker Evans.

[Toledo FJ]

ooooohhhhh, those are pretty Uphill! What is the diff between the two ring options on the WEs? Is it just looks or do they function different? I like the ones you got. Can I get them in red powdercoar or anodized
(the lock ring)?

I take it nobody knows anything about the Centerline ICE wheels? I can't find much on them as it seems they are new.

[Fjamming]

The OMFs should definitely be in the running. Nice operation and they will answer your questions. Call and talk to "Bones". One thing to consider, some of the brands you mentioned will only have sizes in the 17s (WE and KMC). I like the WEs, but the 17 only sizing kept me away. Allied has very affordable steel beadlocks for about $200 each. Sean is absolutely right about steel vs. aluminum. Out in the very hardcore trails, you only see steels. I see more aluminum on prerunner style desert bombers. If considering Staun type of internal beadlocks, you may also want to look into Inner Airlocks. They seem very similar and has some favorable reviews. They are also 1/2 the price.

The Centerline wheels are way out of line for the pricing. I believe they are somewhere close to $600 per wheel.

[BellyDoc]

I have Stazworks dual beadlocks for my project vehicle and mir207 has mounted this design on his FJ Cruiser, so I assume that they fit.

It's a steel design, so it hasn't been something you've looked at.

Stazworks builds wheels similar to the Hummer beadlock design and also similar to the Hutchinson design that you were already considering in aluminum. This design uses a 2 piece rim that sandwiches the tire onto a rigid inner ring. The locking bolts are on the centrally located spoke plate instead of being out on the edge. Stazworks offers a lot of custom options since they build to order. For an FJ Cruiser, you'd need to get the centers pressed, and I highly recommend taking their option to roll the bead hump flat.

The advantage of the Stazworks design is that they're extremely strong. They're also do-it-yourself simple. In principle, I could mount and unmount a tire from the rim on a trail with a couple of wrenches. There's no bead seating.

[JDEMELLO]

As already said me and TCao are trying something different we took 16in TRD wheels and we are having bead lock rings added to them. These wheels hold one advantage over other aluminum bead locks. They should come out to be a lighter choice. I have been working with Bones over at OMF, he's really easy to work with and I like there work.

[TCao]

You can get the WE beadlock rings anodized in red, blue, or black from Walker Evans Racing. These wheels are now available in 20" diameter too. The wider beadlocks rings like those on Larry's offer more protection to the valve stems and more strength; they don't clear mud as well as the standard rings. As Larry have explained in his build-up thread, mud is something we don't see very often in SoCal. The WEs are very well made but heavy. I chose the 16" TRD with the OMF beadlock conversion because these wheels are much lighter but more importantly the TRD wheels have the correct offset so they will fit without worrying about rubbing on the brake calipers or the inner fenders (depending on your choice of tire of course). The OMF converted TRD wheels should weigh around 33 lbs each. I should get mine hopefully by tomorrow and will post up details. Like Jason and Tony suggested, call Bones at OMF to get a more accurate cost on the conversion. Who knows, he may reconsider his standard conversion price if there's enough interest in converting factory FJC wheels. HTH.

WE wheels

Toledo FJ previously said:

ooooohhhhh, those are pretty Uphill! What is the diff between the two ring options on the WEs? Is it just looks or do they function different? I like the ones you got. Can I get them in red powdercoar or anodized
(the lock ring)?
....

[Toledo FJ]

Thanks for all the input guys. I like the idea of converting the factory wheels, but the spokes really stick out and are prone to damage/scratching. Wow, those centerlines are that expensive!!? I actually do more baja style wheeling where I'm currently located, but I want the ability to hit the rocks too. I'll give those guys at OMF and the other dealers mentioned a call. I'll let you guys know what I decide before I make the purchase so the gurus can weigh in on if it is a good choice. Thanks again everyone! My new viair 200psi OBA system arrived yesterday, so now I can air up and down and run tools! Beadlocks, dual battery, and top lights are next in that order. Then I think I'll be done for a while! gotta give the bank account time to recover!

[Ti Tank]

You know what I have( And I love them But...) If I had the cash for them I would have bought the Walker Evans.

[FullJAM]

Allied Beadlock:

[bernd]

I went with W.E. Great product.