77K5. The IronMaiden...9/2 headed for Blazer Bash 20!

[folkenheath]

Zim, I have 16.5 too, didn't know when I bought them 7 years ago. Anyway, these guys are right, they do come off easy, I was airing down in my garage once (using the tires as a second vehicle jack to get the trans out), and I popped a bead off at 3 psi, took a while to get it to seat again (leaf blower worked like a champ).

With that said, so far I haven't had a problem at silver lake, I run 7 - 8 psi in the rear and 9 - 10 psi in the front, and it works fine. Granted, I slow down for turns and don't do a lot of crosshill stuff, but it can work.

I would like to get beadlocks too though, and have seriously considered the staun internal locks. I'll have to check out tireloc as Greg mentioned, wasn't aware of that brand. Because I would like to go down to 4 - 5 psi, and I can't with these tires.

 

[GRINCH]

My vote is for Stauns. Wayne (Adventurous 4x4) got me a great price on them. The new version is easier to install. I had no problems mounting them on a 8" rim even with new tires.

Like Greg said, You just have to drill another hole in your rim. It's more towards the center of the rim.

 

[76zimmer]

Let me play devils advocate here for a bit, I ran 16.5s for a while on a chrome mod regularly aired down to 10 psi, never had a problem, even had one down to around 6 a couple times. They did burp air quite a bit and I would occasionally use a buddys CO2 tank to add air to them but the 16.5s didn't not have major problems for me.

On your truck Dave a full bodied blazer with tube work and armor etc it will be heavy so airing down to 10 or 12 might be enough. The only caveat we have here is the fact that our rims are totally different.

In addition to that I would not do a set of weld on beadlocks again. They would take some modifications to fit my liking. I though have some very set ideas on what I like and what I don't.

In all reality if you want to keep the 16.5s I would go the route most have suggested here and do some H1s, you probably close to 200 a rim once you get them shipped and new o rings and inserts.

So to beadlock or not. Well you run the dunes so I say yes, but it should be very very low on the priority list

Thanks Eric, do my rim beads look smaller than the ones you had? that is what has me thinking I need to do something. After watching what you put your tires through (PITBULLS Rock!) I could definintely see having problems with these rims/tires blowing a bead out.

If I need to spend 200 a rim, I may upgrade tires/wheels all at once, but not for a while.

Zim,

If you want to preserve the classic look by using those aluminum wheels, consider an internal beadlocking system like TireLoc, Staun, etc.

It's a double-beadlock (you'll protect both the inner and outer bead) and the only downside is that you'll have to drill a second valvestem hole to air up the beadlock system. They work slick. I had the TireLocs on my truck for a few years and will probably re-use them if/when I ever get my truck build that far along.

The nice thing is that you can wait until the very end of your build to decide on this one. 16.5s are really easy to unmount by yourself in your own garage so this can be one of thoes "impulse purchases" that you install some spare evening.

Greg do these rim beads I have look like they will be pretty stout in the rocks with the TireLocs or Stauns? I just don't know that much about them, but know these beads on my 16.5 rims are smaller than 15-16-17 stuff. I really like the idea of the double bead locks those will provide too.

Zim, I have 16.5 too, didn't know when I bought them 7 years ago. Anyway, these guys are right, they do come off easy, I was airing down in my garage once (using the tires as a second vehicle jack to get the trans out), and I popped a bead off at 3 psi, took a while to get it to seat again (leaf blower worked like a champ).

With that said, so far I haven't had a problem at silver lake, I run 7 - 8 psi in the rear and 9 - 10 psi in the front, and it works fine. Granted, I slow down for turns and don't do a lot of crosshill stuff, but it can work.

I would like to get beadlocks too though, and have seriously considered the staun internal locks. I'll have to check out tireloc as Greg mentioned, wasn't aware of that brand. Because I would like to go down to 4 - 5 psi, and I can't with these tires.

Heath, running the dunes doesn't have me worried so much as the pressure that can be put on say a front wheel/tire when stuffed in the rocks...I can see a problem there with 10# or less in them (which is as advantageous in the rocks as much as sand I have learned)

My vote is for Stauns. Wayne (Adventurous 4x4) got me a great price on them. The new version is easier to install. I had no problems mounting them on a 8" rim even with new tires.

Like Greg said, You just have to drill another hole in your rim. It's more towards the center of the rim.

I'm into easy install!


Thanks all you guys for the input, this gives me hope I can try something with what I have....and not have to lay out another chunk for upgrading tires/wheels.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Oldtime member type folks with better memories than I:
Didn't Steve or Shawn run the Stauns or something like that back in the day?
I swear there was a review of them on here but can't find it on the mainpage for the life of me.

 

[BGKYK5]

What does a set of Stauns run? They are all custom made for the tire/wheel combo right?

 

[GRINCH]

About $150 each. They vary in width. 7-9" 9.5-12"

 

[jekquistk5]

I'm gonna run do the DIY4x on my steelies.

 

[76zimmer]

I'm gonna run do the DIY4x on my steelies.

Thats part of the problem I have, Aluminum....I suppose it could be done somehow, but a bolt on (like TireLoc or Staun) would be my best alternative I think.

 

[82355]

I run 16.5" tires on my K30 and my V10, and will be running them on my K5 here sometime in the near future.

I have only lost one tire off the bead, and there is more too the story than it just being a 16.5" tire. I run tubes in my tires on my K30, and my back left tube had a leak, so after airing the tire down to 8 p.s.i. (Only intended to air down to 15, but my buddy riding with me let too much air out), the left rear was slowly leaking all day. Towards the end of the day I was trying to climb a rock ledge and my tire started spinning. Beings it was so low on air, the rim spun inside the tire and ripped the valve stem of the tube.

Other than that, the last time I went to Tuttle Creek, there were four of us running aired down 16.5's with no problems.

Martin

 

[76zimmer]

Had to try the tires on....

I should be getting back to work on the Maiden pretty soon, still working on the Vette...trying to get it on the road before the roads get crappy.

 

[jms]

Had to try the tires on....

Get the cage on it and your good for Moab.

 

[folkenheath]

Get a lawn chair and some 2x4 seat mounts and you can drive that puppy around, yee-haw!

 

[ryoken]

dig the slots.........

what's your wheelbase? did you move axles at all?

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Sexy.

 

[SUPER'BURB]

Don't know what every body is talkin about your rig dosnt look heavy to me.

Do an internal I LOVE the slotted look.
I can't wait for my Dad's 2500 to die so I can take his.

 

[76zimmer]

Get a lawn chair and some 2x4 seat mounts and you can drive that puppy around, yee-haw!

Sounds like fun Heath...BUT...no torque convertor in it, no driveshafts, no steering wheel, no brake lines...no, no, no....man I got a lot to do

dig the slots.........

what's your wheelbase? did you move axles at all?

I do really like em too Paul, gotta get some Stauns or Tirelocs or something for them though...after seeing what side scrubbing, and running on the sidewalls in Moab can do, I'm worried about popping one.

Wheelbase is stock 106, It'll have to stay that way for now, I don't want to start rethinking more stuff. If I do anything in the future it would probably be moving both axles apart, then coilovers too.

Sexy.

Little by little its looking better, hope to make major improvements soon.

Don't know what every body is talkin about your rig dosnt look heavy to me.

Do an internal I LOVE the slotted look.
I can't wait for my Dad's 2500 to die so I can take his.

Heavy, no; not at this point anyway..still got lots o tube work, winch mounting, body, etc....it'll be a pig, I shoulda built a 555.

 

[76zimmer]

Get the cage on it and your good for Moab.

I like it Mike....and add a little sheetmetal floor, and some goggles, lets go!

OH, and a stick on Mirror, with a flat mounting plate huh Eric?

 

[jekquistk5]

Do you plan on moving your front shackles forward or swapping to 52's. I just don't like the angle there. Well unless its the pic, but it looks straight up and down.

Had to try the tires on....

I should be getting back to work on the Maiden pretty soon, still working on the Vette...trying to get it on the road before the roads get crappy.

 

[Recon!]

Do you plan on moving your front shackles forward or swapping to 52's. I just don't like the angle there. Well unless its the pic, but it looks straight up and down.

Once he starts putting more weight back on it should be just fine.

 

[76zimmer]

what about droop though, could that make the shackle reverse itself?

I plan on taking out all leaves except the main to cycle the suspension to check for shock length, mounting, and bumpstop needs and location. Hope to figure all that stuff out then.