pressure when airing up. Tube “whips” are placed from the chassis mounted valves to the tire valve stems. The system can be used with a compressor or a Power Tank. This system works for airing down and up. ■
A portable air compressor, such as the Viair compressor, provides an easy, compact way to air tires back up for the highway. This economic alternative is somewhat slower than the twin compressor with air tank system.
The Power Tank regulator shows the remaining CO2 volume and can be adjusted for filling tires or running air tools.
A quick and convenient way to air up features the compressed CO2 tank and regulator system from Power Tank. This high-pressure system fills large tires very quickly. The tanks come in three sizes: 15, 10, and 5 pounds. The tanks do need refilling. With our 15-pound Power Tank, we can inflate our 37x12.50x17 tires (all four) from 10 psi to 26 psi in about 2.5 minutes. We can fill about 32 tires this way.
The Power Tank inflation time chart shows the time needed to air up different sizes of tires to a variety of tire pressures.
Wheels
Wheels for performance vehicles tend to be lightweight. While weight is an important factor for off-roading, strength and durability are more important. Wheels for the YJ need to fit the desired use and the modifications being made.
The stock YJ wheels are small and limit tire choices. They feature the same bolt pattern as the newer TJ with five lugs on a 4.5-inch bolt pattern. There are many wheels available with this bolt pattern in a variety of widths and diameters. Wheel adapters can also be used to change the bolt pattern to a 5-on-5 pattern (five bolts on a 5-inch circle). Or if you upgrade to heavy-duty axle assemblies, such as a Currie RockJock 60 or 70, then the bolt circle will need to be larger, such as five bolts on a 5.5-inch circle to accommodate larger hubs.
Wheels for the Wrangler YJ come in steel and alloy aluminum. Both materials are used on standard bead rims or beadlock versions.
Alloy Versus Steel
Each material used in the manufacturing of wheels offers advantages. Steel is less expensive, strong, and malleable, meaning that the wheel will bend on impact, not crack or break. A bent steel wheel can be hammered back (though with great difficulty) into a reasonable shape to hold air if deformed on the trail. A cracked or broken alloy wheel cannot be repaired. Any wheel can be scratched, gouged, or more severely damaged when off-roading.
Alloy wheels are lighter for the same size and strength. They also offer an extensive range of styles. Aluminum alloy also dissipates heat better than steel, helping to cool brakes under extreme conditions. They are also more costly.
Alloy wheels are manufactured using four different processes: forging, high-pressure die-casting, low-pressure die-casting, and gravity casting. Forged wheels are the toughest and strongest, but they are also much more expensive (as much as double the cost). Many forged wheels are not street legal and are mostly used for competition.
Cast wheels are by far the most common. The casting process is less important than the quality of the materials used in the process. Though rare, cast wheels can crack or even break from hard impacts off-road.
Standard Bead Versus Beadlocks
Modern wheels and tires are manufactured to very close tolerances, so wheel bead diameters are a very close fit to the tire bead. For this reason, most Jeep owners can use a standard bead wheel (such as the stock wheel on a JK).
There is also a category of wheels known as beadlock-style wheels. These look like beadlocks but have a standard wheel bead. A true beadlock wheel has an outer ring that bolts to the wheel. The ring holds the tire bead in place so that it cannot become dislodged from the wheel at low pressures in extreme conditions.
We have tested many different tires on standard rims down to 10 psi for soft surface, low-speed four-wheeling. This is usually a low enough pressure for adequate traction. More extreme situations, such as deep snow or wet, muddy, or snow-covered rocks, require lower pressures as do tires with a very stiff sidewall. Here is where beadlocks are necessary. We have tested beadlocks at tire pressures as low as 3 psi in snow, on soft surfaces such as sand and mud, and on snowy, muddy rocks on black diamond trails.
Alloy beadlock wheels are very expensive. Steel beadlocks are more economical. Several companies make beadlock kits for steel wheels. They consist of a ring that is welded to the wheel and has a matching outer bolt-on ring. Rockstomper and Riot FabWorks both offer weld-on beadlock kits. Welding the beadlock ring to the wheel requires good welding skills.
These steel beadlock wheels look like homemade modifications on standard steel wheels. The beadlock ring uses only 16 bolts to hold it in place. Most beadlocks use 32 bolts. This wheel is not well maintained, as shown by the rust. With only 8 bolts, balancing may be issue. Beadlock wheels can be dangerous. It is important to use quality materials that are properly engineered. A home-built beadlock is not a sound idea. And it is important to check the torque every 30 to 60 days to ensure the beadlock ring is secure.
There are a few myths about beadlocks. The most significant is that beadlocks are not street legal. That is not true, though most manufacturers make the claim that their beadlock wheels are not “recommended” for highway use. This is generally because the manufacturer has not had the beadlock wheels tested to Department of Transportation (DOT) specifications. Given the small market for beadlocks, this costly process is usually avoided. One exception to this is the AEV beadlock. There may be others.
A second concern is that beadlocks are difficult to balance. Again this is not quite true. A high-quality wheel of any design should balance without issue. Keep in mind that all YJ tires should be dynamically balanced.
One important fact to remember about beadlocks is the need for proper installation and maintenance. Most beadlocks have 32 bolts holding the outer ring in place. Bolts must be installed in proper sequence and to the correct torque. We torque in three stages, starting with 12 ft-lbs, progressing to 14 ft-lbs, and ending at 16 ft-lbs. We then double-check the torque of all bolts. Different wheel manufacturers may have different torque specifications. You must also check torque settings monthly to ensure reliability and safety. All bolts should be replaced annually. So unless you are very serious about four-wheeling, need beadlocks for the terrain you run, and are willing to put in the time and money for proper maintenance, stick with traditional bead wheels or the simulated beadlocks if you like the look.
Some of the larger, more aggressive mud-terrain tires have a thicker bead. This requires a spacer between the wheel and the beadlock ring to ensure a square fit and accurate torquing.
Ultra Wheel’s Xtreme Bead-Lock provides excellent strength and durability. This has been
