One of the most difficult things to manage when it comes to building a custom vehicle is recognizing which upgrades and parts are street-legal and which ones aren’t. This might not be important to you if you’re just building a show car that’s not going to be driven on roads or trails, but if you do plan on actually driving your lifted Jeep around you’re going to want to make sure everything you add to it is legal. So, what about beadlock wheels? While they are a huge boon to off-road enthusiasts, are they street-legal? We’re going to get to the bottom of that question today, so keep reading to learn more.
What Are Beadlock Wheels?
First things first, we need to explain what exactly beadlock wheels are, as they’re an incredible feature that you should definitely be made aware of if you aren’t already. Traditional wheels rely on tire pressure to keep the tire’s bead – which is where the tire meets the rim – seated against the wheel. While that works perfectly fine for your regular, everyday driving, you’re often going to need to run much lower tire pressures when tackling off-road activities to improve your traction.
When your tires are at a lower PSI than the recommendation, there’s a risk that the tire can do what we call “de-beading” any time there is intense articulation. That’s what beadlock wheels were designed to address, as they feature an outer ring bolted onto the wheel that physically clamps the tire’s bead into place. This in turn prevents de-beading altogether, even if you’re running tire pressures in the single digits for extreme off-road conditions. If you’re a true off-road enthusiast, beadlocks are an essential upgrade — but are they legal?
Are Beadlock Wheels Street-Legal?
Unfortunately, legality isn’t as black and white as we’d wish. In most states, including here in Oklahoma, whether or not a specific wheel is legal for street use requires the approval of the Department of Transportation (DOT). As it stands currently, mechanical beadlock wheels do not have the approval of the DOT, which means they are not technically legal to use on public roads. Enforcement of these laws varies widely, so it’s super unlikely for you to get pulled over specifically for having beadlocks, but you can run into legal trouble during inspections, such as after an accident.
The DOT has yet to approve beadlock wheels for a few reasons, including concerns about long-term reliability, torque retention on the bolts and air leakage at higher speeds.
Workarounds & Alternatives
You’re not completely out of luck, though. If you do want to daily drive your lifted Jeep but were really looking forward to the benefits of beadlock wheels, there are some workarounds and alternatives that you can utilize for a solid balance between performance and compliance.
- Simulated Beadlocks
- If you were looking for the aesthetic improvements of beadlock wheels rather than the actual performance benefits, you can opt for these instead. Simulated beadlocks actually are DOT-approved and street-legal throughout the country, as they’re purely cosmetic.
- Internal Beadlock Systems
- These systems are something you can install inside the tire itself, giving you the benefits of beadlocks without actual beadlocks. They utilize an internal clamp or secondary bladder to hold the bead in place without modifying the actual wheel, making most of them DOT-compliant.
- Dual-Use Wheels
- While rare and more expensive, there are a few manufacturers out there making wheels that simulate mechanical beadlocks or have even passed industry testing with the actual removable rings. Do your research to determine if the wheels you’re looking at are actually DOT-approved.
When it comes down to it, the answer is unfortunately no — beadlock wheels are not street legal in most cases. But you have some alternatives to choose from, and if you’re only going to be using your vehicle on the trails you don’t have anything to fear. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call right here at LiftedJeeps.com.
