Don't buy MOPAR Beadlocks

[Rock Hopper]

Well. I'll be damned. Nothing in the instructions about antiseize. I take back what I said. These are shit or atleast the instructions are.

http://starparts.chrysler.com/info/default/K6862505.pdf

Hmmmmm, interesting.
I have these wheels and I'm guessing that MOPAR has sold thousands of them. This is the first I've heard of anyone having an issue. I don't want to discount the reality of what happened, but there could be some extenuating circumstances. I'm thinking they were overtorqued. The directions provided a torque spec and a pattern to install. I followed it and I'm here to tell you it was a PITA! I almost just left the rings off but they look good and do offer an extra level of protection. The MOPAR rims seemed like they were good quality and the rings seemed decent as well. The small (over 100) bolts were all threaded nicely and I just figured when it's time to remove the rings for a tire change I'd blast them with a penetrating oil like PB Blaster or something similar.

Definitely raises some questions. I wonder if anyone else on the forum has had any similar issues? Had anyone installed them with antiseize or made the mistake of using loctite? I imagine if they have we will hear about it.

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[Rock Hopper]

Is there a recommended, reputable-manufactured set of forged rings, or rims and rings?

The rims and rings are solid. It may be the hardware (or installer) that is at issue. Something caused them to break off...it doesn't look right. (It would be easy to overtorque them).

 

[oceanblue2019]

You’d be surprised what PB (or any other quality penetrating oil) and patience can do to seized parts. Just don’t try to rush it.

Also, as Oceanblue said, I wouldn’t be surprised if the dealer used loctite either. Adding heat will break the loctite down.

Yeah, heat will help regardless.

If just seized the heat will cause the AL to expand more than the steel allowing the PB blaster to get deeper into the threads and free it up.

If it's locktite it will help break it down to get things moving.

I had a nice set of HRE's that had a similar issue back when I was into sports cars and 15 minutes in a oven at 350C sorted out a similar issue on a set of $6000 wheels.

 

[Rock Hopper]

Yeah, heat will help regardless.

If just seized the heat will cause the AL to expand more than the steel allowing the PB blaster to get deeper into the threads and free it up.

If it's locktite it will help break it down to get things moving.

I had a nice set of HRE's that had a similar issue back when I was into sports cars and 15 minutes in a oven at 350C sorted out a similar issue on a set of $6000 wheels.

350C? OK, I'm sure the bolts came right out! I just don't think my wife will be happy with me sticking my rims in the oven! ??????????????????????????????????????????????(deep breath)??????????????????????????????????????????????

 

[Jeepeto]

Hmmmmm, interesting.
I have these wheels and I'm guessing that MOPAR has sold thousands of them. This is the first I've heard of anyone having an issue. I don't want to discount the reality of what happened, but there could be some extenuating circumstances. I'm thinking they were overtorqued. The directions provided a torque spec and a pattern to install. I followed it and I'm here to tell you it was a PITA! I almost just left the rings off but they look good and do offer an extra level of protection. The MOPAR rims seemed like they were good quality and the rings seemed decent as well. The small (over 100) bolts were all threaded nicely and I just figured when it's time to remove the rings for a tire change I'd blast them with a penetrating oil like PB Blaster or something similar.

Definitely raises some questions. I wonder if anyone else on the forum has had any similar issues? Had anyone installed them with antiseize or made the mistake of using loctite? I imagine if they have we will hear about it.

Just installed with anti seize, time will tell ?

Posts like this make me nervous, but I plan on maintaining every 3k miles with torque checks. Just did the first at 3k and they were all free and moved a bit

 

[bjm00se]

... 15 minutes in a oven at 350C ...

? 350C == 660F

That's.... hot.

Pottery kiln? I'd worry about the temper on the metal at that temperature...

 

[Cali-JeepJL]

I had the exact same experience as the OP. Total garbage and would never use them again. I spent countless hours between the dealer, a top notch race mechanic and another shop going back and forth.

 

[Rock Hopper]

I had the exact same experience as the OP. Total garbage and would never use them again. I spent countless hours between the dealer, a top notch race mechanic and another shop going back and forth.

Wow that's bizarre. Any idea what caused your issue? Was it just a few that broke off or many? Did you follow the torque specs and installation sequence or did someone else install the rings? Doing it correctly (torqing 125 bolts) is VERY labor intensive. Just trying to figure out how to avoid any issues in the future. I know they are dissimilar metals but this really shouldn't happen and Mopar didn't spec anything (never seize) on the install.

These aren't cheap wheels and Mopar claims the bolts are hardened steel.

Is anyone else having issues?

 

[jocww]

rosebud and some wax from a candle works best for me.

 

[Cali-JeepJL]

All bolts were tightened exactly per directions, I either did them myself or watched them done.

 

[OllieChristopher]

I know they are dissimilar metals but this really shouldn't happen and Mopar didn't spec anything (never seize) on the install.

When installing fasteners the "instructions" sometimes do not include common sense procedures that many of us follow. Wheels and tires go through many many heat cycles. This alone is reason enough to use NeverSeeze on the small fasteners.

As long as the torque is reduced by 15%-30% (depending on type of anti-seize) then there will be no issues like the OP is having.

Another thing to consider is the reason we don't hear about these issues is hardly anyone is using the Beadlock feature. It comes from the factory as a trim ring to make it DOT compliant. It is illegal to use the Mopar beadlock wheel on public highways when used in off road mode.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

Agreed. That overwhelmingly vast majority of people who buy these, buy them for looks only. You get no benefit from that. The less fasteners, holes, etc, the better.

 

[Rock Hopper]

When installing fasteners the "instructions" sometimes do not include common sense procedures that many of us follow. Wheels and tires go through many many heat cycles. This alone is reason enough to use NeverSeeze on the small fasteners.

As long as the torque is reduced by 15%-30% (depending on type of anti-seize) then there will be no issues like the OP is having.

Another thing to consider is the reason we don't hear about these issues is hardly anyone is using the Beadlock feature. It comes from the factory as a trim ring to make it DOT compliant. It is illegal to use the Mopar beadlock wheel on public highways when used in off road mode.

Exactly. This was the information I was trying to pull out. Specifically did the issue occur when the actual beadlocknring was used. I have have had these on my MOAB for well over a year now and haven't had a problem (I'm running the trim rings, not the beadlock rings).
Specifically the beadlock rings require a longer fastener (bolt) and that could be the problem. I'll wager that out of the thousands of these wheels that are out there, less than 5 percent of the owners that run these put never seize on the 125 fastener bolts. I would think we would be hearing a lot more about the fastener bolts breaking off considering the rings (beadlock or trim ring) MUST be removed to change tires.

I'm curious what could possibly making these fail so that others can avoid it.

Im aware some owners are putting locktite on these fasteners to keep them from backing out. Others may have relied on a tire shop to install/reinstall them, increasing the possibility of not properly torquing them, over tightening them or installing them out of sequence. Simply put there is a lot to go wrong. A proper installation of the fasteners takes hours, not minutes. Because of the specific torque and pattern required when installing the small 25 fasteners I installed mine by hand with a traditional torque wrench not a pneumatic one.

I'm not an expert by any means but putting never seize on a fastener that is on a moving part that you don't want to back out seems a little counter intuitive, which is why I've heard of owners using the opposite (loctite).

I myself would consider investing the two plus hours of pulling the 125 fasteners and applying anti seize if it will prevent a single fastener from snapping off in the future-however I don't want to add the possibility of the fasteners prematurely backing out. I'm just not convinced that is the root cause or solution...yet. I've been wrenching long enough and own multiple vehicles, boats, motorcycles (including 4 current Jeeps) to know some things are inherent and others are due to unusual circumstances. That's why this forum is so helpful. The more perspectives we get here the more we learn.

 

[Rock Hopper]

All bolts were tightened exactly per directions, I either did them myself or watched them done.

Can you tell us a little more? How long did you have them on? How many broke off? What was your solution? What do you think caused the issue? Could the person that you watched install them possibly over torqued them? (Installing them myself, I know it takes a long time to do them correctly-following a 25 bolt star type pattern with a low torque requirement takes time, a lot of time.. *Personally I would not trust a shop or tire installer to do this.

 

[Rock Hopper]

This may be helpful-especially the last paragraph.

The red threadlocker is for bolts you never want to come out ever again, you have to use heat to get them off. The blue threadlocker is for critical bolts that can't loosen but you may need to remove in the future. The silver anti-sieze is for bolts you routinely have to service but are subject to the elements. The copper anti-sieze is for bolts you may need to remove in the future which are subject to heat.

Use the copper for all exhaust components, the silver for such stuff as shock mounting bolts, the blue for such stuff as alignment shim bolts and the red for such stuff as the.....well, I never use the red.

It is generally considered to leave the wheel bolts dry. Threadlocker makes them difficult to remove and anti-seize may make them loosen on their own.

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