Hutchinson Beadlock Wheels

[Nacho]

Thanks Nacho!

If you don't mind, what would they look like if just the "HUMMER" letters, the "-" mark and the two semi-circular grooves were painted black?

I think the ultimate test will be to get the wheels and tires on the truck and then photoshop the center caps black. Personally I think the chrome will tie in with the rest of the chrome on the truck. I also think the center caps are a good place to use chrome because I can take them off when I go off road. On the other hand, the black wheels are going to blend with the tires and the chrome center caps may look very small and a little odd.

 

[Portager]

Thanks Jared;

I really like the Black "HUMMER" letters and the "-", but I'm not sure about the rest. I thought I'd like the circle in chrome and the groves black, but now I not sure.

 

[HUMMER INVESTMENTS]

:agree: All black looks awesome!

 

[BW_Hummer H3]

Or leave the "HUMMER" and "-" part chrome and black out the rest.

 

[ReconH3]

Or leave the "HUMMER" and "-" part chrome and black out the rest.

X2


"Ex Umbris Venimus"

Sent from my iPhone

 

[j3jackson]

x3 that last pic is it!

X2


"Ex Umbris Venimus"

Sent from my iPhone

 

[HUMMER INVESTMENTS]

.x4

 

[ReconH3]

Maybe even paint the Hummer Letters to match your body color


"Ex Umbris Venimus"

Sent from my iPhone

 

[Hunner]

Now you have decide what color for the rock rings??

 

[Portager]

Now you have decide what color for the rock rings??

The rock rings will be black, probably spray painted with bed liner so they are easy to touch-up. I post the design once it is finalized.

 

[Hunner]

I rotated criss cross front to back and realized what I was feeling was the front ones were getting sort of choppy and that was what I was feeling more than balance. I did then go have them static balanced while they were installed and left the outside weights but trued them up with some on the inside. I will still probably try the two cut outs like we talked about.

 

[Portager]

Here is the design for my rock rings. Sure they are overkill, but have you seen my cargo slide? I like overkill.

The ring will be CNC Machined from a ½” think aluminum plate. The pockets for the 16 clamping studs will be 3/8” deep, so there will be 1/8” of material covering the end of the studs. There will be a ¼” chamfer around the outside to help it slide past rocks. My calculated weight is 5.4 lbs each. I plan to replicate the valve stem cutout on the opposite side to improve the balance.

OMF Performance is going to make them (thanks to timgco for the reference) for $150 each.

 

[HUMMER INVESTMENTS]

They look sweet Portager! Post up some pics once you get them mounted:thumbs:

 

[Bigunit]

Great design there Mike! Looks like you have put a lot of thought into it and I'm really looking forward to seeing the wheels & rings on your rig!

 

[3Hummers]

Looks great. Looking forward to seeing the completed rock rings

 

[cgalpha08]

Are these real beadlock rims or are they mock ones? http://www.teakatoys.com/Hummer_H3_17_18_Aluminum_Wheel_by_G_T_Inc_p/gt-hum3-7856055.htm

 

[Former User]

Those would be "simulated" beadlocks. Not beadlocks.

 

[Portager]

They are called Simulock wheels. They are basically stock H3 wheels with a very realistic-looking bead-lock ring. The ring is non-functional as a bead-lock, although they sort of function as a sacrificial rock ring.

Here is a quote from Four Wheeler Magazine "Project Trail Hugger" that talks about them, “We wanted a rugged set of wheels that looked all business. GT Inc. offers a variety of wheels, but when we saw their Simulock wheel, we instantly knew we had found what we were looking for. These unique wheels are stock 16x7.5 factory H3 wheels that have been modified to accept a very realistic-looking bead-lock ring. Because their foundation is the stock wheel, they obviously retain the factory offset and backspacing, which means we're not increasing the leverage on the spindles and bearings by pushing the tire-and-wheel combination outward on the axles. We also like the fact that these wheels retain the familiar Hummer look.” :link:

These really should not be referred to as bead-lock’s. Teakatoys never actually says they are bead-locks, but other sites do.

If the ring were functional, then they would be a single bead-lock and not legal to use on the highway. Hutchinson’s are double beadlock and DOT approved so they are legal.

 

[08SolarFlareH3]

Like portager said, they are simulated beadlocks rings or "beadlooks". Here is a link to the H3 wheels on GT Inc site.

http://hummerproducts.com/H3 Wheels.htm

 

[06 H3]

I could never get fake beadlocks only for the fact that when someone asks if they are real I would have to tell them they are fake or lie and I would have issues lying, I feel too guilty....I have a strong conscious lol

I really want these beadlocks but price and weight are a concern. I have alot of weight and am trying to keep from adding more especially if I bring the trackwidth out. I think these will work well for you though portager.

 

[Portager]

I could never get fake beadlocks only for the fact that when someone asks if they are real I would have to tell them they are fake or lie and I would have issues lying, I feel too guilty....I have a strong conscious lol

I couldn't agree more, especially with Teakatoys price for simulocks is $26 more per wheel than the Hutchinson double beadlocks. :whaa:

I really want these beadlocks but price and weight are a concern. I have alot of weight and am trying to keep from adding more especially if I bring the trackwidth out. I think these will work well for you though portager.

OK Chris, I really not picking on you personally, but I think this is a good discussion.

There are three types of weight that affect vehicle performance. First there is gross weight, then there is high weight and finally spinning weight (i.e. the angular monent of inertia).

With the Hutchinson wheels at ~44? lbs each versus ~24? lbs for the OEM stock wheels, we are really talking about ~20 lbs difference per wheel or 100 lbs with a spare. If you add on a second spare with 35" tires you’re talking about 24 + 67 = 91 lbs. Seems to me that five Hutchinsons is about the same as 6 OEM wheels. Now you could argue that 2 spares is better than one and I might argue that with double beadlocks and a patch kit I'm less likely to need a second spare. However, let me ask how many times you've used your second spare on a trail? I’ve never used my spare on the trail, so how likely am I to need two?

What I worry about more than gross weight is the CG, so adding height up high is worse than adding weight down low. Therefore, I'd worry more about the weight of the spare on the roof rack than the weight of the wheels on the ground.

The angular moment of inertia (AMOI) of the wheels affects acceleration since the engine power has to spin up the wheels plus the vehicle. The greater the wheel weight the more energy you're kenitic energy and that has to be dissipated in the brakes when you stop. The AMOIis the intergal of the mass times the distance to the center of rotation squared. So the mass of the tire affects the AMOI roughly 4.7 times as much as the mass of the wheel (i.e. 35^2/16^2).

I think the more relevant question is do either of us really need beadlocks? I don’t know about you, but I’ve never lost a bead on a trail. Makes one question if they are really for go or for show? :huh: However, I’m sticking to my story that the beadlocks make my vehicle more capable and less likely to leave me stranded on the trail! Yup, that’s my story and I sticking to it! :wink:

Chrome won't get you home, but beadlocks might!

 

[06 H3]

lol, chrome will never get you home! You do make good points, I did lose you on the math and AMOI though. Anyways I have never lost a tire on the trail yet. When I ordered the Gobi from Tim about a year ago I opted for the 2 spares because overkill is better for most cases.(You like overkill too right?) In one years time this hobby that I knew a little about turned into an obsession and I did eventually realize 2 spares maybe wasnt the best decision, but with the money already spent I will get my use out of it and see if I ever feel threatened with the COG. I know bebe just took hers off and there was a dicussion on facebook about it. It was interesting to see some opinions we normally dont see on here but none the less I started researching. Search for the most hardcore rigs around and you will notice not a single one has a rack on. Maybe if/when I get to that point the rack will be taken off but I truly dont understand how they go on long multiple day hardcore off road trips without a rack. Where do you put this stuff?? Even packing as light as possible how can you fit the necessities of food, clothing, camping equipment etc in a vehicle on top of all the tools and spare parts you have? So I gave Tim a call a few weeks back somewhat concerned about my rack decision and he thinks I should leave it for now. He has wheeled with 2 spares and has felt the difference but not enough to cause a rollover. So what is the right decision? Who knows...lol. My thought is this, why get mad if I spent all this money on something I may not want/need, the money is spent and get use out of it and if the time comes to ditch the rack then that is after I get my full use out of it. There are alot of variables to the COG and an actual rollover. For example I am much more top heavy then craig and didnt risk a roll over due to line choice. That is not me bagging on him because we all have taken bad lines but if I was in his spot would a rollover have occurred? Who knows...I dont wanna thing about it, lol. I am living and learning on the mods we do and if some money is wasted I wont get too mad. In your shoes you may have viewed 33's were a waste of money but you did atleast get the experience and that may be me with my rack.(not bagging on you and the 33's)

With all this COG stuff I do also get concerned with the lift too. I see both sides. Serge is probably more top heavy then me and all the other lifted H2/3's and I have seen 6in lifted jeeps off camber and leaning like you cant believe and they avoided a roll over and I see that while seeing the conservative COG crowd too. I just thought the rack would be useful for a trip through the rubicon when you have alot of stuff, but it may not be...luckily for you the H3T has a bed so weight can be kept low

 

[Portager]

Chris;

I'm really not trying to pick on you. I guess it just comes natural. I'm sorry if I hit a soar spot?

I was mainly trying to point out that a lot of the mods WE do and the decisions WE make aren't really necessary. I just spent $2K on Hutchinson beadlock wheels and I admitted I've never lost a bead on a trail. How smart is that? Whatever happened to, if it isn't broken don't fix it? The truth is it is a hobby and hobbies aren't logical!

My list of regrets starts with the PowerSteps, then the AR wheels, the 33" tires, chrome hood louver, ... I'm sure that list will continue to grow over time. Live and learn.

Funny, when you get down to it, the reason I went with 33" tires was I didn't want to put the spare on the roof, or in the bed, and the Thor Parts bumper and spare gate wern't available. It was getting the bumper that made me get new wheels. Yah that's what happened! The bumper made me do it! After I got the bumper, all I was going to do was get another 305/70R16 tire and another AR wheel for the spare so they would all match, but I really didn’t want to buy another AR wheel (and they were discontinued).

I really wish I had held out until I found a set of Hutchinson Beadlocks, but they weren’t available at the time, and I really needed wheels, so I convinced myself the AR wheels were good enough. The funny thing is the AR wheels really are good enough, I just WANTED Hutchinson's.

I've always been more concerned about the CG than most people. That is probably one reason that I got the H3T. With it I can store a lot of gear and digging tools and I don't need a rack, but I pay in turning radius and break over angle. On the other hand, I'd like to get lights someday and I don't know where I'll mount them without a rack.

I think in your case the best reason for not getting Hutchinson's is the $2k price tag. That is almost a Rancho Lift.

 

[06 H3]

Chris;

I'm really not trying to pick on you. I guess it just comes natural

I read the first sentence and stopped so I can comment. Honestly I didnt take it as you picking on me. Actually I had a discussion with zach in the PM's a month or so back. he was joking around and I joked back and it sounded like I was mad. So being the nice guy he is he PM'ed me apolgizing. in all honesty I really dont get mad about these discussions One reasons forums can be a tough crowd is for the fact that you cant hear the tone of voices. Im gonna go finish reading but just so you know I am not mad. There have only been 3 instances I have gotten mad on a forum and I started forums back in 08. Averaging once a year isnt too bad and those 3 werent even on this forum...ok I am gonna finish reading now

 

[06 H3]

Chris;

I'm really not trying to pick on you. I guess it just comes natural. I'm sorry if I hit a soar spot?

I was mainly trying to point out that a lot of the mods WE do and the decisions WE make aren't really necessary. I just spent $2K on Hutchinson beadlock wheels and I admitted I've never lost a bead on a trail. How smart is that? Whatever happened to, if it isn't broken don't fix it? The truth is it is a hobby and hobbies aren't logical!

My list of regrets starts with the PowerSteps, then the AR wheels, the 33" tires, chrome hood louver, ... I'm sure that list will continue to grow over time. Live and learn.

Funny, when you get down to it, the reason I went with 33" tires was I didn't want to put the spare on the roof, or in the bed, and the Thor Parts bumper and spare gate wern't available. It was getting the bumper that made me get new wheels. Yah that's what happened! The bumper made me do it! After I got the bumper, all I was going to do was get another 305/70R16 tire and another AR wheel for the spare so they would all match, but I really didn’t want to buy another AR wheel (and they were discontinued).

I really wish I had held out until I found a set of Hutchinson Beadlocks, but they weren’t available at the time, and I really needed wheels, so I convinced myself the AR wheels were good enough. The funny thing is the AR wheels really are good enough, I just WANTED Hutchinson's.

I've always been more concerned about the CG than most people. That is probably one reason that I got the H3T. With it I can store a lot of gear and digging tools and I don't need a rack, but I pay in turning radius and break over angle. On the other hand, I'd like to get lights someday and I don't know where I'll mount them without a rack.

I think in your case the best reason for not getting Hutchinson's is the $2k price tag. That is almost a Rancho Lift.

Ok finished reading now. I do see similarities in our modding decisions, I like overkill and so do you. I am always concerned about the cons outweighing pros and it seems like you are the same, which is good. It will build a good rig but it will raise my stress. One mistake was my custom front skid that will be replaced if I go rancho....what a waste but I learned. We all buy stuff we shouldnt have. Anyways I could have built the damn thing if I waited to get my fab skills up a bit. Good discussions though and dont worry I am not mad. Here is when I get mad....

This is a post from Pirate, I have 3 posts there and mainly just check out threads. The guys over there do all these crazy builds like it isnt even a big deal which is great and I learn alot there but all different wheelers get together and you get dip****s like cowboy kyle who hop onto the hummer section to stir **** and I got angry...See I dont say any mean things to you guys

"Look cowboy kyle, we can argue this all day but I am not in the mood to have 20+ posts wasting my time talking to an incompetent person like you. I am sure your dodge power wagon is capable...No doubt but I am sure you dont know how capable hummers are too. I dont talk crap about any rigs because alot of them are deceiving on capability. so cut the crap and get back on this topic or GTFO"