useing bead lock wheels on the hwy way

[tennessee_4x4_man]

is it legal to run bead lock wheels on the street or hwy way

 

[the_white_shadow]

I think it depends on what state youre in and if the beadlocks are DOT approved. Most arent (hutchinson, AEV, maybe a few others are).

That being said, most state inspection places or the police wont know the difference. The real issue would be if something happens and you have a blowout and kill/hurt someone. Then the insurance companies may frown on it. Lots of guys run them on the st. Not sure i would if i had another option available. my $0.02.

 

[ibrokeit]

is it legal to run bead lock wheels on the street or hwy way

I put 50,000+ miles on Trail Ready beadlocks and 37s on the road under my solid axle Tacoma.

 

[TBItoy]

I can't find any mention of wheels/beadlocks in the TN motor vehicle codes.

Link:

https://www.tn.gov/lawsandpolicies/section/laws-motor-vehicle

Required Equipment section
https://www.tn.gov/lawsandpolicies/topic/55-9-part-2-required-equipment-on-vehicles

Other fun facts:

Gotta have a parking/e-brake 55-9-204(a)
https://www.tn.gov/lawsandpolicies/article/55-9-204.-brakes-equipment-required-on-various-type-vehicles-penalty

And your brakes have to work decent (including E brake)
https://www.tn.gov/lawsandpolicies/article/55-9-205.-performance-ability-of-brakes-penalty

Gotta have a rearview mirror
https://www.tn.gov/lawsandpolicies/article/55-9-206.-trucks-to-be-equipped-with-rearview-mirror

Bumper requirements and lift laws (note that virtually any moderately lifted Jeep or truck is probably illegal by frame height...)

https://www.tn.gov/lawsandpolicies/article/55-9-215.-operation-of-motor-vehicle-without-adequate-energy-absorption-sys

The BEST:
55-9-215(b6)&(c)

(6) No person shall modify or cause to be modified the original manufacturer installed steering mechanism, including welding, nor the front spindle where the brake pads mount, on a passenger vehicle or a truck or recreational vehicle with a weight up to ten thousand pounds (10,000 lbs.).

^ ALL steering mods are illegal. And aftermarket knuckles/spindles.


BUT the very next section kinda reads like it can be disregarded for virtually any reason

(c) This section does not apply to freight motor vehicles and/or other vehicles that have designs which would intrinsically preclude conformity with this provision. This section also shall not apply to any vehicle that has an unaltered and undamaged stock bumper or energy absorption system as supplied by the manufacturer of the vehicle.


SO, they way I read that is: If I "design" the vehicle to be a rock crawler, I can do whatever I want to the steering, etc... (probably not how lawyers would read it...)

 

[lowbudgetjunk]

Nick. Were you best buds with JohnG? I swear if you weren't, you could have been or you would've hated each other. Y'all both have/had an ability to freaking find and present information in a way that works in my head.

 

[gottagofast]

I would say that section works if you design it as a rock crawler IF you are the manufacturer...

IE it is titled as a home built vehicle... If it is still titled as the original vehicle then you didn't design it, you modified it.

 

[TBItoy]

I would say that section works if you design it as a rock crawler IF you are the manufacturer...

IE it is titled as a home built vehicle... If it is still titled as the original vehicle then you didn't design it, you modified it.

I'm not so sure about that, it's not very clear, and doesn't' mention manufacturer. Still, that makes ALL lift kits illegal that use replacement knuckles, drop pitman arms, steering relocations, upgraded tie rods/tie rod ends, etc.



This is also pretty funny:


55-9-215(b)(2)
No person shall operate a four-wheel drive recreational vehicle of a type required to be registered under the laws of this state upon a public highway or street modified by reason of alteration of its altitude from the ground if its bumpers, measured to any point on a load-bearing member on the horizontal bumper bar, are not within the range of fourteen to thirty-one inches (14''-31'') above the ground, except that no vehicle shall be modified to cause the vehicle body or chassis to come in contact with the ground or expose the fuel tank to damage from collision or cause the wheels to come in contact with the body under normal operation, and that no part of the original suspension system be disconnected to defeat the safe operation of the suspension system; provided, that nothing contained in this section shall prevent the installation of heavy duty equipment to include shock absorbers and overload springs; and provided further, that nothing contained in this section shall prevent a person from operating a motor vehicle on a public highway with normal wear of the suspension system if normal wear does not affect the control of the vehicle. In the case of a four-wheel drive vehicle where the thirty-one-inch limitation is exceeded, the vehicle will comply with this section if the vehicle is equipped with a drop bumper. The drop bumper must be bolted and welded to the frame of the vehicle and be made of a strength equal to a stock bumper.
- See more at: https://www.tn.gov/lawsandpolicies/article/55-9-215.-operation-of-motor-vehicle-without-adequate-energy-absorption-sys#sthash.wqWiwxWp.dpuf




So you can lift your truck, run drop bumpers (if your bumpers end up over 31"), as long as your frame height isn't too tall, and it still uses all of the original suspension system and steering...


Laws can be interpreted weird though, take the highlighted part for example: that no part of the original suspension system be disconnected to defeat the safe operation of the suspension system.

One could argue intent here, because you can/could disconnect part of the original suspension system, to replace it with another part/type of suspension system capable of safe operation. NOT with the intent to defeat the safe operation of the suspension system.

 

[1tfrot]

aside from any legalities, I ran DIY steel beadlocks with 37s for about 3 years when my truggy was a daily driver. never got hassled for them. maybe lucky, maybe they didn't notice, maybe they didn't care.

zero issues as well (like bolts coming loose, etc..)

 

[Beerj]

I think from a "getting hassled by cops" standpoint, there's so many fake beadlock looking wheels running around that nobody would notice unless there was an incident or you were in for inspection.

 

[onepieceatatime]

Re:

There's so many laws that the people that enforce them don't even know them. I've gotten into several arguments with cops before over certain issues. One officer will tell you one thing and one will tell you something entirely different. Sometimes I'd like to say that they're just trying to get you in trouble because that just helps pay their salary but I think there's a lot of times where there's just too many laws to learn and too many ways to interpret them.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[mckeddie]

I think from a "getting hassled by cops" standpoint, there's so many fake beadlock looking wheels running around that nobody would notice unless there was an incident or you were in for inspection.

****, I sold a set of 35" mtrs on mickey Thompson simulock wheels when they first came out for $500 only to find out they were really trail ready headlocks (dude in Texas was super happy). I knew what a beadlock was, and still couldn't tell the difference. (They came on the jeep when I got it). Good luck finding a cop that'll notice.

 

[smbroady82]

I can't find any mention of wheels/beadlocks in the TN motor vehicle codes.

Link:

https://www.tn.gov/lawsandpolicies/section/laws-motor-vehicle

Required Equipment section
https://www.tn.gov/lawsandpolicies/topic/55-9-part-2-required-equipment-on-vehicles

Other fun facts:

Gotta have a parking/e-brake 55-9-204(a)
https://www.tn.gov/lawsandpolicies/article/55-9-204.-brakes-equipment-required-on-various-type-vehicles-penalty

And your brakes have to work decent (including E brake)
https://www.tn.gov/lawsandpolicies/article/55-9-205.-performance-ability-of-brakes-penalty

Gotta have a rearview mirror
https://www.tn.gov/lawsandpolicies/article/55-9-206.-trucks-to-be-equipped-with-rearview-mirror

Bumper requirements and lift laws (note that virtually any moderately lifted Jeep or truck is probably illegal by frame height...)

https://www.tn.gov/lawsandpolicies/article/55-9-215.-operation-of-motor-vehicle-without-adequate-energy-absorption-sys

The BEST:
55-9-215(b6)&(c)

(6) No person shall modify or cause to be modified the original manufacturer installed steering mechanism, including welding, nor the front spindle where the brake pads mount, on a passenger vehicle or a truck or recreational vehicle with a weight up to ten thousand pounds (10,000 lbs.).

^ ALL steering mods are illegal. And aftermarket knuckles/spindles.


BUT the very next section kinda reads like it can be disregarded for virtually any reason

(c) This section does not apply to freight motor vehicles and/or other vehicles that have designs which would intrinsically preclude conformity with this provision. This section also shall not apply to any vehicle that has an unaltered and undamaged stock bumper or energy absorption system as supplied by the manufacturer of the vehicle.


SO, they way I read that is: If I "design" the vehicle to be a rock crawler, I can do whatever I want to the steering, etc... (probably not how lawyers would read it...)

A lot of good info. here Nick, Thanks

Now I just need to look up Alabama's