Hutchinson Beadlocks
Certified, DOT approved, and street legal, Hutchinson internal beadlocks increase all terrain mobility, traction, and steering control, minimizing rollovers.
To increase the mobility of a wheeled vehicle operating in soft terrain such as sand, mud or snow, it is necessary to increase the footprint of the tires. This is achieved by the crew decreasing air pressure in the tires.
Mobility in all terrain
The air inside a tire applies pressure on the tire walls. This pressure clamps the tire beads to the wheel flanges. At low pressure the clamping force on the tire beads decreases drastically, and is not enough to prevent the tire from slipping on the wheel or unseating.
The Hutchinson solution
The Hutchinson Beadlock ensures the clamping of the tire beads on the rim at lowered or zero pressure. As a result, the vehicle capabilities are enhanced by:
- Increased traction
- Improved braking and steering control
- Minimal chance of rollover caused by the unseating of the tire
- Preventing foreign materials from entering the tire
The Hutchinson Internal Beadlock is configured to fit the shape of the tire bead. Once the components are installed, increasing the footprint of the tire on the ground for improved traction is as easy as reducing the air pressure in the tires.
The Hutchinson Internal Beadlock complies with all industry rim standards and has been used with all major tire brands. The internal double beadlock system holds the tire bead securely against the rim, without breaking the bead seal or slipping during use. Unlike external beadlock rings installed on one side of the wheel, the Hutchinson beadlock clamps in the beads on both sides of the tire. Further, the Hutchinson internal beadlock is DOT approved and is “street legal”.
All Hutchinson beadlocks are constructed so that only elastomer parts of the beadlock are in contact with the tire bead. Unlike hard surface plastic or metal beadlocks, this ensures no damage to the bead and facilitates high performance during varying air pressure in the tire.
Every Hutchinson beadlock is specially engineered to meet the exact size of the wheel and tire beads. It is then rigorously tested using tire slip and on-vehicle measurements to ensure clamping force is sufficient to meet wheel, tire and vehicle performance requirements. Every Hutchinson beadlock is certified.
The Hutchinson beadlock is standard equipment on many military OE platforms and specialty vehicles that require low pressure operation but do not have need for runflat capability. It also adapts to most 2- and 3-piece wheel configurations which use CTIS.
The Hutchinson Internal Beadlock is available for a wide range of rims and tires from 12″ to 36″.
