Any body powder coat the bead lock rings?

If you have bead lock rings and they are locking your bead, then no. You can't drive with them off.
If you have the factory beauty rings on the bead lock "capable" wheels, you can remove them while you get them powder coated and still drive with those wheels.

mike8675309

If you have bead lock rings and they are locking your bead, then no. You can't drive with them off.
If you have the factory beauty rings on the bead lock "capable" wheels, you can remove them while you get them powder coated and still drive with those wheels.

Thank you.

Wanted to powder coat my beauty rings I took it to a bunch of autobody shops they wanted ridiculous money anywhere from $500-$600 to do all 5 rings. I ended up doing it myself.
He will absolutely save so much money!!!

1st take off the beauty rings you need a T45 bit and do it by hand do not use an impact gun

2nd you still want to scuff up the beauty rings

3rd use rustoleum self etching primer and spray it on

4th use rustoleum black gloss paint and spray that on

5th put the beauty rings back on the bronco

Since I hadn't off-roaded since 1965 (International Scouts with three stick shifts back then) I've been on a major learning curve with the Bronco 6G. I was bummed out to learn that what's on my Badlands Sasquatch is simply cosmetic. I'm into rockcrawling, not mallcrawling.
My shop would be all too happy to sell me new bead-lock wheels at $850+ each.
A little searching, and I found I can get five functional beadlock rings for about that money. Those, I might touch up, depending on how they look out of the box.

I was looking into doing this as well. Wanted to add a little personalization before I decide to switch wheels. I'll have to check out pricing in my area.

BostonBadlands

Since I hadn't off-roaded since 1965 (International Scouts with three stick shifts back then) I've been on a major learning curve with the Bronco 6G. I was bummed out to learn that what's on my Badlands Sasquatch is simply cosmetic. I'm into rockcrawling, not mallcrawling.
My shop would be all too happy to sell me new bead-lock wheels at $850+ each.
A little searching, and I found I can get five functional beadlock rings for about that money. Those, I might touch up, depending on how they look out of the box.

Mallcrawling

Ok... What, exactly, does "bead lock capable" mean?
I know the rings that come with the wheels are cosmetic. Can they be replaced with real bead lock rings that allow me to air down my tires?

TMars

Ok... What, exactly, does "bead lock capable" mean?
I know the rings that come with the wheels are cosmetic. Can they be replaced with real bead lock rings that allow me to air down my tires?

Bead lock capable means you can put the bead lock rings on them. The true bead lock rings are an available accessory part from Ford. The tires are mounted differently and have to utilize the true bead lock rings to work. They aren’t street legal, but do enable you to run a very low tire pressure. The regular configuration can be aired down just not as much.

I saved these off a post here a long time ago, but really helps understand how these wheels work.
Tire on factory wheel with original beauty ring:

Same wheel, same tire, but replace the beauty ring with an actual bead lock ring sandwiching the tire bead outside the rim:

Yup they are only cosmetic.

KennyMac

I saved these off a post here a long time ago, but really helps understand how these wheels work.
Tire on factory wheel with original beauty ring:
View attachment 47595
Same wheel, same tire, but replace the beauty ring with an actual bead lock ring sandwiching the tire bead outside the rim:
View attachment 47596

Glad you saved that. I was trying to find it but had no idea where it was

TMars

Ok... What, exactly, does "bead lock capable" mean?
I know the rings that come with the wheels are cosmetic. Can they be replaced with real bead lock rings that allow me to air down my tires?

If you take off beauty ring you will notice additional holes to screw your bolts into that will hold the tire . I ordered the factory beadlock and had them powered coated. My bronco is due in 2 weeks

Squatchin

aMallcrawling

I hope you're not confusing me with a mallcrawler? I've done some serious trailwheeling and rockrawling here in New England and just spent a month in Utah, most of it off pavement, with a fair number of adventures and misadventures, both. My first off-roading was authentic offroading on the Sonora Desert in 1965, a summer job with a geology exploration outfit, driving International Scouts with three sticks. We drove over everything. Now getting back to it at 75, a lot has changed and I have a lot to learn.

KennyMac
I saved these off a post here a long time ago, but really helps understand how these wheels work.
Tire on factory wheel with original beauty ring:

Same wheel, same tire, but replace the beauty ring with an actual bead lock ring sandwiching the tire bead outside the rim:

Thanks for the images, KennyMac. To make sure I have this matter correctly understood, let me restate things--even if I'm very basic.
In image #1, I see the rubber edge of the tire pressed against the inside lip of the steel/aluminum wheel. The beauty ring has nothing to do with any of this.
In image #2, I see the rubber edge of the tire pressed against the outside edge of the steel/aluminum, and the beadlock ring clamped over the rubber edge of the tire, squeezing it against the lip of the steel/aluminum wheel. Thus the 24 bolts to screw it down hard.
Questions #1: If I get beadlock rings, I suppose I have to have a shop remount my tires, can I use my current rubber? I have the Badlands Sasquatch with Goodyear Territories, I'd hate to have to abandon fairly new wheels. I might go with Ford's, for the sake of simplicity, and compatibility. Funny that the Sasquatch is cheaper than the regular Badlands.
Question #2: They're not "street legal?" What are we supposed to do, swap off four wheels at every trailhead, then remount when finished? Speaking realistically, I don't think many cops know the difference between mallcrawling cosmetic rings and authentic beadlocks, or care enough to write up "illegal modification."
Thanks everybody for spelling things out for us ignorati.

BostonBadlands

Thanks for the images, KennyMac. To make sure I have this matter correctly understood, let me restate things--even if I'm very basic.
In image #1, I see the rubber edge of the tire pressed against the inside lip of the steel/aluminum wheel. The beauty ring has nothing to do with any of this.
In image #2, I see the rubber edge of the tire pressed against the outside edge of the steel/aluminum, and the beadlock ring clamped over the rubber edge of the tire, squeezing it against the lip of the steel/aluminum wheel. Thus the 24 bolts to screw it down hard.
Questions #1: If I get beadlock rings, I suppose I have to have a shop remount my tires, can I use my current rubber? I have the Badlands Sasquatch with Goodyear Territories, I'd hate to have to abandon fairly new wheels. I might go with Ford's, for the sake of simplicity, and compatibility. Funny that the Sasquatch is cheaper than the regular Badlands.
Question #2: They're not "street legal?" What are we supposed to do, swap off four wheels at every trailhead, then remount when finished? Speaking realistically, I don't think many cops know the difference between mallcrawling cosmetic rings and authentic beadlocks, or care enough to write up "illegal modification."
Thanks everybody for spelling things out for us ignorati.

Yes, that's correct. You can use your existing rubber, no need to buy new tires just to use the beadlocks. The "remounting" can be done by hand, break the outer bead, use tire spoons to get the tire bead outside the rim, then mount the beadlock rings. It's a lot of work. A shop with a tire machine can do it in a minute or so per wheel (plus a bit of time for torquing all those ring bolts, which I would do myself either way)
As for street legality, lots of debate there. For the longest time, it was simple. So few beadlock rims existed on the market, and such a niche segment, no manufacturer had gone through SAE/DOT testing and certification on their beadlock rims, so there were no certified street legal beadlock rims available. Now these wheels on your Bronco are certified street legal. Does mounting a beadlock ring to them void that certification? I guess that depends on if your state has any laws about that. I have never in my life heard of anyone actually being ticketed for driving on the street with beadlocks anywhere in this country.

KennyMac
Yes, that's correct. You can use your existing rubber, no need to buy new tires just to use the beadlocks. The "remounting" can be done by hand, break the outer bead, use tire spoons to get the tire bead outside the rim, then mount the beadlock rings. It's a lot of work. A shop with a tire machine can do it in a minute or so per wheel (plus a bit of time for torquing all those ring bolts, which I would do myself either way)
As for street legality, lots of debate there. For the longest time, it was simple. So few beadlock rims existed on the market, and such a niche segment, no manufacturer had gone through SAE/DOT testing and certification on their beadlock rims, so there were no certified street legal beadlock rims available. Now these wheels on your Bronco are certified street legal. Does mounting a beadlock ring to them void that certification? I guess that depends on if your state has any laws about that. I have never in my life heard of anyone actually being ticketed for driving on the street with beadlocks anywhere in this country.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! You've been a big help, along with the posters above. The illustrations really explained it. "In an abundance of caution," as they say, I'll probably wait for a sale and go with the Ford beadlock ring and have them install it. Maybe I'll get it powder coated or something first. A black to match the wheels is the obvious, but I'm toying with getting a carbonized gray to match the truck.
Incidentally, I'm a retired cop and did a lot of traffic stops. I wouldn't think of writing on something I wasn't sure of. Most of my "equipment violations" were obvious: low riders, loud mufflers, bald tires, defective lights. In Massachusetts, people with very serious lifts and alterations (e.g. monster trucks) have them trucked to special State Police inspection sites.
On the other forum, there's an interesting and informative thread on compressors and hoses--a few threads actually, so I'm boning up.
Thanks, and happy wheeling!

BostonBadlands

I hope you're not confusing me with a mallcrawler? I've done some serious trailwheeling and rockrawling here in New England and just spent a month in Utah, most of it off pavement, with a fair number of adventures and misadventures, both. My first off-roading was authentic offroading on the Sonora Desert in 1965, a summer job with a geology exploration outfit, driving International Scouts with three sticks. We drove over everything. Now getting back to it at 75, a lot has changed and I have a lot to learn.

my post was cracking up over the term "mall-crawling" as i'd never head that before -- as a female it just made me giggle.

please be aware that Beadlocks are high maintenance you need to retorque those bolts on a regular basis. Beadlocks are for serious crawling when you need to really air down. I have seen the factory wheel aired down to low 20-teens PSI with no worries if you need to go below that Beadlocks will help but Method makes a wheel with "Bead-grip" you don't need to futz arround with a locking ring and you can run tire pressures below 10PSI. also a good tire with firm side wall will help hold the bead.I am curious how the Good years will handle the the low pressures you can go with a Beadlock. that is a really light tire for the size, I am afraid the side wall will not have enough support, I don't know as my bronco is riding the rails right now.

Squatchin

my post was cracking up over the term "mall-crawling" as i'd never head that before -- as a female it just made me giggle.

Sometimes posters take swipes at each other, so I appreciate your clarification. My installer remarked that 90% of what he puts on never goes off payment. I'm no newbie, but I have a ways to go before I can tackle Moab's Hell's Revenge or Top of the World. Next year, Bring back a healthy dose of Utah dust, fer shur!
Keep wheelin' Lady!😉