While everyone has his own way of mounting tires on beadlocks, here's the way we like to do the Walker Evans beadlock wheels in our driveway or garage. Remember: Mount beadlocks at your own risk, and our way may not work for you.
-To mount your tires, put the wheel (without ring, of course) upright on a blanket or towel.
-Install a rubber valve stem and remove the core.
-Use a spray bottle to squirt water on the inside bead of your tire (soap isn't needed), then push the tire on the wheel. Sometimes this means bouncing a bit with your knee to get the bead over the wheel.
-Make sure the upper bead seats around the beadlock ring lip (it easily does this and usually falls into place).
-Place the outer ring over the outer bead, lining up the bolt holes. If you're running a tire with a thicker bead, you may have to get four bolts that are longer than those that came with your beadlocks (we've always had to do this and use bolts that are 1/2 inch longer). This will allow you to put the bolts in and pull the ring down to a point where the other bolts will start. Make sure you dab a small bit of antiseize on all bolts.
-Install the four bolts and washers at the 12, 6, 3, and 9 o'clock positions on the ring. Tighten them enough to pull the ring down just a bit, crossing to the opposite bolt to tighten.
-When the ring is pulled down enough, put the supplied bolts and washers on either side of each longer pilot bolt. Tighten those just a bit, then remove the pilot bolt and install a supplied bolt in those positions.
-Now, put washers and bolts in the open spaces and start to tighten all bolts, crisscrossing the wheel as you go. The ring will pull all the way down to the wheel, even if it doesn't look like it when you start.
-Don't tighten one bolt all the way down: Tighten them all equally a little at a time and pull the ring down fairly evenly.
-DON'T OVERTIGHTEN! Use a torque wrench and tighten all bolts to 18-20 lb-ft.
-We now squirt around the rear bead with some more water, place the wheel and tire over a 5-gallon paint bucket or stool to get it off the floor, and then start filling the tire with air. Usually, the bead will seat right away.
-Once you hear the "pop" of the bead seating, remove the air chuck and reinstall the valve core you removed earlier.
-Inflate the tire to no more than 30 psi.
-We've never had a problem finding a tire store to balance the tire/wheel combo.-This sounds really complicated, but it's not. We like mounting tires on beadlocks and you will too, once you get the hang of it. Set aside some time, turn on some music, and start in.
-NEVER trust anyone else to do this for you, as others almost ALWAYS tighten bolts too much and foul up your expensive wheels.
Although beadlock wheels are impressive, another thing that impressed us is the high quality exhibited by all these wheels. We're confident that any of the beadlocks here you choose will serve you well in the dirt, no matter what you throw at them!