• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

 

A3 rims 395s what bead lock to use?

Dunkeye11

Member
54
4
8
Location
Fairfax, Virginia
So I’m really just starting reassembly of the a3s with 395s I put the A3 rubber 11 inch beadlock in the 395 tire and have the time in place cranking it down

issue I’m having is it really isn’t seating as I think it should. Should I have stayed with the lmtv beadlock that are 10 inches? I’d very much prefer them weight etc and I have all of them lol.....

any thoughts I know a lot of you are running 395s it seems like the 10 inch beadlock would be enough on the a3 rim
 

simp5782

Feo, Fuerte y Formal
Supporting Vendor
12,088
9,248
113
Location
Mason, TN
Yes. Use the band type that the LMTVs use. You will have a time getting them to seat up so lots of tire soap, good air volume and pressure. If that does not work you need a 20in bicycle tube to slip over the beadlock face and air it up between it and the bead and inflate it. This will make up for room and force itself out when the tire is aird up
 

Dunkeye11

Member
54
4
8
Location
Fairfax, Virginia
But if the lmtv type isn’t wide enough should I just stick with the a3 ones or are they just to big? I’d like to maintain the beadlocking function
 
Last edited:

hgun

Well-known member
176
305
63
Location
Leechburg, PA
Hello Dunkeye11 I have the same question I just picked up 395/85/20 for my m35a3 and not sure which bead locks to use, the ones in the 395 or the ones in the A3 from the 14.5R20. I have not started disassembling mine yet I want to make sure I have everything. If you got your answer please let me know if not someone please let me know thank you guys.
 

tobyS

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,820
815
113
Location
IN
I have several of the 11" bead locks and am wondering the same thing. I don't have the 395 yet but it seems like measuring the bead thickness on the two tires 14.5 and 395 would be a start. I'll go find a 14.5.

Edit....I measured the bead on a 14.5 at 1.25" and the beadlock measures 10". Then went and measured a new beadlock labeled "Henderson 11x20 " and guess what it measures......10". Thus would seem the 395 uses a 10" headlock, same as the 14.5 on the 11 inch wide A3 wheels. 10"wide may be labeled 11x20 since that is the rim size. 395 on 5 ton combat uses a narrower one, 9" for 10" wide rim same as 14.00r20. That (for 10" rim) would be around 9" and would not hold sufficient pressure on am 11" wide rim.

Thus caution....the printed size on the beadlock is the rim width, not the true dimension of the beadlock width.
 
Last edited:

tobyS

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,820
815
113
Location
IN
Hello Dunkeye11 I have the same question I just picked up 395/85/20 for my m35a3 and not sure which bead locks to use, the ones in the 395 or the ones in the A3 from the 14.5R20. I have not started disassembling mine yet I want to make sure I have everything. If you got your answer please let me know if not someone please let me know thank you guys.
Hgun, you definitely use the ones from your old 14.5.....they are for 11 inch A3 rims and measure 10" across. The ones with the 395 likely came from 10" wide rims and would be too narrow.
 

tobyS

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,820
815
113
Location
IN
But if the lmtv type isn’t wide enough should I just stick with the a3 ones or are they just to big? I’d like to maintain the beadlocking function
Stay with the one that fits the 11" wide A3 rim, which was in your 14.5. I think the SS uses a 10", so what comes in the 395 tire is too narrow.
 

hgun

Well-known member
176
305
63
Location
Leechburg, PA
Thank you so much for the help I was getting ready to order a bead lock for the 395 tomorrow AM I’ll just remove them and swap the old ones into the 395. I’ll have 5 bead locks from 395 if anyone wants them
 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks