H3 New Wheels, Airing Down, Bead Locks

[H3ATH3N]

I've ordered new wheels and tires with a little feedback from the forum, but doing some additional research have some concerns/questions:
Wheels - Will these hold up? Ordered 17" XD Crank wheels, load rating 3600lbs (liked the looks, wanted something a little different) but have found some comments of them cracking under regular use and I plan to get out on some moderate to difficult trails (Arizona, so dry and rocky) 5-6 times a year.
Airing Down - What range should I aim for? Going with Duratrac 315/70/17
Bead Locks - Necessary? When airing down do I need to consider bead locks in my situation - or will the wheels above suffice? Tires were a special order, so I need to find a similar size wheel fast if I switch out

Thanks again -

 

[alrock]

Can't speak to the wheel selection but generally I air down to 18-20 psi here in AZ and for pretty much all of my wheeling. You don't need beadlocks. They can help but they certainly are not necessary. There are other ways to spend that $2000 that will get you a better return on your investment. If you were running a lot lower psi they are pretty much a necessity.

 

[06 H3]

I run 12 but I feel that's pushing it. I do though because it's an e rated tire (stiffer) so I can go a bit lower and I can't remember who told me this, maybe bebe, but the deisgn of the lip on our oem rim helps keep the bead at lower pressures compared to other non beadlock rims

 

[Zach]

When I had 35's I ran 15 psi and never an issue. Run 15 with my 37's also. Kind of the sweet spot. You don't feel much at all, seems to float over rocks.

 

[USMC_TOP]

06 H3 is right. Back when I was into off road I had to have 16.5 wheels on my 1Ton Silverado. 15's wouldn't clear the calipers. Some use to grind them to fit 15's (Not Smart)......My 16.5's never held a bead very well at all. Many times did I use starting fluid to pop the tire back on the rim..............lol. Anyway; your 16's do have a bead lock built in the design of them just like the old 15's did. If these new wheel sizes don't have a bead lock like the 16 does I would not waste your money. If you have like 800hp and can't keep your tires on the rims then find something better.

My opinion

 

[Pappibri]

I have the Duratracs and I usually air down to 18psi. I have never had any problem with them at that pressure in the mud, sand or the rocks... Good choice of tire by the way...

 

[cgalpha08]

I usually air to about 18 ish. Only time I ever had a problem was with my stock Streeters. ..managed to unbead a tire going over a mud slope.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[RamRod]

I air down to 15, never had a problem


Sent from handheld smoke signal device

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

I run as low as 5 psi on the snow (Toyo MTs), and is my normal "target" pressure is 8 psi. On hard pack I run the highest, comfortable pressure I can (thus, from 12-25 psi). I don't do bead locks - they'd be nice, I guess, but it's so easy to reset a bead that bead locks just don't seem worth the hassle (not to mention, they're illegal on the highway). Oh, and, knock on wood, I haven't had to reset a bead in decades.
That said, driving style and type of wheeling really does effect equipment necessary to safely run on a trail (YMMV).

One thing to keep in mind, as the tire ages, the sidewalls flex more - so it's really easy to spin or de-bead a tire with new tires. The older they get, the better they flex. Thus, if you get new tires, you may wish to consider airing down to 10 psi and driving on a road for several miles to heat-cycle the beads (and allow flex sooner).... as with any advice, DON'T BE STUPID, no 80 mph blasts at 10 psi, no hard corners.... reasonably it would be 20-30 mph for a couple miles.

 

[H3ATH3N]

Thanks all - off to Crown King on Sunday!

 

[Hunner]

I run as low as 5 psi on the snow (Toyo MTs), and is my normal "target" pressure is 8 psi. On hard pack I run the highest, comfortable pressure I can (thus, from 12-25 psi). I don't do bead locks - they'd be nice, I guess, but it's so easy to reset a bead that bead locks just don't seem worth the hassle (not to mention, they're illegal on the highway). Oh, and, knock on wood, I haven't had to reset a bead in decades.
That said, driving style and type of wheeling really does effect equipment necessary to safely run on a trail (YMMV).

One thing to keep in mind, as the tire ages, the sidewalls flex more - so it's really easy to spin or de-bead a tire with new tires. The older they get, the better they flex. Thus, if you get new tires, you may wish to consider airing down to 10 psi and driving on a road for several miles to heat-cycle the beads (and allow flex sooner).... as with any advice, DON'T BE STUPID, no 80 mph blasts at 10 psi, no hard corners.... reasonably it would be 20-30 mph for a couple miles.

I run Hutchinson's (which ARE legal on the highway DOT approved) and never had a problem and generally on rough roads run 15-18 on 10 ply tires.
I like the margin of safety especially in the boonies.

It's only sort of easy to reset a bead if you have done it before, the tire is not torn up and you have lots of air pressure to do so and a ratchet strap or at least that has been my experience fixing someone else's tire and of course it happens when it is cold, rainy or snow and ten inches of mud makes it fun.

I don't recommend the Redneck explosive method.