Narrowing Junfac Beadlocks

[TWINSET]

The Junfac must be one of the easier beadlocks to narrow; Apart from the two locking rings, the wheel is a simple 2 piece design, consisting of the centre plug which also has the hex moulded into it, and the outer tube/barrel.

To narrow them, you need only cut the barrel.

Heres the two main pieces left is the plug, right is the barrel

First off, I drill a couple of air holes in the barrel.

This will be the innermost face of the wheel once assembled as, if the hole were towards the outer edge, the plug would cover the hole.

I drill two 5mm holes, diametrically opposite.

Next, the cuts.

I cut against the screw hole mouldings, simply because theyre easy to work against with a saw

Placing the blade against two lugs, I make a light scoring cut, so Ill make 8 of these around the wheel Lug 1-2, 2-3, 3-4 and so on.

Once the barrel is ringed with a shallow cut, I then cut around it again until the blade breaks through.

I found this more accurate/neater than trying to cut all the way down from top to bottom, like sawing a log.

The first half of the rim.

De-Burr the rim using a sharp blade or sandpaper

For smoothing the rings face down, I use a sanding sponge and just rub the ring over it until smooth.

Any high spots get shaved down with a Stanley knife

The smoothed face

Before gluing, note that the screw lugs/mouldings are mirrored as opposed to all the same

Lining these up correctly will ensure youre gluing the largest possible surface area

Liberal apply superglue slower drying is more beneficial here.

Once glued and aligned, clamp the ring until the glues dry.

You dont need a vice or heavy equipment, if you dont have a spring clamp, try a few books. Its only to hold it all in place whilst the glue dries

Once the superglues dry, I then apply a coating of hot glue, just to make sure.

Make sure the superglues hard before though, as the two glues mixed give off some fairly unpleasant fumes

As soon as everythings set, clean up the bore of the barrel The plug is a good snug fit so any beads of glue will make assembly a pain.

A narrowed rim, alongside an untouched one

The surgery removes approximately 14mm

Quick shot of the breather hole (10 oclock)

And the obligatory blood shot (dramatic reenacment)

[ryanbored]

Could have just bought narrowed ones

[TWINSET]

Could have just bought narrowed ones

I bet the university was never the same after you left

[ryanbored]

I bet the university was never the same after you left

LMAO! Good job I have thick.

Skin

[dready]

So twinset when are you going to show us the other piece?

To Adjust the Offset?

Eh ryan wanna buy your beadlocks back?

Bet you'd wished you kept them now.

[ryanbored]

So twinset when are you going to show us the other piece?

To Adjust the Offset?

Eh ryan wanna buy your beadlocks back?

Bet you'd wished you kept them now.

Give ya 5.

Ohh get me, I sound just like you when It comes to money!

[TWINSET]

So twinset when are you going to show us the other piece?

To Adjust the Offset?

Narrowing the barrels increases the offset (or at least moves the centreline of the tyre outward), as the centre plug is not modified and the barrel screws to the plug

[Rabiedmushroom]

After completing a set of wheels, I hope you have some fingers left to work your transmitter controls!

[BiggusDitchus]

Did my wheels the same way, and yes I did that to my finger too! Nice work.

[ryanbored]

Can I ask what the main benefit of narrowing wheels? It it mainly for crawling?

[TWINSET]

Can I ask what the main benefit of narrowing wheels? It it mainly for crawling?

One of the main reasons is to get a little more tread around the edge of the tyre, handy for using the sidewalls to climb.

By narrowing the centre width, you wrap some of the tread over, onto the sidewall.

A lot of tyre manufacturers now add more lugs on the sidewall, but with most of these tyres still being for the wider market (not crawler specific) a bit of modding usually improves what's already there.

Also, on these Junfac rims, narrowing them moves the tyre over, away from the links, shocks etc, so I don't need to use wheel wideners.

[ryanbored]

I found those wheels such a mare- After 2 evenings sat on the sofa with a allen key and a beer I just couldn't get the bead of my MOABs accurately secured. Alot of swearing and digging about the sofa for the allen bolts and I gave up. I just don't have that sort of patience

[TWINSET]

I found those wheels such a mare- After 2 evenings sat on the sofa with a allen key and a beer I just couldn't get the bead of my MOABs accurately secured. Alot of swearing and digging about the sofa for the allen bolts and I gave up. I just don't have that sort of patience

Different manufacturers use different bead sizes - I was fitting Proline Badlands 2.2s to these, and ended up with 4 dots of glue on each rim to hold the tyre in place whilst I did the screws up, whereas with the Losi tyres, the beads were big and sticky enough to hold themselves in place.

Even on bigger tyres this is an issue, I have some Maxx size beadlocks, and they include shims for different brands of tyres.

[ryanbored]

I found that the moab didn't have a very accurate bead, and seemed to be a little 'baggy', so when tighteneing up the locking ring the bead popped out. Repeatedly. Infuriating!

Maybe it was the accuracy of the Cheapy Junfac Wheels?

[BiggusDitchus]

I did find attaching the tyres to my junfac beadlocks difficult (especially after narrowing) but a few tiny dots of superglue which is easily removed fixed problem and the tyres are well and truly secured now. Heres the proof.. look at that distortion!

Got another set here to narrow and fit with Losi Rock Clawz, but first waiting for some nice, and unique beadlock rings!

[ryanbored]

I did find attaching the tyres to my junfac beadlocks difficult (especially after narrowing) but a few tiny dots of superglue which is easily removed fixed problem and the tyres are well and truly secured now. Heres the proof.. look at that distortion!

Got another set here to narrow and fit with Losi Rock Clawz, but first waiting for some nice, and unique beadlock rings!

I guess you dont use inserts then?

[TWINSET]

I guess you dont use inserts then?

Dunno about Rich, but I do.

With crawlers, the idea with the tyres is that they deform around the terrain, to give the best grip.

No foam at all ends up with a pretty sloppy ride, as there's no real shape to the tyre.

Full foam makes the tyre too firm, losing grip.

I cut the foams like this

That gives enough support but still allows the tyre to deform.

[ryanbored]

how about stretching 1.9 foams over 2.2 hubs?

[TWINSET]

how about stretching 1.9 foams over 2.2 hubs?

Why?

2.2 tyres tend to come with 2.2 foams.

Cutting them kinda keeps the cost down

[ryanbored]

Why?

2.2 tyres tend to come with 2.2 foams.

Cutting them kinda keeps the cost down

Me. With Scissors. I have casulty on speed dial as it is....