Ford Performance functional beadlock rings finally installed!

[Lion77]

I'm 99% positive the beauty ring is plastic. Obviously the actual locking ring is not; I believe the lockers are 7075 T6. Now I'm going to go have to check my beauty rings....

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[Catalyst]

I'm 99% positive the beauty ring is plastic. Obviously the actual locking ring is not; I believe the lockers are 7075 T6. Now I'm going to go have to check my beauty rings....

Not plastic. Can’t powder coat plastic

 

[Fawnbuster]

I finally had a chance to install the Ford Performance functional beadlock rings.
My wife bought them for me during the Black Friday sales on the Ford.com website.
Ford had 25% off on the website for Black Friday, M-1021-F15RB, normally $225 each, with the 25% off they were $168.75 each.
We used the Ford Pass points from her 2024 Bronco Wildtrak and bought 2 rings, and then used the points for my 2024 Ranger Raptor and bought the other 2 rings, we spent $300 bucks for all for rings!
I love the way the wheels look with functional rings!! Took a few before and after pics.

Do those bolt on to the wheel? I don't have any experience with beadlocks...yet

 

[Lion77]

Actually, you can, you can powder cote wood as well. There are low temp powders that can be baked on plastics. I happen to design electrostatic powder coating equipment and specialize in 100kV systems to do that.

Powder Coating on Plastic

I'd imagine IF they are actually plastic, that it's a high temp type, given it's on the wheel in close proximity to the brakes. But 130C is all it takes to bake it on and electrostatically charged paint particles will adhere to plastics .

Like I said, I'm not convinced yet the stock beauty rings are metal, they scream molded plastic to me. But I honestly don't care enough to go out in the rain to check right now lol.

 

[stovall977]

I'm 99% positive the beauty ring is plastic. Obviously the actual locking ring is not; I believe the lockers are 7075 T6. Now I'm going to go have to check my beauty rings....

Bro, they definitely are not lol. This is my third Raptor. I’ve taken them off plenty of times to touch them up and when I have new tires installed they have to be pulled off every time. I still have a set of old rings from Gen 2 raptor.

 

[Catalyst]

Actually, you can, you can powder cote wood as well. There are low temp powders that can be baked on plastics. I happen to design electrostatic powder coating equipment and specialize in 100kV systems to do that.

Powder Coating on Plastic

I'd imagine IF they are actually plastic, that it's a high temp type, given it's on the wheel in close proximity to the brakes. But 130C is all it takes to bake it on and electrostatically charged paint particles will adhere to plastics .

Like I said, I'm not convinced yet the stock beauty rings are metal, they scream molded plastic to me. But I honestly don't care enough to go out in the rain to check right now lol.

I've held them in my hand - not plastic. Keep doubting brother, but not sure what you base your opinion on besides appearance?

 

[Lion77]

Nothing but the appearance. Just surprised they are metal and not plastic since they are non-functional as it's like it would add cost unnecessarily.

I really don't care either way, just debating for the sake of the debate, but I'll concede since ya'll did take them off to verify.

 

[Catalyst]

Plastic would have saved some weight... I anticipate they went aluminum since they will get abused if your Raptor is doing Raptor things

 

[Lion77]

Any idea how much the beauty rings weigh compared to the actual locking rings? I wonder if it was intended to swap back and forth and maintain wheel balance.

 

[Catalyst]

Good theory - didn't weigh mine and don't have the functional, so perhaps someone who does can chime in there.

The functional use a lot more hardware, and it adds up weight wise. I was surprised how heavy my bag of bolts was when I removed mine to drop off the rings to my powder guys.

 

[HHIRAP]

The beauty rings are cast aluminum, I have mine in my hands right at the moment. Let me see If I can find my digital scales and I will weigh one of them for you.

l did not weigh the functional rings before I put them on. Most of the weight difference is in the number of bolts in the functional ring 24 bolts vs the beauty ring 12 bolts. The functional ring was a little heavier due to being a thicker machined aluminum vs the cast beauty ring.

I personally did not really feel any difference in how it drove, power wise and the fuel mileage has not changed either. They are heavier, and it is rotational weight, so I‘m sure there has to be some loss, just nothing you could feel or see in the mileage.

I have the Ford Pro-Cal tune on my anyway so it runs great.

 

[HHIRAP]

The functional ring does bolt on in place of the original ring, but the outside tire bead has to be moved from inside the rim to the outside of the rim, so that the functional ring clamps the tire bead between the outside of the rim and the functional ring.

If you just remove the original ring and just bolt on the functional ring in it’s place, without moving the tire bead to the outside of the rim, you would have a gap between the ring and the rim.

I hope that I explained it where it makes sense.

Do those bolt on to the wheel? I don't have any experience with beadlocks...yet

Read my post above and hopefully it will help explain how they work.

 

[HHIRAP]

Here is a video someone else posted that may help.

 

[HHIRAP]

Not plastic. Can’t powder coat plastic

The color matched beauty ring looks great. I did the same thing with my wife’s last Jeep.

 

[Lion77]

I'm guessing they made the beauty rings from cast aluminum then to maintain wheel balance. I was really surprised they weren't plastic as it seems to add cost unnecessarily, but that would make sense that they wanted to avoid other issues given the application.

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