Proline Beadlock SCT Wheels
Introduction
Are you tired of being part of your RC car every time you glue a tire? Are you sick of getting glue everywhere when you just want to head out and do some laps? Do you say to your RC tires, please don’t make me one with the table…the tire…the rim…. basically everything I touch before the glue dries. This is my experience when I glue tires for an RC car. I don’t like it. So, I went looking for a solution.
This is where I found the Proline bead lock short course wheels. I know that as most Americans, me included, I want things resolved 5 minutes ago! This solution is close, but it will still take some time to mount tires.
Whatcha Get in the Kit?
For a limited time at 19.95 (Amazon affiliate link) okay, not quite cheap, but it’s a great tribute to 80s infomercials. These wheels are about 28 bucks off Amazon. This is not cheap initially, but it is a money saver as you engage in the hobby. You will be able to mount many different tires to these rims. It is nice to keep the wheels.
If you search for your own beadlock wheels make sure that they are the short course beadlock wheels. The short course wheels have bigger diameter in the back (3 inches) an a smaller diameter on the front of the wheel (2.2 inches). This is an important detail because monster truck wheels or crawler wheels are not going to work.
This is the inside diameter of the tire. It is 2.2 inches.
The caliper reading is a little blurry, but you can see that the outside diameter is 3 inches.
The other thing to note is that the Arrma Fury has 14mm hexes and not the 12mm. So, pay attention to hex. Proline normally comes with different hex adapters that you can mount the proper hex to the wheel. If you don’t have a caliper tool it is a good idea to pick one up. (Amazon affiliate link)
Get to the point Paulie… What do you get? You get wheels, screws, bead lock, and a wheel that is easily transferred to a new tire when the old tire gets bald. It’s not like we do donuts or anything…. that would be crazy or CRAZY FUN!
How’dcha Do it?
You just pop the wheel through the tire, you attach the bead locks on either side of the wheel, and then you screw it all together. It is basically like singing the hokey pokey while playing twister. Okay, maybe not that much fun and thankfully does not require as much flexibility. However, it’s really not that difficult. Follow the pics below.
I placed the tire with the inside facing up. That would be the 3” diameter. I laid out the wheel with the wider part of the rim first, and then the outside or narrower rim.
You push the rim all the way through the tire. You want the bead of the tire to be over the rim so the rim sits in the middle of the tire and the beads are over each side of the rim.
Now you push the inside section of the rim (smaller rim) through the back of the tire. You will see how the back side of the bead is pinched between the rim.
You should have the tire over the rim. You are ready to install the bead lock.
Install bead lock, I started a screw (2 Hex) on each side, and then went around and turned the screws 2-3 times till it was tight. I wanted to make sure the tire was seated uniformly.
You go around with the 2 Hex and tighten the screws so that the tire is locked into place.
Make sure you have your 14mm Hex installed. This is the Arrma size. You simply click the hex adapter/hub into the wheel. You will screw it with the included screws on the outside.
Then admire it on the truck, drive it, and have some fun!
Pros… Cons… Considerations
You have to make sure you have the correct hexes. One of the things to watch is that the Amazon wheels on sale are 17mm Hexes so they are going to be too big. This is frustrating because the listing says that it is the multi-hex adapters that Proline offers. You can buy the hex adapters from Proline, but that is an extra 10 bucks. The only place where I can find them is at Tower Hobbies. You could try Amazon, but mine only came with the 17mm Hexes.
The Proline wheel and tire weigh 163 grams. So, this is not going to win any points on the Weight Watchers diet, but you can keep using the rims. The old way is gluing the wheels each time you change a tire. This means you will have to break the glue bond each time you change the tire or just throw away the wheel/tire combo.
The other option is to buy the stock Arrma Wheel. The stock wheel is 119 grams. The downside is that you are only going to run Arrma tires, and you have to make sure they are in stock. Finding things in stock can be one of the downsides of this truck. I think the Furys or Furies (probably more correct) are so popular that Horizon cannot keep up with the demand.
I just call attention to one of the big downsides of the Proline Bead locks: weight. The weight of the Prolines is 44 grams on each corner of the truck. That is like adding 9 nickels per wheel. So, you just increased the weight of the truck by $1.80! Okay, so I would not run these wheels on race day because of the rotational weight, but for practicing and bashing they sure rock! Note to self: check to see what the speed difference is between stock Arrma wheels and the Proline setup. That is my plan for a future post.
I guess before I speculate I should really see how much of a difference it really makes. The added weight might make it sock up bumps with a little more ease.
Another thing is that you will have to trim the body because these wheels are a little bigger than the Arrma wheels. This is not a big deal to do at all. I guess that will also be a future post. We discovered this after taking the Fury for a test ride. The upside is the truck will do wheelies with the added grip of these new tires.
Whatcha Learn?
Patience is a virtue. Seriously, these hobbies teach you that putting in the time is worth the effort. I know that I can think that the way of always doing things is the way to do things. However, these wheels are a real game changer. I can run different tires and only buy one set of wheels. Yes, it will take some time, but the overall payoff is worth it. So, patience to work through things can be a huge benefit.
Look for solutions to the problem with an open mind. Sometimes we might think we have a solution locked, but then we discover someone did a better job of solving the problem. It reminds me of the family making a Thanksgiving turkey. The mother would always cut the turkey in half. The child asks, “Why do we always cut the turkey in half?” The mother says, “Because that is what we do.” One day, the mother is troubled by the child’s observation and asks her mother, “Mom, why did we cut the Turkey in half?” Her mother says, “Because we did not have a big enough pot to hold one turkey.” So, keep searching for solutions.
Know your tools. Sure, fancy specialty tools and multitools are fun, but knowing the right tool for the job saves a lot of time. In RC, that might be a simple caliper or the correct hex adapter; at work, it might be a software platform, a coworker’s expertise, or a mentor you can ask for help. When you understand your tools and resources, you solve problems faster. This can be the hobby bench or the workplace. Your co-worker might be able to do something more efficiently than you can. You might be better off spending your time somewhere else. Knowing your tools translates into knowing your resources.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, the Proline beadlock wheels solved a practical problem. I am no longer dealing with glue everywhere, no more rushed installs, and no more ruined tires. The wheels aren’t perfect, and they aren’t the lightest option, but they offer flexibility and durability. They are totally a Paulie’s Pick!
What surprised me most was how much this small upgrade reinforced a bigger lesson: patience pays off. Whether it’s at the RC bench or in everyday life, taking the time to learn, and do things well often saves us frustration down the road. Sometimes the solution isn’t faster, but it’s smarter.
Thanks for hanging out with me today. Use social media to be social, and look for opportunities to be generous!
(Youtube Video released on Monday)