PSA: Beauty Ring Bolts -- Removal Issues & Replacement Cost - BE AWARE!

[2020FordRaptor]

I thought I would warn some folks in case they want to do this. Please don't do what I did.

About 7 months back, I removed all five beauty rings from my 2Dr Badlands (33" Optional Wheels).

I took them off to plastidip the rings to see what the color would look like if they were straight black, which I ended up loving.

The problem was the damn bolts were awful to remove. Several were horribly cross-threaded. Just don't remove them. I stripped two screws, and two of them were "supposedly" not screwed in correctly onto one of the wheels when I re-installed the beauty rings (even though I had the proper bit/torque wrench, etc. (and Ford won't fix them under warranty).

The dealer needs 18 new screws and a NEW WHEEL to fix it for a whopping $3500! Which I laughed at. Anyways, I wanted to get new wheels one day, so - I guess that day is today - but don't mess with them. I still feel the threads were done poorly by the manufacturer, which shouldn't fall on the customer to replace. Removing beauty rings should not be something this challenging for any consumer. But because I pastidipped them and did it myself, I am at fault. Even though several of the bolts were obviously cross-threaded, and poorly constructed.

Anyways, save yourself the trouble. Don't remove them. I'm keeping mine as is, missing a screw, etc. But that was a painful lesson to learn. I'm still calling Ford to raise hell on the threading issue, but I doubt I will have much luck.

Sadly a pretty common problem. I for one wouldn't pay to get them replaced and would raise heck till Ford payed for it.

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[Shoresy]

How about when replacing the tire, do the beauty rings need to come off?

I swapped some tires at Discount earlier this summer. At first they said removal of rings was required, but ultimately they DID NOT need to remove them.

 

[dfresh73]

These are NOT Torx Plus. They are Torx. Stop spreading misinformation.

This is what we needed. Thank you.

 

[Ft. Worth Rob]

How about when replacing the tire, do the beauty rings need to come off?

I don’t know that they need to but I left them off after powder coating when I took the wheels to have tires mounted. Discount Tire/America’s Tire said they remove them before mounting a tire so I saved them the work. I did booger up one screw and I think the dealer smoked me for $18 for one screw. Insane.

 

[Homebowlking]

I must have been lucky. I had no issue removing mine and installing beadlocks. Just took my time and left the power tools in the garage. My thought is I would rather know sooner than later if they are cross threaded.

 

[Goinwheelin]

Chinese aluminum wheels, and steel metric screws (which don't have as good a thread depth as SAE) are a recipe for galling, binding, and cross-threading.

Lol it has nothing to do with SAE v Metric and more to do with possible design flaw and or user/installer error. However I do agree with your helicoil comment as a viable option for thread repair. IMO the wheels should already have thread inserts given the dissimilar metals.

 

[ryn0s3r1]

The problem I encountered was the amount of thread lock used by the factory. I was able to successfully break the bolts loose by careful use of my impact driver. Once removed, the bolts were covered in thick hardened yellow thread lock that needed cleaning. If not completely removed, I could see that nasty dried thread lock compound causing cross threading Issues on re installation.

 

[2023bronco]

Time Sert instead of heli coil, if you can bear the expense.

 

[JoshuaPrieto]

I thought I would warn some folks in case they want to do this. Please don't do what I did.

About 7 months back, I removed all five beauty rings from my 2Dr Badlands (33" Optional Wheels).

I took them off to plastidip the rings to see what the color would look like if they were straight black, which I ended up loving.

The problem was the damn bolts were awful to remove. Several were horribly cross-threaded. Just don't remove them. I stripped two screws, and two of them were "supposedly" not screwed in correctly onto one of the wheels when I re-installed the beauty rings (even though I had the proper bit/torque wrench, etc. (and Ford won't fix them under warranty).

The dealer needs 18 new screws and a NEW WHEEL to fix it for a whopping $3500! Which I laughed at. Anyways, I wanted to get new wheels one day, so - I guess that day is today - but don't mess with them. I still feel the threads were done poorly by the manufacturer, which shouldn't fall on the customer to replace. Removing beauty rings should not be something this challenging for any consumer. But because I pastidipped them and did it myself, I am at fault. Even though several of the bolts were obviously cross-threaded, and poorly constructed.

Anyways, save yourself the trouble. Don't remove them. I'm keeping mine as is, missing a screw, etc. But that was a painful lesson to learn. I'm still calling Ford to raise hell on the threading issue, but I doubt I will have much luck.

Tire&Wheel warranties can be an easy fix... just takes one pothole

but, that sucks and sorry this was your experience. We've painted a ton of customers wheels and never had this issue

 

[Hossfire]

The problem is mixing alloys and metal. I've worked in a specialized truck manufacturing company and you just can't mix stainless bolts with alloy. The same applies to aluminum on steel frames. You'll get oxidation in the alloy (aluminum). If the threads are cross stripped, get a machinist to install Helicoils. There are products you can use to prevent this (like anti-seize). If you can, I'd suggest you do this ASAP when you get your Bronco. This way, if you want to take the beauty rings off in a later time, you don't have any problem.

My buddy (who has a PhD in Materials Science Engineering) refers to this as "galvanic corrosion". It's a very common occurrence when two dissimilar metals come in contact with each other. Theoretically, the factory "loctite" would form a barrier between the two metals. In reality, poor application of the glue and/or misthreading can lead to bare metal contact.

Sounds like a flawed design and execution. It would be interesting to hear how a better quality aftermarket manufacturer does their beadlocks. Probably better quality bolts and a lower strength glue.

 

[NatureBoy]

The funny thing about this is the rings really didn't have to be removed. OP, plastidip is like paint that can be durable (if applied correctly) but also easily removable ( MUCH more easily removable than paint) if prepped correctly. you with some masking tape and tire gel you could have just peeled off the plastidip from the places you did not want it to stay after the rings dried. There's a billion Youtube videos on it.

 

[Figmo]

How about when replacing the tire, do the beauty rings need to come off?

The beauty rings do not extend beyond the lip of the wheel. So that means the tires can be removed/installed without having the remove the rings. The rings do not interfere with the bead breaker bar sliding around the lip of the wheel.

 

[Shane78]

I removed my screws with a Snap-On socket and an electric impact gun. They all came off just like any other bolt I have ever removed. The new Ford Beadlock Bolts are torqued to 48 Ft. Lbs with NO Locktite or Anti-seize.
Here's a picture of the new Ford Beadlock Rings.

Hey I think I bought your beauty rings off eBay, London broil?

 

[Jimmiee]

Yes that’s me.

 

[Tilzbow]

FWIW I had zero issues removing my beauty rings, painting and reinstalling. That said, I can understand how some might’ve stripped a screw head removing if they didn’t seat the torx bit in the screw head properly while removing or reinstalling and I can see stripping a screw or wheel threads while reinstalling using power tools if one isn’t careful.

Expecting Ford to warranty stripped threads in the wheel isn’t reasonable IMO. How do they know you didn’t screw it up (pun intended) and are simply covering you ass? Not saying anyone on the forum is lying but what would you do it you owned your own business in today‘s society?

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