Replacement wheels can make or break the look of your 4×4, so it pays to do your research and select a wheel that not only looks the part but is also made for the type of driving you have planned. 

There are thousands of choices out there, and you’ll either love scrolling though the endless designs or pull your hair out trying to settle on a product. Alloy wheels offer a lighter option than steel wheels and are available in myriad styles and colours to suit any and all vehicles. If you can’t find a wheel for your 4×4 after looking at all the available options, then you probably need professional help.

When we went looking for new wheels for our HiLux build, we were looking for something tough but modern, and a wheel that would be easy to keep clean. The wheels needed to look good, remain functional and meet all the required standards.

While scrolling through the range of wheels from Dynamic Wheel Company, we came across its own-branded DWC Sentinel alloys (↗). Not only do the Sentinels look great and fit the bill, they also offer the versatility and serious off-road capability of the brand’s EzyLok system.

When you head off-road in your 4×4, you will want to drop the tyre pressures to suit the terrain you are travelling on. Drop them just a little when you hit gravel roads, and more if you are driving on the beach, sand or soft snow. Lower tyre pressures increase the footprint the tyre has on the terrain, giving you better grip and improved traction. Dropping the tyres down to 15psi or lower is not uncommon in tough muddy conditions or soft sand, but drop them too low or drive aggressively on them and you risk pulling the tyre off the wheel itself.

This is where beadlock wheels come in. As the name suggests, beadlock wheels lock the tyre bead to the wheel so it can’t pull off the rim. This is done using a beadlock ring that clamps the tyre bead to the rim to secure it.

While this is great for serious off-road driving, most beadlocks are illegal to use on the street, and it’s hardly convenient to use two different sets of wheels for every trip – a conventional set to get you to the location and then swapping to beadlocks for the fun stuff.

DWC’s EzyLok wheels go a long way to offering the best of both worlds – conventionally fitted tyres for on-road use, and beadlocked tyres for off-road use – both from the same set of wheels.

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How do EzyLok wheels work?

EzyLok-equipped wheels from DWC have threaded holes around the outer wheel rim. These holes have grub screws in them for normal road use to prevent mud and grit from getting into the threads.

To convert them to beadlock wheels, you need to remove these grub screws, deflate the tyre, pull the tyre bead to the outside of the rim and then clamp it back on using the optional beadlock ring and associated hardware. The tyre is then clamped to the wheel and should not come away from it, no matter how low you go with tyre pressures.

The catch is that before you get back on the road, to do it legally, you need to reverse the procedure by removing the beadlock rings and putting the bead back inside the wheel rim before reinflating it. It’s not a procedure you want to be doing every time you head off-road, but it’s nice to know you have the option to run with a beadlock should you need it.

The DWC Sentinel alloy wheels (↗) are available in four different colour choices, and we have gone with gloss black for the HiLux, contrasting nicely with the silver paintwork. The beadlock rings can be had in black or machined finish.

FAQs

Q: What are the benefits of DWC Sentinel alloy wheels?

A: DWC Sentinel alloy wheels combine modern styling with practical off-road capability. They offer a lighter alternative to steel wheels, are easy to keep clean, and feature DWC’s EzyLok system, allowing them to be converted to beadlock wheels when required.

Q: What is the DWC EzyLok system and how does it work?

A: The EzyLok system allows the same wheel to be used as a conventional alloy wheel for everyday road driving or converted to a beadlock wheel for serious off-road use. EzyLok-equipped wheels feature threaded holes around the outer rim, which are sealed with grub screws during normal road use. To convert them, the grub screws are removed, the tyre is deflated, and an optional beadlock ring is fitted to clamp the tyre bead securely to the wheel.

Q: Are beadlock wheels legal on Australian roads?

A: Most beadlock wheels are not legal for use on public roads. With the EzyLok system, the beadlock rings must be removed and the tyre returned to its conventional position before driving on the road.

Q: Why would you want beadlock wheels off-road?

A: Running lower tyre pressures improves grip and traction on gravel, sand, mud and snow, but very low pressures can allow the tyre to come off the rim. A beadlock wheel clamps the tyre bead to the wheel to help prevent this from happening.

Q: How much do DWC Sentinel alloy wheels cost?

A: DWC Sentinel alloy wheels have an RRP of $370 per wheel (↗), while the optional EzyLok beadlock rings are priced at $170 each.

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