For four-wheel drive vehicles, a ring with a number of bolts around the circumference can be used to clamp the tire to the wheel.
For motorcycles, a rim lock or bead stopper is a curved plate tightened by a single bolt.
For both four-wheel drive vehicles and motorcycles, a different style of beadlock can be used that is similar to an inner tube which is inflated to press the tire against the wheel.
Modern automotive tires have a soft rubber formulation at the beads to help maintain good rim contact, so special bead-lock means are not required.
Nevertheless, some riders will lower the tire pressure to cause the tread to spread out and create a larger contact patch.
This practice can create a safety hazard, as there may not be enough pressure to adequately secure the tire beads to the wheel.
Beadlocks, of one form or another including adhesive, are therefore used to keep the beads of off-road tires firmly seated and prevent slip, even when inflation pressure is low.
This provides the appearance of beadlocks, but no functional benefits beyond the internal bead seat common to automotive wheels.
A special inner tube is inflated via its own valve stem to high pressure to push the bead of the tire tight against the wheel.