XB-450i Innovative Features
Patented Design. Premium Quality. Built in USA.
Check out the innovative features of the BeadBuster XB-450i bead breaker that sets it apart from all of the so-called 'competition'. BeadBuster is by far the premium option in the manual bead breaker space.
INVESTMENT CAST CONSTRUCTION
The Tool Body and Ram Foot are manufactured by Investment Casting (aka. Lost Wax Casting) which is a high-precision and high-quality method that is also used in the manufacture of Jet Engine Turbine Blades.
The parts are single bodies with no welds, and all of the critical high-stress regions are packed with material for ultimate strength. The final design was optimized with FEA (Finite Element Analysis) to provide extra durability while saving weight.
Both parts are made from AISI 4140 steel, a high-strength chrome-moly alloy, and is Hardened to HRC 30, with a min. Tensile Strength of 130,000 psi.
INTEGRATED HANDLE
An ergonomic handle is incorporated into the Tool Body casting, which gives the user a secure grip to apply the required force to get the tire sidewall depressed and the feet started underneath the lip of the rim.
CLAMP DIRECTION
All BeadBuster bead breakers feature the Clamping Screw in-line with the clamping direction...its part of our US Patent. All other screw-actuated bead breaker designs feature the clamp screw perpendicular to the clamping direction. The result is almost all mechanical advantage is lost as it tries to turn the corner, and these tools are notoriously difficult to get clamped in all the way.
The BeadBuster Clamp Screw is pushing in a direction that maximizes clamping force, which for the XB-450i is an incredible 4.2 tons max at the Clamp Pad. BeadBuster tools never need a hammer to get it into position.
CLAMP ARM
The clamp arm is fabricated from AISI 1020 cold rolled steel, which is a sturdy grade of mild steel, giving the part ample strength for the task of gripping onto the rim.
CLAMP PAD
The Clamp Arm is fitted with an Injection Molded HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) Clamp Pad which protects the surface of the rim as you break your beads. Whether you have Aluminum, Magnesium, or even Carbon Fiber rims, the Clamp Pad prevents scratching and scuffing while being used. HDPE is a very tough polymer, and will hold up to years of use on steel wheels as well.
CUSTOM SCREWS
The Clamp and Ram Screws are custom-made 1/2"-13 fully threaded bolts. They have 3/4" Flanged Hex Heads that prevent you from covering it up with a socket so that you can see when you have reached the end of travel.
Both screws are made from Grade-8 steel, which have a Rockwell Hardness of HRC 36, and min. tensile strength of 150,000 psi. Grade 8 steel means these screws are fully Impact Wrench compatible.
CROWNED TIPS
The custom-made screws both have crowned (aka. rounded) tips. The screws push directly on the Clamp Arm and Ram Foot, so naturally some material deformation will occur at the contact interface. The crowned tips ensure that any mushrooming will not interfere with the female threads of the Tool Body, which further improves overall thread durability.
CLAMP ARM HINGE PIN SLOTS
The Clamp Arm is retained with a custom-made high-strength alloy steel Clevis Pin. However, during use the Pin does not see much force because of the slotted holes in the Tool Body. The slotted holes allow the corner of the Clamp Arm to bear directly against the Tool Body, which provides the majority of the reaction force from clamping. This design reduces the need for a precision tolerance hole, and eliminates the potential failure mode of a broken Pin.
RAM THREAD STRENGTH
The Female thread of the Ram Screw is a full 2X of the nominal (1/2") thread diameter: giving 1" of thread engagement. Combined with the high strength materials, a substantial peak force of 9.0 tons can be achieved by the Ram.
In fact the threads are so robust that the torque required to shear the Grade-8 bolt (~83 ft-lbs) is substantially lower than the torque required to cause thread failure. If the threads are kept adequately greased on a regular basis, it is virtually impossible to strip the threads out - you would shear the bolt 1st, which can be easily replaced.