[STL Zombie Hunter]

You don't 'need' them. But if using a 16.5 wheel you will. As I mentioned earlier, they lack a safety lip that other common sizes have. Any sort of sway or body roll could pop your seal and leave you stranded.

If going with the HMMWV style 24 bolt wheels, they are a 2 piece wheel and the bead lock is an integral part of the wheel. It doesn't weigh that much in comparison to the rest of the hardware. It's just a piece of 1/4" steel w/ a bunch of holes drilled in it.
Hope this helps some & I didn't 'muddy the water' so to speak.