[jeangtd]

Not to start a discussion here about wich one is better, just trying to figure out wich one is better for my application.

this is the way I see it:

aluminum wheels bend, carbon fiber wheels break, and while its easier to aluminum to bend than a hiper breaking, a tech3 can leave you stranded while a douglas beadlock wont.

so if you are racing a 300 mile race where you dont have assitance other than de assistance truck, but if you wait for it its because you already lsot the race, it usually pases 2-4 hours after the start, and if you get lost theres no assitance truck because only you know where you are specially if theres no bars on the cell, what wheel would you rather have?

bulletproof carbon fiber tech3 that in an extreme case can break and leave you stranded?

or an aluminium beadlock wheel which can bend but its not most likelly to leave you stranded?

 

[dyce51]

hmmmm....might be worth starting a poll...i've always like aluminum, just depends on your type of riding imo and how far out you get

 

[Fl. Woods Raptor]

If you hit a aluminum wheel with the same force it would take to break a Hiper the aluminum wheel will be destroyed beyond use. IE folded up to the point it won't hold air!

 

[THIS SPACE FOR RENT]

I have to agree with FL, if you hit something hard enough to damage the tech 3 it would have destroyed the aluminum and you more than likely would have flown from the quad and need professional assistance anyway. Now if I were to hit something hard enough to break it and was in that bad of shape I would probably just try to ride to safe place on a trashed flat.

On the plus side, the most expensive part to replace on the tech 3 (after the 1st year of free replacement) is $68. Just something else to think about.

 

[jeangtd]

If you hit a aluminum wheel with the same force it would take to break a Hiper the aluminum wheel will be destroyed beyond use. IE folded up to the point it won't hold air!

good point, but arent tech3 more vurnerable in areas that an aluminium wheel is not?

 

[jeangtd]

im not talking about any aluminium wheel, im talking about douglas beadlocks

 

[Fl. Woods Raptor]

No I don't think so, and like "this space for rent" said if you break the Hiper more than likely you can fix it by buying the half that is broke not the whole wheel like you would if it was a Douglas bead lock.

 

[Big Daddy]

Yea I would have to vote for the hipers over aluminum. I've got em all around on my quad and they are great rims, plus like already said if you break em they are alot cheaper to fix than buying a whole new alulminum rim.

 

[preddy08]

Me and my friends all run Hipers. We've had them for 4+ years and I've never even come close to breaking one. And believe me I've tried my hardest! We go to up in Colorado mountains once a year and thrash our bikes on rocks like this. Never once broke a wheel. Bent a couple aluminum rims though.

 

[CHIMBAZOID]

If you are lookng at an aluminum wheel, instead of the Douglas beadlock, I would look at the OMF beadlocks.

I have a set of them and a set of HiPers.

I don't think you could bend or break an OMF beadlock wheel. The welded outer ring is 3/8" thick and the beadlock ring is also 3/8" thick. The inside of all 4 wheels also have a reinforcing ring welded in for extra strength.You have your choice of them installing their kit on either ITP or Douglas wheels too. I went with the Douglas Red Labels.

You can see the inside rings in this pic.

Here's a close up of them on my 660.

 

[r_mckeaveney]

Ive had both, got Hipers now. It seems every time i change my tires I have to buy rim halves because the ring nuts inside the wheel spin. Otherwise there bullet proof.

 

[preddy08]

I feel your pain, mine are doing the same thing. Mine are pretty old and I change tires quite often.

 

[jeangtd]

is there any way to avoid this?

 

[r_mckeaveney]

is there any way to avoid this?

If there is, i havent figured it out yet. My Douglas beadlocks were flawless. I like my Hipers, but the only reason I bought them was because when I switched from Honda to Yamaha, I needed new rims quick and the Douglas were out of stock. $1,300 later im using Hipers. Thats another advantage though, the Tech 3s fit the major 4 brands, maybe more.

 

[Big Daddy]

are you guys over tightening your beadlock bolts. I haven't had this problem at all with my hipers.

 

[r_mckeaveney]

are you guys over tightening your beadlock bolts. I haven't had this problem at all with my hipers.

I only tighten them enough to close the ring down on the tire? I make sure all the ring tabs are seated in the rim. I think mud and dirt work there way into the threads over time and locks them up.

 

[Fl. Woods Raptor]

is there any way to avoid this?

Yes, take the loc-tite off the bolts put never seeze on the threads and when you're tightening them pull them down in a cross pattern a little at a time, and don't over tighten them. One of the older sets I have, have been changed at least 20 times and I've never had a nut pull out of any of my Hipers! I'm up to 4 1/2 sets now (18 wheels) some of them I bought used so there's no telling how those were taken care of.

 

[preddy08]

I've been using anti seeze and always use a torque wrench when tightening the rings.

 

[Dales396lt4]

It's only 12flb