Narrowing 2.2 wheels & DP Fab Rock Rings

[rckjeep]

People have been asking since the beginning about how to narrow a wheel and how to attach my Rock Rings. So I decided to make a thread about the topic. I've taken some recent pics and I'm use some old ones to complete the story. First off, lets talk about why we narrow a rim or wheel. There can be a few reasons to narrow a wheel.

1: for looks, I like the look of a tire on a narrow rim.
To compare it to a 1:1 vehicle it's like a 35" tire on a 10" rim versus a 8" rim. The 10" rim ballons the tire too much in my opinion. But on an 8" rim it looks better and the tire can be aired down to lower pressures because the tire naturally site off a rim with around 8-9 between the beads. Where as a 10" rim needs the air pressure to keep it on the rim.

2: for performance, a narrow rim pulls the sidewall of the tire to the edge causing the corner of the tire to become useable tread. It also narrow the tire adding PSI to the contact patch of the tire, adding traction.

Here are some #'s regarding rim width and effective tire width. Now I used multiple rims in different widths but the same tire a IMEX Swamp Dawg 2.2

NOTE: all rim widths from inside of outer tire beads

Full width Stampede wheel
rim width 1 3/4"
tire width 2 7/16"

Single narrowed (in the style explained below)
rim width 1 1/2" (just under actually)
tire width 2 5/16"

Double narrowed
rim width 1 3/16"
tire width 2 1/4"

Full width HPI SS Deep
rim width 1 7/8"
tire width 2 7/16"

Double narrowed HPI Split 5 spoke
rim width 1 3/8"
tire width 2 5/16"

Now running Pro-Lines 2.2 MOAB tire on narrowed wheel makes a bigger difference because the tire is so much narrower.

On to narrowing
Here's an uncut (yet marked to cut) Stampede wheel, which is probably the easist wheel to narrow.


Here's the same wheel with one bead cut off.


Now reverse the bead and slide it over the wheel until it stops, then glue it on.


You can do this to both sides and get a double narrowed wheel. Here you can see the differences between all the wheels, uncut, single & double narrowed.


Now, there are some wheels that don't let you cut off the entire bead due to the wheel design. For example all the HPI wheels I've used. Here's a double narrowed Split 5 spoke wheel that has had the outer bead removed to install the 1st generation Rock Ring. Removing the bead allows the rock ring to sit almost flush in the tire.


Here you see a single narrowed HPI SS deep dish with the outer bead removed for the same reason as above.


One of the benefits to rock rings is that when you cut a wheel you can lose some of the design of the wheel well rock rings can cover up the cut. Especially the 2nd generation rings shown



here's another example of a rock ring covering up that cut mark with a CA.

before


and after the rock ring gets glued on(2nd generation)


and after the rock ring gets glued on(1st generation)


Finally here's a double narrowed Duratrax wheel at 1 1/4" width, outer bead removed next to an uncut on and then mounted up with a 2.2 MOAB by Proline.





I hope this helps some of you guys out when deciding what to do with your tire & wheel combo.

[gone_wheelin]

Great thread. Narrowing the Stampede wheels is definitely an easy task.

I've never used the Rock Rings before so this is just a general question. I should probably just do a search and probably will later but I'm feelin a little lazy this morning. Are the rock rings glued or screwed to the wheel? And are the screw heads just for appearances?

[rckjeep]

I should have mentioned that so I fixed it, glued and yes.

[Unimoger]

Great thread Dave, now I don't need to send you my wheels.

[Brandon]

Hey Dave, on those duratrax wheels... Is the outer lip completely cut off, and you are using the rock ring to support the tire now? So the tire is getting glued to it correct?

[Jim511]

How do you go about CA'ing the rockring to the wheel? I dont want to ruin my rockrings by getting glue everywhere, and I want them to be as dead on as possible.

[wrx-n-ktm]

Originally Posted by Jim511

How do you go about CA'ing the rockring to the wheel? I dont want to ruin my rockrings by getting glue everywhere, and I want them to be as dead on as possible.

I just used Shoe Goo on mine so I could easily remove them later if I want. So far it's holding strong

[metomwhou]

Awesome thread. On the stampede wheels, are those fronts or rears? Also, with a single narrowed wheel, can you tell me whats the advantage of narrowing just the rear bead of the wheel vs the front bead or vice/versa? Lastly, which would you recommend, front or rear rims and why? Lots of probably easy and/or dumb questions so flame on!!

[niggle]

have you by any chance got a picture of a masher 2k on a normal stampede rim and a pic of a masher 2k on a double narrowed stampede rim? i want to see just howmuch difference double narrowing the wheel makes to the side wall and width of the tyre.

Thanks, Jon

[rckjeep]

Originally Posted by Nluvwithxlr8ing

Hey Dave, on those duratrax wheels... Is the outer lip completely cut off, and you are using the rock ring to support the tire now? So the tire is getting glued to it correct?

Yes the outer lip is completely gone. The Rock rings is now the outer bead.

Originally Posted by Jim511

How do you go about CA'ing the rockring to the wheel? I dont want to ruin my rockrings by getting glue everywhere, and I want them to be as dead on as possible.

I set the rock rings face down and set the wheel on top. Then I center the wheel on the ring, by eye. I use some water thin CA with weight on the wheel to hold it. Then I run the CA around the joint. It's is later removable with a putty knife & some force.

Originally Posted by metomwhou

Awesome thread. On the stampede wheels, are those fronts or rears? Also, with a single narrowed wheel, can you tell me whats the advantage of narrowing just the rear bead of the wheel vs the front bead or vice/versa? Lastly, which would you recommend, front or rear rims and why? Lots of probably easy and/or dumb questions so flame on!!

They are front wheels. The advantage of running a single narrow (inner bead)is you will gain some tire clearence between the shocks & links & a bit more track width. Removing the outer bead only I have not done. I hope that helps

Originally Posted by niggle

have you by any chance got a picture of a masher 2k on a normal stampede rim and a pic of a masher 2k on a double narrowed stampede rim? i want to see just howmuch difference double narrowing the wheel makes to the side wall and width of the tyre.

I don't but if you have the tires and wheels just start cutting. Nice thing about the stampede wheels is their cost. A double narrowed stampede in a masher 2k is a bit narrow IMHO. But a double narrowed HPI split five spoke in a M2K is just right.

[metomwhou]

Thanks, thats the answer I was looking for!
Tom